It's time for spring break and some college kids head down for Daytona Beach, Florida, but on their way there they take a detour and end up in a small Southern town. The place is called Pleasant Valley and the town folk seem really hospitable, inviting the kids to stay for the annual barbecue celebration. The kids accept the invitation, something they'll soon come to regret.
This was just what I needed. Been watching too much crap lately and desperately been trying to shake off the bad feeling I got from Tobe Hooper's crapfest that was Mortuary, and this one surely helped me to do so. Not only was it entertaining and fun to watch, it also gave me back some faith in new horror. Even though it's a remake it still felt very fresh combining humour and gore in an excellent mix that would be really hard to say no to.
I recently read quite a negative review about 2001 Maniacs. I usually don't pay that much attention to these sort of things and always wanna see it for myself anyway, but it didn't get my hopes up. And maybe that was a good thing since I didn't expect very much from this movie, but instead found it to be more than I had hoped for and that sure came as a nice surprise. If you expect full-on horror, creepy atmosphere or just to be scared, then let me tell you, it's not gonna happen. So with that in mind, you know what to not expect and maybe that will help to make 2001 Maniacs a good movie experience. Because it really is a good movie experience. If you're a horror/splatter fan with a good sense of humour, you'll most likely have a great time watching this film.
These three college guys are on their way to Daytona Beach and stop for gas at some gas station. There they meet a couple of girls and a guy who are also on their way to spring break. Later on they take a detour which eventually takes them to Pleasant Valley, a small town that are about to have their annual barbecue. The girls and the guy that they met earlier, and a motorcycle couple also end up in the Southern town and they're all invited to stay for the celebration.
 
They all stay and the town seems to have a lot of nice chicks among all the nice and charming Southern people. At first everything seems really good and the people in the town are kind and lets them be part of the Southern ways. But later on the gentle people prove to be not so gentle after all, and soon the kids start go missing, one by one.
This movie has so many cool elements in it and mixes horror and comedy in a excellent and very enjoyable way. Eli Roth appears in the beginning of movie as Justin, the same character as seen in Cabin Fever. There are actually quite a lot of familiar faces here and they all make for a really good cast. Robert Englund stars as the major of Pleasant Valley and he really seems to have a lot of fun with his character. The way the South is portrayed is actually really good and definitely gives the movie a certain feel. Everything from how things look to how people talk and behave, they've captured it in a really good way and it does a lot for the overall experience.
Ok so what about the gore, guts and the blood? Well, it's definitely there, in your face at times and gorehounds will not be disappointed with 2001 Maniacs. Although, remember that this is a humorous movie so even when it's gross it's still a lot of fun. I'm not gonna go into further detail regarding the gore and what you get to see, all I can say is that it's there and if you're into that type of stuff you'll definitely have a good time watching 2001 Maniacs.
I predict that this movie will be a cult classic among horror fans in the near future. Don't be to serious when watching 2001 Maniacs as it is not a serious movie. That doesn't mean that it's not well made or anything even remotely close, it just means that take it for what it is and you will probably have a great time watching it.
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Set in the year 1818 in Tenneessee, John Bell angers a neighboring woman over a property deal, and Bell is found guilty of usury and loses his good name. Not only that, but the woman swears vengeance upon Bell and his loved ones. Bell starts to see wolfs appear out of nowhere, while his daughter Betsy suffers attacks from some unknown entity that seems to be present in the house of Bell. The attacks keeps growing in strength and every night Betsy has to go through terrifying things when the entity shows up. College-educated school teacher Richard (James D'Arcy) is called upon to investigate how to drive the spirit away, but there seems to be no solution to Bell's problem.
Having heard a lot of bad stuff about An American Haunting, it was hard to feel very excited when I was about to watch it. On the other hand, I have never read anything about the Bell Witch so at least I didn't know how the story was gonna go down, as well as it would spare me from comparing the movie to the actual books written on the subject. I can't say that it was a great movie, but it was far better than I expected it to be. Although it really felt like commersial horror, which it is, and that always has more negative than positive things to it.
The most positive thing about An American Haunting is that it's based on true events. Now, imagine that for a sec, that it has actually happened for real. Like I said before, I haven't read the books about the Bell Witch so I have no idea how true the movie stays to the original story, but I will assume it's somewhat close just for the sake of it. With that in mind, you of course get a better experience out of watching An American Haunting, compared to if the story would've been fiction. Don't get me wrong here, I have absolutely no idea what went down in Tenneessee almost 200 years ago, but if you would assume that what you see actually has happened, it makes things a bit more scary, and we always want things more scary, don't we?
 
My main problem though, except for that the scares were non-effective, was the reason for why the entity kept tormenting John Bell's poor daughter Betsy. When watching Asian horror, the ghosts/spirits always seems to have a, even if not good, still a proper reason to act like they do. The spirit here has no real reason to keep attacking the poor girl, and even if there is a tiny reason, it's just not enough. I felt bad for the girl, being dragged outta bed and being tormented for a number of minutes, night after night. This is basically the whole movie itself, the girl keeps getting attacked and her family can't do nothing about it. They call in a priest, they call in an educated teacher, but they can't do nothing either so it just keeps going on until something even more bad happens.
Fortunately, the movie's not that long, it never really feels dragged out, and it has a pretty good pacing were a lot of stuff happens every now and then. The scares are way too dull though, but it's never a snooze-fest. The acting is good, and while Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek, as man and wife, are ok as well as the rest of the cast, the best actress is Rachel Hurd-Wood who stars as Betsy. The scenery is pretty cool, but it's unfortunately never very eerie or unsettling for that matter, something that it would've really needed to be.
I found An American Haunting to be quite an ok movie with a somewhat interesting story. On the horror front it doesn't work too well though, and the scares were pretty lame. It's commersial horror, and people who are not used to watching horror flicks might find it to be a bit scary, but if you're a horror fan, don't expected to soil your pants outta fright.
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The Amityville Horror is about this house were a family was murdered in 1974 by their son who claimed he heard voices and that the voices told him to do it. One year later a couple and their kids move in to what they think is their dream house which actually is the house were the gruesome killings took place. Soon they become aware of the demonic presence that surrounds the house.
This is a remake of the Amityville Horror made in 1979 and according to me, this remake is better than the original version, not that it's very good or anything like that but the original version is just plain boring, at least here some stuff happens even if what happens isn't that great.
Except for that the remake being better (which is quite unusual) the old and new version are pretty much the same, it has the same exact story and everything. Might be worth watching on a rainy day though but if it's not raining I suggest you go out and play instead because you won't really be missing out from not watching it.
 
Why I prefer the remake over the original version is mainly because the remake is fast paced while the original version was brutally slow. A lot of stuff happen and even if it's not that frightening or very interesting it's still entertaining on some levels.
I'm definitely not at fan of Ryan Reynolds but here he's actually less irritating than his usual characters, he's not good nor bad, he's just there just like the other actors who do an ok job but nothing special at all.
I give it a 5 out of 10 since it has some entertainment value and was pretty fast-paced. I'm not saying that it was that good, but I was expecting so much worse so I guess that makes for something too. It's actually a bit better than the original snoozefest, although that doesn't mean that's it's great or anything close to it.
A scientific expedition group travels to Borneo to find a flower called the Blood Orchid that supposably can prolong peoples lives. But the way to the flower is not as easy as they first had thought it would be, and the group find themselves in a heap of trouble when losing their boat and has to walk through the rainforest by foot. If that wasn't bad enough, the rainforest is inhabited by huge nasty anacondas that seem to like to feed on humans among other things.
This is the sequel to 1997's Anaconda and personally I prefer this one over the first movie, at least here the snakes look all right. A movie like this is of course not to be taken too seriously, but if you can take it for what it is, it can actually be quite an entertaining ride. It's always easy to complain about B-flicks of this caliber, but since so many people before me already has done that, I won't be doing that here. To be honest, I actually enjoy this little flick, it's fun, fast-paced and will definitely keep you entertained if nothing else. For being a creature feature it's actually pretty good, I mean that are a lot of worse ones out there for sure.
Every movie must have some kind of story, but when it comes to movies like this, you couldn't actually care less about the story, you just wanna see nasty snakes kill people, right? Anyway, the story is nothing special but manages to do the job and sure needs to be there for everything to work. So these people set out for Borneo with the mission of finding a flower that only bloom once every seventh year so time is not on their hands. Once in Borneo it's the rainy season and no one wants to take the group up the river on a boat. But luckily for them, they soon find a guy named Bill who's willing to give them a ride for a large sum of money. This Bill guy is the hero of the movie and is so good and righteous it's sickening at times. He's a real man who stand up for what is right, but since I just wanted to see people die in different ways, it was just a bit too irritating. Although he's fairly easy to ignore and the movie's is still enjoyable.
 
Instead of going the safer way on the river they end up getting thrown down a waterfall and so their boat is lost. After that they have to go through the jungle by foot which soon makes them run into a huge anaconda, and after that things just keep getting harder and harder for the group. The snakes are CGI but the special effects are good and they look pretty cool so no real complaints there. There are a few scenes that features the snakes attack which look really good, but the movie sure could've had some more of those scenes. It's good but it's just not enough, I mean that's the biggest reason for why you would wanna watch a movie like this.
No blood, no gore, but it's fast-paced and entertaining all the way through. The movies has some humour in it but I wouldn't say it's very comical, there's this guy who complains all the time, but it's more annoying to watch than humorous. Sometimes I felt that Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid took itself a bit too seriously, and that is of course not a good thing since the viewer will most likely not take a movie like this very seriously. But it's still not as bad as it might sound. The movie's totally watchable, despite all its flaws.
The acting. Well what can you expect, not very much. It's actually neither good or bad, it's not gonna impress you but it's not gonna be totally wooden or laughable either. The actors manage to do the job ok and that's all that's needed. There are no really likable characters and I found myself rooting for the snakes, but on the other hand, I would've been rooting for the snakes even if I had liked the characters.
If you just take it for what it is, it's entertaining, fun and works well. Like I said before, it's easy to complain and take swings at these types of movies, but I found myself being entertained enough from start till finish and that's good enough.
A group of cheerleaders that consist of 3 girls and one guy are on their way to the regional collegiate championship but is suddenly stranded in the middle of nowhere when their car breaks down. They soon happen upon a home where two of them stay and the other two heading back to the main road to look for help. Later, two escaped convicts happen to pass by and takes the two cheerleaders in the house hostage. Soon, they all run into Andre the Butcher, a real psychopath who slaughters everything he can get his hands on.
Before I actually sat down to watch Andre the Butcher, I had read a lot of review about the movie, and most of them were quite negative. So I wasn't hoping for much, and when reading the description of the film, it kinda felt like I was in for some low-budget Troma type movie. Luckily that wasn't the case at all since Andre proved to be well over indie standard, and that it also proved to be a hilarious experience with a very great outcome in the end.
I couldn't care less if Ron Jeremy makes porno films or not, and a lot of reviewers seemed to have been too focused on the fact that he's a porn star. I like seeing the guy in films, he has pretty good comical timing and was good in both Detroit Rock City and Orgazmo among others. Who cares if he's a porn star, the real questions is; is he doing a god job here...and the answear is definitely.
From a lot of reviews that I read, I got the feeling that the movie would look bad as well, but considering how a lot of cheap low-budget flicks look, Andre actually comes out looking really good. Another thing is the acting, sure it might not be the best at times, but I never found myself being irritated by any of the characters or their performances. This is a very rare thing when it comes to these types of flicks, and I'm really happy it turned out this way. Now, I'm not saying that the acting is great because it's really not, but it's at least decent and works well considering what type of movie this is, so no real complaints there either.
 
There's one fart-joke in the movie, but it works quite well and doesn't mean that the movie's of low caliber all the way. It has some really hilarious scenes every now and then, and I found myself having a really good time when watching Andre the Butcher. A lot of people seem to have expected a serious slasher flick, but that's just wrong and no wonder that they didn't end up liking it. If you take the movie for what it really is, it's actually a really good horror comedy, and those are quite rare these days.
Booooobs! Yeah, we get to see some boobs and there are some sex in the movie, but I was happily surprised because I was sure it was gonna have more of that, and that it might be too much or feel too cheap. We get some funny scenes that involves sex and that are needed, but it's never too much or never so it takes over the rest of the movie so to speak. Again, well done.
The story is quite simple but makes for an entertaining 87 minutes of pure fun. Some cheerleaders car breaks down in the middle of nowhere and they soon find a house where they hang out for a while. Two escaped convicts soon joins them, and so does the sheriff and the deputy. And they all have to watch out for and try to find a way to get rid of the mad butcher who's after them. There are actually so many little things that makes this movie great, and the comedy is good and well delivered. When it comes to gore, it actually looks better than I first had expected. Some stuff looks really cheap and fake, but considering the comical side of the movie, it makes it kinda fun as well.
The score is a mix of different kinds of music but what we get to hear a lot is death and black metal. Now, I've been a death metal fan all my life but that doesn't mean that I want to hear this type of music in movies. It works in the beginning, and in the intro it's especially good and adds a good feel towards the movie. Although, it gets a little boring later on when we get to hear crappy black metal every time Andre shows up and wants to kill someone. There are some more 'normal' type of rock music in the movie as well, and it works ok in the background. I can't say that the score is good, but it fits the movie somehow, and the death metal part in the very beginning is excellent.
In the end, I have to give this movie an eight out of ten since even though it has its flaws, it's really entertaining and a lot of fun to watch. Why it gets such a high rating is because I'm pretty sure that Andre the Butcher is a movie that I'll be watching many times in the future, and have a lot of fun watching it every time I decide to do so. I'm a big fan when it comes to horror comedies, and even though it's a hard combination and many fail at getting it right, this movie does not. You cannot watch this movie with a serious attitude, but if you take it for what it truly is, it's a fun ride from beginning to end. Recommended.
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Two girls are out rock-climbing and decide to stop over at a bar in the desert for a cold one. In the bar they get harassed by a gang of local bikers, and the girls escape stealing the leader's bike. After riding for a while they crash the bike and discover that there's a satchel full of cash on the bike that they were riding. They stop at a motel to rest and the owner promise to take them into town. But suddenly the bikers appear and wants their money back, and not only do they have to watch out for the bikers, there's also a psychopatic axe murderer on the loose.
Ok, I was pretty sure that Axe was gonna suck, but this was beyond abysmal to say the least. Funny thing though, I looked at this movie on IMDB and it had a rating of 7.3 and there were only six people that had voted. Either, and most likely, the people who voted had something to do with this movie, and if they didn't, they sure have the most horrible taste in movies ever. I can't actually see how anyone could like this piece of trash, it's pure garbage and has absolutely nothing going for it whatsoever.
I have no idea why Jason London's in this movie as he's actually an ok actor, although I think his brother Jeremy is slightly better. I guess he's somewhat ok here too, it's just that everything else is so bad and uninteresting it's ridiculous. Someone at IMDB also mentioned that one of the two girls look like a fat version of Denise Richards and I couldn't agree more. Actually, I couldn't let that thought go during the entire flick, she's prancing around with her big breasts halfway hanging out from her too tight top/shirt and is a terrible actress.
The other girl, Andrea Bogart, is actually ok but I still wouldn't wanna use the word good though. The remaining actors are just terrible and delivers awful performances. The biker gang is laughable, and the serial killer is just a huge block of meat that acts like a caveman and is truly a snore to watch. Also the killing scenes are among the worst in movie history, I still can't believe just how bad they were. But the award for absolute worst acting goes to the owner of the motel, he's definitely in a league of his own.
The movie's basically just about these two girls that unknowingly steals some cash, and everyone else being out for the cash as well, not only the bikers. Although, the serial killer just wants to kill and he does a hell of a job not delivering on any level whatsoever. So these girls escapes the bikers and hook up with the owner of the bar they first went to, but he's not as nice as he first seemed. There's this little twist, but you could see it coming from miles away and it's just shite..
Most of the time, even if a movie's really bad, it usually have some little thing going for it, but sorry to say this one does not have one single thing. Axe could've really used some nudity as well, it's this type of b-flick that is just horrible but if it would've had some nudity, it would at least have been something. It kinda hints at it as well as the Denise Richards looking chick is kinda semi-showing her tits at all times but we never get to see them. Too bad, that would've probably raised the rating one point extra.
I truly regret that I watched Axe as it just got me all worked up and irritated. It has absolutely NOTHING to offer and everyone involved in the production should be ashamed of themselves. Avoid at all cost.
Crime novelist Catherine Trammell has re-located herself from San Francisco to London where she finds herself in trouble with the law. Criminal psychiatrist Michael Glass is called in to perform a psychiatrist profile and evaluation of Catherine, but soon finds himself extremely drawn to her and is sucked into her web of lies and seduction.
A long time ago when Basic Instinct first was released I found myself really enjoying the movie since it was a different kind of thriller that mixed sex and suspense in a good way. Now, many years later, seeing Basic Instinct 2 is somewhat like watching the first movie again, only that it's so much worse. If they wanted to make a sequel they could've done that long ago and not have waited around for about 10 years. It's very hard to see any kind of reason why this movie was made in the first place. If there would've been a follow-up to the original movie shortly after its release that would've been understandable, but releasing the sequel now just makes it come out looking stupid. That is very stupid.
Sharon Stone is still a fox and while that might be nice, it's not nearly good enough. This movie tries hard to be what the first one was but just ends up being a worthless clone that should never have been brought into this world. It does exactly what the first one did, has the same kind of dialogue and so on but never manages to be even half of what the first movie was.
 
About 15 minutes or so into the movie I honestly felt quite embarrassed since the dialogue was so bad and everything felt so tacky it was ridiculous. Something that makes it feel even worse is that anyone with half brain could've written this script in a few hours time. Just take the first movie, copy everything, change some names and throw in some different pointless characters. Plus that, throw in some totally uninteresting sex scenes and come up with a twist for the end that is so bad that you would like to beat yourself up. Congratualtions, you've just written Basic Instinct 2 and even though you're a shitty writer it will put some food on the table and maybe a new car in your garage so what the heck.
Only thing Basic Instinct 2 has going for it is that Sharon Stone is pretty hot, but after 20 minutes or so you kinda need something more as well in order to be able to stay interested. Don't get me wrong, stuff happen but does anyone really care? For being a thriller it doesn't have too much to offer for the genre as a thriller should contain some suspense and suspense is absolutely nowhere to be found. A clever twist in the end would've been nice, but instead it takes the turn of being predictable and you don't need to be a rocket scientist to be able to figure out what's gonna happen in the end.
Thanks for wasting my time. It gets one point for Sharon Stone being hot and one point since I didn't fell asleep watching it. Other than that it's complete nonsense and there's no point why you would wanna watch this. Avoid.
Duane Bradley checks in to the roach infested Hotel Broslin and with him he carries a basket containing his deformed siamese twin brother. They share a telepathic connection and are out seeking revenge on the doctors who separated them from each other and left Duane's brother Belial for dead.
They say that Einstein was a genius but compared to Frank Henenlotter the man does not have much going for him. Basket Case is a wonderful gory insane flick that ranks up there among the best horror comedies ever made, it's cheesy as hell, wildly entertaining, gory and truly funny. Personally I love movies from the 80's and this is just a fantastic flick that has that genuine 80's feeling to it.
Duane keeps his brother in a basket, and Belial truly is a basket case. He looks like a mix between a horrible monster and a meatball and have something of a short temper, is beyond blood-thirsty and is an angry little mutant killing machine. They were literally separated from each other at the young age of twelve and share a special telepathic connection that makes them being able to communicate. Even though they are siamese twins they are not identical as Belial is beyond deformed and Duane looks like a normal person.
So Duane has to carry his brother around in a basket and hide him from the world. The movie uses animation when showing Belial in motion, something that might look a bit tacky but that still works pretty well. They're out to take revenge on the doctors who separated them but along the way, Duane falls in love with Sharon, a receptionist to one of the doctors, something that Belial does not approve of.
Belial himself is actually pretty creepy at times, and it gets a little intense the first time he shows himself as it comes rather unexpected. The mix of horror and comedy is great and the movie is truly a bizarre piece of film. Basket Case is low-budget and I wonder what Frank could've done with some more ca$h, but for being truly low-budget, it's still so well done and looks great.
Basket Case is a really dirty movie, dirty in the sense that everything looks really dirty. The hotel Duane and Belial stays at is a shabby and crummy place that looks like it's about to fall apart, and that could sure use some cleaning. Then the dirty streets of New York, the dark alleys and everything has this dirty feeling to it, which is kinda interesting as well. If everything would've been clean and nice, it wouldn't have produced the same feeling at all I guess, so all in all, the surroundings are actually pretty cool and definitely creates a certain atmosphere.
The acting is not the best to say the least, but this is the type of movie were acting's not the most important thing. The story is so darn good and since the movie's truly sick, bizarre and gruesome, this type of acting it features actually somehow works. It's hard to explain and it sure has to be seen. Frank Henenlotter later went on and did Basket Case 2 in 1990 and Basket Case 3: The Progeny in 1992, both of them worth a look if you're a fan of the first.
Funny as hell, disgusting, cheesy, entertaining, violent, truly sick, bizarre, insane, gruesome and gory. A fantastic crazy 80's movie that has to be seen so don't miss out.
Duane and his brother Belial falls from a hotel room window and ends up in the hospital. The whole thing with the siamese twins, Duane's freak brother and all the murders turns into a media circus. One night, the two brothers escape from the hospital, and run into their Aunt Ruth, just right outside, who takes them home to her place. Her house serves as safe house for a lot of freaks, and now Duane and Belial are part of the bizarre family. But they are wanted for murder, and not only is the police after them, but also a lot of nosy reporters.
I'm a huge fan of the original Basket Case, and even if this sequel is quite ok, it's not nearly as good as the original movie was. This one, just like the first movie, was directed by Frank Henenlotter, and a lot of other things have stayed the same since the first movie. Like the two main characters Belial and Duane are the same as in the first flick which is a good thing. Sorry to say though, Basket Case 2 is not nearly as brutal and over-the-top gory as the original flick was, and that came as somewhat of a let-down. It features some violence, but is nothing that special, and that does not have the same intensity as before.
Another bad thing here was that the acting in the first movie was not great, but since it had so much nasty stuff going on at all times, it was never really a bother, and was easy to ignore as well. It was funny and over-the-top gory, so the somewhat bad acting felt liked it clicked with the whole thing, and came out not looking so bad after all. In this sequel, it felt like one noticed the lousy acting more, and it came out not looking as great.
But it has a lot of things going for it as well. This time Belial's not the only freak on screen, as this movie is completely packed with freaks. There's a whole big mansion full of them, and is the home of Granny Ruth and her daughter Susan, and is kind of a safe house for mutants and freaks. Duane and Belial are brought there and directly becomes part of this bizarre family. But they are wanted for a bunch of murders, and even though they are safe for the moment, they are not safe for long. Nosy reporters starts to investigate and soon finds out where the brothers hide out. If you want, this movie even has some moral to offer. It was a nice though, but when watched this, it sure could've used some more gore and less sentimental stuff.
Basket Case 2 work like most typical sequels do. It resemble the original, but is less effective, and does not feel as fresh or creative. The whole freak scene here is a new thing so some credit has to be given for that. But the freaks are quite boring, and some of them are not that well done when it comes to the make-up and special effects. Still, it works and is a decent sequel to a great movie.
Not as good as the original, and has a few flaws that are quite hard to overlook. Still, it features some good stuff as well, even if everything from the violence and gore to the humour has been toned down a bit. But if you're a fan of the original, you might wanna check it out. It's not great, but I never said it was bad.
Duane who went a bit crazy in Basket Case 2 has been locked up in a mental hospital, but is released and get to go on a trip to the deep south with Granny Ruth and her family of freaks. There they stay at a house of an old friend to Ruth, and Belial's girlfriend has a bunch of babies. But things does unfortunately not stay happy for long, as a pair of deputy sheriffs kidnap the newborn babies. Not only that, but Duane is locked up in prison, and the police have found out that he and his brother are wanted fugitives. Eventually the sheriff wants to trade the babies for Belial, but the whole police force get more then they bargained for.
Here's the third and final movie in the campy Basket Case trilogy. It's not even close to being as good as the first cult classic film was, but is slightly better than the sequel. Why? It has a bit more gore and is a bit more gross, other than that, they are pretty much the same. That doesn't mean that the movie's bad though, it has a lot of things to offer if you're in the right mood, and is up for some very unserious and campy stuff.
Personally, I remember that I liked the two sequels first time I saw them, which was many years ago. But when watched them now, I had a hard time to stay interested, and the movies just felt too stupid. Still though, I absolutely love the first movie, and even if it was campy and had a lot of humour, it also had a lot of actual horror, brutal violence and gore, that made the balance really good. The two sequels suffers from the lack of violence and gore, and has way too much childish over-the-top humour in them. I have nothing against humour and I love horror comedies, it's just that the sequels are too much and too silly.
But basket case three actual had a bunch of pretty nasty scenes as well. There is, for instance, one scene where Belial goes berserk in the police station and slaughters three officers in a cool way. This third movie was also way more gross than the second one, and that was a good thing too. There seemed to be more new and inventive ideas when making this third installment as well, like Belial's babies were quite cool, and the viewer is introduced to a new major freak as well. Other than that, when talking about new ideas, was that Belial got some sort of robotic looking machine towards the end where he was placed in the middle of it, and it had arms and legs that he could control with sticks.
The acting is terrible, and I can't really say anything positive about it. But considering what type of movie this is, it's not the end of the world. It's supposed to be over-the-top, but still, the acting could've been a bit more believable. There's not too much gore, but the movie actually has a few cool killing scenes, so even if it could've had more of that type of stuff, the viewer still gets some.
This final movie in the Basket Case trilogy is a bit better than the second one, but of course not half as good as the original movie. Still, if you liked the original, it's worth to check out the second and third installments as well. Not great but kinda ok for what it is.
Dr. Herbert West has been serving time in prison for 13 long years after having state's evidence turned against him by his former assistant, Dan Cain. But being incarcerated hasn't slow the good doctor down as he's still conducting experiments on rats from inside the walls. A man named Howard Phillips starts working at the prison as the new doctor, and as a kid he was there on the night when the police took West away. He saw his sister get killed infront of him, and has since then been fascinated with the possibility of bringing dead people back to life. So West takes him under his wing and sets up a lab inside the prison, and once again starts bringing the dead back to life. But as usual, things have a tendency to go slightly wrong...
13 years later after the release of Bride of Re-Animator, Brian Yuzna makes it a trilogy by making this; Beyond Re-Animator. One would might think that there's no chance that this could ever compare to the two previous old movies, but it's really good and sticks to everything fans of the previous movies have been familiarized with. Also, the fact that the movie was directed by the same man who gave us the previous two movies, and also that we once more get to see the insane Dr. Herbert West, again portrayed by Jeffrey Combs. So even if it one was made 13 years later it still feels as genuine as the other two, and does not feel like a third sequel that was made way too late.
This time we find Dr. Herbert West behind bars, and apparently he has been locked up for 13 long years. But of course prison can't stop the good doctor, and he's still conducting his re-animation experiments on rodents and uses the little stuff he has access to. One day a young doctor starts working at the prison, and he tells West that he was the boy who stood and watched while the police took West away thirteen years ago. The young doctor named Howard saw his sister get killed on that night, due to West's re-animation experiments. And ever since that night, Howard has been fascinated with the idea of bringing the dead back to life and wants to work with West.
 
West of course accepts since this will give him access to the prison clinic and all what that place has to offer. Plus that, he also gets an assistant to help him out. A reporter named Laura Olney is writing an article about the prison, and soon Howard and Laura fall for each other, even though West warns him that she's trouble. This movie focus on that West has found a new way when it comes to his re-animation experiments. Before when he brought the dead back, they came alive again but were acting like some sort of zombies. But this time he has come up with a new way to bring them back to their old selves. Unfortunately for West, things doesn't always seem to work out the way they should.
Beyond Re-Animator has all the elements you'd expect it to have if you've been watching Re-Animator and Bride of Re-Animator. There's the dark humour which works well even here, and of course the gore. When it comes to gore it has a lot to offer, not as much as the first movie had, but still enough to satisfy. Another thing that this movie has to offer is the prison enviroment itself, and it felt nice and fresh to get away from the Arkham Hospital that the two previous movies dealt with. The music is ok, even though it's not as good as before. When it comes to acting Jeffrey Combs once again pulls off a great performance, and his assistant Jason Barry is totally ok as well even if Bruce Abbott was better as his assistant. Elsa Pataky who stars as the reporter is very nice to look at but her performance isn't that nice, still works kinda ok though so I don't really want to complain.
Even though Beyond Re-Animator was made so much later, it still manages to capture most of the feeling that the other movies had. It's really entertaining, has a lot of cool horror elements to offer, plus some dark humour and of course the mandatory gore. It's a fun ride, and if you've seen the other two movies, you should definitely check this one out too.
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Truck driver Jack Burton arrives in San Francisco's Chinatown, and soon finds himself helping his friend Wang pick up his green eyed fiancé who's arriving from Beijing. But at the airport a bunch of punks kidnapp the girl before Jack and Wang reaches her, and chasing after the punks, they soon find themselves in the middle of a gang war. When they flee the scene, a Chinese demon appears before them and they manage to escape to later find out that Jack's truck has been stolen. Now Jack wants his truck back and Wang wants his fiancé back, so together they go after the demon named Lo Pan into a world of Chinese myth and magic.
Been watching Big Trouble in Little China every now and then over the years, and considering the movie was made 20 years ago when writing this, it still looks smashing even today. Ok some of the effects might not be that great but they are never really bad, and some of them actually looks quite awesome, even though we're living in the age of too much CGI and all. But first and most, Big Trouble in Little China is a hell of a lot of fun and movies like this aren't made these days. I don't know if it's because it's from the lovely 80's or what it is, but the feeling it brings can't be found in movies today, despite how good they are.
I hate Sex and the City, and I think it's pure braindead shit, but it's actually quite fun to see a much younger Kim Cattrall (Samantha) here in this type of movie. Although she doesn't look as good here though but delivers a really good performance. Kurt Russell does a great job as the very loud mouthed truck driver who gets drawn into a world of Chinese myths and magic in order to help his friend and to get his beloved truck back. Another thing I found when watching this movie now again, was that the guy has really good comical timing, and still manages to be the masculine hero as well. These are two things that are very hard to combine, since if there's too much humour the hero will look silly, but it's just perfectly balanced, and Russell delivers a great performance.
 
Another great performance is delivered from Wang, the guy who Russell's helping out. Thing is that Wang's actually the real hero in the movie, and even if Kurt takes over once in a while, it's still Wang who gives the most heroic performance. Since Wang is Chinese and knows about history and myths, he has some inside knowledge about what's going on, something that Kurt's character does not have. So at times Wang is the leader while Kurt's the follower, but together they make a great team, and at times it feels a bit like a 'buddy-movie'. That is, two characters completely different from one another comes together as an odd team but in the end manages to get the job done.
Even though a lot of people are fans of Carpenter, I still feel that the guy's a bit under appreciated, considering all the cult movies he has done during the 80's, his name should definitely be bigger than it is. And the thing with Carpenter is that he manages to create these wonderfull movies that are similar to nothing else, and Big Trouble in Little China is no exception.
This movie is many things, but one thing especially is that it's really action-packed. A lot of movies has a tendency to drag a little in the beginning to later head into some faster pacing. Big Trouble in Little China kicks off at frame one and does never stop to catch its breath until the credits roll. It's fast-paced as hell and new things happen all the time. If you walk away from the screen for even a minute, chances that you've missed out on something when you get back are great.
Big Trouble in Little China is an 80's cult classic that is fast-paced, super action-packed and has some great comedy in it as well. There are no dull moments in the movie whatsoever, and it is a fast and fun ride from beginning to end. Great story, great acting, a lot of cool action scenes and a good score from Carpenter himself. Highly recommended.
One night, while a bum is minding his own business in the forest, a meteor falls and lands near a small town in the USA. The bum goes there to see what came falling down from the sky, and all of a sudden, his hand is attacked by some jelly-like thing. He's discovered by a local kid and two other kids that hit the bum with their car while on a date. They take him to see a doctor, and they soon find out that the jelly-like thing is a man-eating blob, attacking and eating away at everyone in the town. Soon a bunch of government scientists shows up in the small town to help out. But are they really there to help out, or are they behind the whole thing?
This movie's a remake of the original The Blob from 1958. Now, I haven't seen the original flick and I'm not too eager to see it either. My guess is that this remake is more fast-paced, looks better and has a hell of a lot more gore. The Blob is a great 80's horror comedy about a government warfare experiment gone wrong, and a blob that's eating up the good citizens of a small town. Considering the fact that it was made in the 80's, it of course didn't have all the CGI and effects that we've gotten so used to see these days. But let me tell you, this movie looks awesome, and the special effects and make-up is truly great to look at. Some stuff may not look brilliant, but it's still impressive enough and nothing actually ever looks bad.
Kevin Dillon plays a local tough kid who one night comes across a man in the forest who has got some jelly-like thing stuck on his hand. The man runs away but gets hit by the car of two who are out on their first date. They take him to see a doctor, and after the doctor has ignored them for a while, they see that the mans lower body has melted, and soon a big blob attacks the guy (Donovan Leitch) while his date (Shawnee Smith) is watching.
 
So there's a blob on the loose that seems to get bigger by the second and is eating away at all the town's people. Soon some scientists and military people show up to help out, but we soon learn that they started the whole thing. Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith and the scientists are all trying to stop the blob, and at the same time, the scientists also seem to wanna keep everything a secret and so does not care about how many civilians gets killed for the cause.
The great thing about this movie, except for the awesome gore, is that it's a hell of a fast-paced and fun ride from start to finish. It actually never really slows down, and its running time of 95 minutes go by very fast. At first Kevin Dillon is not that likable but he gets better while its going. He's some kind of tough local kid but that later shows that he has a warm heart and actually cares what happens to people. He makes for a good hero though, and is not your usual goody two-shoes kind of a hero. Shawnee Smith makes a great performance as a girl from the town who gets caught up in the whole mess when her boyfriend is eaten infront of her early on in the movie.
Now, the gore is absolutely awesome, and the movie has a lot of gory moment to offer. We get to see faces and bodies that melt, body-parts that are ripped out and that falls off, plus a lot of blood and guts of course. At the same time the movie has some dark humour and feels more like a fun 80's movie to watch, rather than a pure horror movie. It's never scary, but quite action-packed, fast-paced and fun, and of course all the gore makes it stand out as well. The acting is totally ok from all parts involved, so there's nothing to complain about when it comes to that. Good score too.
Even though it's a remake, it's still a 80's classic movie. Thing is that movies like this aren't made these days, and if you're a fan of 80's movies, this is a definite must see as well as if you're a horror fan. Great gore, great fun, and a great ride. Truly recommended.
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It's the so-called Muskie Madness, a fishing contest and the lake is swarming with fishermen wanting to take home the big prize. Bad thing though is that there's also a psychotic serial killer who has decided to go on a killing spree during the festivities. He kills everyone off in a real "fishing kinda way". Can he be stopped, and how?
Blood Hook is somewhat like a typical 80's slasher movie, but done Troma style. But even though this movie is quite a bad one, it doesn't feel as Troma as most of their other releases.
So this is a movie about fishing, that's fishing for humans. A really cool concept one would think, sorry to say though that it's not as good as it may sound.
When watching Blood Hook for the first time many years ago, I remember being really disappointed, thinking this would be a gory flick. Let me tell you, it's not.
 
Watching it again just a couple of years ago I thought it was a little better. That is the whole fishing thing going on and some of the humour. Although in the end, it's not a very good movie at all.
There's not very much to the actual story. It's just a typical set-up for some slashing and add to that the fishing theme and there you have it. Unfortunately the killings aren't that cool to begin with, they could have done so much more with that.
If you want a few cheap laughs, are in the mood for a unserious flick and get a kick out of fishing then you might have something here.
A group of friends are out in the forest at night and with them are also Travis and his mute and a little retarded brother Henry. Suddenly Henry gets freaky and kills almost everyone and disappears. At least this is what it seems like. Travis later on tries to start a new life again but soon memories comes back to haunt him. He doesn't know what's real or what's just fantasy and maybe he had something to do with the massacre too?
Always being worried when turning on a Lions Gate release, so was the case even this time. Bloodline is a low-budget dtv flick and I had no expectations whatsoever before I watched it. I hadn't read or heard anything about it so that actually felt pretty good, going in totally neutral.
One could break Bloodline down into three parts:
The first 15 or 20 minutes is your typical slasher flick, only a bit lamer and not very effective.
Second part's being just drama. It's low-budget with not that good of actors and you think your in for a horror flick to begin with so that's not a nice discovery. After a little time you get used to the drama but it's quite boring and uninteresting. This is also the longest part of the movie and it even feels longer than it is. This is for sure where a lot of people will probably turn the movie off.
Third part is the best part. By now you've definitely realized that it's not a slasher flick or a genuine horror flick for that matter. It's more like a thriller, well a psychological thriller. Some more things start to happen and you've gotten somewhat into the story, since watching the drama part. Here we also get threated to a couple of scares, but they are really cheap and not that effective. But at least something's finally happening.
The actual story is kinda hard to explain without spoiling the movie. Let's just say that nothing's what it seems. In the end there are some twists that turn the movie around but that also's gonna confuse a lot of people. It's just too much in the end and when the credits roll, you're not even close to being satisfied.
About the bad actors. It's hard to take most of them seriously as so often's the case with low-budget productions. At least all of them tries and no one is really horrible or even remotely close to that, some are just hard to believe. But the guy who plays Travis (Clay Adams), one of the brothers, delivers a really good performance that he definitely deserves some credit for.
Bloodline has been quite poorly shot at times and looks really cheap. Also the middle part drags the movie down a lot. Once it gets going it's actually kinda ok and somewhat interesting but unfortunately it does not really deliver in the end. The gore is minimal, don't expect anything in that department.
I won't say that it's complete trash, but it's very far from good. At least you can tell that they've tried and that should count for something. But in the end, I can't really recommend it.
Rayne who's a dhampir (it's no spelling mistake, but a half-human, half-vampire) sets out to take revenge on Kagan, king of the vampires, who raped and murdered her mother.
Been playing quite a lot of Bloodrayne 1-2 on PS2 so of course it was interesting to see what they've made of it, going from being a video game into being a movie. And I must say that they've done pretty well with the transfer, since we get a lot of things that are important in the game in the movie, and it's fun to see and recognize these things on screen. So at least Mr Boll should get some credit for staying true to the game. I really hope this'll be the case with Silent Hill as well. Resident Evil failed big time in doing so, so at least Bloodrayne's got that going for it if nothing else. But if you haven't played the video game, and do not tend to do so before watching Bloodrayne, the movie has even less to offer.
Bloodrayne takes place in eighteenth century Romania were Rayne (Kristanna Loken) is travelling with some carnival. She's locked up in a cage and has to perform in the carnival, although the word freakshow would be a better term to describe it. She manages to escape, eating away at the carnival people, after all she's half vampire. Later she hooks up with two vampire hunters (one being Michael Madsen), and after some time manages to convince them that she's not a bad vampire (you've seen Blade haven't you? She kinda has the same thing going for her).
 
There also another girl that hangs with the vampire hunters, and that girl being Michelle Rodriguez, the extremely cocky girl in Resident Evil, and she's just as cocky here. To be honest, I hate watching her. Anyway, what Rayne wants to do is to take revenge on Kagan, the vampire king who raped and slayed her mother. And together with the two vampire hunters, she sets out to avenge her late mother.
I expected Bloodrayne to be complete crap since the director, Uwe Boll, has proven to be great at making extremely shitty flicks, just take a look at his House of the Dead, or the other video game adaptation Alone in the Dark. You kinda wonder how the man actually can make such horrible flicks and still be allowed to produce more and more crap. Seriously, I don't get it. But Bloodrayne is actually slightly better than the two previously mentioned, it's not very good but at least it's somewhat entertaining at times.
The surroundings are quite nice and everything has this medieval time feel to it. Sometimes it's just too flashy for it's own good and it just feels kinda unnecessary. The story is easy to follow and the overall tempo in the movie is pretty good, but it's not interesting all the way, and lacks big-time at a few places.
The acting is not as bad as expected. Kristanna Loken who stars as Rayne actually fits really well for the part and is at least better than in Terminator 3 (I guess that doesn't say much). Billy Zane has a very small role in the movie and he's just typical Billy Zane, not great but not bad, although his haircut looks ridiculous. Michael Madsen's character feels a bit too stiff and when he speaks, it's not very convincing and feels kinda forced. Meat Loaf appears as well for a brief moment and is a disaster.
The overall enviroment of the movie is pretty cool, and it gets some credit for staying true to the video game. It sure has a lot of faults, and while some are easy to overlook and ignore, some are just too big and drags the movie down. It's somewhat entertaining but definitely not memorable.
It's about the urban legend of Bloody Mary that goes like if you say her name in the mirror three times in a row, she will appear before you. So this stupid high school girl of course does that and lets evil lose.
So this is the third movie in the Urban Legends series and let's hope it's the last. First one was watchable but at that time you had Scream too which was somewhat better. Then the second movie came which was really good and super scary with terrific actors and everything. No I'm just kidding, the second movie was crap to say the least, a horrible horrible movie. And now here's the third one which is slightly better then the second one.
I actually had some hope up for this movie since it's directed by one Mary Lambert who gave us Pet Sematary, a movie that scared the hell out of me when I was a whole lot younger. But that was then and this is now.
Bloody Mary's good to a certain extent but in the end nothing special and with a lousy cgi ending that kinda ruins everything.
Cool thing is that we actually get a back story to who Bloody Mary is and what happened to her and how she became who she's now. This is actually both a positive and a negative thing since while it's cool to get the back story, we actually get to know Mary too well to be scared of her for the rest of the movie. All you can really do is feel sorry for her. So in one way this kinda ruins the movie but in another way it's also a good thing if you know what I'm saying.
The movie has little gore to offer but some pretty cool effects. It's a lot like your typical teen horror movie and while it's somewhat entertaining on some levels it's not scary at all and that's not a good thing.
Watchable, but don't feel like you have missed out if you don't get to see it.
Body Bags is a movie containing three short stories, all presented by "The Coroner" played by Carpenter himself. The first tale, "The Gas Station", is about a serial killer where we get to follow a young girl working at a gas station and has to deal with that someone's trying to murder her and her weird customers. Second story called "Hair" deals with vanity and is about a man who's going bald and goes to a hair replacement clinic but who also gets more than he bargained for. The third and last story called "Eye" is about a baseball player who becomes a victim of a car accident and loses his right eye.
In the same vein as Tales from the Crypt and Creepshow we here have Body Bags, a Carpenter feature from 1993. Body Bags is a fun horror movie telling three different stories, two directed by John Carpenter and the last story directed by Tobe Hooper. John Carpenter also shows up in the movie, playing the Cryptkeeper-like character called The Coroner who presents the stories. Other than that we get to see Sam Raimi playing a corpse called Dead Bill, and Tobe Hooper shows up as a morgue worker.
There are actually quite a few familiar faces in the movie, like Robert Carradine who stars as Bill in "The Gas Station", Stacy Keach who stars as Richard Coberts in "Hair", and even Wes Craven shows up as well to mention a few. There's some humour in the movie which is a nice touch and it's somewhat similar to the Tales of the Crypt kind of humour, nothing ha-ha funny, but it might make you smile.
The first story entitled "The Gas Station" directed by Carpenter is a story about a young girl who starts working at a gas station, night shift. While on the job she meets some strange characters showing up and she doesn't seem too happy about it. Then people ends up dead and someone's trying to murder her as well. Now this story is nothing special at all, it has some suspense but never goes anywhere remotely great but still works as a nice start off. Rating 4/10.
Second story "Hair" is the best one out of the three (that is according to yours truly) and deals with vanity. Stacy Keach stars as Richard Coberts, a man who's going bald but is not ready for that so he goes to a hair replacement clinic to see what they can do to help his situation. He gets help and soon hair starts to grow on him and he's one happy man. But the hair keeps growing and growing and even though he cuts it, it still comes back just as long shortly after. This is the story that has the most genuine kind of horror in it and is captivating and interesting but at the same time a bit frightening. Rating 8/10.
The third and last story is called "Eye" and tells the story about a baseball player who loses his right eye due to a car accident. He's then given the chance to have a new eye and gets a transplant from a dead man, something that causes him a lot of trouble. Now, don't think of the movie The Eye here, it's quite different but is still worth to take notice of since this movie was made in '93. Directed by Tobe Hooper this story is ok and slightly above average but still nothing really special. Starring here as the baseball player is Mark Hamill or I think people know him better as Luke Skywalker. Rating 6/10.
I'm a big fan of this concept with three different stories, if one fails the next one might be good and so on. If nothing else at least we get some variation.
First got a rating of 4, second a rating of 8, third a rating of 6 and then the overall feel this movie gives makes it deserve one extra point. If you haven't seen it you should definitely try and get your hands on it. It's nothing spectacular but it sure manages to be entertaining and is a fun one and a half hours infront of the screen. Recommended.
Two guys hears about a whorehouse and goes there to visit it but apparently the whorehouse is full of vampires and they end up being victims. The elder sister to one of the two guys hires a private investigator to find her missing brother. His search soon leads to the actual vampires nest which is run by vampire queen Lilith that were brought back to life.
I'm not a huge Tales from the Crypt fan but once in a while it can be fun to watch. Bordello of Blood presented by Tales from the Crypt is a full-length feature just like Demon Knight and is not that great but still kinda entertaining at times.
It's just plain fun horror and Bordello of Blood (cool title huh?) actually has a lot of gore to offer, although it's done in a very humorous way but is enjoyable to watch. Also Dennis Miller who plays a private investigator is actually somewhat the heart of the movie and delivers a lot of funny comments the movie throughout.
Like I said, Dennis Miller is kinda fun to watch as the cocky and sarcastic private investigator. Bordello of Blood also stars Erika Eleniak (Baywatch) who does a crappy job (who would have thought?), and Angie Everhart as vampire queen Lilith who's actually kinda fun to watch too, at least she's extremely pretty.
It's not fast paced neither slow as it has a mid-tempo which works kinda ok, could've been a little more action though. It's worth seeing for the comedy Miller offers but other than that it's not that special. I would lie if I said it's not entertaining though.
We also get to see 80's star Corey Feldman but he's just irritating to watch here and some of the overall acting is actually kinda bad. Chris Sarandon plays a tv reverend and it's a little over-the-top at times and kinda embarrassing to look at, although it's also kinda easy to ignore as well.
Bordello of Blood also offers a lot of gore and some nudity but it's not really as good as it sounds, ok for what it is though.
Nathan is about to tell his close friend Jessica about his true feelings for her, but through a series of misunderstanding, he ends up hanging himself instead. His mother brings him back to life with the help from some voodoo spell-book that she found in an Irish church. But Nathan's not the same guy that he used to be. Now he's crawing human flesh and happens to bite a school mate who continues to spread the zombie infection further, and turn the whole school into flesh-craving zombies.
A zombie movie featuring Samantha Mumba. What the hell! I was kinda put off even before I had actually turned the movie on, and for the first 10 minutes or so I had to struggle against the vomit trying to make it all the way up through my throat. But after a while some things started to happen that, even if it wasn't that great, was still entertaining enough to make you wanna keep watching. Keep in mind that this is a teen-flick, but that it actually delivers a huge amount of gore, and that alone is well worth watching.
It's not too often we get to see an Irish horror production so only that alone makes it somewhat interesting, well at least it's something different. Boy Eats Girl is kinda like a mix between some shitty zombie horror movies, and add to that some teen-flick type of humour and a big doze of Shaun of the Dead to top it off with. Although, were Shaun of the Dead managed to truly be funny, this one fails miserably trying to do the same. I guess if you're 12 years old you'll appreciate it, but other than that, NO.
 
Nathan (David Leon) has a crush on Jessica (Samantha Mumba), but instead of ending up in bed with her, he ends up wanting to feed on human flesh. Although, he can resist his hunger throughout the movie, and the zombie infection spreads when he's fighting a school rival and happens to bite him, and that guy continues to spread the infection further. Everyone who gets bitten turn into a zombie the second after, but Nathan manages to never really turn, what's that about?
So what does this movie have going for it? Well, except for the stupid teen humour that the viewer has to sit through, it's actually fast-paced and so never really gets boring to watch as something's happening all the time the movie throughout. But the greatest thing here is definitely the gore, and that's actually the one thing that ends up saving this movie in the end. We get to see some gore the whole movie throughout, but it's especially one scene that stands out among the rest. It's a little similar to the most splattery scene in Braindead with the lawnmover, but I won't spoil it for you. If you like to see guts, blood and limbs fly around then you might wanna check it out.
The score is completely awful, consisting of shitty pop music that makes your head ache and is kinda hard to sit through. The acting is actually not very good, it's not wooden or totally bad, just not very good. And I don't see the reason why Samantha Mumba had to be in this movie, she's crap and they could've easily picked someone else.
Bad stuff: Samantha Mumba, the acting, humour, irritating characters, score etc.
Good stuff: Fast-paced and actually delivers some real gore, and that's the one thing that saves this movie, or that is, the only reason why one would watch it. Kinda ok, but can't really recommend it.
A poisonous rat monkey is captured and taken to a zoo in New Zealand that Lionel and his new girlfriend Paquita visits. His overprotective mother is stalking him and happens to get bit by the rat monkey which makes her slowly turn into some sort of zombie. After being bitten, everyone she bites also turns into zombies and Lionel who lives with his mother and tries to take care of her have to fight hordes of zombies that constantly keeps popping up.
It's kinda amazing when thinking that Peter Jackson actually managed to make such a good low-budget film like Braindead and also a movie like Bad Taste. And later became commersial and did the shitty LOTR trilogy and even worse, the new remake of King Kong. But I guess that's just the way things are and even if we will never see him making great movies like Braindead again, we still at least have his early productions.
I think every horror film fan have seen Braindead and if you haven't then it's about time you do. It's a great mix of comedy and splatter with a pretty cool story and it's overall a super entertaining movie to watch.
 
The guy who plays the role of Lionel is really fun to watch as he's a mama's boy and kind of a nervous one and has to deal with the fact that his mother's turning into a zombie. Braindead is filled with black humour and it's often quite funny to watch. There are so many little things that makes this movie good and even though it offers a lot of comic relief it never gets too goofy or unserious to watch, although it's never that serious to begin with.
With tons and tons of gore Peter Jackson has pulled off a great movie here that you can watch and enjoy over and over again from time to time. Truly recommended and not to be missed.
Michael Bower is a horror buff who runs a horror movie club at school and who has mastered most videogames out there. One day he hears about this new hypnotic videogame called Brainscan that is supposed to be the ultimate horror experience, and even though he's a bit skeptical he of course still wants to try the game out. The game is delivered to his house shortly after and he sits down to test it out.
When playing Brainscan he gets to witnesses a brutal murder through the eyes of the killer. The mission of the game is to, within a time frame, complete a killing and without leaving any trace return home before the time's up. He manages do to so and when finished playing, he's convinced that Brainscan's the best game he has ever played. Later on when watching the news on tv, he realizes that what happened in the game actually happened for real, and if that wasn't enough, he finds proof of the slaying in his freezer. Did he commit the crime for real?
Brainscan is definitely a really cool and original horror flick, and it feels like it's a bit of an underrated 90's movie, while infact it is a movie that should not be missed. The whole videogame concept is extremely cool and the storyline is solid and interesting. It's well acted, well shot and it's sure fun to see a young Edward Furlong as the lonely horror buff who gets caught up in the game. For you who haven't seen Brainscan, you don't have to be into videogames to be able to enjoy the movie, it has more than that to it. But for people who are actually into videogames, it of course adds a little more to the whole thing.
Michael Bower lost his mother at young age and is a lonely boy who only have one true friend. He has lost interest in most thing and for life in general, and escapes it by watching horror flicks and playing videogames. He also has a crush on the girl next door and watches her through his window, but is too afraid to do anything about it. He gets this new game called Brainscan, plays it and end up being all excited about how cool the game actually turned out to be. But what happened in the game also happened for real and he finds himself in a heap of trouble being a killer and all.
Then all of a sudden this man named Trickster shows up who looks like half a man, half a monster dressed like he's into punk music or the extreme. He tells Michael that Michael's in trouble because of the murder that took place in the game. That he has left some evidence but that there's also a way out, and that way is to play the second disc. After playing the second disc, Trickster shows up again, letting Michael know that there was a witness and that he must play the third disc to eliminate that witness. It seems Michael can't escape it and drags himself deeper and deeper into the mess, and with the police around the neighbourhood asking him and people in his class all kinds of questions.
Brainscan has such a good story that grabs the viewers attention and it's hard not to stay interested. It might have a few flaws here and there, and might feel a tiny bit ridiculous at times, but overall it's a great movie that truly is a lot of fun to watch. Even if the movie deals with murders, we don't get to see any real gore since Brainscan is more of a psychological horror/thriller movie, and that is a concept that works well here. Being a horror movie, it's not scary but is intense at times and that's enough to make it work. Also, it features a pretty decent score.
Among 90's horror movies, Brainscan is a definitive must see. It's a original movie with a really interesting story, it's also fast-paced and does never have a really dull moment. The acting is good for most parts, and even if some actors seem a little off, they're still totally watchable. And like I said before, you don't have to be into videogames to enjoy Brainscan, it's just a really good movie, simple as that. Recommended.
Herbert West is at it again, and this time he and his partner Dr. Cain doesn't just re-animate the dead, but they actually create life. West wants to rebuild Cain's dead girlfriend and while Cain is not into it at first, he later accepts and helps West out. They already have the girlfriends heart and continues to build her by stealing different body parts from the hospital. But West have to watch out, since the police is onto him, and at the same time his old arch enemy Dr. Hill is back from the dead to cause him trouble as well.
Bride of Re-Animator continues a while after where Re-Animator left off. We find West and Cain in Peru, working as medics 8 months after the massacre at the hospital from the first movie. But they soon return to Arkham Hospital and starts to work there as doctors once again. This time West wants to create life, and he tries his stuff out on all kinds of things. For instance he puts one arm and one leg together and makes it live. He puts a few fingers and an eyeball together and makes that live as well. The movie has a lot of crazy shit like that in it, and that is just one thing that makes it almost great.
Dr. Graves, another man working at the Arkham Hospital stumbles across West's green re-animation stuff and injects it into Dr. Hill's head. And suddenly West's old enemy is alive once again, and now wants to seek revenge. What West wants to achieve in Bride of Re-Animator is, just like the title says, is to create a bride, and it's all something like Bride of Frankenstein, just like it was with Frankenhooker.
 
So he takes Dr. Cain's dead girlfriend Linda's heart, and then he starts stealing different body part from the hospital. Since body parts keep going missing, the police is called in to investigate, and a detective is soon on West's case. There's a lot of stuff going on at all times, and it all makes for a sleazy, gory and funny piece film. For being a sequel, it's actually really good, and if you liked the first movie, there's no way you'll be disappointed with Bride of Re-Animator. It has the same amount of gore, basically the same actors, the main ones at least, the dark humour and all the oddities you wanna see when it comes to this type of film.
I thought the first movie had more direct humour and was a bit funnier than this sequel, although the humour's still there and you'll recognize it if you've seen the original. Looking at Bride of Re-Animator from a horror point of view, this movie is quite awesome. Towards the end there are different kinds of somewhat intense horror, and even if it's funny at times, all the horror is not super comical. Near the end when Dr. West goes through the brick wall in his lab and faces all kinds of strange creations that dwells there, it actually gets a bit freaky. So in the end it's a perfect mix of horror and comedy, as usually when it comes to horror comedies, a lot of them are just too focused on the comical side of things.
If you liked Re-Animator, you'll like Bride of Re-Animator for sure, and if you haven't seen these movies yet, you should try and look them up. Once again Jeffrey Combs truly delivers as the eccentric and somewhat insane Dr. West, and he's always a hoot to watch. Recommended.
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Bubba Ho-tep tells the story of what really happened to Elvis Presley, that he's not dead but instead is a resident in an East Texas rest home for the elderly.
Why he's there and not dead as everyone seems to think is because he switched identities with an Elvis impersonator but unfortunately the impersonator died before the real Elvis had a chance to switch back. And now there's a evil Egyptian mummy that has come to the rest home to suck the souls out of the people there. So Elvis teams up with another resident named Jack who thinks he's President John F. Kennedy to together with Elvis destory the evil that surrounds them.
I guess a lot of Bruce Campbell and Evil Dead fans were really excited about Bubba Ho-tep and of course it's a must see if you like the man. Personally I think it's a great and original movie but if Campbell would've not been in it, then I wonder if it would've been recoginzed at all or if people would think half as high of it, the answear is probably not or I would even have guessed on a definite no.
So does Bruce Campbell actually add a lot to the movie? Of course he does, he's the whole movie and is fun to watch on screen. It's not similar to Evil Dead in any kind of way but still he gives a great performance as Elvis plus that we get a cool and original story too, which makes Bubba Ho-tep a great entertaining package.
 
It's a hell of a story to say the least and it's really funny to see Bruce Campbell as an old version of Elvis Presley. It's hard to place this movie in a certain genre since it's a movie of I guess many genres.
It's a horror, a comedy but first and most it's a drama. The movie is of course pretty humorous at times but it never goes over board and turns silly and it's actually quite sad at times if you think about it. The characters are well done and the movie presents itself so it makes you care for them.
The actors are all good but the best performance is given by Bruce Campbell and I'm not saying that because I'm a fan of Evil Dead or anything.
He actually delivers a great performance here and at times you can't help but to think that it's actually Elvis that you see on screen, that is Elvis if he were an old man.
You definitely don't need to be a Bruce Campbell or Evil Dead fan to see this movie, it's just a very good stand alone movie.
Buffy is a cheerleader in high school who likes to hang out with her friends and shop, talk about boys and all of that crap, she also has her head in the air. One day an old man named Merrick (played by Donald Sutherland) shows up at her school and tells her that she's the chosen one. Buffy of course thinks he's just a perverted old man with nothing better to do than to bother people so she ignores him. But then later on people from her school start turning up missing and are later found dead with bite marks on their necks.
This is the real Buffy movie and not the Sarah Michelle Gellar crap you've seen on tv. It was made in '92 but when watching it feels like it was made in the 80's.
Anyway, if you're familiar with the tv-series this is basically the same thing only that this is the full-length feature that came before the tv-series was born. And hey, it has Luke Perry in it...uhh
This is a fun and somewhat cheesy movie that anyone can watch and enjoy. And even if I'm not a big fan of Luke Perry, he's actually not bad in this movie, (that doesn't mean that he's good). Rutger Hauer plays Lothos, the vampire leader that wants to kill Buffy and that Buffy of course has to destory.
I guess if you're a fan of the show you are bound to compare the show with the movie and that's no good. The show of course has higher budget and better effects, well much better effects but that doesn't really matter here.
I feel that this movie have a lot of more feeling to it than the actual show has, but maybe that's because I watch this movie long before the show even existed.
If you're a fan of the show you should know where it came from and if you're not a fan of the show it's probably even better. It's an enjoyable little flick and if you haven't seen it, then why not give it a shot.
Evan (Kutcher) grows up in a small town and suffers from memory blackouts and wakes up here and there and doesn't remember squat of how he got there or what happened. He starts to keep a journal of what he's doing that he can look back on and that's supposed to help him remember things. Also, all these blackouts always seems to occur when something bad happens. He grows up and start to have less of these blackouts and after some time he seems to have recovered completely, until one day in college when he starts reading his journal from when he was a kid and discovers that he can travel back to the body of his former self and fix his past. But the more he goes back and changes the past, the more the future changes and it seems always to the worse.
Ok let me just start off by saying that this is a great movie, something I would never have thought when first just hearing about it.
Thing that put me right off when I first heard about The Butterfly Effect was that Ashton Kutcher was gonna star. Considering the fact of what you have seen him in before like That 70's Show, Dude, Where's My Car?, some crappy MTV show among other things.
Chances that he would be good in a psychological thriller felt kinda small. But to my big surprise, he actually turned out to be perfect for the part and managed to do a great job.
 
This is more of a "psycho thriller" than just a normal thriller and even if it's not that scary it will still keep you on the edge of your seat at times. The suspense is great, carried by a really well-written story that's brilliantly delivered.
There's not a dull moment in the movie and the suspense is there all the time, it's fast paced and will definitely keep you interested the movie throughout. It's a very effective thriller and the whole movie has an intense feeling to it from start to end.
I came really close to not seeing this flick since it starred Ashton Kutcher and since you consider him to be goofy and only suited to do comical series and movies, if even that. But don't diss it just because he's in it as he really pulls it off here and proves that he can actually be a serious and belivable actor.
The variation is very good as we get to seem him as a kid and then it jumps to when he's grown up and from there it jumps back and forth to alternative realities without it ever getting too much of a mess and hard to keep track of what's going on. Something's always going on and that'll keep your interest up and will make you wanna keep watching. Also, it has a very gripping story that gets you involved.
I saw it when it first came out and after that I've seen it a few times and I consider this to be one among the best movies that came out in 2004. I can't give it the highest rating but it's close enough. If you haven't had the chance to see it yet, then it's about time you do.
5 college friends rent a remote mountain cabin and go there to spend a weeks vacation. After spending some time up in the mountains, a man contaminated with some disease, comes knocking on their door and starts to act crazy which makes the friends panic, and they end up setting him on fire. He drops dead in the water reservoir and when Karen, one of the 5 friends, drink tap water she gets infected by the disease. Apparently the disease is some form of a flesh-eating virus that just keeps spreading further, and from there on it's every man for themselves trying to survive the virus and each other.
This movie, just like Eli's new movie Hostel, promised a lot but did not end up delivering all the goods. I've read a lot of mixed reviews on Cabin Fever and I can for one understand a lot of peoples frustration with the movie. It promised a lot of gore, bloodbath and similar things, and even if it sure has some gory scenes and all that, it was not even close to what one first had thought it would have. And that's why I hate hearing too much about movies before having seen them.
First time I watched Cabin Fever I was slightly disappointed by the end result, but some time later, I watched it a second time and it definitely improved a bit and I could take it for what it really was, and that made it a lot better. Still, it's not a great movie but it's at least very entertaining, has some nice gore and some humour that works pretty well. Although it has a lot of humour that does not work at all. Now I think it's a pretty decent flick, only that the expectations at first were way too high, just like with Hostel.
The best thing about Cabin Fever is that it does not take itself too seriously. There are tons of new teen horror movies that do that and they often end up looking quite ridiculous. This one carries more humour and is much lighter, even if it has some serious gore and such. Also, the second time watching it, I kinda noticed all this little things that made it improve over the first time watching it. I don't think a third viewing would improve it even further, but it's definitely a movie I could see myself watching again.
It kinda feels like an 80's style splatter movie with some B-elements, although it looks very nice. Like I said before, there's a lot of humour in it, and while some works really well, some does not work at all. Although, I think when it really works it adds a lot to the movie and it becomes a good mix of horror and comedy. James DeBello's character is kinda funny, and there's especially one comment about squirrels that's hilarious, but I won't be spoiling anything for those who have not yet seen the movie. He kinda plays the same type of character that he did in Detroit Rock City, and is entertaining enough to watch.
So these people are supposed to have a nice vacation in a remote cabin, and everything is all and well in the beginning, but then things get out of hand. Their friend becomes infected by the flesh-eating virus and the guy who spread it got his infected blood all over their car. Afraid that the person next to them is also infected, their friendships begin to fall apart and it's every man for himself, and every girl for herself.
Cabin Fever carries some tension in certain scenes, and is quite gruesome in others. But the overall humour takes away a lot of the genuine horror feeling and leaves you, not jumping out of your seat in fright, but instead puts a smile on your lips. Director Eli Roth himself appears in the movie as some stoner they meet up at the cabin, and he's kinda fun to watch as well. The overall acting is all right and there are no dull moments, if nothing else, it's extremely entertaining.
First time I watched it I got a bit disppointed, but second time watching it, it turned out to be so much better. So all of you who have just watched it once, why not give it another try, it might be worth it. It's not a great movie, but it's fun at times and sure is an entertaining ride.
Marc Stevens, a cabaret-style singer is supposed to perform at wedding in South of France during Christmas week. But his van breaks down and leaves him stranded deep into the woods. He finds a small village nearby and seeks help from Paul Bartel, a man who runs the local inn and who promises to help fix Marc's van. But to Marc's great horror, Bartel's not the nice kind of man he first seemed to be.
This is truly a horrifying movie that, when watched it the first time, made me think of Deliverance. Although, I think that Calvaire is a more brutal type of flick and definitely feels more realistic than Deliverance did. And that's were the genuine horror comes in.
I'm used to watching everything when it comes to horror, but this movie actually made me feel sick for real. Think of the rape scene in Irreversible. This movie has that same kind of realistic feel to it, and while it sure gets your full attention, it's still very repulsing to watch at times.
When watching the movie, I sat with the remote control in my hand, ready to turn the flick off during the whole running time, but never actually did. Exactly the same thing happened when watching Irreversible, a movie I ended up liking. With this flick I'm not really sure were I actually stand. While the gruesome events that occur in the movie makes it interesting and captivating, it's still a pain to watch and leaves you feeling quite bad when the credits starts to roll.
 
So was is it that's makes Calvaire so horrible? Well, first off it's the overall realistic feeling that it has to it. At times it doesn't really feels like you're watching a movie but actually something taking place for real as it sometimes looks more like a documentary. The movie's very bizarre and the horror is more psychological than graphic.
This guy Marc hasen't really done anything wrong. He just ended up at a small village full of nut-jobs, and trusts a man that turns out to be a total psycho. He burns Marc's van, locks him up, makes him wear his wife’s old dress, cut of his hair etc. He's trapped in a village of inbred freaks and realizes that no one's gonna come to his aid, but instead turn against him. The word terror comes to mind and this truly is terror with a big T.
I can't say that Calvaire is a great movie, because it's not. But it's very different, bizarre, disturbing and while it will please some, it will definitely disgust a lot of viewers too. Give it a try and see if you can make it all the way through.
Some Candy Stripers in a small town in US are taken over by aliens. They are addicted to everything sweet and males as well, but not in a good way. Some member from a basketball team are sent to the hospital when they have an accident, and it's the same hospital where the Candy Stripers are devouring their victims. Will they be able to stop them?
Christ! During Candy Stripers whole running time, I found myself to be more concerned whether or not I should turn the movie off than I was being focused on the actual movie. I never expected it to be good, but would've never thought it could be as horrible as it turned out to be. Exactly everything is complete crap here. From the 'actors' to the effects, to the camera-work, to the score. It's a neverending list of shitty things.
Usually when I get these types of movies, I know they're gonna suck but somehow I still always convince myself that they might have something good to them as well. I'm so sick of all these stupid retarded teen horror flicks that has nothing the least bit interesting to them, they are painful to watch and it's just such a waste of time. The teens in this movie suck so hard you won't believe it till you see it. Usually I have a real problem with all these stereotypical teens that we so often have to sit and watch when it comes to these types of movies, but these teens are the worst.
Just from the start when this movie began, I got such a bad feeling and it only got worse the longer I kept watching this shitfest. Halfway through I felt nauseous and when the movie was over I felt like I just got hit hard over the head. Actually I would rather get hit hard over the head than having to sit through this horrible horrible piece of film all over again. It's just not worth it, and torture is a too nice word to describe it with.
Ok, I've complained enough so I'm gonna tell you what it's about and then I'm gonna complain a lot more (I have to get it out of my system). Aliens takes over the bodys and minds of Candy Stripers working at a hospital somewhere in the US. They are addicted to sweet things like sugar, cakes and whatever and they also seem addicted to men, but not in a good way. A bunch of jocks gets hurt during a basketball game and end up at the same hospital where the Candy Stripers are working at. They soon figure out that something is wrong and it all makes for a really horribly bad movie that should've never had seen the light of day.
Apparently some of the Candy Stripe nurses are playmates, but who cares? It's not like it makes the movie any better, and they can't act for shit, so it doesn't really matter if they look hot since they suck so much. But I prefer watching them over the team of retarded jocks and some stupid teen girls that are in this movie as well. I can't come up with a word that would do them justice, but to say that they are bad actors and that they suck is way to nice. Just hearing these guys talk, and seeing the way they act just makes you wanna vomit your brains out. Yes, it's that bad. I don't care if they are jocks, cheerleaders, nerds, stoners or whatever, all these categories suck...hard, and it's wearing you out having to watch to much of crap like that.
Gore? Yes some, and it's actually not that bad (not saying that it's good either), but since the movie is so tremendously horrible it's definitely not worth it. It's low-budget and even though it shows at times, it doesn't look that bad. But the story is so lame and reminded me of another shitflick called Decoys, which it actually seems like they have ripped off a bit. Now, Decoys was not good, but it was way better than this one. Well, I remember that I hated that stupid movie too when I watched it but this one is worse. It's just so horrible that Kate Robbins who directed and wrote it should never be allowed to make movies again. You've proven that you can't even make a lousy movie, so find another job. I think that if you can manage to create a movie as bad as this, there must be something seriously wrong with you.
The biggest thing this movie is lacking, except for good actors, a decent story and a lot of other things, is that there's no humour to be found in Candy Stripers at all. It plays out like sort of a horror comedy, but it truly lacks humour, actually there are none nowhere to be found. If they would have added some humour to it, it might could've worked. But now since there's no humour, you're supposed to take it more seriously, something that does so not work. That was a huge mistake, because some humour could've made the story seem better, the acting look less crappy and could probably have improved a lot of things. Too bad.
I can't believe that I sat through the whole shitfest that this movie was. I feel sick and I think it may have slightly damaged my brain as well. You want some good advice? Don't watch it. I hope I'll never have to sit through anything like this again.
A group of friends are out driving in the middle of nowhere when their RV breaks down. Stranded in the desert they must defend themselves against a bunch of blood-thirsty cannibals.
Not very often, but once in a while you come across a movie that is so bad, you seriously question how something like that could've been made in the first place. This is one of those movies. It's definitely the worst movie I've seen in a very long time, although Green River Killer is a very strong competitor. To be completely honest, during the whole running time of this movie I just wanted to gauge my eyes out, and when finally finished watching it, I felt horrible.
The whole movie is a complete The Hills Have Eyes ripoff. I have absolutely nothing against movies paying homage to other movies, but this is just a complete ripoff and nothing else. Just watching a few seconds of this movie, I knew it was gonna be total crap, and I'm actually amazed that I managed to sit through the whole thing. Can't be good for you though.
So why is it so bad? Well, except for being a ripoff, it has the worst possible actors of all time, or that is people trying to act. These kids that gets stranded in the desert are the most annoying bunch of retards ever. The acting is just so terrible, I can't even begin to describe it. Other than that, the dialogue makes your ears bleed cos it's so god damn dumb. Just listening to these teens for ten minutes was really painful so again, I'm amazed I actually sat through the whole thing.
Talking about the actors, we have one of the kids that stands out a little more than the rest, and not in a good way. His name is Lawrence (Aaron Buer) and he's one of the most irritating persons I've ever seen on film. He talks like a rapper, or that is a wigger in his case. Anyway, he uses this ghetto slang to an extent I've never heard in my life before. Watching him truly gives the word hate a new meaning.
The other characters in the teen squad as not half as bad as Lawrence, but still among the shittiest bunch of kids that has ever walked the face of the earth. There are two bubble gum girls with their heads way up in the air that also, like Lawrence, spews out some horrible lingo. Then there's a constantly kissing couple that's just plain dull, one girl that looks like Marilyn Manson and one guy who seems to be the most normal one out of them all, but is the one that actually gets them in trouble and is therefore an idiot too.
The psychotic cannibals that the kids run into are just plain terrible. They have nothing going for them, just looking like dirty rednecks and are no fun to watch. There's no suspense, no tension and in the end you just couldn't care less what's gonna happen since the movie suck so much.
We actually get some gore, (thank f*** since it's supposed to be a cannibal flick), which sometimes is a little bit entertaining, but in the end not very well done and so not very fun to watch either. The score is just awful and gives you a headache.
If you have no taste and no brain you might like it, other than that, it's recommended to stay away...far away.
A documentary film crew disappeared in a jungle called the Green Inferno a year back and a New York anthropologist that is Professor Harold Moore goes together with two guides to the jungles of South American to find out what happened to the film crew. After searching for some time he finds the remains of the crew and reels of their undeveloped film which he takes back to New York for viewing. Once back and watching their footage he finds out that they encountered a cannibal tribe that they were supposed to film and what happened to them.
Cannibal Holocaust, probably the most famous and best cannibal movie ever made, is a definite must see for all horror fans out there. It also features some of the best scores in movies by Riz Ortolani which is truly beautiful, haunting and stays in your head long after the movie is finished.
It's also famous for some really strong and graphic scenes which works perfectly even today and are pretty brutal to watch. Another thing it features which was a common thing in this type of genre is animal cruelty which is not very fun to watch and feels very unnecessary.
Even if a lot of people saying it's supposed to feature that and that it belongs in this type of movies I still think it sucks and brings nothing to the movie itself except disgust. With that said, on to the story.
 
This movie is absolutely stunning at times and the jungle creates a great atmosphere. Cannibal Holocaust has something going for it all the way that will definitely keep your interest up and also it gets very intense every now and then.
The horror scenes are very graphical and some scenes might be hard for some viewers to take in or be able to sit through. You of course tend to see cannibals as something bad but as the movie goes on and that the good guys turn out to be not so good and are invading the cannibals privacy makes you re-evaluate who to root for or not to root for.
The actual cannibals are great to watch and some scenes with them in are quite disgusting ones which adds more character to the movie. It's beautifully shot and the repeating score throughout the movie adds so much to the overall feeling itself.
It's not your typical horror movie that you watch and forget about ten minutes after seeing it. Cannibal Holocaust is actually a really clever movie with a great and interesting topic that asks questions worthy to think about. Definitely a must see! Also recommended is Ruggero Deodato's The House on the Edge of the Park.
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A new cave system has been found in Romania, and a group of cave-divers and scientists go there to explore the cave. But once inside, rocks fall down and blocks the exit. Lead by Jack, the group must go further into the cave in order to find another exit. Not only do they have to struggle to find another exit, but they must also battle the creatures that live inside the cave system, just waiting to tear them apart.
Been avoiding to watch this movie for quite some time, last night I thought I had to see what it was all about. I started watching it with no real expectations and ended up thinking that it was nothing special, but that it at least had some entertainment value. At times it kinda reminded me of Predator, only not nearly as good of course.
What was good about The Cave was that it was fast-paced and quite action-packed. Even if it's not a great movie or anything remotely close to being so, it still had stuff happening all the time so at least you didn't get bored watching it.
This man, Dr. Nicolai, finds this new cave system in Romania and asks a team of the worlds best cave-divers to be part of exploring the cave. They soon meet up and enter the cave and everyone seems excited as hell. They send one diver down who discover some creature that lives within the cave, but dismiss it as nothing dangerous. Then rocks fall down and block the exit and from then on it's about them trying to find a way out of the system. While going deeper into the cave, they soon run into these nasty creatures who live there, and they have to fight them off while trying to find another way out.
The movie looks quite stylish in the beginning and since most of the movie's running time is spent inside a cave, it's of course a bit dark. Although, you can still see everything that's going on, and it's never really too dark since the lights they use work very well. Having kind of recently seen The Descent, when watching the cave it has somewhat of the same feeling, but not nearly as creepy as in The Descent. Only thing they have in common is that the movies are both spent in caves, and that there are "monsters" in those caves as well.
 
The Cave is not a scary movie at all, it's more of an adventure flick with some horror/thriller elements that does not work too well delivering proper suspense. The action is pretty good though, and just the reason that something's happening all the time like I mentioned before makes it kinda ok to watch. Although, at times it just feels way too Hollywood and that's never good. Biggest problem with The Cave is that whenever these monsters attack, you hardly don't get to see anything as the movie kinda cuts around all these scenes. That's a huge let-down since that was actually my main reason for watching it in the first place, for the monsters that is.
The actors are not very likable and you couldn't actually care less for any of them. Jack (Cole Hauser) looks very stiff and has no feeling, and his brother Tyler (Eddie Cibrian) from Sunset Beach is a crappy actor, probably just brought in for his looks. The other characters, as well as the first two, are totally uninteresting and doesn't make you wanna root for them. One good thing though is that there are not tons of CGI effects like one could've thought a movie like this would've had. That's always something but not nearly enough to make the movie turn out to be good or anything like that.
While it has a lot of action, some nice diving scenes and a pretty cool enviroment going for it, the actual suspense scenes are just garbage and the monsters look and act kinda ridiculous. It had some potential and they could've done so much more with the monsters and the little violence we get, but unfortunately that's not the case. I have to admit that it's somewhat entertaining at times, but couldn't be less memorable. If you're really bored and have nothing else to watch it might work but don't expect wonders.
A young couple comes across a small town named Gatlin where the adults are dead and the children have taken over. This group of disgusting children is lead by a boy preacher named Isaac who apparently ordered all adults to be killed 3 years ago. The children seem to be under some kind of spell and practise some new religion that has something to do with some demonic figure who walks in the cornfields. So it's up to the couple to break the spell, get rid of the preacher boy and free the children. zzZZzzZZzz...
I'm not a Stephen King fan, I've read a couple of his books that were ok and seen some movies were they used his stories as adaption for the screen that were ok too but as I said, I'm not a fan of his. He has done some ok stuff but also a lot of horrible stuff that only have become famous because the guy has his name on it.
Children of the Corn is a horrible movie that is slow and boring without ever being scary. The story itself is not that bad but the way they made the movie come out just plain sucks. It's a well-known movie among horror film fans but I've never heard of anyone who actually really liked it.
I guess it was better to watch this when it came out in '84 than to watch it now, but even back then there were a lot better movies to choose from of course. I remember seeing Children of the Corn as a kid and it had absolutely no effect on me.
That's really something since most horror movies I saw at a really young age always had some kind of effect. But as said before, it's a horrible boring movie actually starring a young Linda Hamilton (T2).
There are many sequels to this movie and they are all real shitty. I can't say that the original movie is good and that the rest is just bad since all the movies in the series are truly bad, even the first one. Also I don't understand how they can make so many sequels of one really bad movie to begin with.
So first off even if the story is ok it's still very boring on screen and the children are terrible to watch. They are not scary and you feel no sympathy for them whatsoever, they are just boring and irritating to watch. The effects are terrible and the movie is very slow-paced, so slow at times that it actually hurts to watch.
They could've done much more with the actual cornfield since that could've been a genuinely creepy place with just the right settings but unfortunately we don't get to see anything cool that involves the cornfield, it's just as boring as the kids or the whole movie in general.
I give it a 2 since the story of the novel is ok but if you're looking for a good horror movie, look elsewhere.
When being chased by the police, serial killer Charles Lee Ray uses a voodoo spell to transfer his soul into a "Good Guy" doll. A kid named Andy later gets the same doll as a birthday present from his mom. The doll, named Chucky, goes on a killing spree and no one believes Andy when he says that Chucky actually lives and can talk. Now, Charles Lee Ray does not want to be trapped in a doll's body forever and his only way out is to transfer into the first human being that he met as a doll, and that's Andy.
I remember the first time I saw Child's Play, I was pretty young back then and easily impressed. Haven't seen the actual movie for a number of years I was still pretty impressed when I watched it again now, as it's a pretty cool movie with a pretty good story. Tom Holland (Fright Night 1-2, Psycho II) made a fine job directing Child's Play, and just like with Fright Night, it has this nice 80's feeling going, and even if it's a horror flick, it still features a lot of twisted black humour and some decent action scenes.
Fun thing also is that Chris Sarandon who played the vampire neighbour in Fright Night, here has the role as the police detective who has to fight Chucky. Written by Don Mancini, who also wrote all the sequels and directed the lastest one, that is Seed of Chucky.
The actual story might be bit laughable, a serial killer transforms into a doll, a murderous doll, and the whole concept of the movie might seem a bit goofy. BUT, it actually makes for a great horror action flick, that is truly entertaining and still works perfectly well even today. Why it's good is because it moves forward at a pretty fast pace, and even if there are a lot of things that are hard to take very seriously, it never has a dull moment and is a fun ride from start to finish.
One of the best things in this movie is when Chucky actually comes alive. We get to see the doll for a while, being lifeless and all, so when he finally reveals his true self, it makes for a really good scene. The ending also delivers, and even though it's kinda predictable, it's still enough to satisfy. There are also some cool scenes at the very end, and it seems like Chucky can't be killed, (well, can he?).
The acting is ok for what it is. Best actor is definitely Chris Sarandon as the police detective who pulls off a bit more convincing performance than the others. Catherine Hicks who stars as Andy's mom does well too I guess, it's just that she seems so darn nervous all the time so it's hard to relax when watching her. The worst and most annoying actor is Alex Vincent who stars as Andy, but I don't wanna complain really since he's only seven and I guess it's ok for what it is. It's just a bit too cute and sweet, and that makes one feel a bit nauseous at times.
Chucky's kinda of a cult figure these days and Child's Play is definitely one of those horror flicks from the 80's that a fan of horror should've seen. It might not be very memorable, but it sure is fast-paced and entertaining.
Jamie is a depressed young divorced man, but one day his life takes a different turn. Somehow he is psychically linked to the most beautiful woman he has ever laid eyes on, and drifts in and out of what she's doing, sees what she sees, and feels what she feels. But one day Jamie experience a vision of a horrible kind, and decides to track down the woman.
I'm not a big fan of Mick Garris (Critters 2, Freddy's Nightmares, Sleepwalkers etc), but I guess I kinda turned into a fan for creating the Masters of Horror series which was a brilliant idea. Too bad that Chocolate is not half as brilliant. On one hand, I really liked the idea behind Chocolate, but the way it was executed was unfortunately not as great. The flick has some nice elements to it, but is the story in the series that is the least horrifying. I don't even wanna call it a horror movie since it felt much more like a thriller. There are a lot of things that were good when it comes to what was in Chocolate, but as a horror movie, it pretty much falls flat.
We get to follow Jamie (Henry Thomas) who's a divorced man who doesn't seem to happy about his existens. He works with the development of artificial flavors, is on a strict diet, and life pretty much couldn't be more non-exciting. But one day he can suddenly taste chocolate and describe its taste, without having eaten any, and that's just the beginning of what eventually happens to him. Soon he starts having all kinds of different visions that he drift into like on a high, but it's not him doing things in the visions, it's someone else, even though it he can feel and see everything that goes on.
Things keep getting more and more strange, and one day he can feel himself having sex with a man, and see the man on top of him as well. But after that, when his mind looks into a mirror, he sees a naked female body, more beautiful than he have ever seen before. He understands that the visions he have seen comes from this gorgeous woman, and that he is somehow psychically linked to her. He decides to track her down, but if that was a wise choise or not is up to you to find out since I don't wanna spoil anything for potential viewers.
Ok, so I really enjoyed this psychically linked part, and that one doesn't get to see that it's a woman until later on. Early on whenever Jamie has a vision, it's just really weird, bizarre, and you really have no idea what's going on. Later though when he decides to track her down things take a different turn, and it all turns into a drama thriller with a bad ending to finish it off with.
It has no scares, and I really mean none, and that was too bad. On the other hand it had some humour that worked pretty well, and the basic idea itself is not bad at all. To its advantage, I must say that I pretty much got hooked right from the start, as it has some good feeling of mystery to it, and it's also accompanied with good pacing. The acting is good, but Jamie's friend and work colleague (Michael Curtola) were a bit pathetic, looking like some old dude who really wanted to be a young hip dude, and that just felt stupid. It's a pretty good story, it's a great idea, the movie looks slick and everything in it is basically pretty good except for the ending which bring everything else down a helluva lot. Plus that, it's not really a horror flick.
It's too bad that the ending sucked so much, because other than that it was more than decent. Also, the story was very interesting, and you easily got hooked by it. It's definitely worth seeing, but don't expect miracles, and if you want the outcome to be good, well, just turn it off before the end.
The title, Chopper Chicks in Zombietown, actually explains the story and there not much else to it. A bunch of biker babes (I use the word babes really loosely here) rides in to a small town and start making a fuss. Then there are zombies locked up in a secure cave that has been accidentally let out and now the townsfolk and the biker chicks has to fight the zombies.
Is it so bad it's actually good? Well, with a title like that it kinda have to be, although this movie still kinda sucks. The other title, Cycle Sluts, is kinda funny as well. As you probably understand this is not a movie that takes itself too seriously. But then if it's actually fun or not is up to you to decide. Btw, it's from Troma.
Do you see who's on the cover? Yes it's a young Billy Bob Thornton here having his finest moment, or maybe not. Anyway, it's kinda fun to get to see him being part of a movie like this. I'm not being sarcastic here.
You don't watch a movie like this for the actual plot, you watch it for the gore, nudity and especially for the humour.
When it comes to gore we actually get a lot but it's a low-budget b-movie and it doesn't always look that good. It's kinda goofy though, I mean, what can you expect.
When it comes to nudity there's some but don't expect too much or better yet, don't expect anything really. And last we have the humour which is there but often way too dumb and not very clever nor funny. It's has some goofy moments though that are kinda fun but they are very few.
The acting's horrible but it's meant to be stupid so you can't go in watching it thinking that it's not. And if you wanna watch zombies, there are quite a few better movies to choose from. This is a movie that actually requires you to turn off your brain for you to be able to enjoy it.
If you're into over-the-top humor and just want a really goofy and silly movie then you might wanna give it a try. If you've seen a lot of Troma flicks before you might be able to handle it, but other than that it's recommended to stay away.
A group of teenagers deicide to have a late night party in the mall where they all work. Then accidently the mall goes under lock down and the group of friends find themselves trapped inside. If that weren't bad enough, the mall's security system which consists of real robots activates after a malfunction and the robots go on a killing spree. Now the teens has to fight the robots and as weapons they have to use anything they can find in the stores of the mall. Will they make it through the night?
I'm a big fan of Jim Wynorski. Sure, he has made some crappy flicks and his movies are not to be taken too seriously, but they sure as hell can be a lot of fun. Chopping Mall is a great 80's cheesy horror comedy about robots that go berserk in the mall they're supposed to be guarding, and with a group of teens inside that has to try and make it out alive. This movie has all the typical 80's things that some of us have come to love, like the cheesy dialogue, the hairstyles, the music and just the overall look of everything among many other things. There simply are no movies like this these days.
The shopping mall has installed a new high-tech method for catching burglars. That is three robots that can shoot laser among other things, and look just like you want robots to look, clumsy big chunks of metal that can talk in this robot kind of voice. It's so nice to see this as everything today is just way too high-tech and super nice looking, these guys look just like robots should look, nothing fancy but mean as hell.
 
So these four couples decide to have a late night party at a furniture store at the mall and everything is all and well until an electrical storm messes up the computer controlling the robots and makes them go berserk. You might think about Dawn of the Dead here, but the only similarities are that they're in a mall and it also ends with that. These teenagers are of course horny as hell and since it's a Wynorski flick, we also get treated to some brief nudity which is a nice addition to the whole thing.
It's more of a horror-spoof than an actual horror experience. It's has a few horror elements in it of course, but is never even remotely scary. Although, we get some cool killing scenes and there's especially one head exploding scene to watch out for which is a really cool one. But Chopping Mall is most of all a comedy, and that is truly an 80's comedy, so if you like that type of stuff, then don't let this one pass you by.
As you can probably tell, Chopping Mall is a no brainer, but is so much fun and just pure cheese. Don't expect anything fantastic but it's a great 80's flick and truly an entertaining ride. Recommended.
Kirby Sweetman is one day asked by a collector to track down a movie for him called 'Le Fin Absolue Du Monde'. But the movie in question is no ordinary film, instead this legendary movie has a rumour to it that when it was shown, it drew its audience to a homicidal frenzy. The closer Kirby gets to finding the film, he soon finds himself suffering from hallucinations and brutal acts of violence. He gets caught up in the finding of the film, and moreover, to actually get to see it for himself.
John Carpenter's addition to the Masters of Horror series is truly a good one. I like most of Carpenter's flicks, and while some may not be great, they're most often above decent. Cigarette Burns surprised me a little since it has more true horror in it than what there are to be found in many of Carpenter's other movies. I can't really say that it's an overall scary flick, but it has some pretty good scares in it, and moreover, a really interesting story that is easy to get caught up in, just like Kirby when looking for the film in question.
A movie that is meant to drive you insane, imagine that for a moment. It feels kinda obvious that you wanna see it, and when I was watching Cigarette Burns, I started thinking about that there are absolutely no movies like that out there for real, which is actually kinda sad. Of course there are snuff movies and other horrible creations, but they would just be gruesome to watch, and would not drive you insane. Well, maybe if you watched stuff like that every day for a long time, I'm not sure. Anyway, Cigarette Burns has a good story and a really cool idea behind it, plus that, the horror in it actually works.
 
Another great thing about Cigarette Burns is that it really doesn't hold back, and that, we're always thankfull for. It's a bit disturbing at times, as well as it delivers a lot of tension. The further the movie goes, the more interested you become in what 'Le Fin Absolue Du Monde' really is all about, what it will look like, and if you actually will get to see the film in the film itself so to speak. You get to see some scenes from it, but unfortunately they didn't drive me the least bit insane, on the other hand, I wasn't expecting that either. It's more about the thought of 'Le Fin Absolue Du Monde' itself, that is supposed to scare you, since you don't know what it contains. Mystery is everything when it comes to horror, and when everything has been revealed, then what's left? Cigarette Burns has its fair share of mystery, and is definitely worth a look.
As far as I've heard, I know a lot of people consider Carpenter's film to be the best addition to the series so far. I thought it was pretty great, but I still think Jenifer was a better piece of film., but we all, luckily, have different kinds of taste. I would like to recommend Cigarette Burns though since it's a really good horror film, and Carpenter sure has outdone himself here.
Coconut Pete who is an old "rock star" owns this island resort where there's a non-stop party going on. But suddenly everything changes when people starts turning up dead on the island and no one knows who the killer is and everyone starts suspecting each other.
If you've read reviews on Club Dread before you've probably noticed that different people have different ideas about the movie. That's more or less the case with all movies but while this one have gotten high praise by some it has also been totally trashed by many others.
And it's understandable, it's so not for everyone and I guess either you'll hate it, love it or just like me, be somewhat netural to it even though I think hate it or love it will apply to most people.
 
I thought it was ok considering the somewhat high entertainment value but I can't say it's a really good movie, it's actually a pretty dumb movie.
I really liked Broken Lizard's Super Troopers and was hoping for Club Dread to feature the same kind of humour and hilarious stuff which it doesn't really manage to do. It has some fun stuff in it of course but also a whole bunch of lame stuff, and if you can sit through that, well that's totally up to you to figure out.
There are all these characters, some that arrives on the island when the movie starts and some that are working on the island in Coconut Pete's crew. Some characters are ok and has their funny moments while some characters are just lame and are just embarrasing to watch.
You get some horror/slasher elements, some breasts, a lot of girls, some blood and all that but remember that it's first and most a comedy we're talking about.
I can't really recommended Club Dread since I'm not a big fan of it myself and like I said before, it's a matter of what kinda taste you have, you might like it, you might hate it.
Corpse Bride is about Victor who is supposed to marry this woman but keeps screwing up his vows at the wedding rehearsal. So since he can't seem to pull it off right he runs into the woods and starts to practise his wedding vows own his own. This time he gets it right and he puts the wedding ring on what he thinks is just a stick from a tree but the stick turns out to be the finger of a murdered girl who comes to life and so becomes Victor's wife, even though against his will.
Ok so this is not a proper horror movie but it still has some dead people in it and has a horror theme to it so I thought it might fit here among the other reviews as well.
Being a huge fan of Nightmare Before Christmas you're kinda bound to compare it with Tim Burton's lastest creation Corpse Bride, but as expected it's not nearly as good as Nightmare, but still an ok movie.
 
When you think about it, it's a really good story and the animation is excellent and the overall atmosphere and enviroment is typical Tim Burton and just briliant.
Like Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride also has a lot of songs in it but unfortunately they're not half as good or catchy as they are in Nightmare. I liked the overall movie but got kinda sick of it every time they had to break out and start singing.
The characters are pretty cool and there are all types of weird characters present throughout the movie. The animation surely is beautiful and manages to capture facial expressions and everything else perfectly.
Again when comparing it to Nightmare I felt that Corpse Bride had more of the commersial kind of humour which doesn't work at all for me, it still has some dark humour but not nearly enough to satisfy like Nightmare did.
In the end it's a, if even far from excellent, still a pretty good movie with a lot of nice things to look at.
Cradle of Fear tells four different stories that are all linked to a child killer sitting in an Asylum and who seeks vengeance on those responsible for his imprisonment.
I guess for fans of Cradle of Filth this movie came as a happy surprise as they get to see their favourite singer act, or at least try to act.
Other than that for people like me who couldn't care less about Cradle of Filth or their music it's still an ok movie. But I wish they would've taken off the Cradle of Filth music and had someone else playing The Man than Dani Filth as these two things only drags the movie down, deep down.
But if you can look past that it's quite entertaining and gory, although low budget but still they've seemed to have made the best out of it so I don't wanna complain too much about it.
This movie is not bad nor good, it has some horrible acting in it and takes itself way to seriously. But on the other hand I found the concept of four different stories all linked together somehow kinda interesting and entertaining. That is that if one story does not entertain you, the next one might.
 
So when looking at it one way it's one movie but looking at it a different way, it's a bunch of shorter movies that makes one movie in the end. For me I didn't care at all for two stories while I found two to be quite good and that lifted up the overall result of the movie itself. It's ok but still it could've been so much better.
For people into gore we get offered tons but the way it's delivered is most of the time not that satisfying, it's well done but looks too fake at times which doesn't really work.
You can't really go in watching this with a too serious attitude, it will work for some, (not talking bout CoF-fans), but you might as well end up disappointed. Although it's a cool concept with the use of four different stories, and some of them better than other, but in the end none of them are really that good or well performed.
Kate is supposed take the subway late one night after a party, but falls asleep while waiting for the train. When she wakes up, she realizes that she's alone in the London underground and it seems that she's locked in there as well. Soon after, a new train arrives and she boards it, but after just riding it for a very short period of time, the train stops and the light goes out. On the train she meets a guy from work who tries to rape her, but he's suddenly pulled out from the train and the next time she sees him, he's a bloody mess. Kate then realizes that she's not alone in the underground and that there's someone after her, and she has to try and make it out of there before it's too late.
I think I read too much about this movie before actually watching it myself, a common mistake that has happened before and that'll probably happen again. The big problem this time was that people kept saying how creepy and scary the movie was, so you were kind of expecting it to be something more than your average horror experience. I can't say that it was not creepy, it sure is at times, but I was expecting to be scared good and unfortunately that never really happened. Although, the movie sure delivers a few decent scares and has a lot going for it on the horror front. I guess I was just expecting too much, so take that in advise if you haven't seen it yet, but plan to watch it in the near future.
It's a very simple story, but it doesn't need more to it and is kinda effective as it is. This German girl Kate falls asleep in the underground, wakes up to see that she's the only one left down there and later realizes that someone's out to get her. There's no real backstory or anything, but it's not needed, and 98% of the story takes place in the London underground and is kinda all in all a long chase. Kate of course tries to make it out of the underground and on her way she hooks up with a homeless guy, who actually is the only likable character in the movie.
 
So they know that someone's after them and after some time they find out who, or what that is. About 45 minutes into the movie, the creep is revealed and he sure looks kinda creepy. After that you get to see a lot of the creep throughout the movie. My first thoughts on this was that I thought it was bad to get to see, in too much detail, who was after Kate since that means all the mystery surrounding the thing in the underground was gone. But that was not the case, as later I thought it was great that you got to follow the creep and actually got to see as much of him as the movie let you to. It gave everything a whole different feeling than if he would've been "hidden" till the end.
I have no idea about what kind of budget this Brit horror flick had to it and I would guess it was not that high, but I must say that it looks really good. The movie is fast-paced at all times, so at least you won't fall asleep watching it. Creep has some genuinely scary moments, but I think they could've done more with that as it never gets really scary or as intense as it could've been. Don't get me wrong, it's intense at times and delivers a few pretty good scares, but I guess I was expecting a bit too much, as said before.
The acting is ok for most parts and some are a bit less than ok but it's still totally watchable for what it is. Another thing that came to mind was that how similar the creep looked to the "monsters" in the other newer Brit horror The Descent. Although that doesn't mean anything.
Creep is a fast-paced well made Brit horror flick, that has a lot going for it. And while it sure was good and entertaining, it was not as scary as one first had hoped for, but that is still definitely worth a look.
Creepshow features five creepy(?) short stories written by Stephen King, and directed by George A. Romero. There's also a story that ties these five shorts together and deals with a boy seeking revenge on his dad for him stopping the boy from reading the Creepshow comics. The film also pays homage to the E.C. horror comics of the 1950's, and the special effects are done by Tom Savini.
First out is a story called Father's Day which deals with a mean old man who treats his daughter like dirt. A few years back on Father's Day, the old man thought he deserved a Father's Day's cake, but instead his daughter, who was real sick of him, killed the old bastard. After that, for every year, the daughter goes back to visit her father's grave on the day that he died, but this year the old man rises from his grave to extract his revenge, and not only that, but to get his cake as well. This short tells a really simple tale about an old obnoxious and greedy man who comes back to life to get some cake. It's really short and it's over before you know it, but it still offers some entertainment value. Ed Harris gets a ten-ton statue dropped on him, but other than that, the killings ain't that cool. The old man who rises from the grave looks pretty nasty, but the film is still far from being the least bit creepy. I mean, you have a living corpse that keeps asking for cake, not flesh, but cake... It's not really funny either, but still serves as some brief entertainment.
The second story is called The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill and that has an over-the-top Stephen King playing a hillbilly named Jordy Verrill who one day discovers a meteor that falls from the sky. He touches the thing which makes him get blisters on his fingers, and things are about to get worse. Now, this man ain't the brighest fellow around, and to prove that, he sticks his burnt fingers in his mouth, and after that some green stuff that looks like moss slowly starts to grow all over him. At first he starts dreaming about wealth and fame for selling the meteor to some university, but he later breaks it by pouring water on it. Things doesn't work out too well and the lonesome death comes from having contact with the meteor. This story also felt really short but I guess it couldn't have been much longer either. The way over-the-top performance by Stephen King might be too much for some, but I actually enjoyed watching this piece.
 
Next one is called Something to Tide You Over and stars Leslie Nielsen as a scheming vengeful husband who buries his cheating wife and her boyfriend (Ted Danson) in the sand so that the high tide will eventually drown them both. Danson swear that he'll come back to get his revenge and he sure does, as a slimy kind of sea zombie. Personally I think that it's really hard to take Leslie Nielsen seriously, or that is watching him in a more serious role, it just doesn't work. You expect the man to do some funny stuff, but after a while when you realise it's not gonna happen, it all falls to pieces. The scene when Danson and his love comes back to life as what looks like zombies risen from the sea is quite cool, and the make-up sure is great. Only problem is that it felt like that scene kept going on forever and became a bore quite fast. Not scary nor funny, and actually quite boring.
The Crate is about a janitor who finds a hundred year old crate from an Arctic expedition under the stairwell at a University. He calls a professor and they both open it, only to find some kind of monster inside who devours the poor old janitor. The professor tells some student at the University what happened, and when the student goes to the crate to see what's going on, he's eaten as well. Then the professor heads over to his friends home to let him know about the situation. Now, his friend has this bossy and horrible wife that he hates being married to, so he tricks her into looking in the crate. This film was quite bloody, at least compared to the four other stories, but the monster wasn't very scary. Although, it drags the its victims into the box and skins them alive and you get to see blood dripping out and stuff like that. It worked on some levels, but was a bit too drawn out and not really that satisfying in the end.
Last but not least there's a story called They're Creeping up on You which deals with an old executive type named Upson Pratt who hates(!) bugs. What we get to see is this old man trying to deal with all the cockroaches in his apartment. Now, if you happen to have a problem with cockroaches in your place, then do not watch this film. With that being said, the film basically just deals with this nasty old man who keeps calling people to get his roach problem taken care of. In the meantime, he tries to kill as many as he can himself, but eventually, there are just too many of them. He tells people that they'll loose their jobs as well as he gets word of that he made a man kill himself, something that he's just laughing about when the dead man's wife calls him up. So you might say that the old geezer in the end got what he deserved.
To be completely honest, none of these five stories are really that great, but at least all of them has some little thing to offer. Even if they're not that good, they're still entertaining enough, and for the fact that you get five different stories in one film, you get some variation as well which is nice. This flick came out before they started doing the Tales from the Crypt series, and there's also a sequel to this one simply called Creepshow 2 which is quite good. When writing this, they're currently making a third Creepshow film.
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Somewhat similar to Tales from the Crypt, here are three different short movies that all makes the package called Creepshow 2.
I kinda like the whole concept with three stories since if not one's good, the next one might be. Although since they are all short, there's not really enough time for any character development.
Old Chief Wood'nhead This is the first story and it's the worst one out of the three. A couple owns a store on an Indian reservation and one day some kids show up and rob the place and kills the owners. A wooden statue of a Native American that stood in the shop comes alive and seeks vengeance on the robbers.
This story is kinda predictable which ruins the experience a little as you know exactly what's gonna happen. It has a slasher theme to it and offers a bit of gore for the viewers. The acting is decent and the special effects are totally ok. it's not that good but totally watchable.
The Raft Is a short story by Stephen King and is probably the best one out of the three. It's about some teens that go swiming in a lake. There's a raft in the middle of the lake and they swim out to it. They notice that there's something strange floating in the water. It's hard to tell exactly what it is but it looks like some kind of slime and scum and it also seems alive and hungry.
Why this story is the best is because it has a little more go than the other two. The blob in the lake is kinda cool, it has a lot of mystery surrounding it, and you can't really tell how it's gonna end. And that's the best thing about this short flick, the surprise ending. It unexpected but I don't wanna ruin it for you. This is also the one story that feels most 80's style. It's campy and creepy at the same time, but done with a lot of humour so it never gets remotely scary.
The Hitchhiker
So this is the story that comes in second place. A woman's having an affair with a male prostitute. She then takes her car and speeds home but hits and kills a hitchhiker on the way. She flees the scene but the man keep stalking her. Did he not die?
This is also a pretty cool story. The woman, after hitting the hitchhiker, is really worried about getting arrested and then she gets stalked by the man she hit. And he keeps coming back. It's a shame because it has a lot going for it and it's pretty good until the very end which was a little disappointing.
Creepshow 2 is far from great but is still an enjoyable and entertaining flick to watch. The first Creepshow movie was slightly better but this one's pretty cool too.
Furry creatures rolled up into balls comes from outer space and lands on a farm in a mid-western town on earth and starts eating away at everything. After them comes two bounty hunters, them also from another planet, following the Critters in order to hunt them down and destroy them. The Critters attack the farm house and trapping the people who lives there inside.
Critters is a pretty cool 80's movie, one could say it's a Gremlins clone as it features similar creatures. I would pick Gremlins any day over Critters but it's still a pretty good movie to watch or at least it's entertaining.
I remember seeing this when not being very old and liking it a lot, seeing it nowadays it's not very good but it's nice to get nostalgic once in a while.
This movie really scream 80's and is not as good as a lot of other somewhat similar 80's movies. It's ok to watch though and I guess entertaining on some levels. The actual Critters are only half as cool as the Gremlins so that's a little bummer, and you're kinda bound to compare the two movies when watching this, it's hard not to.
Problem here is that while the Critters are supposed to be really mean, they kinda just end up being somewhat cute since we never get to see any real carnage or blood for the matter.
There are some sequels to it, three more if I'm not mistaken, but they are all kinda the same, and if you gonna watch any of them this one would be it and after that you can skip the rest.
Like I said earlier, it's nostalgic to some people and therefore you wanna watch it again, but if you never seen it you might as well just leave it be.
The story is about when a girl gets murdered and the police are unable to find the killer so these high school students, consisting of a group of brats, spreads a rumour online that it's a serial killer, known as "The Wolf", that's on the lose. In the online rumour they also describe The Wolf's next victims (that are supposed to be themsleves) just to try and fool as many people around the school as possible, but then the The Wolf actually becomes real and someone starts killing off people on the campus.
God damn, another movie you've been waiting to get your hands on and when you finally do, it turns out to be yet another boring teen slasher without anything special to offer.
Well, it might not be boring in the sense that you'll most likely fall asleep watching it but boring in the sense of that it doesn't bring you anything new or clever, and also the gore is minimal.
I was expecting more because when first reading about it, Cry_Wolf sounded interesting. I guess the story isn't too bad, it's more that the actors are irritating, unlikable (all of them) and in the end you never really got anything out of watching it.
Thing here is that the story is pretty good and it could've been a nice flick, only now it didn't turn out to be. I guess a lot of teens will like this one, but for me it's just unoriginal and irritating.
 
The characters are all jerks, one way or the other, and the main character is to smug for his own good and it takes a lot of energy watching him on screen as he's very unlikable.
The killings are crap, you don't get to see very much, at least they could of had some good killings to make up for the rest but unfortunately there are no such thing.
The music in this movie is crap too, not so it will irritate you a lot if any but it's still there and it's still crap. Also Jon Bon Jovi has a part in the movie and he's crap too.
Cry_Wolf doesn't have too much going for it and the "twist" in the end is no good either. The actual suspense that's supposed to be there is nowhere to be found, and in the end I just felt kinda cheated.
If you're a kid with your head in the air give it a shot, other than that, there are better ways to spend your time.
Dark Harvest 2: The Maize is about a fathers two daughters who are trapped inside a corn maze that is haunted by the spirits of two young girl who disappeared there a year earlier. So the father have to go in there and try rescue them using his psychic abilities, uhhh yawn, what a load of crap.
I can't even begin to tell how BAD this movie is. I have absolutly nothing positive to say about it whatsoever and I'm truly amazed by the fact that some people will actually take the time and spend money making junk like this.
What goes on in their heads, does the director Bill Cowell actually think he's made a good movie, can he really be happy with the result?
If I did a movie like this, I would have to kill myself because I would've been to embarrassed to live knowing that I've created something so terrible.
This is definitely the crappiest movie I've seen in a very long time, and I still can't get over the fact of just how bad it is. Give me back my 100 minutes please.
If you really hate someone, then buy this movie for them when it's their birthday. You'll definitely scar that person for life.
This movie blows so much that I can't actually believe it. The actors (if we even can call them actors) are so lousy and gives such a bad performance it actually sends chills down your spine.
The special effects are the worst and I feel embarrassed for even taken time to watch this crap. Avoid at all cost. Everyone involved in the making of this should be ashamed.
Don't waste time watching this, almost any other movie would be a better pick.
Dr. Samantha Goodman is supposed to spend the weekend with her husband and sister in a winter cottage when an unexpected guest suddenly arrives. The guests name is Harlan Pyne, a sexual offender who Samantha treated, and who is convinced that she conducted unethical experiments on him. With him, Harlan has a young protege to help him out, and the two of them forces Samantha and her family to participate in a series of cruel and twisted games.
I picked up this movie quite recently without having heard a single thing about it. It's weird because usually you are bound to hear something about movies being released, but with The Dark Hours I hadn't heard or seen nothing on the net or anywhere else for that matter. I actually wish that this would happen more often, since then you of course have no expectations whatsoever, and that's always a good way to start out when watching a new movie.
The Dark Hours starts out giving us an idea what Dr. Samantha Goodman do for a living, and that she's surrounded by "crazy" people. Later on we also find out that she has a tumour and that's she's dying, which actually is a pretty big part of the plot itself. She heads to the winter cottage to meet up with her husband and sister, but soon someone's knocking on the door. Outside stands a guy freezing and tells that he were supposed to meet some people at a house nearby who apparently never showed up.
Being the nice people that they are, Samantha and company lets the guy in to warm himself up by the fireplace, but they soon regret that they let the young guy in as he's not as lost as he first seemed to be. It's here the movie takes off, and it starts with a pretty cool and unexpected scene which is actually kinda raw when thinking about it, and you can't help but wonder what's gonna happen next. After that, an old patient of Samantha's shows up and things just tend to get worse from here on out. This patient that is Harlan Pyne, forces Samantha and her family to participate in a few of his games, that all are pretty cruel.
 
When playing these games, there's a lot of tension in the air and it's actually impossible to relax when watching this. It's clever and interesting, but at the same time very cruel, and you are bound to feel for the unlucky characters. It's nothing gruesome or gory, but it's very intense and most of all very realistic which sometimes makes it a bit hard to watch. Still you of course wanna see what's gonna happens next.
Then things take a different turn and the movie becomes something else. The basic story is simple and they could've stuck with that all the way but then it would've also just ended up being an ordinary suspense/horror flick that would not've been that special in the end. Instead, there's a big twist and nothing's like it first seemed to be. I can't really tell you about this as this would totally ruin the movie for those who have not yet watched The Dark Hours. But at least I can say that what happens is clever and makes the whole outcome of the movie so much better. There are of course tons of movies like this with a special twist towards the end but usually it's nothing special, but this one really comes through and is therefore well worth watching.
The acting is totally ok from everyone involved, and Kate Greenhouse who stars as Dr. Samantha Goodman truly stands out. She really captures the role and delivers a great performance that is great to watch. Music in this movie is non-existant, and one would think it might be weird when there's no music to the film itself, but it actually works pretty well and is nothing you really think about till after the movie's finished.
The Dark Hours could best be described as psychological terror instead of just being a horror flick as it's not really horror, thriller is probably a better definition. The gore is, just like the music, non-existant except for one scene that deals with self mutilation and were a finger's being chopped off. It might not sound like much, but it's actually kinda hard to sit through that scene since it's so graphical and a bit hard to stomach. Other than that, the movie relies on psychological terror and offers no real gore or cheap scares for that matter.
Very different compared to most other new horror and thriller flicks that you usually end up watching, so it was really nice with something different for a change. The running time is only 80 minutes and the movie feels kinda short, but still manages to fit every necessary thing in it during it's running time, and is also clever and delivers in the end. Recommended.
Liam Neeson plays a scientist who gets his lab blown up by a bunch of gangsters with him still inside of it. Not dead but deformed and unrecognizable the doctors at the hospital remove his neurons so he can't feel any pain and from this he gains a powerful physical strength. He then flees the hospital and return to his lab to use some synthetic skin that he was working on before this tragic thing happened. And now he's planing to take his revenge.
Darkman's a really cool movie by Sam Raimi from the early 90's but it still feels like an 80's flick. It's a comic book inspired movie and it has this comic book feel to it which is nice.
I can't help to think about what Darkman would have looked like if it had been made today instead, but being a bit "old" only makes it so much cooler and that it's not as flashy as all new comic book related movies is just a good thing.
Cool story with a cool characters makes for a good movie that Darkman really proves to be. Except for the revenge theme it also has a love story going by the side of it.
 
When his lab got blown up he was presumed dead and his love also figured that he was dead. And now when he's back he's having problems facing her since he knows that he's not the same man that he used to be.
The story is pretty good, at least so it will keep you busy watching without getting bored. It has a lot of cool happenings in it and some nice effects.
It's a mixture of many different genres but that's only a good thing but I think the action genre stands out the most or anyway, it has a lot of action to offer.
Score by Danny Elfman, and I guess Darkman should appeal to a lot of people and of course fans of Sam Raimi's other work.
Recently separated Dahlia Williams gets a new job and a new apartment that she moves to with her daughter. The apartment is kinda worn-out and leaks water among other things. Soon strange things starts to happen and the black water seems to appear for her everywhere, driving her imagination to run wild. Also, while trying to keep herself together, her daughter seems to have got some strange imaginary friend.
I knew that this remake was gonna be bad, but since I really liked the original Japanese Dark Water, it felt like I just had to check out the American version. I'm actually quite sorry that I did, mostly that I wasted my time. Like I said, I was guessing it was gonna turn out bad but it was actually worse that I first had thought it would be. When watching this, you have the Japanese original flick in mind and you're bound to compare them even if you don't really want to. And by doing so, this one fails big-time.
On the other hand, it seemed like a lot of people actually really appreciated this movie, not for being a horror movie, but for being a very strong drama. It's somewhat understandable, but personally, I still think it's close to being shite anyway. Even if it's a strong drama, it still has the same story as the Japanese version so we really don't get anything new here, and that's boring for sure.
 
Jennifer Connelly is a great actress and is very good in the role of Dahlia Williams, but it doesn't really matter how good of an actress she is, the movie's still boring. Compared to Hideo Nakata's original, it ends up feeling like just watching complete crap.
So with this movie being more of a drama than an actual horror movie also means that everything that's scary is not that scary. It has a few horror elements in it but does so not deliver on the horror front. The very few times it's supposed to actually be really scary, everything just goes down the drain and you end up feeling cheated, over and over again. I can admit that the movie has some good atmosphere going for it, and might even come close to being somewhat eerie at times. But unfortunately it never goes anywhere, and you find yourself just sitting around waiting for things that never gonna happen.
One thing that is really boring too is that you know what's gonna happen from having seen the Japanese version. So if they had made things a bit different it would've been nice, but here it's just the same tired plot. At least The Ring added some different stuff to it that actually made it a little bit different and therefore more interesting to watch. The outcome is a totally different thing, here I'm just talking about watching a new movie without knowing every single thing that's gonna occur.
Ok so this is not to be taken as a real horror flick, but the fact remains and that is that it still sucks, no matter what it tries to be. The actual lack of originality is overwhelming and even if it's nicely shot, has good actors and sometimes a very good atmosphere, it's still a snore.
When on their way to attend a wedding, a group of friends stop at a Bed & Breakfast for the night in the sleepy little town of Lovelock. But the night is filled with anything but rest, as the friends finds the Inn's chef murdered, along with the owner who suffers a heart-attack. They contact the local Sheriff who immediately is suspicious of the kids, but soon they find out that the town's folk has been possessed by an evil spirit who turns the citizens into zombie-looking things. Now, how can they stop the evil spirit, and what if it can't be stopped?
Dead & Breakfast is not half as funny as it claims to be, still though, it's an entertaining flick that features a lot of gore and splatter. Another thing it features that's on the plus side are some good actors that makes this flick more enjoyable. You have Jeremy Sisto from Population 436, the lovely Gina Philips from Jeepers Creepers, David Carradine from Kill Bill, Ever Carradine from Party of Five, CSI, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back etc, and Erik Palladino from CSI as well, just to mention a few. All put together, they manage to make the film a bit more entertaining I think, and these actors characters are all pretty likable.
Even if Dead & Breakfast is supposed to be a horror comedy, don't expect anything similar to Scary Movie or whatever, since it's not like that at all. I would say that it features some comical elements every now and then for the first hour, but after that it's basically goodbye comedy and heeellooooo splatter. One could maybe compare it to Braindead/Dead Alive since it goes in the somewhat same direction. That is starting out as more as a comedy but after a while turning into a pure splatter movie. Although, Braindead still managed to keep and deliver the humour even when it turned into a splatter-fest, something that Dead & Breakfast did not manage to do at all.
It starts off with that this group of friends decides to spend the night at a Bed & Breakfast while on their way to a wedding. At the B&B they meet the chef (Diedrich Bader from Drew Carey Show, Office Space etc) who plays some French chef which is not really funny, but still a bit funny though. He soon gets a knife in the throat, and the owner of the Inn (David Carradine), suffers a heart-attack. David (Palladino) sets off to get the local authorities, and comes back with the local Sheriff who's a real jerk at first, but later on becomes a bit more likable.
Soon they find out that an evil spirit has been released and have possessed the folks in the sleepy little town. Now, those who have not yet been possessed has to try and stop this ongoing madness, kill the zombies, and find the source of it all. It's not a very original movie, basically some people gets trapped in a zombie-infested little town and has to deal with the zombies and the weird locals. But at least it's entertaining, has a bunch of pretty funny moments (some moments are more stupid though), and has some shitty music accompanied by some decent music that switches place with each other every now and then.
Speaking of music, there's also some local cowboy dude with a guitar, singing songs for the viewer inbetween some of the scenes about what just happened or what's gonna happen. If you've seen 'There's Something About Mary' you know exactly what I mean with the dude singing as it's just the same. Unoriginal of course but still works. Another thing that works are the comic book influences, and there are comic book drawings shown inbetween some of the scenes and in the intro as well. It adds a nice little touch to the whole thing, and it's pretty cool.
So it's not very original but who cares? It has some decent comedy stuff and some comical things that does not work at all either. What it has though is a bunch of good actors, playing likable character and that made the movie deliver on one level acting-wise. Now, Dead and Breakfast actually had some pretty good gore, that was something they were not holding back on which was appreciated as well as the splatterfest towards the end. So, good blood, gore and splatter, a bunch of likable character, good pacing and a few jokes that works. Not too bad eh? It's far from great but at least it's watchable and pretty entertaining.
Dead Birds is about this group of outlaws who rob a band together were everything goes wrong, and then tries to flee to Mexico but ends up hiding from the law in a deserted plantation house. Soon everyone in the group starts to have visions one by one of events the occured earlier in the same house as they are in. The fear of what might be in the house with them starts to grow and the outlaws starts to turn on each other.
When I sat down to watch this movie I hadn't heard a single thing about, not read any reviews or hadn't talked to anyone who had seen it which was a very good and unusual thing. Since you usually get to hear something about a movie before you actually get to see it. So with no expectations what-so-ever to ruin the movie, it turned out to be a pretty decent and enjoyable flick.
I think the coolest thing about this movie is that it takes place in the 1860's and that adds a lot to the feeling of the movie itself.
It's actually a pretty simple story but it works really well and the movie gets somewhat intense every now and then. It's also pretty cool that you don't know what's in the house and the robbers search it through room by room and you're just waiting for something to happen.
At times the pace of the movie slows down a bit too much but it's really not that bad.
The house is somewhat creepy and especially since you don't know what's in there like I said before. The movie has originality and feels very fresh and creative.
It also has a great score and really good special effects considering the low budget. The actors do a good job but unfortunately we don't get to know the actual characters very well, we get to know them on the surface but it wouldn't have hurt to get to know them on a little bit deeper level.
Dead Birds had an original touch to it and offered some gore, an interesting story along with some good suspense. Definitely worth checking out.
Long ago in the Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky 63,000 people died of something called the white plague. To get rid of all the corpses that were filling up the hospital, they built an underground tunnel to put the bodies there, a death tunnel. In present time, 5 girls have been chosen to spend 5 hours in the sanatorium and try to make it out alive. The sanatorium itself consist of 5 floors and is haunted by 5 ghosts. The girls have been separated from each other and the only way out seems to be through the death tunnel.
I had heard so many bad things about Death Tunnel, so when starting to watch it my expectations were very low. On the other hand, I thought that maybe that was a good thing since then it might turn out better than I had expected it to be for. Well, it sure didn't. Death Tunnel is actually like watching a 97 minute long flashy music video, and while that might be somewhat cool for a minute or two, after a while it just becomes brutally annoying.
The movie starts out with full-on horror right away, but since we have no background story or for that matter know the characters, the scares are not very effective. Then the movie jump back and forth between these girls in school, when they're attending a party were they get chosen to be the 5 girls to spend time in the sanatorium, and when they first arrive in the sanatorium as well. There are a lot of flashbacks, but it's still pretty easy to follow without getting lost. Some reviews I read earlier on this movie stated that it jumps between different times too much and that it was hard to keep track of everything. It's actually not, and I think they managed to do and show this pretty well to get the movie going.
Each one of the girls wake up in different rooms with some kind of mask over their heads, and a voice tells them that there's a key on the floor that will unlock their mask and after that they're free to go and explore the floor they're on....if they dare! Sheesh...
This could've been one hell of a horror movie because, if nothing else, it sure has the surroundings going for it. The sanatorium is dark, dirty and looks a lot like Silent Hill if you've ever played those games. Unfortunately they manage to do nothing with the creepy surroundings and even if we get tons of scares, they are so cheap and non-effective it's absolutely ridiculous. They've also thrown in tons of creepy and sudden sounds and noises into the movie, and that's something that makes the scares feel even cheaper, if possible.
We get to follow the different girls when they walk around on the different floors, they run into ghosts, they hear strange things, and weird things happen all the time. This is all just a load of flashy crap that does nothing for the viewer. 40 minutes into the movie I found myself to be bored out of my mind, things were happening in the movie all the time, but everything's just so stupid and pointless that you couldn't care less. An hours into the movie and till it finished, I couldn't stop looking at the time display on the dvd-player to see how much more of this I would have to take.
If I had to describe Death Tunnel with one word it would be uninteresting because that is truly what this flick really is. It's like the people who made it just focused on adding more and more horror elements into the movie, and forgot to have a solid script, hire actors that could actually act, have at least a tiny bit of character development and so on and so forth. It's just scare after scare that does not work, and all this combined with constant flashy gruesome imagery, that in the end does not come out to be as gruesome after all.
There's actually a story, with these 5 girls and one guy being in the sanatorium, all that have a link to the place, and getting deeper and deeper into that. The story's not that bad, but the way they made it is, and it ends up not working on any level whatsoever.
Gore? No not really, a little but nothing much. I read that there was gonna be some nudity, but it's just a shower scene that's not worth the time. Death Tunnel gets a rating of 2 out of 10. One point for having pretty hot girls in it that are nice to look at, and one point for the way the sanatorium looks, but that's it.
Looked like it really could've been something and had a few things going for it, but after a while you just noticed what a piece of trash this flick turned out to be. Do yourself a favor and avoid it.
It's WWI and Brittish Y Company has been separated from their regiment and discovers a German trench were they try and kill off the few Germans left there and then stays to hold the trench. While staying there and waiting for reenforcements to arrive, strange things start to happen to everyone in the company and it seems that evil is all around them.
You should of course never trust the comments on a cover for a movie as they often tend to be quite exaggerated, but still you can't help but to think that someone has actually written this and are meaning what they say.
It's amazing though, before actually viewing Deathwatch I looked at the movie cover and one comment said: "Blows the horror genre to pieces" and the second comment said: "Chilling suspense throughout", which of both couldn't be more far from the truth.
The first comment is just way too much so no reason to get in deeper on that. Second comment one could actually believe, but then after watching the movie and realizing that the main thing this movie lack is actual suspense, it just makes it even more irritating.
Anyway, I didn't expect too much from this movie to begin with, although I never thought it would turn out as bad as it did.
This movie had potiential for, while maybe not to be great, at least being able to deliver, unfortunately that didn't happen.
It's so boring and an hour into the movie after just a few lame happenings I was seriously thinking of turning the movie off, but I never did and finished watching it only to end up very disappointed.
The few things that happen are not at all worth waiting for and it completely lack of any horror and suspense what-so-ever. The enviroment and atmosphere is there and visually it looks good but does not really help.
It's not interesting and I couldn't wait for the movie to be over, also there are no scares (to wake you up).
We get a little gore but it ain't that much and nothing special really. The actors weren't too bad but I can't say they were very good either, some worse than others. I would skip this one if I were you, it's a snore.
One word: Boring. Even though horror and war might seem like a great combination, it so didn't work here. Don't spend your time watching this, watch R-Point instead which is not a great flick, but deals with the same thing and is way better than this snoozefest.
A group of friends who have no camping experience whatsoever decides to go camping and end up in the haunted Decamp woods. Things don't go according to plan and they soon find themselves being chased by a killer. One after one they're dying horrible deaths and has to struggle to make it out of the woods alive.
I'm not a big Troma fan and I often find their sense of humour to be quite the opposite of my own but some movies by Troma actually has some funny stuff in it and can be worth watching. Decampitated is one of those movies.
It sure sounds like your average slasher movie and it is a slasher movie only that this one have some different stuff to offer. It starts off really good with the killer killing one person and chases after a girl and kills her too, everything done in a really humorous way and it's actually quite fun to watch.
Then we get to see the group of friends take off to go on their camping trip and from there on the humour varies from extremely bad to quite fun the movie throughout.
It's low-budget but the effects are not that bad and we get some gore and splatter, also done in a humorous kind of way.
One other quite funny thing is that every time the killer appears to do his evil deeds it's always accompanied by jazz music which sure lighten things up a bit and is quite fun too just because the fact that it's so different.
The actors are your typical Troma actors and I guess you know what to expect considering that. But it's ok for what it is and even if the humour is way too dumb some times, Decampitated still has some really funny moments.
Definitely one of the better Troma releases out there along with Tromeo & Juliet.
Aliens come to earth, that is a college in Canada, in the form of hot babes to mate with males which will make their species live on. People start dying and disappearing around the campus and a guy named Luke figures out that the hot girls really are aliens and tries to stop them.
I tried to watch this movie a few months back but couldn't take how bad it was so I only ended up watching half before I HAD to turn it off.
Later on I gave it another try and managed to watch the whole movie from start to finish but as guessed, it still kinda sucked. So how come it sucked so bad?
Well, Decoys is a movie made for an audience consisting of horny teens and if you're not a horny teenager then chances that you'll like this movie are not very high.
Great story huh, like I said it's for horny teens who wanna look at pretty girls and get a sneak peak at half a breast or whatever.
Also the actors, if we even can call them that, are so lousy it sometimes hurts to watch them "act". Some are better than others though (I use the word better losely here) but there are quite a few that are really bad and it's horrible to watch.
The movie opens up with some shitty high school rock/punk music like in American Pie which makes you get irritated and feel sick right from the start, and that's not the good kind of sick.
I must admit that the special effects are not that bad and also the alien suits looks pretty cool but that's about it.
If you wanna see a good Canadian movie instead of this junk, then I would suggest you take a look at Ginger Snaps.
Dwight Faraday is a Detective that doesn't seem to be too happy with his job, maybe that's because he's the one getting all the weird calls, and handles the cases that involves animals. That's until one day when a series of bizarre murders happen. The murders grab Faraday's attention, since all the victim's seem to have been stomped to death with a massive force, and it looks like it couldn't have be the work of a normal human being. All the men killed were also in a state of sexual arousal, and one thing that they all seem to have in common is the fact that they were all last seen with a beautiful Native American woman. Could she have something to do with the murders?
Where Deer Woman fails as a horror movie, it picks up again due to its good comical timing. It's not a great flick, that may not be very original either, but it's for sure a very likable flick that is easy to get into, and that provides a few good laughs as well. Thing though is that I wouldn't call John Landis a master of horror since the guy haven't made too many horror flicks, but I guess he's famous for An American Werewolf in London so I guess that might be the reason to why he was asked to be in on the series.
And Deer Woman is really not a horror movie per se, it's more like a thriller with some humour in it. But I'm not too irritated by the fact that's it's not proper horror movie, instead I found it to be quite an intertaining piece of film with a likable Brian Benben in it who star as Detective Dwight Faraday. Basically, the movie has a really good feel to it, and even though it's super predictable, it was still enjoyable. The story is somewhat cool, but everything is a bit too obvious. You have the title that is Deer Woman, add to that a beautiful strange girl (well, a woman) who has been seen every time there has been a murder. And finally, the victim's all seem to have been stomped to death by some massive force that looks like it could've been caused by a animal of some kind (a deer perhaps?). Even so, it's still entertaining.
What Faraday eventually finds out after been investigating for some time, is an old Native American myth that is about half woman, half deer, that seduces men and then drags them to the woods to kill them. If the movie would not have had such a strong emphasis on comedy and just tried to be a horror flick all the way, it would so not have worked. Luckily that's not the case which makes it at least interesting enough to take a look at. Brian Benben's comical acting works really well, and I would say that he's the backbone of the whole movie. Without him, I bet it wouldn't have been half as ok as it now turned out to be.
Not really a proper horror movie, but more like a comical and sarcastic thriller which actually worked quite well. The story was not that special or interesting, but it was still entertaining, and the movie has an overall good pacing. Worth a look.
Francesco Dellamorte is the guardian of a cemetery in a little town in Italy were corpses buried there come back to life after seven days and has to be destroyed by Francesco or his loyal companion Gnaghi to be able to rest in peace. One day Francesco meets a beautiful girl and they end up making love on her husbands grave. Unfortunately her dead husband wakes up and bites her which makes her plunge to her death. But in this cemetary everyone comes to life once again.
If I were to do a list of my let's say my five all-time favourite horror movies, Dellamorte Dellamore would definitely be on it.
It's a fantastic film and has a truly great atmosphere surrounding it. The enviroment, the characters, the story itself and all the little things it has in it makes for a perfect movie.
This movie has a little of everything, it has the comic relief, Evil Dead style, combined with some splatter and blood. But it also has this love story to it which makes it somewhat genuine and different to watch.
Francesco Dellamorte is also a likable character and you can't help but feeling a bit sorry for him throughout the movie. His (retared) friend Gnaghi is also a likable character but not in the same way as Francesco is, but he's a real hoot to watch at times.
The little Italian town adds a lot of feeling to the movie and visually it's stunning and sometimes it's like watching a dark fairytale. The effects are very well done and the movie delivers on all levels. There are a lot of gore and the movie is very stylish and is a true joy to watch.
The ending is also brilliant but I won't reveal that here. Easily the best Italian movie I've ever seen and I've seen plenty.
One of the best movies to have come out of Italy. If you haven't seen it, make sure you do so. You won't regret it.
Half-breed Jake Greyman is working for the church as a demon hunter. After an exorcism gone wrong, Jake reports to Cardinal White, and they realize that a demon named Asmodeus is spreading his seed, impregnating mortals in order to raise offsprings. Jake starts hunting for Asmodeus together with a nun named Sarah Ryan who was sent by Cardinal White to assist Jake, something that he doesn't like. Will Jake be able to stop Asmodeus before he creates hell on earth?
Since I just recently did a review of the movie The Tooth Fairy that was written and produced by Stephen J. Cannell, I figured I had to do a review of Cannell's Demon Hunter from 2005 as well. But while The Tooth Fairy was an entertaining little piece of film, Demon Hunter was actually far from it. I have to admit that it was somewhat entertaining at times, but overall, it was not a good flick at all. I think the worst thing about this movie was the dialogue which had a really ridiculous feel to it. It was not that the actors did a bad job delivering the dialogue, it was just that everything sounded truly stupid when talking about demons, impregnating prostitudes, whatever. I know you're not suppose to take it seriously, but since the movie itself had a serious (yet bad) tone to it, it was kinda hard not to.
I've enjoyed a few films/shows that have had Sean Patrick Flanery in them, and I think he's an ok actor for sure. I can't say that he's great here, but at the same time he's not bad at all, it's just that the movie itself feels really bad at times, no matter how good the acting, or other things for that matter. One thing that was extremely cool to watch though were two scenes where Jake (Flanery) beats up a possessed demon girl. Of course I don't like to see girl's get beaten up, but since this was about demon girl's, I guess it's ok. Funny thing was that these two fights goes on for quite some time, and they are pretty brutal. They're just fist-fights but they're well done and you get the feeling that he punches them really really hard. It might sound really stupid, but personally, I think these two fights were the best things Demon Hunter had to offer.
 
Now back to the bad stuff. The make-up and some of the effects used in the movie looks like shite. Some are ok I guess, but does still not come through looking all good either. For instance, there's one demon girl who tries to seduce Jake a number of times, her name is Succubus, and she has two horns on her head that doesn't look very convincing. They actually look glued on to her head, and 'are you kidding?' was the only thought going through my mind every time she showed her face (and horns) on screen. She was a pretty lady though, so we can forgive her for the bad horns I guess.
Acting-wise it wasn't so bad, I'm not saying it was great, but I thought everyone did an ok job, it's just that the story comes out looking ludicrous, and that basically made everything look really bad. The only one I thought should've been replaced by someone else was Billy Drago who plays the demon Asmodeus. He looked like an old worn-out, drugged-up rockstar, and they should've used someone different for that role for sure. Not that he's a bad actor per se, it was just that he wasn't the right man for the job, and it all came out just looking kinda stupid. Last but definitely not least; The score was among the worst scores I've heard in a movie for a very long time. The bands basically sounded like a bunch of amateurish rock-bands, playing crappy songs delivering one major headache after another. Absolutely horrible.
Demon Hunter had some entertainment to offer, but felt like a proper b-movie, and not one of those 'nicer' b-movies, but just a pretty bad one. It looked all right, and the acting wasn't bad at all, but the dialogue was really f**king crap, and made everything look bad. The story was ludicrous, and the score, well some of the songs, almost made me sick for a while, and instead of improving the movie, they managed to tear it down even more. It kinda reminds you of Constantine, since just like Keanu, Flanery is a demon hunter as well. Constantine was crap too, but at least it had some decent effects to look at. I would stay away from this disaster of a movie if I were you.
William Sadler stars as Brayker, a man who carries the last of seven keys that contains the blood of christ. The keys were spread around the universe to prevent evil from taking over. Now evil has found six of the keys and The Collector (Billy Zane) tracks down the seventh key that Brayker has and goes after him. Brayker ends up at a inn in a small town and together with the people in the house they have to try and stay alive through the night while evil lurking outside, trying to get in.
Here's another Tales from the Crypt movie and it's slightly better than their Bordello of Blood. Both are ok but Demon Knight has a better story and is a bit more fast-paced I guess or at least more entertaining.
I'm no fan of Billy Zane but he actually does a great job in this flick playing a demon and has good comical timing and is fun to watch. The actors are all ok but he stands out for sure.
Like a lot of other stuff by Tales from the Crypt Demon Knight also has it's fair share of humour which actually works quite well here. The story is good and it's a solid script which makes the movie really entertaining. The special effects are well done and the demons/monster looks pretty cool.
We also get a lot of gore which also works quite well and is much better executed than your average Tales from the Crypt stories.
It's of course not scary but we get a lot of action and a lot of comical horror and the movie never really has a dull moment and is quite interesting throughout, interesting enough to keep you wanna watch anyway. If you haven't had the chance to see it, I would recommend you to check it out.
Ethan Poe (Jeremy London), a descendant to Edgar Allan Poe who like his old relative also is a horror writer, goes to the small town of Tennison to attend a seminar. There he meets Ann Hedgerow (Katherine Heigl) and they are both attracted to each other. Ann invites Ethan to stay at her big mansion and for him to finish his book that he's currently working on there. Later on the police finds a dead prostitute and the evidence at the crime scenes leads to Ethan but without really proving anything concrete. Deputy John Burns, a personal friend of Ann's, becomes more and more suspicious of Ethan and start to investige the young writer and what his real reasons are for staying in the town.
To be honest, I can't help but feeling a little bit sorry for this movie. It's obvious what they wanted to do here, unfortunately the end result doesn't come out very good.
The first 30 minutes or so are really good and interesting. The acting by Jeremy London (Party of Five) and Katherine Heigl (Roswell) is great and they give a really good performance which leads you to think that this movie's gonna deliver something. But after a while you notice that it isn't going anywhere, it's going somewhere but not the right way.
A thriller like Descendant should have a good build-up and maybe some cool twist in the end, accompanied with some tension. But the actual end just seems like they just wanted to finish the movie or were just to lazy to come up with something a tiny bit clever. This is all a shame since the movie starts out kinda promising but after a while it just goes down-hill and never recovers.
This thriller has a lot of gothic horror elements to it and if you're a fan of Poe himself, it might be more interesting to watch as there are a few Poe references in the movie throughout.
Another thing is that this movie was made in 2003 but looks like it was made in like 1995 or something. It would've been different if they wanted it to look old, but that's not the case here. It kinda looks like your typical 90's tv-thriller, and Descendant kinda has that tv-thriller feeling going for it as well.
I can't recommend it, but they should be given some credit for what they've tried to do here. Too bad it didn't work out.
6 girlfriends reunite some time after a tragic accident to go on a caving expedition. What starts out as a fun adventure soon goes terribly wrong when, due to rockfall, they find themselves trapped inside the cave. Being deep underground, their friendships begin to fall apart and if that wasn't enough, the cave is filled with bloodthirsty creatures as well. They soon find themsleves in a struggle against not only the creatures, but also against each other while desperatly trying to make it out alive.
I was expecting The Descent to be a pretty decent horror flick since it's directed by Neil Marshall who gave us the really good werewolf flick, Dog Soldiers. Still, I would never have believed this movie to turn out to be as great as it did, as it is an exceptionally great horror movie, something we don't get to see too often. The Descent manage to do something that most movies fail to do, and that is to make you forget that you're just watching a movie. You get drawn into it and for 99 minutes there's just The Descent, nothing else.
The story is quite simple but it's all that's needed, and it delivers in every aspect. Forget your usual stereotypical teen cast, common horror clichés and cheap scares, and expect brilliant directing, fantastic gore, suspense to the brim and a truly claustrophobic atmosphere. It sounds like I'm really promoting the movie here, but I'm not, it's just a really good flick, something that does not come along often enough.
The movie is set almost entirely underground so of course it's dark. But the use of light is done really well, and a cool thing is that they use a different colours of light for each character, once they're separeted from each other. It's nothing fantastic but is quite original and is one of these little extra things that adds to the whole outcome of the movie itself.
So these British girls go to the Appalachian Mountains in the US to do some cave exploring. Not too much happens in the beginning and for a while on, although it's never dull and the overall pace of the movie couldn't infact have been any better. Once they hit the cave and have just spent a short amount of time there, things really start happening and from there on it's chaos and mayhem all the way. It's not too much character development but it's still enough to get to know these girls a bit, something that in the end makes you somewhat care for what happens to them.
What I mentioned before about a claustrophobic atmosphere couldn't be more true. Since they are stuck underground, it's dark and it's hard to get through places, it gives you this claustrophobic feel that is truly hard to shake off. This is definitely one of the high points of the movie.
Another high point being the creepy creatures that dwell within the cave. When finding out that these creatures are among them the movie, while staying true to what it started out like, takes a small turn and starts delivering more direct horror. Of course the suspense is still there since you never know when the creatures are gonna attack next and some of the scares are really effective. The creatures themselves look really good, are truly nasty and, simply put, just great to watch.
As far as I know, this movie has gotten some really good reviews, and that might make your expectations rise a bit, but even so, I'm almost certain that it'll deliver. It's a great horror flick that should not be missed.
Edmond Burke is a normal working man who's just another faceless person in the faceless grey mass. One day the rescheduling of a business appointment makes him instead go and see a fortune-teller who tells him that he's not where he's supposed to be. This makes him go home and tell his wife that he is gonna go out to never come back, and so he heads out into the seedy streets of New York at night. He ends up at a bar, and meets a man there who he has an interesting conversation with, and is given a card to a club where he can get laid. From there on, Edmond wanders the dark night in a sea of prostitutes, seedy bars, nightclubs, robbers and more. His journey eventually leads to insanity, and his life takes a turn for the worst.
We're all aware of how the choises we make can make our lifes take different turns, and lead us into other and new paths, sometimes good, but sometimes bad. Usually, most of the choises we make are kinda small though, and even if they have some impact on our lifes, they do not change our lifes completely. It's also quite common with people who all of a sudden snap, who has had stuff inside of them for a long time, and one day it all boils over. Watching Edmond kinda made me think about the movie Falling Down, starring Michael Douglas. I'm not saying that Edmond is a clone or anything, but they have one major thing in-common, and that is that you one day realize that you're not at all happy with your present situation/existence, and so you turn your life around completely, hoping for things to improve.
When Edmond one day come to realize that he's not happy with his situation, his life takes a drastic turn into a more dangerous existence. After leaving his wife, he soon finds himself on the backside of society, trying to get laid, but fails miserably at doing so for a while, and faces one let-down after another. Eventually he totally snaps when being robbed, and from there on, things just keep getting worse. But saying that things keep getting worse is not entirely true, since Edmond actually feels the total opposite. He feels more alive than ever, and by feeling that way, it shortly after lands him in bed with Julia Stiles. But happiness doesn't last for long, and as more and more people keep disappointing Edmond, his situation only keeps getting worse by the moment.
 
The movie has its fair share of sleaze in it, and it's actually a bit depressing to see at times. Even though you're only watching a film, what you see is there for real as well, and this at times serves as a reminder of how parts of society looks like. I'm talking about all this stuff that has to do with sex, all the prostitutes, people trying to rip you off, punks, scum, and so on, and so forth. And even though Edmond doesn't seem to make the smartest decisions at times as well as you don't feel total sympathy for the guy in all the different situations he finds himself in, you're still bound to feel a bit sorry for they guy and for some things that happens to him.
Greatest thing with a movie like this is the fact that anything can happen. This guy wants to change his life completely, wants to get laid (without over-paying), and eventually doesn't feel too bad after killing some one. Then comes the regrets, but that's a different story. The fact is that a lot of flicks are pretty narrow so to speak. They stick to one category, and stays in that category, and do what they're expected to do. And since we've seen that more than a number of times, it's nice with a flick that feels like it can be anything if you know what I mean. If you don't, watch Edmond and maybe you will, in any case, the movie's definitely worth a watch.
The cast is really good with William H. Macy of course standing out as Edmond, delivering a great performance. I quite recently saw the remake of The Omen and complained a bit about Julia Stiles being in it. She's in this one as well, and while not giving a bad performance, I still feel, just like with The Omen, that they could've chosen someone else for the job. We even get to see Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator) playing a role as the receptionist at some sleazy motel, as well as Mena Suvari and Denise Richards playing prostitutes. There's also a few other good apperances, but you'll see it when you see the movie, so enough about that.
Directed by Stuart Gordon who gave us the Re-Animator trilogy, Edmond is not a horror movie per se, but might still work for an horror audience. It's a great drama that leans towards being a thriller as well, that makes you think, and that has a great story to tell. Some of the dialogue in the movie is great, while some feels like the things you would say and consider to be amazing statements when being high on pot. However you may see things, I can say that Edmond is definitely a movie worth seeing. Truly recommended.
Bassist Dick Gibson and front man Willy Nutsack of the metal band Dream Reaper are having a problem. While Willy wants to continue playing metal and sing about sea monsters and other fantasy things, Dick wants the band to take new directions, playing more emotinal type of songs. But that's really nothing compared to the problem they are about to face. The actual Dream Reaper appears, and tells Willy to dissolve his precious band, otherwise the Reaper will kill them all. Willy does not take the Reaper seriously, but when his band mates start to die one by one, he figures that the Reaper means business, and so Willy and the remaining parts of his band must find away to stop the Reaper, elm street-style, before it's too late.
To make a full-length movie is of course not an easy task. You need actors, cameras, a story and a whole bunch of other things, and one of those things is cash. A lot of horror movies that are being made are quite often so-called low-budget movies, that might not look half as flashy as any Hollywood flick or whatever, but that might as well be just as good or better. With Dream Reaper it's another story though since this movie is actually a so-called no-budget movie. A lot of low-budget movies sometimes look surprisingly good; And the reason for that can be anything from that the make-up is really well done to that the people behind the movies are skilled people who are able to create wonders with just a tiny bit of cash. But a no-budget movie is a no-budget movie, and it of course shows. It doesn't really matter just how skilled you are, you still need some cash to make it look good. It's a bit sad, but shouldn't come like a big surprise.
Something you can't buy though is feeling, and Dream Reaper has got some genuine feel to it, no doubt. You can easily tell that these people involved had a good time when shooting it. So even if it didn't have the (needed) cash, at least it got the heart. Like I said before, it's not easy to make a movie, especially if you have no money, so at least Kevin Strange and c/o from Hack Movies should get some credit for trying. Not only that, they actually managed to accomplish something.
Watching Dream Reaper felt something like watching a Troma movie with lesser budget. It's a horror comedy, that is first and most just a straight forward comedy, but that has a horror theme baked into it. We get to meet the metal band called Dream Reaper, a band who are playing epic fantasy metal with front man Willy Nutsack who likes to sing about sea monsters among other things. Although, we never actually get to hear the band play for real which is a shame. I was expecting to hear some metal tunes, but unfortunately there was nada. Bassist Dick Gibson, who seems to be in the closet, wants to change the direction of the band and start playing softer, more emotional songs, something that Mr. Nutsack does not seem to appreciate. So they argue, and Nutsack leaves the rehearsal room in anger.
Later, when enjoying his favourite tv-show, a strange figure in a black dress with a red hood shows up and tells Nutsack to dissolve the band or people will start dying. Nutsack ignores the person and figures he's just a nut, but when one of the members of the band is killed, they start to question whether or not the strange figure was behind it. Later, another member of the band turns up dead, and the rest of the group must figure out a way to stop the crazed killer before they all end up in a casket.
Now, since it's a no-budget movie, it of course doesn't look that sharp, neither is the sound very good. It's of course a problem, but that doesn't mean that the movie's not watchable, because that it is. To describe the acting, I would have to use the word goofy. And again, since it's a no-budget movie you don't get the greatest actors on the face of the earth, but like I said before, you can easily tell that they had a good time when shooting the flick. Other than that, since it's a goofy comedy, serious acting is not required, and it's not worse than your normal Troma movie for sure.
For a comedy, it's actually pretty good and it has a number of laughs to offer depending on what type of humour you're into. The humour is of the lowest kind though so if you're a too serious dude, maybe you should stay away from watching Dream Reaper. Also, a lot of the jokes are gay-related, and even though they are completely harmless, if you're easily offended by that sort of stuff, it's recommended to stay away as well. There are quite a few masturbation scenes, not graphical, but still masturbation scenes. Most of them had some funny stuff in them, but they could've been a hell of a lot shorter. It's fun for 20 seconds or so, but after a few minutes, you're bound to wonder how long it's gonna go on for. This is the same type of problem that I had with the killing scenes, basically that they're too long and felt too dragged out. Also, the whole movie felt a bit too long, and personally I think it would've been much more effective if it would've just lasted for 30 minutes instead of it's running time of 105 minutes. This is often the case with comedies, that they are funny early on, for the first half-hour or so, but after that it starts to feel like too much. And that goes for most comedies that are just pure funny movies, and not just for Dream Reaper.
To summarize this movie up, I can say that Dream Reaper offer a lot of positive as well as negative things. Most of the negative things are quite obvious ones since it's a movie made without any money put into it, but also that it feels a bit too long, and many scenes are way longer than they should've been. On the positive side though, Dream Reaper offers some good laughs, and that the people involved had a good time when making the movie shines through. I hope they keep it up, and they should get some credit for what they're doing. And who knows, Hack Movies might be the next Troma for the 21 first century.
Elvira works presenting horror movies on tv and things are not going too well economically but then suddently she gets word of that her aunt has passed away and that she stands to inherit something from her. Thinking that she's about to inherit a lot of money so she can start her own show in Las Vegas, Elvira goes to the town of Fallwell, Massachusetts to claim her aunts fortune. But instead of receiving a big pile of money she is left to inherit her aunts house in the same town. The town itself is quite a dead one but once Elvira gets there everything changes for the town's people and while a lot of people there hate her guts, some people actually start to adore her for being something new and different in their otherwise boring town. In the house she also finds a book of spells which her evil uncle is after too.
I don't know how many times I've watched Elvira Mistress of the Dark but I can tell you it's a lot of times. I think it's a brilliant and hilarious movie, and being somewhat of a b-movie only makes it rise even more.
I love flicks from the 80's and this one is among the best, considering the genre.
This movie is quite warm if you would say so and has a lot of fun stuff in it. Just the way people see Elvira when she comes to town is kinda cool to watch, some hate her for being different and some love her for the exact same reason.
It's done with so much humour so it never gets a bit serious but it's still a thinkable fact. The movie is a pure comedy but has some horror elements to it, like the Elvira character itself and other small stuff.
I remember playing the game Elvira on Amiga 500 a long time ago and the whole thing is a cool concept.
If you like cheesy 80's movies, cos it truly is a 80's movie, then you might wanna give it a try. If you've never heard about it before or if you're really young then maybe there are other movies out there that would suit you better.
Emily Rose is the daughter of a very religious family and while going to college, she believed she became possessed by 6 demons taking over her body. She gets medical treatment which doesn't seem to work and since both her and her family are religious they turn to their faith and asks their priest for help. The priest performs an exorcism which fails and later on Emily dies and the priest goes to court being accused of causing her death. He gets represented by a driven female lawyer and tells Emily's story to the court.
Having heard a lot about The Exorcism of Emily Rose I was expecting a slow court room drama instead of a horror movie but it actually turned out to be both and to my surprise it didn't lack in the horror either. Not that it's very scary really but it definitely has it's moments of horror.
The drama part is very good and these two combined, horror and drama, makes for a really good movie.
What also makes it great is that it's based on a true story, and that sometimes makes you think differently when watching compared to if it would've been fiction.
I felt this movie had a lot going for it, it's based on a true story which makes it more interesting. When thinking that these events actually have taken place for real it adds a lot to the movie and makes you wonder.
Whether you believe in demons or think it's just a hoax doesn't matter, it's still very interesting and captivating. It's a really good interesting drama with a few scares, it's not very scary but it still adds a lot to it and I really like what they've done with it.
Although for people only interested in horror this might not be the flick for you. Laura Linney who plays the lawyer who represents the preist is very belivable and I was kinda amazed of how good of an actress she really is.
Even if you don't want to, The Exorcism of Emily Rose still will make you think and that's a good sign for a good movie.
On Scalleum, a remote farming island off the north coast of Wales, a girl claims to have been abducted, and shortly after find herself to be pregnant. Nobody seems to believe her story, but Michelle Fox and her crew from cable tv program "Weird Worlde" head over to Wales to check things out. And also to improve their ratings which are not that good for the moment. Michelle and her crew do not believe the girl's story either, but once there, they do a reconstruction of the whole incident, in order to make good tv. But soon after the reconstruction, real aliens actually arrive, and they are not that friendly. Infact, they are pure evil.
Only thing I really knew about Jake West, was that he had made the British vampire flick Razor Blade Smile, which was somewhat entertaining, but felt a bit too tacky at times. I read a lot about Evil Aliens before it came out, and while it all sounded pretty darn good, I was still afraid I was in for some real low-budget tacky kind of flick. But wow, this movie really came as a big surprise, and I was pretty damn amazed now when I finally got to see it. It turned out to be funny as hell, and even if I had heard that the budget was minimal, Mr.West has truly worked wonders with the creation of Evil Aliens.
Let's first of all get this low-budget thing out of the way. I have no idea how much money was spent on this flick, but for a low-budget movie, it really looks quite amazing. So no need to worry about things not looking that swell here, because they really do, something I would never have expected at first. Since it's this type of flick that combines splatter, humour and gore, I guess it will be compared to Peter Jackson's Braindead and Bad Taste. And if I would compare how things look, Evil Aliens comes out looking f**king stunning. Also the acting here is really good for this type of flick, and never really has this low-budget horror flick feel to it. I'm not saying that the actors are gonna win Oscar's or anything, but the acting here really works well, no question about it.
 
Except for that Evil Aliens has a really cool story and looks amazing for being a low-budget flick, there are two things that are truly wonderful here, and they are the humour and the gore. Talking about looking really good, the gore looks better than that, it looks excellent and I'm not just saying that because I liked the overall movie. Thing is that there's a lot of gore and gory scenes in this movie, and they all look brilliant and are really impressive. There are tons of movies that have had a much higher budget, but where the gore hasn't looked half as good. The gore here is absolutely top-notch all the way.
The humour. Oh it's just brilliant at times, but I don't wanna spoil anything by letting you know what's what. Let's just say that the humour really works, not at all time of course, but definitely most of the time, and when it works, it's hilarious. Another thing a lot of horror movies has is sex or some nudity, and you get that here too, but in a different way. Every sex scene, or that are scenes that has something to do with sex, are either really funny or gross. Actually, they're often both. The aliens themselves look really good, and the dialogue and score is most of the time top-notch.
If you have a good sense of humour and like horror and splatter, this is the ultimate pick. I never expected it to be as good as it turned out to be, but I was pleasantly surprised as well as I was really impressed all the way through. When writing this, I heard that Jake West's gonna directed Pumpkinhead 3, so that'll be something to look out for, as well as what else the man tends to do in the future. Highly recommended.
A group of American university students travels to Ireland with their teacher to learn about Druids and Celtic Legends. They move into a nice house that is surrounded by a big forest, but the care-taker around where they live is a very strange fellow who warns them, not once, but many times about not to stray from the path or they will die. They of course pay no attention to they guy, and just figure that he's some weird freak. A long time ago, a clan of cannibals lived among where they are and ate people who came there. And even if all of them are supposed to be long gone, unfortuantely for the students and some other people, there's still one disfigured mutant cannibal roaming around the woods, and they will all soon get acquainted with him.
There are of course different reasons why you watch different movies. Sometimes you wanna see a strong drama, sometimes you wanna see comic book influenced action, sometimes a fairytale-like story, while sometimes you just wanna turn your brain off and feast your eyes on nudity and gore. When it comes to Evil Breed, I'm talking about the latter option. The reason why you would wanna see this movie is probably not for that it would have a strong story-line, but for the fact that it has four porn-stars in it plus a helluva lot of gore. Since Evil Breed has a few adult film stars in it, you kinda expect it to have a lot of nudity and sex scenes, but it does not really have that. You'll see some tits, but there's no more than in your average slasher flick. On the other hand, if you wanna see these girls naked, you can always buy their actual porno films.
Don't expect a great story or great acting and you'll probably be fine. Movies like this you have to take of what they truly are, and if you want a smart story, good actors and all the rest, then Evil Breed: The Legend of Samhain is totally the wrong choise. I had a few reason why I wanted to see this flick, and they were because I wanted to see porn-stars in a horror film, that I wanted to see gore, and that I wanted to see what the hell Richard Grieco was doing in a flick like this. Other than that, I of course wanted to be entertained as well, so let focus on these things instead of complaining about the lousy acting etc, as that is something that you should expect when it comes to this type of films.
Let's start with Richard Grieco, and to be honest, I'm a big fan of the guy. It's not like he's one of the greatest actors that the world has ever seen or anything close to it, but I like watching him on screen. All I can really say is 'If Looks Could Kill', man what a great movie. Evil Breed actually starts off with him, showing him and his girlfriend out camping in the forest, and suddenly the guy ends up on a roasting spit, while his girlfriend is split in half. Sounds like a great start huh? It sure was.
After that, the movie slows down for quite a while, showing the 'teens' when in Ireland, their teacher and some other characters. Since there isn't too much actual story to the movie itself, all you're really waiting around for is of course to see as many people getting killed as possible, and also how they are killed. Early on in the movie when the group of students are in the kitchen in the house that they're in, the dialogue is taken right outta the movie Scream. I have no idea why they did this, it's not funny and it just feels very stupid. Later on there's some reference to Ted and Sam Raimi, something that feels quite stupid too and it makes no real sense why they had this in the movie.
So the students mess around, and the care-taker warns them about something bad that's gonna happen but no one cares to listen to him. He's a strange guy and his Irish accent sounds kinda made-up, same with Ginger Lynn Allen who also tries to speak Irish. Later on two students go out in the woods for a walk where they meet Jenna Jameson who's looking for her two friend that were out camping in the forest, and that we got to see in the beginning of the film. The two students run into the mutated cannibal and from then on, it's killing time all the way.
Don't be fooled by the cover as Jenna Jameson's in just two scenes of the movie that maybe last for 3 minutes all together. Although, when looking at the extra material on the DVD, the scene when she gets killed is longer than in the movie and much more graphic. The mutant removes her silicon implants which is somewhat funny if you're in the right mood. The pacing is quite good, and even if the acting sucks, it's definitely watchable. The best acting comes from Bobbie Phillips, who plays the students teacher and delivers a good performance. The cannibal look kinda cool, and we get to see some gory scenes, nothing utterly gory that one haven't seen before though, but it's still ok for what it is.
While being far from being great, it's still totally watchable. If you know that the acting's gonna suck and try not to think about it, you'll be fine. Not half as much nudity as expected but it doesn't really matter. One thing I didn't quite get though was the terrible ending which didn't really make sense. And even though I think I know what they wanted to show, it's still not good. It's an ok slasher flick that sometimes is so bad that it's good, and if you keep that in mind, it can be some entertaining 78 minutes of film, but in the end it's neither very good or the least bit memorable.
Evil Ed is about Edward, a somewhat nerdy film cutter who works for the culture department but later gets to work with a movie project called Loose Limbs which is a gory horror series. Working on that and seeing all the gore, blood and violence makes Edward slowly go more and more insane and turn into Evil Ed.
There are not too many horror movies coming out of Sweden, and with me being swedish myself I must say it's a shame.
With Evil Ed things changed, well not really changed but it was something different anyway, as it's not just another horror movie. It's a movie in the same vein as Braindead and Bad Taste with loads of splatter and gore and that's always welcome.
One thing though with Evil Ed that is both cool and at the same time a bit stupid is that the actors in it speak english, I don't know why they decided to do that but in one way it's pretty cool but on the other hand some of them tend to have this very strong "swedish-english" accent which is quite horrible to listen to.
But if you can get pass that the movie is very entertaining, humorous and offers more than a fair share of splatter and gore.
Evil Ed is a low budget movie but considering the small amount of money that was put in making this flick, it turned out really good. The effects are very well done and gives a good result.
The movie has a little of everything and will definitely work for fans of splatter. It has a lot of twisted humour and I think it's great they could come up with a movie like this and I hope we'll get to see some other similar stuff coming out of Sweden in the future. But it's really hard to expect anything.
Pretty much in the same style as Braindead and Bad Taste. Enormous amounts of splatter, and with some humour the qite works at times. For being a low-budget movie, it's very well done and really entertaining to watch.
The film's about this boring guy who's preparing his thesis on mythology and takes his dumb friends with him to some abandoned plantation that's supposed to have some legend to it, and there they get killed of one by one.
I thought this movie would be better than it actually turned out to be and I have no idea of why I thought so in the first place. I mean look at the cover, that kinda says it all, what a stupid cover, if I wanna see a girls breasts on film then there are plenty of other movies for that.
Anyway, it's not so bad that you feel sick after watching it or that you sit and fast forward throughout the movie, it's watchable but so not memorable.
The movie's like your average slasher, but it might also be a mix between a slasher and a ghost movie. I don't know and don't really care. Thing with these movies are that you kinda know what's gonna happen before it actually happens and that they not to often have a proper ending that satisfies or delivers, and it's the same case with this one.
The actors are not very interesting to watch and you couldn't care less if they get killed, you're kinda just hoping for them to get killed and that's the main reason that keeps you watching the movie.
I haven't said anything positive have I? Anyway, if you're bored it's ok to watch, just don't expect too much, if anything.
Professor Abronsius and his assistant Alfred goes to a village in Transylvania to look for vampires. They come across an old inn which is located nearby the castle of Count Krolock and decides to stay there for the night. At the inn Alfred falls in love with the inn keeper's daughter (played by Sharon Tate) but unfortunately she is taken away in the night by Count Krolock. So Alfred and the professor heads to the castle to rescue her and to kill some vampires.
This is a really cool horror comedy directed by and starring a very young Roman Polanski who together with a professor goes to Transylvania in the search for vampires. The movie was made as early as in 1967 which adds a lot of feeling to it when watching it today, so don't dismiss it because it's old, since that only makes it better.
Fearless is so not the right word here as Alfred and the professor are anything but fearless and that's one thing throughout the movie that makes it funny. Also the whole scenery and the inviroment of Transylvania is really cool and visually great. With snow-drenched landscapes, creepy forests, the fog and the overall dark night. The castle if visually great too and sure gives the movie a vampire feel.
The comedy is delivered in a great way and works really well and is often quite funny. The horror part of the movie works well but it's never scary since it's actually a comedy and the vampire theme just adds elements of horror to it.
The actors all do a great job and especially Polanski is fun to watch and it's impressive the he directed, wrote and also co-stared in the movie. The professor is a hoot to watch too since he's really scatterbrained and a confused old man, also referred to as "The Nut" by his colleagues.
This is actually a great comedy with a cool vampire theme to it and if you haven't seen it you should look it up and give it a try. Definitely recommended.
Phillip, an obsessive Australian cyber crime investigator, spends his days tracking down sickos on the internet. One day he finds this feeder/gainer website, and becomes convinced that it has something more to it than what it at first shows. It seemed that a woman had mysteriously disappeared after that she hit the weight of 600 pounds. He traces the website to Toledo, Ohio in the US. But his boss doesn't see eye to eye with him, and so Phillip goes to Toledo on his own without support.
I've had Feed laying around for some time now, and to tell you the truth, I've actually been avoiding watching it for the fact that it seemed to be just too gross. It's not your normal type of horror movie, and neither does it have any horror movie scares in it, instead it's scary for what it actually shows, how sick this whole thing with feeders and gainers are, and the fact that things shown in the movie actually happens for real. To my big surprise though, it wasn't really as gross as I first had thought it would be. Not saying that it's not a bit gross, disgusting, repulsive, whatever you want to call it. But what I mean is, at least I had no problem sitting through it.
The movie starts off with Phillip entering a house, and in there finds one man eating another man. Cannibalism, but if they are both in on it, one wants to eat, one wants to be eaten, then is it not ok? The movie asks a couple of these questions, but that's another story that I won't go further into here. The movie itself of course deals a lot with these weird types of turn-ons, but also shows a lot of sex, some sadism, and add to that a disgusting feel like a thick layer over it all the way through.
 
But it's not a movie you'd watch just to feel disgusted by, then what's the point? Feed is actually a well-written fine piece of cinema, very different, and so needed in a sea of unoriginal horror flicks. It's something totally different from your normal type of horror, and different is always welcome, and when it's good as well, it's a pretty sweet deal. The acting is, if not as sweet, at least above decent and the movie looks kinda slick at times with different colours and some cool settings. Another pretty good thing was the score which was a mix of a lot of different genres, but that brought some more life and feeling into the movie.
One cool and different thing was that the movie didn't just deal with the nuts obsessed with feeding and gaining, but also with our good guy Phillip's sexual behaviour, which added a little extra to the whole cake. The ending is not really what you would expect, and that's always good. On the other hand, it's so different it doesn't leave room for any good guy any more, but I won't tell you how it ends though.
I would definitely like to recommend Feed, since it's different, interesting, and not just an all disgusting experience like one first might think it is. Except for a disturbing theme, it has a few disturbing scenes, but it's not really as bad as it sounds. And also, I would recommend staying of the hamburgers while watching this.
When about to go on a roller-coaster with a group of friends, Wendy Christensen suddenly has a premonition that the roller-coaster will crash. She panics and is let off the roller-coaster together with some of her friends, and a few minutes after what she saw would happen in her premonition comes true. Since they all were supposed to die in the crash but managed to cheat death, they now have to try to cheat it again as it comes after them one by one in the order that they were supposed to go.
I'm a little late here, should have watched this movie a few weeks ago but was never in the right mood to do so. Meanwhile I've been reading a few reviews about it on different sites on the net and a lot of people seemed to really like it. I'm a big fan of the second movie, the first one was ok but the second one was a bigger improvement over the first one as it was more fast-paced and had some great gore to it as well. So what about the third one? Well, it's basically the second movie all over again, and while it might be entertaining, it really had nothing new to offer that we haven't seen before.
From the reviews I read about this movie earlier, everyone seemed to be really excited with the scene involving a roller-coaster that the movie starts off with. So when I started to watch Final Destination 3 I was somewhat excited too about what was gonna happen, how much gore it would involve and how nasty the scene would be. I shouldn't have read about it before, because all that scene left me with was disappointment. Sure it was well done and was somewhat entertaining to watch, but was also over pretty quickly without leaving too much of a big bang.
And from there on it just went on in the exact same vein as the second movie, but while the second flick had some actual suspense to it, this third installment felt a little too predictable and unfortunately offered nothing new. You know the story too well, and the only reason I could find why to watch this third follow-up was to see how they would kill off people in different ways. I can't say that they haven't been creative when coming up with the different death scenes as all of them are actually pretty cool, but that was also the only thing the movie has going for it. Final Destination 3 sure was inventive when it came to that sort of matter and while that is actually enough for one to wanna see it, it still would've been nice if it would've offered something more, something that would've made it a little different.
In the end this movie is all about death, that is, if you don't wanna see death or anything that has to do with death it's recommened to stay far away from this flick because it's all about death. I think I over used the word death here but you get my point. Tanning beds are something I would not go close to now and I think the best death scene in Final Destination 3 was the one that featured tanning beds. I don't wanna spoil it for those who have not seen the movie yet, but that scene was actually great and it's hard to see how some people felt that the roller-coaster scene was so amazing without ever mentioning the scene involving the tanning beds.
There are quite a few scenes where you'll get to see people die in different kind of inventive ways and that's what manages to keep this movie interesting. Although, I felt that the death scenes came much more unexpected in the sequel than here. In this third movie they were way too predictable, all of them. Still fun to way though, but way to predictable. Can't say much about the actors, you get your regular teen cast and they give a performance that's totally ok considering what kind of movie this is.
We never get to know any of the people here very well and there are no strong characterisation. One thing I liked about the second movie was that they brought in the girl from the original movie and used her knowledge to be able to stop death. That was something new and different but unfortunately we don't get anything like that here. One other thing is that the movie felt way too short, I think a running time of 93 minutes should be enough but when the credits started to roll I could hear myself thinking 'is that it?'.
I had hoped for a little more but I still found Final Destination 3 to be quite an entertaining flick. It's fast-paced, we get to see a lot of people die in different cool ways and the ending was also interesting. Nothing that special but if you liked the two previous movies, you'll definitely like this one too.
Scientist Seth Brundle is working on teleportation. After some failed attempts to teleport living things, he finally figures it out and tries to teleport himself. But when teleporting himself, a fly happens to be in one of the transmission booths, and after that, Seth gradually turns from man into a giant fly.
David Cronenberg (Videodrome, Scanners) is truly a brilliant director that stands out among many others. With The Fly he has created something different and genuine. Thing is that if this movie would've been directed by someone else, chances are that it would've just been a cheesy Sci-Fi flick, 80's style, but Cronenberg did so much more with it. It's a horror flick, but it's also a very good drama that has characters one can really feel something for.
I've never been a fan of Jeff Goldblum, but here as scientist Seth Brundle he delivers a fantastic performance. You actually really feel for his character. The transformation from being a man to becoming a man-fly is also so well done. Best thing with that is that it happens gradually over a long period of time during the movie, and that makes it even more interesting than if it would just happen at once.
Geena Davis stars as Veronica Quaife, a reporter who Seth shows his invention for in the beginning of the movie. They later become romantically involved and Veronica get to witness the transformation as well. Watching the man she loves turn into something so hideous. She delivers a really good performance as well, even though Jeff Goldblum's the one who really stands out.
This is actually a remake of the original Sci-Fi movie made in 1958. I haven't seen the old one so I can't say that this one is better, but I can guess since I think this is one of the best horror movies ever made. There are some really good horror flicks out there, and this is truly one of them.
The special effects are so amazing and everything looks absolutely fantastic. And even though this movie was made in 1986, it still looks great today. The FX was also made by a Chris Walas, the same guy who ended up directing the sequel, that is The Fly 2.
The Fly has a perfect mix of horror and drama. The story is so well told, interesting, gripping and the whole movie's just captivating from beginning to end. The FX are really cool and some scenes are kinda disgusting/repulsive, while others are nice and very thoughtfull. An amazing movie that's just a must see.
The recently passed Seth Brundle planted his seed in Veronica Quaife who dies while giving birth to their son Martin. A man named Bartok of Bartok Industries adopts Martin, only to keep him as a science project since Bartok's aware of Martin's insect genes. The young boy grows up extremely quickly, and is fully grown at the age of five. He gets a job at Bartok Industries, working with the TelePods that his dad used to work on, and that transformed him into a fly. As Martin's fly genes are starting to kick in too, he escapes Bartok Industries with the help from his girlfriend, after finding out the real reason for why they kept him there. He goes out to find a cure for what he's about to become, and also to seek vengeance.
This is actually a pretty good movie, but since it's a sequel, you're bound to compare it to the original. And when comparing it to the original, The Fly 2 end up not being so good after all. It's a pretty good story, taking off where the first one left off. Thing though is that there are way too many things that are basically the same as in the first movie, just that they do not come out even half as good this time.
For instance, you have the two people who fall for each other again, but the way Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis portrayed it in The Fly felt really genuine, here it doesn't have the same feeling to it at all. What Geena Davis felt for Jeff Goldblum when he started to turn and, in a way, had to go through what he was going through was so well acted and actually quite gripping. Here Daphne Zuniga's supposed to feel the same way for Eric Stoltz as he begins to turn as well. But it doesn't have the same real feeling to it and it's very hard to feel anything for the characters like you did in the first movie.
That's one reason why it fails. Another is that Jeff Goldblum looked really horrible, going from being a normal man to being a giant fly. It's not as well done here, even though the guy who directed the movie did the special effects for the first movie. I mean, it's well done, but does not nearly have the same effect as the first movie had. Seth Brundle ended up looking really repulsive, but Martin just end up looking like a big mean fly from some terrible creature feature. While The Fly managed to be disgusting yet sad, this just end up looking kinda ridiculous.
There are a few other things one could really complain about but I won't do that here, instead let's talk about the positive aspects of the movie. First off, if you've seen the first movie, this is actually somewhat interesting to take a look at too, since it still really relates to the old flick. It also features some footage of Seth Brundle that Martin watches to find out some stuff about his father. Although when Veronica Quaife, in the beginning of the movie, is giving birth to Martin, she's played by someone that's not Geena Davis. And since Geena Davis was the one being pregnant, it actually looks kinda dumb. Sorry, being all negative again...
What this movie has going for it, except that it relates to the first one in a good way, is that it's actually kinda fast-paced. Although it's a bit too long, it would've been better if the movie would've been like a normal 90 minute feature instead of it's 105 minutes of running time. There are easily some scenes that could've been deleted. But the story is ok for what it is, and even do you don't really get to feel too much for the characters, you never really get bored either. We get some gore and some splattery scenes, but nothing spectacular really. The ending is kinda ok, but a bit to moral and nice for my taste, that is, the bad guy gets what he deserves. The first movie had a much better ending.
If you've seen The Fly, you might wanna give this a try too, but don't expect it to be as good as the original. The effects are kinda cool, but were of course a hell of a lot cooler in the first movie, well everything actually was cooler in the first movie. The acting is totally ok, and Eric Stoltz is actually pretty good as Martin. It's kinda fast-paced and at least it's very entertaining. Although it does not have the same feel to it, and atmosphere as the first movie had. Good on a lazy sunday or something like that though.
The movie itself is like the old 1980's version only that they have worse actors/actresses now, but basically it's the exact same story without anything cool whatsoever happening.
The Fog 2005 is a remake of the 1980's version and I don't understand why they bothered to do a remake of this movie in the first place. Or why they keep doing remakes of so many movies that just end up being terrible, except for Dawn of the Dead which ruled.
Problem here (and with a lot of remakes for that matter) is that a remake should take the old movie and then try and improve it, adding new improved stuff to it and so forth. Not just remaking it again without adding anything much...if so, then what's the point?
This movie is really hopeless and it actually really blows when thinking about it. I like the orginal The Fog, it's somewhat entertaining even though it's far from Carpenter's best. But it's so much better than this new one.
For me personally, it just felt like a waste of time, it would have been better to just watch the original version again to avoid the irritation you got from watching this one.
I guess one of the worst things about these remakes are that so many people are unaware of that they actually are just remakes and that they have no idea that there was an original version before, and that's a shame.
It really sucks so don't spend your money on this. It's not scary, it really has nothing to offer except you being angry after seeing this junk. Just stick with the original flick, it's not great but way better than this lousy remake.
The Louisiana swamps suffers from people being attacked there and the police have no idea of what's going on so they send in a biologist and a local coroner to start investigate what could be the cause for these attacks. They find out that a group of genetically engineered Chinese snakeheads are responsible and now they have become the prey. They later end up at a houseboat village in the deep swamp where they meet other locals and together they have to fight for their survival against the monster fishes.
I really wanted to like this movie and probably went into it with much higher expectations than I should of had. The biggest reason also for watching a movie like this is because you actually wanna see the so-called Frankenfish but unfortunately you don't get to see too much of him.
And with a title like that you can't really take it too seriously so you expect it to at least be fun or gory but it turned out to be neither of those. Add some crappy actors to that and the end result doesn't come out too good.
The story is ok but what they've made out of it is not ok at all. It could have been a really gory and entertaining movie but it fails miserably to deliver.
There are a few cool scenes when they get attacked by the monster fishes but all in all that does not make up for the whole movie. The actors are crap and not belivable at all and brings everything down way too much for one to being able to enjoy what's going on.
The swamp of course makes for a nice enviroment and the actual Frankenfish looks really cool but even though we get to see it we don't get to see enough of it. It's somewhat ok entertainment for one and a half hour if you're really bored, just don't go in expecting too much.
Jeffrey Franken is a medical school dropout who likes to make experiments at home. One day his family are having a birthday party in their back yard and Jeffrey's fiancée gets killed in a accident with a lawnmower. As he's truly in love with this now dead girl he decides to try and bring her back to life again. Unfortunately he was only able to save her head from the lawnmover remains so he goes in to the city and tries to lure prostitutes into a hotel room so he can get body parts from them to use to re-animate his girl.
Say cheese! If you're into cheesy movies you're gonna love Frankenhooker as it is truly a cheesy flick. That doesn't mean that's it's bad though, it's actually far from it, only thing is that you should just know what you're getting yourself into. If you're looking for a serious horror movie this is so not it. Frankenhooker has a lot of horror elements in it, that plus a lot of gore, but it is first and most a comedy. Forget Shakespeare and say hello to Frank Henenlotter, the genius behind such great films as the Basket Case trilogy, Braindamage and of course this one that is Frankenhooker.
The actual title of the movie says a lot. If you're familiar with the Frankenstein story, you will see that Frankenhooker has a lot in common with that but is of course slightly different and that's just one of many reasons why it's so great. Now this movie was made in 1990 but has a really strong 80's feeling, and personally I love these types of 80's flicks so that of course only adds more positivity to it. It's way over the top at times so expect nothing else, but if you can take it for what it truly is, you're definitely in for a fun ride.
 
Jeffrey Franken is a hobby scientist who dropped out of medical school and who for the most of the time just stays at home making experiments. One day his family are having a party in their back yard and tragedy hits young Jeffrey hard when his fiancée is killed by a lawnmover. Just the fact that she gets killed in a lawnmover accident tells you a lot what type of flick this is. Personally I think it's brilliant and makes for a really cool scene. The only thing left of his once beautiful bride to be is the head, something that Jeffrey keeps since he has plans for it.
Being a man of science, he figures that he can re-animate his girlfriend and bring her back to life once again, thing though is that only her head is still intact. So he hits the city in order to lure prostitutes into a hotel room and there steal some of their body parts needed to put his girlfriend together. He doesn't just kill the hookers the old fashioned way, but instead gives them some of his "super crack", a drug so strong it makes them explode.
After a lot of trouble he finally manages to gather all the part needed to bring his girlfriend back from the dead. And so he does, only thing is that she doesn't quite come out looking like she did before, but instead looks more like a purple zombie hooker. If that wasn't bad enough, she takes off to go on a killing spree in New York and Jeffrey has to try and find her before it's to late.
As you probably can tell, Frankenhooker has a lot of weird elements in it, something that makes it funny and interesting. Yes, it's pretty goofy and while some stuff is a bit too much, most of the time Frankenhooker is a riot. The acting is ok for what it is and it truly has this great 80's feeling to it. Plus that there are tons of gore and a lot of nudity, something that of course makes it even better. Even though it's low-budget it still looks very good and is a fast-paced flick featuring a lot of weird and funny things.
Look, whatever you do, don't take this the least bit seriously, cos if you do, it will so not work. But if you take it for what it is and you like over-the-top humour and gore, Frankenhooker can be quite entertaining. Recommended.
Merv Doody has been watching horror films all his life, and seems to know everything there is to know about slashers and serial killers. One day a psychotic fellow from the local asylum shows up in Merv's home and tries to kill him, but is very unsuccessful in doing so. So Merv, the big horror fan, together with his best mate Onkey, takes the looney under their wings, and tries to teach him how to become a murderous killing machine, and so be able to make the greatest slasher the world has ever seen. Problem though is that the psycho learns too well, and soon becomes a threat to everyone around, even to themselves.
Freak is an hilarious British horror comedy about two guys who turns a unsuccessful psychopath into a mean killing machine. Since it's a British horror comedy, it might make you think of Shaun of the Dead, and it's about just as funny with a bit more raw kind of humour, something that I really appreciated. The humour is a bit more nasty at places, is truly funny, but never takes it too far which was a good thing as well. I was happy to see that it was not too over-the-top, and so the humour really worked well all the way through with a couple of scenes that were actually so funny, I had to rewind and watch them again.
In the beginning of the movie are told the story of how an innocent little vegetarian boy later became a twisted psychopath, or a sissy killing machine, whatever you'd wanna call it. And right there from the start, I was sure I was in for a great hilarious time, and luckily Freak Out delivered all the way through, and not only that but the very ending left nothing to wish for either. What we're dealing with is a low-budget movie, but Christian James and c/o has truly worked wonders with it, delivering an awesome story, humour that really works, along with good directing and last but definitely not least, a pretty awesome score.
 
The score itself is definitely worth mentioning since it has these type of songs with funny lyrics about what happens in the movie. This is something I really dig and Trey Parker's and Matt Stone's have been known to use it in their movies, and it adds so much more to the overall experience. But apart from the lyrics being hilarious, the music used is also really catchy and adds a great feel to the whole film. At times I found myself to be so caught up in the music and the lyrics that I didn't pay full attention to what was going on on-screen. So there was yet another reason to rewind.
When I started to watch Freak Out, I didn't expect too much from it, but I soon became aware of just how clever and funny the movie turned out to be. The makers of the film seemed to pretty much have nailed everything pretty much on the spot, and even if some stuff may not have been that great, I was way too caught up in the greatness of it all to even notice the "bad" things. So don't think of it as yet another low-budget horror flick as it's actually well worth tracking down. I promise you won't regret it.
Freak Out turned out to be a hoot! It's a comedy with a horror theme that is both clever and hilarious. I just watched it last night, but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna re-watch it in the next couple of days again because that's how good it was. Truly recommended.
By
Camp Crystal Lake is about to reopen. It suffered from some grisly murders years before and a young boy named Jason Voorhees drowned in the lake due to that some camp counselors didn't pay attention. A group of teenagers come to Camp Crystal Lake to prepare it for the opening, but one by one being brutally murdered by some unknown killer.
This is the famous slasher movie that spawned a number of sequels and has inspired a lot of film makers to date. It was so long ago since I saw this movie the last so time it was kinda cool to watch it again. Simply because I hardly didn't remember anything.
So is Friday the 13th really such a good movie or is it just overrated? Personally I think it's a bit overrated but still that it is an excellent slasher flick that's highly entertaining and it's easy to see why.
To begin with, in all newer teen-horror flicks you always get these obnoxious teens that always go from mildly to extremely irritating. The jock's, the nerd's, the girls that are too hot for their own good and so on. All the boring and worn-out stereotypes.
Here you get normal teens, that act like normal people and who are not put into categories and trying to be something they're not. And this all makes it so much easier and less irritating to watch, as it makes you focus on the actual movie and script and not the shitty teens and what they're about.
Secondly, they know what they wanted to do with the movie and that they never try to do more than they're capable off. Unfortunately this movie was heavily cut when it came out, so if you plan to watch it, try to find the uncut version of it.
Spoiler Alert
Friday the 13th Part 1 also has a female serial killer, and when thinking about it, not too many movies do. Jason is not the main character here, he's a part of it, part of the background story and we also get a great appreance of him in the end. But Part 1 is about Mrs. Voorhees, Jason's mom, who's behind all the slayings.
To be honest, towards the end when the killer has been revealed and Mrs. Voorhees is chasing after Adrienne King, it gets a bit dull. Considering that she has killed a high number of people over the years, but this girl won't let herself be killed. Mrs. Voorhees stumbles and falls and makes all kind of stupid mistakes when she wants to off the girl. It was quite a drag to watch until it ends with a nice decapitation. So at least you get something for sitting through the mess.
If the movie would've ended this way, it would have been complete shite, luckily it doesn't. The actual ending is one of the main, if not the main, reasons that makes this movie come out great. Adrienne King, after killing Jason's mom, paddles out in a canoe in the lake and when you think all is well, Jason suddenly appears from the water and pulls her under. This scene is awesome and definitely the best scene in the whole movie and the whole thing is worth seeing only because of this, if nothing else.
Since this is a definite slasher classic, people into horror should've seen it. If you don't like it that's one thing, but at least then you know what you're talking about. You also get to see a very young Kevin Bacon which is nothing special but still a bit fun. Could've of course been more gory, but it's entertaining and a milestone when it comes to slasher flick.
Alice (Adrienne King) manages to escape from Camp Blood after killing off Mrs. Voorhees and are now back home, trying to cope with everything that has happened. But Jason, who apparently never drowned, saw his mother being beheaded and seeks revenge on Alice. Five years passes by and a camp next to Camp Crystal Lake is built up and a bunch of camp couselors come there to do their thing. This of course upsets Jason since he lives next door and now he has to go on a killing spree.
So the story continues and this time it's Jason who handles all the killings, not his mother like in part 1. He hasn't got his famous hockey mask yet, and he doesn't get that until the next sequel. So this time he wears a type of white sack over his head which makes him look somewhat like a executioner or say a hangman from the old days, it actually looks pretty cool.
It feels like part 1 had a little more to it than this one, as part 2 just feels like a pure slasher with nothing else to it whatsoever. It's good though since your brain can take a vacation for about 87 minutes, you really don't need it here. You didn't really need it watching first movie either, but this time it's even more true.
Also the killings were a bit cooler in part 1 once it got going. There are of course some ok killings here too, but nothing that really makes you go wow. It sure could've featured some more deaths, along with more gore and some nudity. On the nudity part, we get a little, and with a little I mean hardly anything. Yes, I know I could watch a porno flick if I wanted full nudity, but this is a slasher movie, it's supposed to have some.
Jason isn't as big here as he appears in the later movies, that's also a big difference. Here he's somewhat normal size and actually has to struggle a lot when he fights the head couselor of the camp. To be honest, it's a little irritating, you kinda want him to be able to just smack people around like they were bugs. But on the other hand, it's makes him more vulnerable, which in the end makes him feel a bit more human.
When it comes to the acting, I kinda liked the people in part 1 better. Although, the people in part 2 do an ok job too. Most of the characters are totally ok, then there's some guy that really blows, red hair, don't know his name and being too tired to look it up. Other than that, the acting is totally ok for what it is and suits the movie just fine.
Spoiler Alert
Best scene in the movie is probably when Jason's chasing after Ginny (Amy Steel). It goes on for a while, and even if it's not that intense, it's still a little intense. I think the coolest thing is when, after being chased for a while, Ginny hides in a cabin under some table and is so afraid that she actually wets herself when Jason's searching the room. It brings some realistic fear into the movie which is a nice touch.
Another great scene is in the very end when Jason comes crashing through the window and we actually get to see his face. You expect something's gonna happen, but it's a scene that could still make some people jump I guess. And even if you know what gonna happen, it's still kinda cool.
Friday the 13th Part 2 is not as cool, and does not have the same feeling as part 1 had. It's also a little bit lamer with lesser killings. On the other hand, this is where Jason actually comes in for real, so at least that's something. We get a few cool scenes, well a couple that are above the rest but nothing that special really. It's quite entertaining at times though and really easy to watch. If you enjoyed the first movie, then Friday the 13th Part 2 might be something you wanna check out too.
A group of friends go to a farm near Camp Crystal Lake for the weekend. Among them are Chris Higgin's, a girl who was attacked by Jason two years earlier. Jason of course don't like them being around, so he tries to kill them off one by one.
This is the third movie in the Friday the 13th series and I have to say that this is easily the best one of the three. It's also in this movie that Jason gets his famous hockey, that became the series trademark, from some fat blob who no one likes anyway. I kinda liked the sack from part 2, but the mask is of course pretty cool too.
So how come this is the best movie out of the three? Well first off, this is the one that has the most to do with the actual slasher theme, it's here it gets nasty. Secondly, we finally get some good gore and some really cool killings. They were ok in the two past movies but are way better in part 3. Other than that, this movie is a bit more fast-paced and a bit more brutal.
It's still a brainless slasher, but at least it's very entertaining. Directed by Steve Miner who also directed part two, and it turned out better than part two did. Jason must have done a hell of a lot of push-ups since he's way bigger in this flick, and that's a good thing cos you wanna see him have the upper hand. In part two he was too small so that was also a step in the right direction.
We get to see a new side from one of the characters who actually dares to fight Jason back, again and again, and even tries to hang the poor man.
We also get to see a motorcycle gang that Jason gets to kill. Must be the lamest motorcycle gang ever, but it's kinda fun to see. Other than that we get an old man who warns the kids in the beginning, and things are pretty much the same as in the other two movies, except that this one's more gory and has more go in it.
Like I said earlier, the killings are pretty cool in part 3. There's one scene were Jason fires a harpoon at a girl which ends in a tragic or cool way, depending on how you see it. There's also a cool scene were a guy stand on his hands and gets to taste Jason's machete and his girlfriend later finds him dripping blood from the sealing down on the magazine, Fangoria, that she's reading.
The overall acting is ok, but some scenes are pretty horrible featuring some of the kids. The main girl, who ran into Jason two years earlier, actually does a really good job with her character. The other are so-so, but in the end it's not that bad and totally watchable.
So even if it's brainless as said before, it's entertaining, has more gore than the two earlier flicks, is fast-paced, and we get to see some really cool killings. We also get to see a lot more of Jason than in part 2. The ending is basically the same as in part 1, just done a little bit differently here, but it doesn't matter, it's 95 minutes of fun. Recommended.
Jason got killed in the third movie and is brought to a coroner, but obviously he's not dead. So he rises, kills a couple of people at the morgue and makes it back to his favourite place, Camp Crystal Lake. This time a bunch of clueless teens go there to have some fun, meaning to drink some beers, lay in the sun and have sex with each other. The teens also meet the Jarvis family who are residents to Crystal Lake, and they all have to meet Jason who's having a bad day and wanting to kill as many people as humanly, well unhumanly, possible.
I saw all of the movies in the series quite long ago, and watching them all over again sure has it's ups and downs. While the first movie dealt with Jason's mother, the second dealt with Jason, and the third one dealt with Jason again, but being more brutal than the two earlier movies and also that he got his hockey mask in the third installment. This fourth movie is somewhat just like the third one, there's really nothing new to it at all which is quite boring as the three earlier movie at least had something different to them.
It's just as basic as it can get, a few teens arrive at the same place we've seen a bunch of times now and gets killed. The murders in this movie are pretty cool at times though. For instance when this hitchiking fat hippie chick gets some sharp object through her throat, and squeezes the banana that she holds in her hand. It adds a little extra and is sure fun to watch. But even if there are some pretty cool killings at times, it's still nothing that special.
The teens in this fourth movie are the most annoying and retarded teens in the series so far. Not that you felt anything for the previous killed teens, but this time you can't wait for them to get whacked. Other than that it's the usual type of stuff, everyone's clueless and horny and just have sex on their minds. At one scene in the movie when the teens are in their cabin and start to dance to some 80's stuff, it's especially one guy to watch out for. His dance is the most ridiculous looking thing ever, but it's quite hilarious to watch, although it's pretty embarrassing at the same time.
The acting's not top-notch in any of the movies, but this one carries the crappiest actors so far as well. We get to see a very young Corey Feldman, and I guess he's doing an ok job together with some of the other people. I was actually referring to the teens when I said this movie carries the crappiest actors so far as they are just plain lousy. The others do an ok job, and since it's a Friday the 13th movie, you just have to take it for what it is.
The movie's never slow, but it's just so darn predictable so it tends to get a bit boring at times. Although, some of the killings make up for that and some of the killings sure don't. It's also quite a drag when Jason's chasing after Tommy's (Corey Feldman) big sister in the end of the movie. She keeps hitting him with stuff and it just goes on and on, when he could've easily finished her off almost straight away. What the hell?!
Only reason for watching this movie is for the killings which are sometimes quite cool and inventive, but in the end nothing that special. And of course you might wanna see it too if you've been watching the previous movies. But don't expect anything and make sure to turn off your brain before you start watching.
Friday the 13th A New Beginning tells the story about Tommy, who after killing Jason in The Final Chapter grows up to be a troubled young man. Now, several years after the confrontation with Jason, the memories still haunt Tommy, actually so much that he has gone a bit insane. So he's shipped of to a camp in the woods(!) for mentally challenged teens to rest and relax. But someone shows up and starts killing people and that person looks exactly like Jason. But is it really him this time?
When watched the movies in the Friday the 13th series for the first time, you actually got at least one year between each movie. Now when watching them all over again with just a few days inbetween. it's kind of a drag. First off you're older and harder to impress, secondly the movies are way to similar to each other, and it kinda feels like watching the same movie over and over again.
While part 4 was just too similar to part 3 , part 5 actually follows one of the characters that happened to survive in part 4. Tommy, (Corey Feldman in part 4, now John Shepherd in part 5), has grown up but is haunted by the memories of what happened between him and Jason and lives in constant fear. This is actually a pretty good concept, at least it gives the movie something to stand on. But since this is just another braindead slasher in the series, it never really takes that concept anywhere remotely good.
There's a little twist here, someone's dressing up like Jason and are killing people, but it's not very clever and does not impress. The movie just ends up looking quite dumb. There are actually a lot of plot holes here, or things that don't make no sense. Well, blame the writers.
The gore is minimal and the nudity is almost non-existant. That sucks, since that's basically the only reason for watching movies like this. A lot of people die in different ways, but since you don't really get to see it in detail, it leaves you with absolutely nothing. The score is basically the same boring thing we've all heard before, and does not add any real feeling or atmosphere to the whole thing.
The acting is as expected far from top-notch, but even if it's not well performed, it's still watchable, considering what kind of movie we're dealing with here. There are of course a mixed bland of characters, with some that stand out more than others. Like the redneck mom and son who are both quite lousy when it comes to acting, but still manages to deliver some comical relief to the whole experience.
One thing I was getting truly sick of when watching all the movies in a row, were the lame chases at the end of each movie, as it just goes on and on and you can't wait for it to finish. It's just a waste of time, and if it would've delivered any kind of suspense it would been one thing, but it never does, it's just a drag to watch. Actually, part 2 had a pretty good chase scene, but that's about it.
Somewhat entertaining at times, but with minimal gore and nudity, a story that's too messed up and ridiculous, and things that just keep repeating themselves in one movie to the next. The end result does not come out very good and I seriously think it would've been better if the Friday the 13th series would've been a trilogy instead. Or that The Final Chapter would've actually been the very final chapter.
Tommy and his friend Hawes goes to Jason's grave to once and for all make sure that the man's really dead. To make sure of this, Tommy takes a iron pole and pierce it through Jason's body. Unfortunately for Tommy, lightning hits the pole and brings Jason back to life. And once again it's up to Tommy to stop the psychotic killer that is Jason Voorhees.
After the boring part 5, it was actually kinda nice to see part 6 again, as it is so much better and has a lot more go in it. Also, the guy who played Tommy in part 5 did a lousy job doing it, but here (played by Thom Mathews), Tommy's actually a pretty good character to watch, less irritating and more "normal" than before.
Part 6 actually starts out really good, and it's something that makes you wanna keep watching. Tommy and his friend goes to Jason's grave to see that he's really dead, he wakes up and it makes for a pretty cool scene. Watching that scene kinda gets you in the mood of watching the rest of the flick. Of course after seeing Jason rise from his grave, Tommy panics and goes to the sheriff's office in hope that they'll help him since Jason's after him. But they don't believe him, and he has to fight the battle alone, with Jason's coming after him and cops wanna lock him up. Fortunately for him, the sheriff's daughter have the hots for him and wants to help Tommy out.
This might be the best sequel in the Friday the 13th series as it's first and most fast-paced and has a lot of action and horror mixed together that works really well. Being fast-paced makes for it also being entertaining and not as dull and slow like the other sequels were at times.
It's a really campy movie and for instance we get to see a group of people who are out in the woods playing paint-ball. It's supposed to have some comic relief to it, although it's not very funny, you kind of get the feeling you're watching Police Academy or some similar stuff.
The score's pretty good this time, or at least it's bearable. We get a lot of 80's rock music and that makes the 80's feeling of the movie itself more present. Plus getting to hear Alice Cooper makes it pretty cool too, it sure fits the movie if nothing else.
Expect for being kinda the same thing as with the other movies, that is Jason killing people around Camp Crystal Lake, now named Forest Green, is that Jason is a lot stronger here and can take a lot more abuse. That was truly one thing that was irritating to see before, for instance when they hit him with something and he fell over and stayed down for too long etc. This time it seems like almost nothing can stop the guy which is a very nice change.
Far from being fantastic or even close to it, but a very entertaining horror/slasher movie that is fast-paced and delivers all the way through. The acting is your typical Friday the 13th type of acting, although a notch better here I guess. Skip part 5 and go directly for part 6 instead.
Charlie Brewster's really into horror movies and likes to watch a tv-show called Fright Night hosted by a guy in a dracula suit named Peter Vincent. When two men move in next door to Charlie he starts to see strange things, like girls coming over to the house and that the two men carries out what looks like a body-bag in the morning. He later finds out that his strange neighbour is actually a vampire but unfortunately no one believes him, not his girlfriend nor his best friend. They later give Charlie the benefit of a doubt and seek out tv-host Peter Vincent to help Charlie reveal if the guy next door really is a vampire.
I remember first time I watch this movie not being very old and I found it to be really cool. I viewed it again a couple of years ago and it's still good, somewhat cheesy but that's totally ok, it's a 80's movie so what can you expect.
I guess Fright Night is a horror comedy but it's not really funny nor scary, on the other hand it's very entertaining and well worth watching. Of course it has its horror elements too since it deals with vampires. Expect some over-the-top acting but still it has a very cool story and the fact that it was made in the 80's only has advantages, I don't think this would have worked as well being made today.
If you're not into 80's stuff or haven't seen movies like this before I guess it wouldn't be too enjoyable. But being a fan of old flicks like this, watching Fright Night is a hoot. Charlie Brewster's just a kid and since he likes horror movies it's of course hard for the people around him to actually believe him, or for that matter believe in vampires in general.
I said earlier that the movie isn't that fun but it's actually kinda fun watching Charlie running around like a confused kid being all stressed out. Well worth watching.
Three years have passed since Charlie ran into his vampire neighbour Jerry, and now, after been seeing a shrink for some time, he's convinced that it was all in his imagination, and that vampires do not exist for real. Soon though, four strangers start showing up, lead by the beautiful actress Regina who has an interest in Charlie and his buddy Peter Vincent. They later find out that Regina is actually Jerry's sister, and now she's here to seek revenge for what they did to her brother by turning Charlie into a vampire.
Watching Fright Night 2 felt somewhat like watching the original Fright Night all over again, only this time it was so much worse. When being a kid, this movie might've been fun, campy and just frightening enough, but watching it now all over again, many years later, it was somewhat of a drag. I like the fact that they've kept the original Charlie and Peter, only Charlie's girlfriend's new this time around. Some sequels tend to fall flat just because they change too much stuff around compared to what was in the original, plus the change of actors as well, so at least Fright Night 2 has those things going for it.
Charlie's just the same as in the original flick, nervous and constantly worried. I would've been worried too if I would've had vampires chasing after me, but watching him on screen for too long is actually a bit irritating. Still, it's pretty funny at times, campy, and stays true to the original flick which is nice.
This time it's about revenge, and a vampire lady named Regina and her three henchmen seeks out Charlie and his friend, the fearless vampire killer that hosted Fright Night, Peter Vincent. Charlie's at first convinced that there are no vampires, but soon things start to happen that makes him change his mind. He seeks out his old buddy Peter, and tells him all about what he saw, and together they check things out. But it appeared as if Charlie saw things that were not there, but when he leaves, Peter gets to see what Regina really is. Now it's his turn to convince Charlie but it doesn't go too well. It seems like Regina's revenge is actually working and Charlie starts to turn more and more into a vampire.
When I watched Fright Night 2 now again, I was interested and in the mood for it till half-way through. Then it started to drag, become too predictable, and did not feature the same kind of campiness and humour that the original movie had. Maybe I was a bit tired and should've watched it another day instead, but it kinda felt like watching the first flick all over again, only that it was much worse this time around.
I don't wanna say it's a bad movie, because it's really not, it was just that it was hard to stay interested all the way through, while 15 years ago or so it wasn't. It has some cool enviroments, and some scenery is pretty nice and adds to the whole vampyric feel. The character Regina was slightly boring, and while one of her henchmen look like a transvestite on roller-blades, the other one kept eating bugs. It sounds funny but it was not. The third of the henchmen though is the guy that adds comedy to Fright Night 2. Even if he wasn't that fun, he still had some pretty funny things to say, and if it wouldn't have been for him, I'm not sure I would've smiled once.
I remember this movie as being somewhat better, but things change and it was a long time ago since I last saw it. Good thing is that it stays true to the first flick, but the bad thing is that it stays too true, and it somewhat felt like watching the original flick all over again. It's far from a great 80's movie but it works, and might be interesting for people who liked the first flick. Other than that, there are way better horror comedies from the good old 80's out there.
Annie (Cate Blanchett) lives near Savannah with her kids and makes a living as a clairvoyant (that's the gift). A woman that has an abusive husband and fears for her life comes to see her for reading of cards. The same woman later ends up dead and Annie, using her gift, leads the police to where the dead body is. The husband, Donnie Barksdale (played by Reeves), gets accused of murdering his wife which leads to a trial and Annie start to fear for her life since Donnie keeps paying her visits and threatens her. During the trial Annie has to go through a lot and people question the credibility of her gift. As time goes by, she realises that Donnie might not be the murderer after all.
The Gift from director Sam Raimi (Evil Dead, Darkman, Spider-Man etc) really came as a surprise. Of course being a fan of his for creating the Evil Dead trilogy, but that doesn't mean that he could make a great thriller. I was pretty sure it was gonna be too Hollywood for my taste, but it actually turned out to be a really interesting suspense flick.
There's a lot of famous actors involved like Billy Bob Thornton who has written the thing together with Tom Epperson (don't know bout that guy) and we also get excellent performances from Cate Blanchett, Hilary Swank and Giovanni Ribisi.
Keanu Reeves is not bad, still a little stiff as always but actually quite ok to watch here and he's very convincing as a wife-beater. Overall the movie has a great cast that delivers a good performance which in the end makes a good movie.
The script is also well-written and it's a suspensefull story, not actual horror, but has it's chilling and thrilling moments.
The Gift of course has a twist in the end and it's ok but not as clever as one could've hoped for, but it does the job though. The Gift is a atmospheric thriller with a really good build-up for suspense the longer the movie goes all the way to the final climax.
We also get to know the characters pretty well and so we feel more sympathy for them, especially when it comes to Cate Blanchett who captures the role of Annie perfectly. But the stand out character is definitely Giovanni Ribisi who gives such a great performance as a mentally unstable man and Annies only friend.
If you're up for a really good and well-written suspense thriller with a great cast that really delivers, then look no further.
Gary Busey plays a crazed killer who in the beginning of the movie kills a father and brother but spares the sister. Unfortunately for him he should have killed her too since her testimony later sends him to the electric chair. His mother recieves her sons ashes and drops it off at a bakery were the girl works and there it happens to get mixed in the gingerbread dough which makes the killer come back to life again but as a gingerbread man, well a gingerdead man. There he goes beserk in the bakery and tries to kill everyone inside...yawn.
Look at the title, look at the cover and read about the story. You would think that you're in for a funny and entertaining movie experience, well think again cos The Gingerdead Man is an awful flick.
If this movie would have been made in the 80's it might of been cool but watching this now is just horrible.
The humour is non-existant and gore is nowhere to be found. The gingerdead man look ridiculous and all the effects really suck.
The actors give the word crap a new meaning and there's one girl who won some contest called miss pretty face who looks like she's been hit with a frying pan.
This movie should either deliver suspense or humour but it just delivers a headache. The story ain't all bad but the final result sure is. Avoid. I'm sorry I saw the freaking thing.
Ginger is on her way to become a woman and has to experience all that comes with the territory (can't tell you too much about that). She and her sister are very close and are somewhat outsiders at their high school and has a deep interest in staging and photographing scenes of death. On the night of Gingers first period which is also the night of a full moon Ginger gets bitten by a werewolf and her sister tries to do everything she possibly can to help her sister out before she becomes a full-on werewolf.
I hate most teen horror flicks, well hate might be a too strong word to use but at least I often find myself quite bored from watching these stereotype teens, listen to their stupid dialogue and only thing you get awarded with is that you get to seem them die, but sometimes that's not very satisfying either.
But then once in a while a teen horror flick comes along that is different from most of the unoriginal crap out there and Ginger Snaps is one of those movies.
It's still a movie with teens, I don't think you can ever escape from the enormous teen horror industry but at least it's a really good flick for a change.
It's a simple story but it's also about becoming a woman and all that comes with it and to become a werewolf and all that comes with that. It might sound silly but it really works well here.
Talking about teen horror flicks earlier, this stands out in many ways. It's more clever than your average flick and doesn't really borrow from other movies, not so you can really tell anyway.
It also features scenes of strong gore which is a major plus and the black humour throughout the movie makes it more interesting and fun to watch without ever being stupid or anything like that.
The film has a solid script and will keep you interested through the whole thing and it never uses cheap tricks or other dumb things to keep the audience in their chairs.
Thing with this movie that's also great is that it takes it's time and you get to know Ginger quite well to actually be able to somewhat care for what she's going through. And with taking it's time I don't mean that it's slow paced or anything like that, it just has a very good build up which is one of the reasons why it delivers in the end.
If you wanna see a really good werewolf movie which is different from all the other werewolf movies out there and that is somewhat unique in it's own kind of way, then Ginger Snaps is truly recommened. And if you like this then you might wanna check out the two sequals or that's actually one sequal that is Ginger Snaps: Unleashed and one prequal that is Ginger Snaps III: The Beginning.
After mixing blood with her sister Ginger, Brigitte is now also infected with the virus that will slowly turn her into a beast. Only thing that prevents her from becoming a beast, or at least what can slow the process down a bit is the monkshood. So she's shooting up with monkshood and passes out, later to be found by the police who assumes that monkshood's an illegal drug and so puts Brigitte in rehab. In there she meets a young girl that goes by the name of Ghost that helps her deal with her problems and that tries to help her escape the werewolf curse.
Many sequels have a tendency to suck, luckily this doesn't. Ginger Snaps: Unleashed is a worthy follow-up movie to the almost excellent original Ginger Snaps movie. From then on with the third movie it goes a bit down-hill but that's another story.
This movie continues where the first one left off and I would say that it's just as clever as the original and has a good and solid story. So don't expect a boring sequel with no originality, because it's not. It'll put it's claws in you and will keep you interested the movie throughout. Also, this one offer a bit more gore than the first one did as well. Yiihaa!
If you liked the original there's not a chance you'll be disappointed here, as it's just as intense as the original. And as said before, has a solid and an interesting story that will keep you glued to the screen. Well, not glued maybe but you know what I'm getting at.
Even if it's somewhat of a teen-horror flick it's far from your average teen flick of the same genre. It has a kind of a creepy atmosphere going at times which creates the perfect mood for this movie. The acting is excellent and overall, there are not many things to complain about.
It might not have the exact same dark humour as the original movie but it's not too far from it and delivers some of that, even if fewer times. What it has more of is violence and gore and some of the werewolf attacks are really cool and super well done.
At times it gets really intense and the movie has a really good flow so to speak. The ending is also really good and that makes the whole thing from beginning to end come out really good. I have no idea what kind of budget they had when making this, but it looks fantastic and I guess it's not that high budget, although it sure looks like it.
If you liked the first movie, this is a must see. If you haven't seen Ginger Snaps yet, then watch that one first, then this.
Ginger Snaps 3 takes place in the year 1815 and the two Ginger sisters survive from a sinking boat while their parents do not. Alone in a forest they meet an indian who can forsee their fate and who takes them to a fort. The fort is under siege since there are apparently werewolfs lurking outside.
Ginger Snaps 3: The Beginning is a prequal to the other two movies in the trilogy. Anyway, it's a trilogy until they decide to make a fourth movie, but if they will I do not know.
Unfortunately this third installment is the worst in the series and lack some of the good things that the two earlier movies had, especially the first Ginger Snaps which was a great little flick.
The first two movies, Ginger Snaps and Ginger Snaps: Unleashed, are both really good and reading about the third one and where it takes place sounded like it could maybe really be something, unfortunatley it's not more than ok.
Emily Perkins who was brilliant in the two first films are still good here but we don't get to see too much of her but instead more of Katharine Isabelle who also is an ok actress but not nearly as good as Perkins and that brings the movie down a bit.
The movie has some atmosphere and the enviroment is really nice and the fort is visually great to look at. The action is not great but we do get to see a fair deal of the beasts towards the end of the movie. But until that happens the movie stays kinda still and is a bit slow paced or at least uninteresting.
It's not a bad movie but it doesn't rank as high as the two previous but if you have seen the two earlier ones I guess you would wanna check this one out too.
A group of friends play a prank on one of their mates when playing hide and seek in a cemetary. Things go too far, and the friend accidentally ends up dead, while another friend is imprisoned for causing the death of him. Five years later when the guy is released from prison, the group of friend gather to pay tribute to their deceased friend at the same cemetary. But what they find there is some masked killer who's seeking revenge.
I wasn't sure whether The Graveyard would turn out to be a bad flick or not, at first it actually seemed quite interesting. Unfortunately this turned out to be yet another low-budget crap-fest, with a totally unoriginal story, something that looked like a lame Friday the 13th rip-off, and plus that, no decent gore at all. Why spend time and effort making a flick like this in the first place? It has been done hundreds of times before, and it's just as boring each time we get to see yet another crappy clone.
A bunch of friends have gone to Camp Placid Pines, where I guess they are supposed to camp. Instead they find a cemetary right next to the camp, and starts messing around until one of the friends turn up dead. Five years later the same people show up at Camp Placid Pines to honour the memory of their deceased friend, but instead of having a nice time, they are all greeted by some killer wearing a mask, and who wants to rip them apart.
That's about all the story has to offer, except for the twist in the end that sucked so much I really wanted to throw something at the tv. Instead I threw the movie in the trash, which I think was the right thing to do. The lack of originality was overshadowing everything else this movie might had to offer. All the characters are pretty unlikable, some worse than others, and the actual acting's not that great. The killing scenes are horrible (not in a good way), and while the movie offers some typical slasher flick nudity, it's really not that exciting either.
The Graveyard is also packed with clichés, and while that sometimes can be a funny thing, here it doesn't work at all. It has all these little things many slasher flick has, and there are even lesbians getting killed(!). Even if this sounds funny or whatever, it's not, and everything just feels really poor. Other than that, the killer looks like shit wearing some stupid looking mask that looks more dumb than scary.
Been sitting through so many crappy flicks like this for way too long, and that just can't be good in the long run. It's sad to see yet another new horror flick turn out to be a total flop. I don't really wanna complain, but honestly, there's nothing else to do since this movie didn't hardly have one decent thing to offer.
In a dark and dirty textile factory in Maine, many workers seem to have gone missing. The factory is located just next to a cemetary and it's infested with nasty rats that seems to have a taste for human flesh. It's run by Warwick, a sadistic man who's just out to make some bucks, and who does not care too much about his employees or what happens to them. One day John Hall comes to the small town and applies for the job of operating the machine in the factory. Since it's too hot to operate it during day, he has to work at night which is called the graveyard shift. One day when they are cleaning up in the basement in order to turn it into an office, they come across a door in the floor and they decide to go down there and check things out. Something they soon wish they hadn't done.
Graveyard Shift is based on a short story by Stephen King, and while some of his writings have worked well on screen, some have not worked that well or at all. Graveyard Shift actually made a good transfer from a story to the silver screen, and is quite a nasty little flick. Now, one thing I absolutely hate (except for work and life in general) is rats, and this movie is completely packed with disgusting horrible rats. If someone would ask me if Graveyard Shift is a scary movie I would have to answer yes since I'm scared shitless of rats. Other than that, it's not really that scary but it's still quite nasty like I said before, and also features some cool gore, especially towards the end.
When a machine operator is devoured by rats, a new-in-town man named John Hall takes his place. It's a small town with some narrow-minded people who mock him, but John doesn't really seem to care. He's the hero of the movie and is quite likable. A man who's not as likable is the man who own the textile factory, and it seems like he couldn't care less about his employees.
There's also The Exterminator, a somewhat weird guy who runs around and kills vermin. More and more people go missing around the factory due to something that lives underneath it, but the people doesn't figure out what until later on. One day they find a door in the floor when they are cleaning up the basement and decides to go down and take a look what's there. Not only do they find crazy man-eating rats, but also some kind of giant bat/dragon-like rat that seems to live down there.
The movie has some ok characters, at least most of them are interesting enough. The 'hero' of the movie John Hall, played by David Andrews, is a nice guy, but not so nice and heroish that it ever feels irritating to watch him. Even though Warwick, the owner of the factory, is a real a-hole he's still interesting to watch and adds a lot to the film. The Exterminator is a weird character, played by Brad Dourif who played Gollum in some crappy flick apparently called Lord of the Rings. Andrew Divoff (the Djinn from Wishmaster 1-2) also shows up, playing a worker at the factory and somewhat of a bastard as well.
Like with so many other Stephen King stories/movies, it revolves around a small town and we get that whole small town feeling which is both nice and somewhat disturbing at the same time. With disturbing I mean the way some people act, and not that the town's too small. Even though Graveyard Shift is not really that scary, it still has some creepy moments and the rats makes it even more creepy. The big 'monster' is quite cool and well-made, and it doesn't actually look very fake which is a really good thing. There's not a lot of gore in the movie, but towards the end there's quite a gory scene.
Graveyard Shift is a pretty decent movie based on a cool story by Stephen King. It's not brilliant and it's not that scary, but has some creepy atmosphere at times and A LOT of nasty rats. In the very beginning there's a scene were a lot of rats attack and eats a man, and I found that quite hard to sit through as I really hate everything when it comes to rats. It's a cool 80's movie, with a nice small town feeling that adds a lot to the movie as well. Not Stephen King's best work, but still good enough. Recommended.
Launa's sister Nikki has mysteriously disappeared while gone camping in the mountain town of Halcyon Springs. Together with two friends, Launa heads off to the small town to look for her sister and finds out about an old abandoned prison where she thinks Nikki might be at. She asks a local man named Mason for help, since he used to be a guard at the prison and together they all head to Halcyon Ridge Correctional Facility. But soon after their arrival, they come upon an ancient evil that has awaken within the walls of the prison.
To tell you the truth, I often have my doubts when about to watch an indie film and so was the case with The 8th Plague as well. But to my big surprise, The 8th Plague did not just turn out to be one impressive movie, it was also one of the best indie flicks I've seen to date and while it might be an indie film, it didn't feel like one at all due to that it looked smashing and did things right. The acting was belivable, the directing was good, the colors were above decent and sure did their part of creating a certain atmosphere, but most of all, it had the tension and the horror that I'm always on the look-out for.
The story revolves around Launa, the fact that her sister Nikki has disappeared and that Launa needs to find her. Together with two friends, one ex prison guard and a local cop, their search leads Launa and c/o to the town of Halcyon Springs and furthermore, to the Halcyon Ridge Correctional Facility which is an old abandoned prison. Once there, the group stumbles upon an ancient evil which is released upon them and not only does Launa need to find the truth to what happened to her sister, but she also has to try and make it out alive. The story was cool enough, but the abandoned prison itself created one helluva horrorish atmosphere and I guess did a lot for the film itself. Inside the prison walls, once the movie gets going, it never stops delivering full-on horror for even the slightest minute and was one great horrific ride from start to finish.
 
It's not too often movies manages to completely draw you in and to be able to hold you like that all the way through, but this one sure did. I know that I'm giving the movie a very positive image now, but trust me one this, it had so much to offer. I have absolutely no idea what kind of budget they had when shooting the film, but let me tell ya, it looks great and 5 minutes into the movie, I had already forgotten that I was watching an indie film, that's how good it looked. But even though if you could tell or whatever, The 8th Plague had so much going for it both on the horror and gore front as well as it did deliver a whole lotta tension and suspense which made one busy enough not to concentrate on that it was in fact a low-budget film, if you know what I mean. When it comes to gore, the movie had some really horrific moments to offer and I'm happy to say that it did never hold back, but instead always went all the way and that was appreciated and of course made everything come out looking a lot better in the end. It sure had some nasty scenes so beware!
The evil that's inside the prison comes in the form of zombies, or that is those that have been exposed to the evil itself. All the zombies or the people who had been affected by it looked pretty nasty and attacked in a way that sometimes made it hard for you to sit still while watching it. It's not too often a movie manages to make you site on the edge of your seat, but this one delivered doing that too. Some stuff might be predictable for hardcore horror fans, but it also had some unexpected stuff that came right out of the blue and I was truly thankful for that. If you want great indie horror, but that rises far above the normal indie standard, The 8th Plague would be an excellent choise.
I'll definitely watch this movie again real soon. It had the gore, the horror, the great scares as well as the chills and the thrills. Always accompanied by an atmosphere that made you sit on the edge of your seat, waiting for what would come next. I for one am definitely gonna keep track of Franklin Guerrero Jr. as this guy obviously has a lot of potential. Instead of holding back, it went all the way at times and had most things that you'd look for when it comes to great horror. You need to see this one folks, it's as simple as that.
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Preston Rogers returns to his home that is a remote cabin in the woods to recover after have being treated for six month due to a mountain climbing accident. But things does not stay calm and quiet for long since Preston discovers a huge beast out in the forest, that is the legendary Sasquatch. Trapped in the remote location, Preston must find someone who will listen to him so they can stop the beast before it goes on a killing spree.
There has been a bunch of lousy films made that has dealt with the subject of the Sasquatch (Yeti, Bigfoot), but that all have been quite boring, so it was great to see a movie that actually did the beast justice. When I first heard about Abominable, I heard that Lance Henriksen (Pumpkinhead) were gonna be in it and I thought that he would star in the movie, so at first I was a little disappointed that that wasn't the case. He's in the movie though, but for just about 15 minutes or so, and the same goes for Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator) who can also be seen in this flick. But even so, Abominable turned out to be an exciting creature-feature with the lead Matt McCoy doing an excellent job.
The story is very simple and goes something like this: Preston Rogers (Matt McCoy) who were in a mountain climbing accident that took his wife's life and paralyzed Preston returns to his home in the woods to recover from the tragic event. He has one guy named Otis (Christien Tinsley) with him who's supposed to take care of Preston, and in the house next to his are a group of girls, on vacation in the mountains. It doesn't take long before Prestons sees some kind of mysterious creature from his window, lurking out in the woods, but Otis does not believe him and thinks that he still suffers from the accident. Eventually the Sasquatch goes on a bloody rampage and Preston must do everything in his power to stop the beast.
 
The monster itself looked and acted in a pretty cool way and there were no CG in the film, so that was a big plus. It's an angry monster that goes berzerk and tries to kill all the humans around, and the film featured a couple of quite nasty scenes that even had some fine gore to offer. One guy got his face bit off and one girl was pulled through a very small window which looked extremely cool. Other than that, the film had good pacing, some fine action scenes and some pretty good tension and suspense to offer as well. There were not too much gore, but I'm quite sure gorehounds won't be disappointed.
If I'm gonna complain a little it would have to be about that the beast's weakness seemed to be car horns which came of as something that felt a bit stupid. I liked when you only got to see the Sasquatch for a very brief moment, it looked nasty but still had some mystery to it. Towards the end you got to see it up-close a number of times and it looked a bit like a huge hairy mongoloid caveman, which was more funny than scary. But even though Abominable wasn't really a scary film, it still had a lot to offer on the horror front and had some fine suspense to it at times. All that accompanied by good belivable acting from all the cast members made Abominable turn out to be an entertaining and bloody ride.
As far as I'm concerned, Abominable is definitely the best Sasquatch movie to date. The 94 minutes it lasted for went by very quickly and it ended in a very cool way. You should definitely give it a shot.
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When driving home from Julie's birthday celebration, Nick, Julie and their two friends are hit by a big truck. Later on Nick wakes up in the hospital and finds out that his girlfriend did not make it, and neither did his two friends. But by looking at old photographs, Nick can travel back in time and so he does in order to save Julie.
I'm a big fan of The Butterfly Effect which I thought was a great movie that was original and had some real suspense to offer. This sequel is basically just a clone of the first flick, only that it had no suspense to offer at all and just felt like a very tired sequel. Even though it wasn't a complete mess, it tries to do what the first movie did but basically just fails at every try and delivered a story that pretty much had snooze written all over it. Obviously I had no expectations to begin with and it just looked like one of those boring sequels, but it was worse than I first had thought it would be and it was very difficult staying interested the whole film throughout.
The Butterfly Effect 2 started out in such a cute and cuddly kinda way that I almost got sick. Luckily it took a different turn shortly after which made me wake up for a brief moment, but unfortunately it didn't stay that way and it was a hard task not snoozing off once in a while. All the characters in this movie are new, and while I liked Ashton Kutcher's character in the original, I can't really say that I liked Eric Lively's character Nick a whole lot. I didn't have any expectations when I watched the first movie, but afterwards I was truly impressed with Kutcher's performance, I didn't expect him to pull it off in a suspenseful flick like that. But while that movie felt new and fresh, this one basically borrows and uses the exact same kind of ideas, only problem was just that it didn't feel new any more, and was more of a lame clone to a terrific film.
 
Instead of reading his old journal (like Kutcher did), Nick can travel back in time by looking at old photographs. So Nick's girlfriend dies in a car accident and leaves Nick totally devastated for one year. He has headaches every now and then and doesn't seem to do as well at his job as he did before the accident. Eventually he discovers that he can go back and alter the past by looking at old photographs, and so he does but altering the past of course will have unexpected consequences in present time. If you've seen the first flick, you obviously know exactly how things goes, it's just that while nothing is really new here, it's also quite boring and a helluva lot more lame than the original movie was.
So he goes back and forth in time, changes things that changes other things and it never seems to be exactly the way Nick wants things to be. The acting was all right for what it was, but I can't say that I cared the least bit for any of the boring characters. The were also some sex scenes that were used as fillers and so boring it almost made me throw stuff at the tv. The CG looked good and was used a lot, but since I hate CG, it was not a good thing. The 92 minutes felt like 192 minutes and during the whole film, I just wanted it to end. I guess it would work somewhat ok if you're really hung-over and have absolutely nothing else to do, but other than that, it's not something I would recommend.
The Butterfly Effect 2 felt like a bad rip-off and I was just as annoyed during the movie as I was afterwards. The original flick was really good, but this tired sequel didn't even come close to any of what the first movie had. You should most definitely not bother with this one.
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Heather, a neglected teenager, is dropped off by her parents at a boarding school deep in the woods. She's not too happy about her situation and it soon gets worse when her classmates starts tormenting her. The teachers are uptight and all Heather wants is to go home, but her mother won't let her. It doesn't take long before students start disappearing and Heather starts to have horrible visions along with that she hears strange voices. She realize that the school is not what it first seemed to be, and also, is there something out there in the woods that has a connection to the school somehow?
I've been wanting to see The Woods since I first heard about it, but I was somewhat disappointed with the way it turned out and at times when watching it, I was close to falling asleep. Now, I watched it kinda late and I was tired but I'm sure that if the movie would've had more to offer, it would definitely have kept me totally awake. But I'm not going to start complaining right away, because The Woods had some quality stuff to offer for its viewer and one of those things was a man named Bruce Campbell. I truly believe that you can't go wrong with putting this man in your movie since even if he would appear in some really crappy film, his presence alone just lifts things up. Don't expect to see too much of Campbell though, because the movie's not about him and I'm not saying that he was the only good thing the movie had to offer, so read on for what else.
Lucky McKee has his own unique style which could be seen in both May and Sick Girl, not that I thought those two films were that great, but at least he separates himself as a horror film-maker, and that's of course always cool. The Woods is really no exception when talking about a different kind of style, something that made it seem more interesting, well, at least for a while. It takes place in the 60's which made it have a certain kind of mood or rather a certain feel to it, something that was also quite interesting and that made it different. It looked very slick and had these tones of different colors which were sort of candy for the eyes. In other words, it had a lot of different qualities to it, but that's something that'll only get you so far.
 
Heather who's a troubled teenager is sent to a remote boarding school that she doesn't like one bit. Things soon gets worse when her classmates starts harassing her on a daily basis. The teachers and the principal are strict and very uptight, and basically, life at the school isn't easy at all for Heather who just wants to go home. Eventually, strange things start to occur and students disappear and all that's left of them is a pile of leafs in their beds. Heather hears stories about witches, that from the beginning were some sisters who attended the school. If things weren't bad enough, Heather hears voices, has horrible visions and it seems like something strange is out there in the woods.
From a horror point of view, The Woods had some semi-ok stuff to offer, but unfortunately not close to enough. There was this scare early on in the movie that had a freaky feel to it which made my hopes go up, but something similar was never to be seen again which I felt was just too bad. I guess some of the other scares were kinda ok but just not very effective, and I kept losing interest because at times the movie felt more like a teenage drama rather than a proper horror movie. Acting-wise Marcia Bennett who played the principal of the school stood out and delivered a really good and believable performance. Agnes Bruckner was totally ok as Heather and did a fine job, even though I can't say that there was anything special there. The other were ok, and Bruce Campbell is always Bruce Campbell which is a good thing, but like I mentioned earlier, the movie's not about his character.
To be honest, I expected more. Why, I don't know, and even though it was definitely watchable I wouldn't watch it a second time. The 60's mood does a few things for the film, but on the horror front I guess it would work best on clueless teenagers who get scared easily. It looked nice and had a number of things going for it, but in the end, it was just not my cup of tea.
A mutated Tasmanian Devil is stolen from a lab by two activists, and when they later set it free by an old cemetery in the woods, the creature kills them both and starts killing other people around the woods as well. At the same time, a group of college students are heading for the same cemetery to shoot a zombie film that is supposed to be called Cemetery Gates. Meanwhile, two scientists, one of them being the father of one of the college students, discovers that their hideous creature that they call Precious is missing, and starts seaching the countryside for it. It doesn't take long before they see all the carnage, and now the question is, will they be able to stop the beast before it kills again? Well, probably not..
I started watching Cemetery Gates without knowing absolutely nothing about it, and now after having seen the whole thing, I would have to say that the title of the movie was somewhat misleading. What are your thoughts when you hear Cemetery Gates? Maybe that it would be about a cemetery, and maybe something about the dead rising from their graves or something like that.. am I getting warm? So I was a bit surprised when the film turned out to be sort of a creature feature instead about a mutated Tasmanian Devil that is killing people around a forest that just happens to have a cemetery close by. Ok, so there are some college students in the film that are supposed to shoot their own little zombie film that is called Cemetery Gates, but you only got to see that for what - maybe 5 minutes of them actually shooting the film. So now I've been complaining for a while and none of it really matters, I just woke up and am in desperate need for some coffee, but still, it's not a good title.
While I found Cemetery Gates being entertaining enough to sit through, I still found a lot of faults that it had to it as well as I found some stuff that worked quite well in the film. I think that it was a pretty hard movie to put a rating on since some of the stuff to be found within the film were really good, while some other stuff were totally pointless and just made the movie look stupid. I ended up giving it a 5 which means that it's a decent flick, but I believe that the film had no real balance and went from being really crappy to being really good, going back to being stupid and after that back to being all right again. And so it went on, all the way through. In the end I guess it worked out all right, but the ride there was a bit irritating.
 
Basically it goes like this; some scientists have been working on mutating a Tasmanian Devil. Two activists steals it without knowing what it really is in order to release it into the wild, but with both of the activists ending up dead. Some college students travels to a cemetery to shoot a zombie film, but soon runs into trouble with some local hicks as well as the monsterous beast that is out there in the woods, killing everything it comes in contact with. The scientists responsible for the mutated creature eventually discovers that their beast is missing and starts searching for it, and it doesn't take long before they find trails of blood and carnage that the beast has left out there in the woods.
I believe that the movie looked totally all right, only problem was when you sometimes got to see the beast up-close, or when it was running away, it looked like some dude wearing a monster costume. But the film makes up for it when it comes to blood and gore, and delivers truck loads of that. I'm not kidding here, and if you love to watch splatter and carnage, Cemetery Gates actually has a helluva lot to offer. Then it comes to the humour, and even though I can admit that I have a really low sense of humour most of the time, most stuff here comes of as just totally childish and it's just the stuff that idiotic teens could appreciate, if even that. There's a lot of humour in regards to this bimbo that is part of the zombie film crew, and that was just all so stupid it almost made me sick. None-inventive and just there for no good reason whatsoever. The film itself had a lot of these pretty negative things that brought it down, but at the same time, it made up for some of those crappy things along the way.
I would recommend Cemetery Gates to horror fans that just wants to have a good time and not wants to overthink thing. If not taken seriously, the film is actually not all that bad and sure has some all right stuff to offer, with the gore and splatter being the highlights. Acting-wise, you can expect your normal low-budget horror film type of acting, not all bad, but not a 100 percent convincing either, but it works for this type of movie though. Look out for one scene in the forest featuring two stoners with one of them seeing the beast in a cuddly stoned type of way..hilarious indeed. Even if I'm not a big fan of the flick now, I'll definitely save the film to later re-watch it again, because I have a feeling that this might be the type of film that'll grow on ya.
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The story is about famous serial killer Gary Ridgway and how he killed prostitutes and dumped their corpses off at the Green River near Seattle, Washington.
Green River Killer is definitely one of the worst movies I've seen in a very long time, it's so horribly bad that I actually felt sick after watching it. Not that it's a sick movie but that it blew so much it makes me feel bad just thinking about it and that I wasted time on watching this piece of junk.
Not that I expected much from it in the first place but I thought it could maybe be an interesting take on the Gary Ridgway story. But no, it's complete crap from start to finish.
Only time kinda worth watching is when they show real footage from an interview with Ridgway and when we get to hear him talk. Although even that's not really that interesting either, but the only "good" thing that the movie has to offer, the rest is just the worst kind of movie experience possible.
It's shot with a crappy camera and the overall movie looks like complete shite. It's supposed to take place in the 80's and let me tell you, there not even one decent looking person in the whole movie. I've never seen so many ugly people in a movie without getting a break. Not to rack down on people's apperance but everyone's so ugly it's hard not to think about it.
The acting is so horrible I won't even go further into that. And we get to see George Kiseleff (who stars as Ridgway) drag hookers home and after boring the viewer with some crappy sex scene for 20 minutes he strangles them and dumps them off at the river. Then onto the next hooker and repeat everything again, and again.
The movie is so slow and boring it's amazing and the acting is the worst ever. The music in it is extremely bad and annoying and to be honest this is probably one of the worst flicks I've seen in my entire life. There's absolutely no reason whatsoever to watch this piece of crap. Stay away, you've been warned.
It's about this girl Karen Davis (played by Buffy) who lives in Japan with her boyfriend played by Jason Behr (ever seen Roswell?) who studies there. Karen is to be a caretaker for a woman who has some kind of sleeping disorder but when she goes to the womans house she starts to get terrorized by images of a boy and a ghostly woman.
Another remake, another headache. This time it's a remake of the excellent Japanese movie Ju-On: The Grudge, here entitled only The Grudge. When I first heard about that they were gonna make this remake I just wanted to puke.
It's bad enough with all the remakes as it is, but also that this one was gonna star Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so what I was asking myself was how the hell am I supposed to get scared with her in it, there's no chance of that. Only thing she can do is to drag it down and she does an excellent job ruining it for everyone.
Too bad is also that so many people rent this movie and have no idea that it's actually a remake and that there's a so much better original Japanese version out there but that's just the way it is I guess. They should put a sticker on it.
If you've seen the Japanese version there's no point watching this as it's the same story only that everything is a lot lamer and not even half as creepy. So what about the story?
Biggest problem with these American movies compared to the Asian version is that the American movies loses all their mystery that surrounds the Asian flicks and therefore makes them kinda boring or at least pointless to watch.
Weird thing though is that this movie is actually directed by Takashi Shimizu who's also the director of the original movie, and it's hard to see how he first could make such a brilliant film and then make this crap, it's actually a shame.
You think that since he did the orginal movie he should be able to pull this off as he has done it before and knows what it's all about but unfortunately it doesn't happen like that here.
I can't find this either entertaining nor scary, it's better to just watch the original movie again. I guess it works for clueless teens though.
Set in the 1800's, a man named Mr. Ralston goes to visit an old woman who's a necromancer. He asks her to raise his newly departed wife from the dead, and bring her back to him. The woman says that she can't help him, but after that Ralston has plead and begged, she tells him that she will help him, but that he has to listen to her story first, and if he still wants to raise his dead wife after hearing the story, so be it. And so, Ralston gets to her the tale of Haeckel:
Now Haeckel is a young medical student who believs in no God, but only science, and that everything can be explained. He has heard about re-animation experiments in Germany, and just like Victor Frankenstein, he tries to bring the dead back using science. When he gets the message that his sick father's condition has gotten worse, he depart to go visit his old man, to be at his side. On the way there, he meets Walter Wolfram on a rainy night, who invites him into his home. There he meets Wolfram's beautiful young wife Elise, but that night she leaves the home to go and visit her dead ex-husband at the Necropolis close by. Haeckel follows her, and enters the land of the dead where science is nowhere to be found.
Haeckel's Tale is the 12th and last episode in the first season of the Masters of Horror series, since the 13th addition by Takashi Miike was never aired (but will be released on DVD shortly when writing this). Directed by John McNaughton (Wild Things) who might also be famous for 'Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer', but that is no master of the genre per se. Still though, I thought he did a pretty good job with Haeckel which came out as an interesting little tale. Written by Clive Barker (you'll probably recognize some elements) and teleplay by Mick Garris, creator of the MoH series.
I liked the fact that this movie was set in the 1800's, and it was also cool with the concept of a tale within a tale. What I mean with that is that you're watching one story were this old necromancer lady tells a man a another story, and that story is about Haeckel, hence Haeckel's Tale. Early on, when the tale of Haeckel is first being told by the old lady, it comes out looking like a Frankenstein rip-off, and you get to see young Haeckel trying to bring a dead female corpse back to life using the power of lighting. Well, you know Frankenstein, don't ya? But it's not a rip-off, and as the movie goes, it leads to other things, mainly dealing with necromancy and bringing the dead back to life.
 
Since I don't want to spoil anything for those who yet haven't seen this flick, I'm gonna keep it short and not go into too much detail. Basically Haeckel is a young determined man who only believes in science, and while a lot of people seem to believe in magic, Haeckel is sure it's just different kinds of tricks. One day he hears about this necromancer, and goes to visit him. The necromancer sees that the young man has doubts, so he makes a dead dog live again, but Haeckel still thinks it was just some kind of trick that the old man pulled. Shortly after he leaves to go visit his sick father, but on the way there when about to spend the night in some barn, an old man warns him that the barn is haunted and invites him to stay the night in his house instead. Haeckel is immediately attracted to the old man's wife, a young beauty named Elise. In the middle of the night he wakes up and sees that Elise's leaving even though her old husband begs her to stay. When asking the old man, Haeckel finds out that she's going to the Necropolis to visit her dead ex-husband who the necromancer (that made the dog live again) has evoken. Haeckel follows her, and gets himself into a whole lotta trouble.
The movie has really good pacing, good acting, and I found it to be very interesting almost all the way. There were some twists and turns towards the very end when the movie got an whole other feel to it, and it turned a bit campy so to speak. I'm a bit indecisive whether or not I liked the actual ending, but what I'm sure of though is that I liked most parts of the movie, and found it to be pretty entertaining, and interesting. The fact that it dealt with necromancers was a cool idea, and made me wanna look up more movies that deals with that as well (any good tips?). Even if I didn't find it to be scary, it still had a few pretty good scares to offer, and on top of that, a whole bunch of gore, blood, and some brief nudity and necrophilia for people into that sort of thing. Anyway, not great, and not sure about the ending, but I would still consider it well worth a look.
Haeckel's Tale sure had a Barker feel to it, and even though it was not directed by any 'master', it still came out as a pretty decent horror flick that had a few scares to offer, along with some decent gore. The overall story kept the interest up, but the ending might've been too campy, or that I was just not in the mood for that sort of thing. Either way, it's worth checking out.
When Mattie's boyfriend Josh hangs himself, Mattie is devastated, but it doesn't take long before Josh tries to contact Mattie and her friends from beyond the grave. She starts investigating the reason to why Josh hanged himself and finds out about this computer virus that infects people and also about those on the other side trying to get into the world she lives in through technology that is computers, cellphones etc. Those things on the other side wants what they don't have anymore, and that is life, and now they've come to take it.
Pulse turned out to be one sad pathetic remake, probably the worst remake to date so far, even The Fog was slightly better and that says a lot. It might look all right, but is basically just hollowness defined and has nothing to offer except for a major headache. It actually took me three times before I could sit through the whole flick. The first time I watched the intro, it was ridiculous and just the thought alone of watching what would come after that wasn't very appealing. Second time I watched half the flick and it was just crap, but eventually I figured that I had to watch the whole thing which I just recently did and that I now kinda regret doing.
If you've seen the Japanese original that is Pulse/Kairo, you know how the story goes. Personally, I think that Kairo is one of the better films out there when it comes to Japanese horror, and obviously it was a hard movie to remake, but on the other hand, that's no real excuse either. I'm not gonna go into detail about the Japanese film, but if you've seen it, you know that it captures this whole concept of loneliness and isolation as well as it captures horror and mystery in an excellent way. This American remake just felt like a really lame clone, trying to do what the Japanese had done, but failed miserably at it every step of the way.
 
Since we already knew the story from the original, they should've put more focus on being different instead of trying to do it all over again since of course that wouldn't work, but apparently they thought so. It has none of the genuine feeling that the Japanese Pulse had, none of the creepy atmosphere or none of the scares or feeling of desperation either. I found it extremely hard to sit through the whole film and throughout the whole movie, it felt like nothing of what was going on could've mattered less. It's just a very shallow movie that has no soul, no feeling and is what I would call a menace to horror society.
What may be the worst thing here is that this movie obviously had a pretty high budget and that's always a bad thing when the films turn out to be total crap. I mean, there are way better ways to spend that money, film-wise that is, since there are a lot of talented people out there with original ideas that could work wonders with just 10 percent of the budget or so, but unfortunately most of them never gets the chance (yours truly included haha). The acting was not bad but I can't say that it was great either, and in the end it doesn't really matter because this film was just one big commersial crapfest that should be avoided. Sad thing, like always, is that there will probably be a lot of teens finding this movie to be a scary horror film and that has no idea that it's just a remake. But what can you do, the world is full of idiots..
Just watch the original Japanese flick and avoid this one. It's not worth the time and you won't get any smarter watching it (you might get dumber though). I can't belive that they even released this one, and I wonder if the people behind it are happy with the final result. I would definitely beat myself up for making a movie like this.
Nicole has decided to run away from home and together with her boyfriend Jess, they're driving from Texas on their way to Los Angeles. Along the way, they stop at a rest stop and it doesn't take long before Jess is abducted by some mysterious stranger. Left alone, Nicole is soon pulled into a cat-and-mouse game with a twisted psychopath and has to fight for her life to be able to stay alive.
Rest Stop was surprisingly enough one good terror type of flick that had the tension and suspense as well as some gruesome scenes that delivered the type of horror that affects you in a positive kind of way. It's not too often these kinds of flicks comes along, and for a while it reminded me a little about Jeepers Creepers, not the whole demonic thing that JP had to it, but the very tension that could be found early on in that film. It started off right away and had a nice flow from start to finish with not all the action happening in the last 15 minutes or so, but that was spread out little by little throughout the film. Even when Rest Stop slowed down it still delivered the tension which made it somewhat impossible to ever relax as long as the film kept on running. I found this to be a great thing since too many times it just takes too long for something to happen which makes you loose interest, but Rest Stop had a really good flow, delivering scenes filled with tension and right after came the calm, but that still had some of the tension in the background and that you never really could shake off either.
Another thing that made Rest Stop hit the spot right away was the score that the film had which made the movie deliver a certain feel. Instead of playing nu-metal and shit like that, the movie had some country music stuff to it as well as some other things, but that all captured everything in a really good way. So with that in the bag right away, everything felt and looked much better than I first had expected, not that I had too much expectations to begin with, but films like this can go either way, luckily this one kept on the right track for the whole ride. Sorry bout that, it actually didn't make it all the way since the last 5 minutes or so were confusing as well as a bit stupid. The ending made no real sense and it left you with some unanswered questions. But not those kind of questions that are needed to keep some mystery, but instead questions that made you question if the movie really was that great. When thinking about it now, it was not, but if it hadn't been for the very ending it would've been really cool all the way.
 
Now, since I started to complain a bit, I might as well complain some more. What I said before in a positive way about that the movie has scenes filled with tension, to right after those let things slow down was infact not all good. You see, Rest Stop deals with this serial killer who plays this game with Nicole. He appears and terrorizes her for a while to later go away and to later return once again and spread some more terror. This worked really well until maybe halfway through the film, but eventually it got a bit dull when nothing happened and the killer just kept taking off after a few minutes after scaring poor Nicole. In the end, I guess this works well as well as it does not quite work, you be the judge. At least I found the movie to be pretty interesting all the way through and these complaints that I've had are not that big of a deal really. So it might have a few faults to it, but still has a helluva lot to offer.
Acting-wise Jaimie Alexander who plays Nicole delivers a really good and belivable performance. Being stalked and harassed by some deranged killer can't be easy, but she manages to capture the fright and at the same time the anger she feels towards the psychotic dude. Talking about the killer himself, you never really get to see the guy, not clearly anyway and that kept some mystery which was a very good thing. The gore wasn't over-the-top and it didn't feature ridiculous amounts of it either, still the film sure had some to offer. But I wouldn't watch this for the gore or whatever, but for the suspense alone, because it's a pretty darn good suspense type of flick that has a gruesome horror theme to it as well.
I found Rest Stop to be very entertaining, and a few scenes will most likely keep you on the edge of your seat, that is if you get into the whole flick. It had good pacing and a terrific score as well as it looked sharp and had a very good cast with Jaimie Alexander as Nicole standing out. It sure delivered some fine tension and was all right all the way through except for the very ending which came off as a bit stupid. But in the end it had a lot more going for it rather than against it, and if you're a horror fan, you should check it out.
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Best selling thriller novelist Rachel Carlson's son drowns near her home and leaves her devastated. About 8 months later she feel that she has to get away from London where she lives, to be alone and to finish her next book. A friend of her finds her a quiet place on the Scottish coast by searching the internet where Rachel rents a cabin. Once there she thinks it's the perfect place to write, but soon she starts seeing her son coming back from the dead and also starts spending time with the light house keeper, that she later finds out died 7 years ago. In the end she doesn't know what's real or what's just her imagination and she finds herself having to fight for her life.
I've had this movie lying around for a few weeks and the reason why I didn't view it right when I got it was because it didn't seem to be that interesting. I've never thought that Demi Moore was a bad actress, but on the other hand I can't say that I really like any of her work. So to watch a supernatural flick starring Demi Moore was not that appealing to begin with. When first started watching it, it felt pretty standard but after a little while it became somewhat better, that's until the final 15 minutes or so. I felt that the story had a lot of potential, but got kinda screwed up and uninteresting towards the end.
This is a movie that my mom would've liked, as it has the kind of suspense that she thinks is just about enough to make a decent thriller. But for me, being a huge horror fan, it's just so not enough. It started out pretty standard, got a bit interesting for a while but in the end it came out as being a very standard thriller. I can't give the ending away but it sure did ruin the little mystery that the movie first had. So the very outcome wasn't too good but the movie itself actually had a few things going for it, just not enough to satisfy.
What it really had going for it was the Scottish scenery which is just so nice and of course adds a certain atmosphere to the movie itself. After the death of her son, Rachel rents a cabin on the Scottish coast and is supposed to finish her book there but runs into all kinds of trouble. She's completely isolated from the rest of the world, and that also adds a little to the whole thriller feeling. That is, you know that she's alone out there so whatever sound or mystic sight is of course a bit strange. After spending just a short time on the coast, her son keeps re-appearing for her which is one of the two supernatural elements this movie has.
She soon meets the light house keeper and starts spending time with him and also get romantically involved. When she later on goes to a birthday party in the nearest town she finds out that the same light house keeper died seven years ago. I really liked this because it was here it got a bit freaky. The thing with the dead son showing up every now and then was nothing special, but the light house keeper was different. And it actually felt a bit like The Others, when she understand that the person she has been seeing actually died a long time ago.
If things could've stayed that way it would've been excellent, but instead they managed to ruin that freaky feeling big time by adding a shitty twist that left no mystery whatsoever and so ruined everything that once was good. I don't know why they keep doing this, exactly the same thing happened with White Noise, it also had a lot of potential but then they made the ending ruin absolutely everything.
No, unfortunately it's not scary. It got a tiny bit freaky for a while with an eerie feeling to it but they managed to wash that feeling off pretty quickly. The acting is good though, like I said I'm not a big fan of Demi Moore and she's nothing spectacular here but still manages to do the job, and the other actors are ok. Nothing fantastic but not bad either. Best things about Half Light, except for the nice Scottish scenery, is the score which is truly nice and adds some feeling to the movie as well. We get to hear some keltic music, some nice piano and violins and some other calm but very suiting music. I could definitely see myself buying the soundtrack here.
It starts off ok but does not feel very original, the middle part is the best and actually has some suspense to it but is ruined by the worthless ending. It's a somewhat ok movie but nothing I would watch again. Great scenery, great score but in the end a very standard thriller that won't appeal to an horror audience.
14-year-old Hayley Stark has been chatting online with a 32-year-old fashion photographer named Jeff for a few weeks, and one day, Hayley suggests that they should meet for real. They meet up at a coffee shop and really seem to hit it off right away, even though the big age difference. While Hayley flirts, Jeff tries to restrain himself and their meeting ends up with Hayley inviting herself over to Jeff's house. Once at the house, things takes a different turn, and while Jeff might be a pedophile, the little girl isn't so innocent either.
Hard Candy is a movie that, if you're a man, will grab you by the balls and literally rip them off, at least that's how I felt after sitting through this dark drama thriller. And while the movie proved to be one pretty awesome film, that feeling it delivered sure was a lot trying to cope with. When I first sat down to watch the film, I can honstely say that I didn't really know anything about it, that's except for that it would deal with a pedophile and a young girl. Since pedophiles are something that is both repulsive and bad, you of course figure that Jeff, who's the pedophile, would do nasty stuff throughout the film while you would sit and feel sorry for the girl. But that would've been too easy and luckily it was the other way around. I really don't want to get into the whole subject of pedophiles but I can honestly say that I felt truly bad for this one, despite them being bad by nature and despite this just being a movie. Chances that it'll get to you are quite big I guess, it sure got to me, not that I really could relate to it but for the fact that it was a pretty strong movie.
It's kinda hard to review Hard Candy without delivering possible spoilers, so I'm just gonna try and keep it brief and not go into too much detail. And since there are a lot of dumb people out there, I just want to make it clear that I do not approve of pedophiles and what they're into, so don't send me any stupid emails if I happen to say that Jeff seems like a nice guy or something like that. With that being said, let's move on. The movie starts off with that you get to see a computer screeen where a chat session between Jeff and 14-year-old Hayley is going on, and since we're living in the computer age and all, I guess the concept will seem familiar to most people. The two decide to meet at a coffee shop called Nighthawks and so they do. Now, since you know that Jeff is a pedophile before you've even seen the guy, you kinda figure that you won't like him once you get to see him, but I must say that he looked and seemed all right (that's except for scheduling a meeting over the internet with a young girl). The girl on the other hand I didn't like one bit, and it just kept getting worse.
 
The way the character that was Hayley came off right from the start made me dislike her a lot right then and there. Kids should be kids right? Well, this girl seemed like an obnoxious adult trapped in a little girl's body. The way she talked about things, the dialogue itself, and how she acted all grown up and a bit artsy almost made me a bit sick right from the start. Jeff on the other hand seemed nice, but the fact remains, and that is that he met up with a little girl and that is just plain sick. Ok, so they're both jerks I guess, but they sure do a good job at it. Jeff has a lot of charm and seems like a really nice guy, but all that charm and the feeling of him being nice also makes him extremely creepy, but that is only because you know what he really is. Already at the coffee shop, Jeff starts manipulating Hayley, telling her that he has to wait 4 more years for him to be with her, and also says that she both looks and acts older than she really is. Playing around with a 14-year-old girl's emotions, that's not too nice, but later when the couple goes back to Jeff house, things sure takes a different turn and hell begin, but not for the person you first would've thought.
The acting is really good, especially from Jeff (Patrick Wilson) but at the same time Hayley (Ellen Page) does a great job too, it's just that I hated her throughout the flick and long after, but on the other hand, you have to be quite good to make a person feel that way, if you know what I'm saying. The fact is that during these 103 minutes that the movie lasts for, these two actors has a lot of weight to carry on their shoulders. Since it's just basically those two alone throughout the whole film, they have to make it work, and they sure do. The movie could've been a bit shorter I guess and while it's all ok in the end, some of the dialogue and scenes seemed just to serve as fillers. It's not a big thing though, and while I can't say that it was an easy film to sit through, it sure was one interesting film.
Hard Candy was a quite disturbing experience that will probably stay with you for a while after that it's over, I know it did that for me. If you're a guy you should be warned that there's especially one long scene that is absolutely terrible to watch, and while I didn't fast-forward through it, I sure was close to doing so. It'll make you cringe for sure. With that being said, Hard Candy is a good and tragic thriller with a lot of drama in it and is a film that is well worth watching. Don't dismiss it for the fact that you think pedophile shouldn't walk the earth or anything like that, because it's different, and different's always good.
Greg is a photographer who is having an affair with a Japanese model of his. When his wife, who seems to know all about it, one day confront him, they get into a big argument which leads to Greg accidentally killing her. He puts the body in the trunk of his car and drives towards a place called Black Lake to dump the body. But the ride there proves to be anything but easy.
With a lot of Japanese people involved in the making, including the director Junichi Suzuki, Haunted Highway feels a bit like a Japanese horror movie with an all American cast. Well, except for Greg's Japanese girlfriend that is. I really don't blame them for trying with this Japanese/American mix even though the end result could've been better. Still, I felt that Haunted Highway, previously known as Death Ride, had a few things going for it and in the end I consider it to be watchable. The good stuff includes that the movie kicked off right on frame one with no real build-up, but instead it dived right into the horror straight away. This can of course be considered negative as well as positive, but talking about this film here and now, it worked quite well.
I have to admit that when I'm about to watch movies like this, that is new horror flicks that you've really heard nothing about, I'm always a tiny bit scared what I'm in for. That is scared in the sense of the movie being bad, rather than scared as in that the movie will actually scare me. My biggest worry is always about the acting, because if the acting proves to be crap right from the start, I just can't focus on the movie as much as one should. Luckily, the acting here was decent, and I thought that Rand Gamble who plays Greg did an excellent job. The only complaint, acting-wise, that I really have would be about Hinano Yoshikawa who plays Yumi, Greg's mistress. She felt a bit too stiff, and the way she delivered her lines didn't sound natural at all. Nothing to get too wound up over though, but at the same time, it sure could've been done a lot better.
Basically, it goes like this: Greg is having an affair on the side which apparently his wife knows about. They have a big fight and Greg accidentally end up killing her. He puts her dead body in the trunk and starts driving towards a place called Black Lake. Black Lake is the place where him and his wife got married and he figures he can dump the body there (romantic kind of guy eh?). But on the (high)way there Greg starts having ghostly visions and seeing things that he doesn't know if they're real or not. Now this is the biggest part of the film and we actually get to spend over an hour with Greg and his car on the road. During that time, Haunted Highway offers tons of scares with some being kinda effective and some being kinda stupid which translates to being non-effective.
For the fact that so much happens at all times, the movie manages to keep your interest up, or at least that's how I felt. Story-wise it's nothing special but it gets the job done, scare-wise it could've been a lot better but I have to admit that some of the scares actually worked quite ok. Although there are too many non-effective scares that drag things down a bit, but it still delivered on some levels. For a horror movie, while it's not great, it's definitely not bad either. If you ask me, I've seen way too many horror flicks so all the scares were a bit predictable, still I felt that some of them were ok and did the job even if I didn't really get scared literally. Other than that, it had some good atmosphere going for it and the score wasn't too bad either.
While Haunted Highway might not a be a great horror flick, there are tons of worse movies out there, and at least this one had a few decent things to offer. For the fact that so much stuff happened all throughout the film, it was quite easy to keep the interest up. Don't expect too much (or anything) and it could might be worth a look.
Haute Tension is about two female friends, named Marie and Alexa, are to visit Alex's parents in the country. When gotten settled in and are about to go to sleep in the evening, a car pulls up next to the house and a man breaks in and kills everyone in the house except for Marie who gets away and Alexa who the killer takes with him. Marie then tries to follow the killer to save her friend but will she make it?
There has been a lot of fuzz about Haute Tension and a lot of people seem to be somewhat amazed by the movie. So what's so special about it? I wouldn't say that there's anything really special about it except for that it feels very fresh compared to a lot of similar movies out there, and also that it gives gorehounds what they want and that is gore.
I guess it also helps that it's a french movie, it makes it a bit different too since there a thousands of movies like this that has come out of the states. And the french also has this thing for making dark films and movies that feels a bit more realistic, that's how I feel about it anyway.
It sounds simple but everything is not what it seems and that is what Haute Tension is all about. It also gives you a somewhat clever twist in the end which actually works well.
The actors do a fine job keeping the suspense and fear alive and the killer is bizarre and merciless and is really cool to watch. The title is very appropriate since the movie carries a lot of tension and suspense.
Usually with these types of movies you don't really care to much about the killings but Haute Tension will make you sit on the edge of your seat, well that may not apply for all but still, it's a adrenaline rush from beginning to end. It also has a fair share of gore and some really gruesome scenes.
I guess the movie has already achieved some cult status, and I guess it will become a horror classic in a not too distant future. Do yourself a favor and watch it along with Alexandre Aja's The Hills Have Eyes remake.
Humans only use a fraction of the brain but for Alex it's a different story. His brain is using some of those regions that normal people never use which enables him to speed-read books and remember everything that's in them, among other things. But it all gives him terrible headaches as well as horrible visions that includes flashbacks to a childhood he had forgotten about. Now he must face his childhood that deals with the murder of his mother, the separation from his brother and the father who abandoned his sons. As the headaches and visions keeps getting worse, there's also someone who makes people disappear and a monster stalking him. Or is Alex the monster?
Headspace is a different indie piece of film and since it sounded like it was going to be quite original, I've been waiting to check it out. After seeing it, I thought it was original as well, but I'm not quite sure whether I really liked it or that I just liked the fact that it was a pretty different movie experience when comparing it to most of the stuff that you normally watch. At least I can say that the film was good and that it had a lot to offer, as well as it was thinkable, but I think I need to watch it at least one more time to be able to form a 'real' opinion to whether it was really good or just good enough. Other than that, for an indie film, it's absolutely smashing, the cinematography is awesome, the acting is solid and it both looks and plays out really well.
Most indie flicks doesn't look half as good, and five minutes into the film, I had totally forgot everything that's indie, it just looked to darn good. If more indie movies could accomplish this, that is not just looking great, but being smart and feature good solid acting as well, I would never have any doubts when about to watch an indie feature. Don't get me wrong as I really enjoy watching indie flicks, it's just that many of them lack a certain quality, so obviously Headspace came as a nice surprise.
It's amazing when thinking about that we only use 10 percent of our brain, and it of course makes one think a bit more about it when watching this movie. Alex uses much more of his brain which in one way is a good thing since that makes him being able to do stuff normal people can't do. On the other hand, this power also gives him headaches, nightmares and terrible visions. It starts out with nightmares but things eventually gets worse which kinda leads to a slow descent into madness. As the movie moves along, Alex keeps getting smarter but at the same time his condition gets worse. Eventually he gets to go see a specialist who wants to study him, but all Alex wants is to be cured since it feels like things are getting worse for him by the minute.
One night he dreams of some kind of beast-creature with claws, and after that, people start turning up dead. For a while he belives that the monster has come to life and is killing the people around him, but he's not sure if that's the case or if he's just going completely mad. For some reason this movie has a few bigger names in it like William Atherton (Ghostbusters), Udo Kier, Sean Young, Olivia Hussey and Dee Wallace-Stone, and I'm not really sure why, could it be for promotional purpose? It sure works but it wasn't really needed either since I think the movie has so much going for it as it is, semi-famous actors doesn't really improve it nor do they bring it down. Christopher Denham who plays Alex delivers a good performance and over all, the acting is definitely good, something that's quite unusual when it comes to indie flicks.
Even though it has a monster in it, I would still say that it's a psychological thriller that every now and then touches the creature-feature concept. Not quite sure about the ending as it felt like it kinda just cut off leaving a lot of stuff unexplained. Now, I'm not much for movies explaining every single piece of mystery they have, but it kinda felt like Headspace left some things unfinished. But watching it again might make me change my mind. Anyway, Headspace is a really good-looking and original indie film that you definitely should check out. Since a lot of new horror flicks coming out these days are just too unoriginal, Headspace was a nice and surprising break from all that. Recommended.
In the 1950s, atomic testing was done in the desert of New Mexico and some people who lived there refused to leave and were caught in the nuclear explosions. The people became mutated sub-humans that was no longer part of society and lived in the mountains till present day. The Carters, an American family on their way to California takes a shortcut through the desert but their vehicle's tires blow and the family finds themselves stuck there. Soon they discover that they are not alone, and that there are something horrible living in those mountains, something they'll soon be aware of.
This is exactly what a remake should be like. You take a movie that is good and then you improve it and make it even better. You stick with what the old movie had, but you also have to add something new, whatever it might be. Because otherwise, what's the point of remaking movies at all? Alexandre Aja sure knows how to do it, and having created the great Haute Tension before, I had complete faith in him that he would deliver with 'Hills' as well, and he sure did. In the huge flood of remakes that come out these days, it's easy to get sick of the whole scene, but once in a while something good actually comes out of it and manages to top the original movie as well, like Dawn of the Dead and now Hills.
It seems as Hollywood has not too many ideas these days so they are willing to do remakes on anything they can get their hands on. But I think that the movie you wanna remake has to be a good movie originally. Take The Fog for instance which is an ok flick but really nothing special, so no reason to remake that or The Amityville Horror etc. Wes Craven's The Hills Have Eyes was a good movie to begin with and I'm a big fan of the original, but honestly, this new remake is much better. It has everything the original version had, only that it has more, it's more raw, more intense and looks f**kin awesome to say the least.
The acting is great, I couldn't find one character that I didn't care for (I'm talking about the Carter family here). This is a normal family that I guess a lot of people can relate to, and that's what makes it even harder to see when they get tortured and terrorized by these mutated cannibals. One thing that really hit me when watched The Hills Have Eyes was that you know exactly what's gonna happen. You know that this family will have to face the people in the hills, and you know that some of them will die and get tortured for sure. Still, when it actually happens it comes like a shock, and that's pretty amazing when you think about it.
Since this family is easy to relate to, it also hurts more to see what they have to suffer through. There's no real character development at all and we don't really get any background info on the family characters. So you don't know them, but still it hurts to see them get hurt. It's good and bad at the same time, but with the bad actually being something good as well since you are watching a horror film. And that's what makes this movie so great, the family members are easy to root for, you know what's gonna go down but still you're surprised when it actually happens. It's just very cool.
Also the feeling of the 70's has been captured perfectly and gives the movie a great overall feel. Add to that a good score, plus hearing California Dreaming that really fits into the whole thing perfectly. The gore is there for sure, but never too much so it becomes something else. It's serious gore and it's a serious movie. The suspense is delivered perfectly and the movie carries so much tension it at times feels like you can cut through it.
I'm happy to have seen it. The Hills remake was a great flick with great directing, a good score, great acting and that has so much tension to offer. It's easy to get drawn into the movie and sit on the edge of your seat till the very end. It's not scary in the way that'll make you jump, it's more that it's at times very gruesome, nasty and it's hard having to see this family having to go through so much shit. Still it's a great flick and if you're a horror fan, this is surely a must see.
Jim and his girlfriend Maggie travel to Texas to visit an old friend of Jim. On their way there they pick up a hitchhiker who turns out to be a real psycho.
The Hitcher 2: I've Been Waiting is a sequel to The Hitcher, a movie that I hardly remember, expect knowing it was a really good and violent flick, starring Rutger Hauer. This sequel is basically a ripoff of the first movie, this time starring Jake Busey as the blonde psychotic hitchhiker. Even if this flick is not that good, I must say that Jake Busey still does a pretty good job as the demented hitchhiker.
It's of course a b-movie, and don't get me wrong as I have nothing against b-flicks, but this one actually seems more like it was made for tv which makes it quite boring. It has some violence but is not half as violent as the original movie, although we get a fair share of action sequences, and even if it's not that good, at least it's not a snore.
The actors are all pretty ok, but C. Thomas Howell is quite a drag to watch as he's not very belivable. Fortunately he passes away halfway through so at least that counts for something.
Another bad thing is that, while it's somewhat entertaining, it's still very predictable. There are no clever twists whatsoever and the actual ending is a bit lame. They could've easily come up with a better ending, as the ending was just way too simple and it feels like they just wanted to finish the movie off without having to put too much thought into it.
If say you have a hang-over, and are to lazy to watch any serious stuff, this movie sure works. It's kinda entertaining and at least there's something going on all the time. But in the end it's not that good so don't expect too much, if anything.
An invisible assassin has gone rogue and is after biologist Dr. Maggie Dalton since she's the only one who can help him. Since she has a killer after her, 2 detectives are to guard her house, but the killer strikes and a female officer gets whacked in the process. Seattle detective Frank Turner who's partner just got killed, goes after the assassin together with Dr. Dalton to seek revenge and to put a stop to the whole charade.
Uhh my head, it hurts really bad, and my eyes too. Why did I watch this crappy flick? Let me start off with saying that I hated the first flick, I'm not a big fan of Kevin Bacon, but it wasn't just him, the whole movie sucked. So since the first movie was so bad, I figured that the sequel might be better. Yeah I know, I should get my head examined. I never expected Hollow Man 2 to be a good movie, but I thought that it could might have some entertainment value. But now after I watched the movie, I can't recall the last time when I got so freakin bored.
Even though there was a lot of stuff that happened the movie throughout, it was still extremely boring. Maybe because it was all too predictable, and you knew EVERYTHING that were gonna happen. While watching this shitfest, it hit me just how meaningless this movie really was. It looks like it had a pretty decent budget and everything, but it was basically just like the name says, hollow. Most irritating thing when it comes to movies like this is that there are so many potential writers and directors out there who never gets a chance because they don't have the money to do their films, or just never gets a shot at it. And then we see movies like this, that costs a lot of money but contributes with nothing more than a braindead script and a lot of pointlessness.
Christian Slater's on the loose. He used to be some solider that took part in some experiment of becoming invisible. Now he's killing off people and must be stopped. The police, the FBI, the National Security and all the rest tries their best, but in the end only Peter Facinelli who's a detective can stop him by becoming what the assassin is; invisible. ZZzzzZzzzzz.
I have nothing against Christian Slater, he's not a great actor but has been in some cool flicks. Although, seeing him in Alone in the Dark was quite horrible, but that was not really his fault since everything that movie had to offer was true garbage. Peter Facinelli is an actor that I actually like, but not here though. Again, it's not this guy's fault either, it's just the script that sucks so much goat balls. I can't really understand why they made a sequel to such a crappy flick in the first place.
Look, just save yourself the headache and don't watch Hollow Man 2, it's so not worth the time. It suffers from a horrible script and the movie is so predictable it's simply ridiculous. The action scenes are not cool, and even if the CGI does not look bad, it still doesn't add anything positive to the film itself. Avoid this and go and rent Fletch instead and have a good time.
France 1944, during WWII, a troup of US soldiers finds a few strangely maimed bodies. Hitler has unleashed his secret weapon, and soon the soldiers will become more than aware of what it is. Lieutenant Schmidt is joined by Captain Joe Russo and a bunch of other soldiers to go behind enemy lines, find the source of the weapon, and destory it before it's too late.
Nazi zombies and werewolf's. It might sound cool, but didn't quite work all the way, especially when talking about werewolf's, since that basically just came out looking kinda ridiculous. Although, Horrors of War wasn't half as bad as I first had thought it would be. That on the other hand doesn't mean that it was a really good movie, but it looked quite all right, the acting didn't make you cringe, and the pacing was pretty good. But on the negative side thought, it wasn't the least bit memorable, it had no effective scares, and it seemed like it had a hard time deciding whether to be a horror or a war movie, and I guess that's why it became both. Horror and war seems like two great categories combined, unfortunately it didn't really work this time either, same as with Deathwatch, The Bunker etc. Only war/horror combination that seems to have somewhat worked ok was the Korean flick R-Point, which I thought was a good flick, even though that wasn't great either.
At least the way Horrors of War starts off kinda made you wanna see what would happen next, plus that, the intro itself looks nice as well. But in the end, that really means nothing if it doesn't come out looking ok when it's over. My big question though is that, when making a movie like this, why not take things up a notch? Why not make it a slightly sick, gruesome and disturbing experience, instead of having a guy wearing some werewolf-looking mask that looks like it was purchased from some novelty store. Having just a tiny bit of gore instead of having a real bloodbath? This is war and horror, one kinda expects to see blood, and a lot of it. And then these Nazi zombies which looked kinda cool, but that wouldn't even scare a 12 year old.
I'm pretty sure that all the everyday Joe's, and the rest of the commersial movie goers will not go watch Horrors of War. The audience for a movie like this is of course an horror audience so why not make it a full horror experience instead of holding back so much? It kinda sadness me watching stuff like this at times, because the very foundation and the idea behind it is not that bad to begin with, it's just that they never seems to be able to do anything proper with it, and like I said before, are holding back too much. Why not just try to please the real horror fans instead of trying to please all different kinds of people, especially when you know that this movie will be seen by horror fans, and at the same time will probably not be seen by people who are not into horror. I just don't get it, and this thing just keeps repeating itself when it comes to a lot of new flicks coming out these days.
The movie featured a lot of war scenes, but even though they were ok, they were just not as good as in a proper war flick. And the horror is just not as good as in a great (well, good) horror flick. Even though it didn't really fail with delivering both war and horror, the way it delivered it sometimes just felt a bit wrong, and could've been done a bit better. The acting all through the movie was actually decent, and I found myself having no problem with the cast, except for one guy playing some German doctor...he sucked big-time. I'm gonna stop my complaining now, and say that while it had a lot of faults to it, it was still watchable.
Blood and bullets, zombies and werewolf's, you get some of it all, but in the end it was nothing spectacular or even that great to begin with. At least the movie had some decent things in it, and I thought it was ok to watch. Even if it wasn't very suspensefull, a lot of stuff happened the movie throughout so at least it provided some entertainment.
2 Americans and one Islandic backpacker are in Amsterdam and get locked out from the hostel they're staying at. They are invited to a guys house who tells them about a hostel in Slovakia where the women are beyond beautiful, and that they are specially into American men. So of course these three horny guys set out to find the hostel, but when they do, it's not exactly what they first thought it would be like.
Hostel is one of those movies that you got to hear a lot about before it actually came out, same with director Eli Roth's previous movie Cabin Fever. There has been a lot of talk about how gruesome and gory this flick would be etc, so of course the expectations when finally getting to see the movie were, not through the roof, but still pretty high. Having high expectations is always a negative thing and has once again proven to be. This does of course not mean that the movie is bad, but to be honest, I was definitely expecting a hell of a lot more.
So these 3 guys go backpacking through a stereotype Europe, and the first half hour or so mostly deals with girls, sex and these guys hormones. This is kind of a drag to watch and is just completely braindead, but you know things are not gonna stay that way for long, and they don't either. Even if the first half hour or so is a part of the story and definitely needs to be there, it still feels like a filler. The dialogue is nonsense, and so is the little humour that it has as well. But hang in there, because things are about to change.
Then it takes a turn for the better or the worse (depending on how you see it), and the movie finally takes off and gives you something that makes you wanna keep watching. The boys end up at a hostel in Slovakia, hook up with some girls, and suddenly the first guy goes missing. Soon the second guy goes missing as well, and the third guy is the only one of the 3 that we get to follow the movie throughout. They came there to meet girls, but there was another reason for why they were told of the place.
The story sounds very simple, and while it is, it still has a bit more to it than what you first would think. I can't tell you what though since that would ruin the whole movie experience for you if you have not yet seen Hostel.
So what about the gore? I expected Hostel to have tons of utterly gory scenes, but ended up feeling kinda cheated and disappointed at the same time. The gore and blood is definitely there, combined with terror and intensity, but it's not nearly as much as I first had thought it would be. There are a few scenes which are a bit gruesome, but if you're a horror fan and have seen tons of horror flicks, it's really nothing new or sensational, even though it's quite cool. Why I felt a bit cheated was simply because you had to sit through all the pointless crap in the beginning of the movie, and when the nasty stuff finally began, it wasn't as nasty as one would've hoped for. But I also definitely have myself to blame, since I read and listened a lot to what other people said about the movie, and that raised my expectations way too much.
Even though Hostel has a running time of 95 minutes, it still felt a bit too short. I was actually surprised over the fact how soon it was over, and it felt like another half hour wouldn't have done any harm. Maybe this was because it actually takes a while before something really happens, and when it does, it's over a bit too quickly. Still, it's very intense for a while and during that time, the movie is just great.
Last but not least, the acting is totally ok, not great, but can't really complain either. There are a lot of unknown East European actors who do a pretty good job as well. Also, Hostel has a quick cameo by Takashi Miike, who we get to see for a few seconds, it's nothing special but still somewhat cool.
Sorry to say, but Hostel was not nearly as good as I had hoped for. I really wanted to like this movie, but the horrible first half hour was just a drag and the gore was somewhat of a let-down. Still, it was entertaining and featured some really good stuff as well. Even if it wasn't that great, I'm still actually glad I got to see it since, among the bad, it also has many great things to offer. One thing I will do though, is that I'm gonna re-watch Hostel later on because, just like with Cabin Fever, I think this is a movie that'll grow on you, and that keeps getting better the more you watch it. If you're a horror fan, Hostel is a definite must see, but don't read up too much on it before viewing it.
It's a few weeks before the Presidential election, and at the same time, war is going on overseas. When the Republican Commander-In-Chief appears on national television, he wishes, infront of the cameras, that those who died defending their country could come back to life again, return, and say how proud they were to serve their country. After that it doesn't take long before the dead soldiers starts coming back to life, zombiefied, but ready to vote. Will they be celebrated like heroes, or the opposite, and what will happen if they don't get to vote?
Homecoming separates itself a bit from the other episodes in the Masters of Horror series, since this is a story that is just not another horror flick, but actually is about something that a lot of people can relate to. Something that has been a big subject now for quite some time. Although it's not like in the real world, as this one has a little twist to it, but it still works as a reminder to what has happened. Bad thing though is probably that the 'right' people will never see it.
First off, I'm not a very political person. Politics has a tendency of being quite boring, but on the other hand, there are issues you just can't avoid, that might directly affect you, someone you know or whatever, you get my drift. What happens in Homecoming is a good thing, that anyone from any country can enjoy and not just Americans. Since where-ever you may live in the world, you're bound to have heard about it, (not the movie itself, but the actual events of course). Still you don't need to have a political interest or anything like that to be able to enjoy Homecoming, you can just watch it as another decent horror flick.
The movie is delivered by Joe Dante who has made such movies like Piranha, Gremlins 1-2 etc and I must say he did a good job directing it. At times it feels like you're watching a news program/debate on tv since it has some of that stuff in it, as well at it deals with the war and the soldiers abroad that we all know of. I was a bit afraid when I first started to watch the movie that it would be too political and too preachy, but luckily it was not. Instead it felt like a good satire with some horror elements in it as well. It's not scary, but it's still definitely a horror flick.
It deals with politics though and not just undead soldiers. We basically get to follow a guy named David Murch who works for the president and who would like to work under him for another four years. He goes on tv, and when an upset woman who has lost her son in the war is on the air for a brief moment, David has to do a spin and so he wishes that the soldiers could come back to life again. His wish comes true, and suddenly zombie soldiers starts showing up everywhere. But they don't wanna eat flesh, instead all they wanna do is to vote (and not for David's team) and as soon as they've done that, they die. David team up with author Jane Cleaver and political man Kurt Rand, and together they try to set some spin to this whole event to not let it affect the presidential race.
Homecoming is of course Anti-Bush, and even if it's not too political, it still has a little too much politics in it that shine through a bit too much at times. It's not a big thing though, and the movie's still absolutely enjoyable. The pacing is good, and the story develops in a good way. Also the ending wasn't really a let-down either, and I think if it would've been, it would all have turned to crap. Just wrote about Chocolate from the Masters of Horror series as well, and while that movie had a horribly shitty ending, it had a lot to offer till the actual end. With Homecoming it was a different story and the fact that it stayed ok with no real let-downs all the way through, made it come out looking slightly above decent.
If you're extremely commited to politics, I guess it sucks if your views are on the opposite side than to what the movie has to offer. Other than that, if you're not interested in politics or just a tiny bit interested, I think you should be ok. I know I was, for most of it anyway. It's a decent flick, and there are zombies, unfortunately there are not any real gore, and the movie is more focused on delivering black humour than actual horror, which is something it was very light on. Nothing really special, but still worth a look.
A family consisting of a husband, wife and daughter move from New York to Boston. Actually they move to a house that's by the cemetary and that was formerly owned by a Dr. Freudstein. The house is cursed and Dr. Freudstein is still alive in the basement, only to come out to cut people up.
House by the Cemetary is an ok Lucio Fulci flick, although far from his best. And compared to movies like The New York Ripper or The Beyond, this is kind of a let-down.
One thing, actually the worst thing about this movie is definitely the kid in it. This kid is so ridiculously annoying that it practically hurts to watch him on screen. I can't believe how they could go with that retarded little monster. You think someone at the set would've noticed and said something like this kid's gonna ruin the whole flick, or something similar to that. But no, he's there and he'll irritate the hell outta you. Ok I know it's the dubbing too, but the kid is just irritating as hell.
I would say that House by the Cemetary is a movie for Fulci fans exclusively. Those who have watched some of his other flicks will probably enjoy this one too even if they probably think he has done greater work before. But for people who would just watch this for the fact that it is a horror movie, the end result might not turn out to be so good as it's actually not that good of a movie to be completely honest.
Ok so you don't watch this because it has an interesting story to offer, you watch it for the actual gore, and gore you'll get plenty of. If you're a splatter fan, gorehound or something like that then by all means go ahead. But for people not into that kinda stuff or people who want something more, it's probably better to stay away.
I'm being kinda nice giving it a 6 out of 10, but I've seen it a few time over the years and I guess it has kinda grown on me. First time watching this, I would probably have given it a 3 or a 4.
It has a nice atmosphere going at times, especially round the house and can manage to be a bit creepy too. Although it never stays that way for long and so loses the viewers interest.
Recommended for Fulci fans, and for people into splatter and gore. It's a cool old flick, but in the end it's not that great. Totally watchable though.
9 people who all are strangers to one another find themselves wakes up in a big house with no idea of how they got there. After a while they find out, from a voice through speakers in the building, that in end there are only supposed to be one person left of the nine and that person will recieve one million dollars. And from there on chaos breaks lose.
It doesn't sound that original, the recent excellent movies Saw and Saw 2 had somewhat of the same theme in it, and it's basically also the same theme as with My Little Eye etc. had, but I must say that this was still a really nice piece to watch.
It's like a reality-show were you have all kinds of different (dumb) people who are put together somewhere and has to work together and you always have some moron screwing everything up, some bimbo, some good-guy etc, and it's the different types of characters that makes it interesting of course.
What makes this movie a bit scary is how real it actually feels, since you've seen people act like this for real on tv before and the stupid things some people will do under pressure, and just the nature of humans in general.
None of the characters are really likable, like Dennis Hopper who's playing the role of some Irish priest and has a really stupid fake accent which is very annoying to listen to. Then there are all kinds of types, but none that you really feel anything special for.
Best thing about this movie is the actual ending which is somewhat unpredictable, (I didn't see it coming), and the ending is really good, but I won't reveal anything here. Worth a look.
A college professor experiments on a corpse of a girl, trying to bring her back to life again. But something goes terribly wrong and soon the whole school is infested with zombies. Some government agents are sent to the school to get a blood sample from the zombie that started the spread of the disease in order to find a cure for it. Together with a special army unit they enter the school, although their mission is everything but easy.
I was expecting crap, and while I didn't strike gold, I still got something out of House of the Dead 2 as it proved to be quite an entertaining zombie flick. Not too often but once in a while a sequel manages to surpass the original movie and that is just what happened here. On the other hand it didn't come like a big surprise since it would actually be quite difficult to make a movie that would be worse than Uwe Boll's House of the Dead. I'm glad he wasn't involved in the making of this sequel since the man has a tendecy to ruin everything he touches when it comes to making films.
Ok, so it's of course not a brilliant movie with fantastic acting and that has a really intriguing story or anything like it. But it still managed to be entertaining and not too dumb, and it really had a Resident Evil feel to it...that's the game and not the shitty movies. The movie started off pretty bad, showing some braindead teens crashing a party, and we get to see some tits and hear some really stupid dialogue. So the way it started out wasn't too good and I was afraid I was in for a real crapfest, but fortunately it all changed pretty quickly and gradually it became better and better.
Sid Haig appears in the beginning of the movie as the college professor who experiments on the dead and is the cause of all the later problems. He's doing good but is just in the movie for a few minutes. Soon after, the zombie disease has spread throughout the school and a team is sent in to find a cure to be able to stop the disease from being spread further. Now the team consist of some pretty stupid characters, although the two lead characters are both pretty likable, one of them being a woman who's kinda easy on the eyes as well.
They search the school, room by room, and encounters zombies every now and then. The zombie make-up is really good and they look quite nasty, something that will appeal to all zombie fans out there. The movie is not that interesting but at least it's fast-paced and has things happening all the time. With things happening is mostly that they run into zombies, and more zombies, and more and so on. It's fairly predictable and you kinda know what to expect, but it still manages to be quite entertaining and the acting's not too bad either. Ok, some of the actors suck, but the leads do a pretty decent job and overall it's definitely watchable.
A movie like this with little gore would be terrible but luckily there are tons of gore and it looks pretty good as well. Of course it's not scary and there are no real unexpected jumps, but it still does the job on the horror front. There are a couple of moments that has a little tension to them, but overall it lacks a bit of suspense. Like I said before, it really has a Resident Evil feel to it, been playing the games quite a lot it was actually fun to see how similar this movie was at times. More similar than the actual Resident Evil movies which is kinda strange, although it's a cool thing so what the hell.
The story is not that interesting but still does the job. The dialogue is at times pretty dumb, not whacky or fun, but just plain stupid. Although it's a minor thing and is fairly easy to ignore. House of the Dead 2: Dead Aim is pretty fast-paced and quite entertaining for a B-movie. And if you're into zombies and gore you'll definitely have a good time watching this flick.
It's about a group of young people who are going to watch some game in another city which they are driving to. However their car break down and they get stuck in a small town were they find a house made out of wax.
I was pretty sure this movie was gonna suck big time. First of it's a remake, and most remakes that come out are often really really horrible ones with a few exceptions.
Secondly Paris Hilton's in it and I was pretty sure she was gonna drag this movie down a whole lot, but after watching it I was kinda surprised since she actually managed to give an ok performance and we also get to see her die which was nice.
The movie starts out like your typical teen horror movie and in the beginning I kinda yawned a lot and didn't feel too positive about it, but from like 20 minutes into the movie it all got better and stayed like that till the very end.
The acting is not terrific but it's ok for what it is, but the best thing about this movie are the death scenes. People get killed in a lot of cool ways and it's worth viewing just because of that.
The story is nothing special really but it's cool anyway and the movie is fast paced ones it gets started and delivers in the end too. It has some cool scenery and it's somewhat intense at times. Definitely worth a look.
David Hess from Last House on the Left stars in this movie as Alex, a grease monkey who has a thing for young ladies, that is raping them. He and his friend who owns their own shop are off to go out to boogie but meet some snobbish couple who asks them to fix their car. They also ask them to tag along to a suburban house party which they do. After hanging around the party for a while Alex and his friend realize that they were only brought to the party for the rich people's amusement and all hell breaks loose and Alex starts to torment and rape the guests.
From the maker of the excellent Cannibal Holocaust is here The House on the Edge of the Park which may not be quite as good as CH but is still a fantastic movie from Ruggero Deodato.
I remember first time viewing it, I had been sitting through a bunch of other Italian flicks for a few weeks time and were getting really tired of some of them but this one kinda brought back the interest again as it felt kinda fresh and was somehow really captivating.
It's not the usual kinda horror you get here but instead this movie is pretty bizarre and twisted, not to mention sick but most of all it feels pretty realistic and that's what makes it work so well.
The acting is very good and especially very belivable and that gives this movie a more realistic feel to it. Even though Alex is a psychotic who rapes girls and who is a violent kinda guy, you still feel some sympathy for him since the snobbish people are horrible so it's not that bad when he goes berserk on them.
Not too much actual gore and some attempted rape and sex scenes, a lot of sleaze that is nudity combined with violence. Although it's a good story and the violence and everything surrounding it is really good and gives it a certain atmosphere which works well.
May put some people off but if you're into this sort of thing I would definitely recommend it as it is a very good movie with a solid script.
Lucas and Clementine lives a peacefull life together in a big secluded house, but one night they wake up from hearing strange noises. It seems someone or something has broken into their house, and that they are not after money or valuables, but that they are after Lucas and Clementine.
One thing I like, no wait, one thing I love is when I get my hands on movies I have heard absolutely nothing about. As I usually spend my days trying to do as little work as humanly possible and instead reading up on movies, news, whatever, so usually when I get to see a movie, I've followed it for a long time during it's production and the making of it. This of course gives you some expectations, and one thing I have learned but never been fully able to deal with are having high expectations, something that always seems to be a bad thing.
So it was nice for a change to have heard nothing about this new French horror opus entitled Ils, (or Them in English). Another thing that was great was the fact that the movie was neither American nor Asian, but French. Reason for that is simply for the fact that 70 percent of all the horror you watch tend to be American, and 29 percent tend to be Asian, so it's always nice to get that 1 percent every once in a while. Ok, so I'm half kidding, but I guess you get my point, it's nice with some different foreign stuff, and this time it's French, a country that has delivered quite a few good flicks over the years. Interesting, well, at least that's what I first thought...
Ils is a really simple movie that has the famous cat and mouse theme baked into it. Basically, this couple Lucas and Clementine one night hear strange noises outside their house. They head down to the first floor, goes out the front door and sees that someone is stealing their car. After that, someone breaks into the house, well more than one, and the couple has no idea what's going on except for that danger lies ahead. After a while, they manage to flee from the house and heads to a big forest located close by. They keep being chased, and things stay pretty intense for a while.
Can't really tell you more about the story or about what happens, although I can say that it started of pretty good, got way better, and then got way worse. Basically it's dark at all times and for a while the movie's a real nail-biter. It sure delivers suspense, in fact a helluva lot of suspense, but eventually it gets stupid and ends that way as well. But as long as the couple are being chased, and you have no idea what's after them, it sure delivers some good horror/suspense. This goes for most horror flicks, as long as it keps its mystery, it's usually a helluva lot better and scarier. Once the mystery is gone, or that is that things have been revealed, something good (which means bad/scary/horrible) has to come out of it. But when you find out what is what in Ils, things just plain sucks.
The acting is good though, and the couple sure seems really scared and freaked out about what's going on. One thing I like was the somewhat shaky camera at times as it made things feel more realistic, and not just like watching another horror movie. When I say a shaky camera, it doesn't mean that it's so shaky that you won't be able to make things out, that you will. Ils is also a pretty short flick that only lasts for 77 minutes, and those minutes goes by pretty fast. The movie's fast-paced and never dull, while what was chasing them truly is dull as hell. It's too bad, it could've been so much better.
The first hour or so is pretty great and delivers a lot of nail-biting suspense. It's only the last remaining 15 minutes that almost completely ruins it when you find out what's after poor Lucas and Clementine. Since the outcome sucked, I thought I should give it a pretty low rating, but since it had so much other good stuff to offer and looked pretty slick, I felt that it had a lot of things going for it as well. A simple but ok story, a lot of suspense, some horror, but a brutally bad ending. Not the first time, and it will unfortunately not be the last time either I guess.
I Spit on Your Grave has a really simple story. Jennifer Hill is working on a new novel and needs to get out of New York so she rents a cabin upstate and goes there to write. There she attracts the attention of four locals who one day rapes her. Some time after the incident she recovers and sets out to seek revenge on the men who raped her.
When it comes to I Spit on Your Grave there are a lot of differing opinions out there. Some claim it to be a underestimated flick that actually tells a brilliant story about revenge and is somewhat of a milestone when it comes to this type of cinema. Others claim it to be totally overrated and that it's quite boring and not that graphical at all.
I wouldn't call it brilliant and I can definitely see why some people would find it to be quite slow and boring. First off the movie's from 1978 and is not made for the MTV generation, so if you have a really short attention span then just forget about it.
But for people who does not need everything on screen to be fast-paced it's ok. I wouldn't call it slow either, sometimes it drags a little but not too much and never so it gets really annoying or anything like that.
One thing that might make it seem a bit slower and that is a really negative thing is that there's no music in the movie. Maybe they made it this way to create a certain mood or feeling but I think that some music in the background would've helped creating a better or more suiting mood for sure.
It's a simple story but it works and is well executed. The actual rape scenes are bad, not in the sense that they are poorly done but that they are horrible to watch but it doesn't even come close to the one in Irreversible which was just brutal and really painful to look at.
One thing though is that after she gets raped the first time and you think that's it, she later gets raped again and then a third time. It goes on for quite a while and even if the scenes are not super graphical, it's still horrible to watch since you know what's going on and might be hard for some people to sit through.
When it comes to the revenge part of the movie I'm actually a bit indecisive if it's good or not. The way she offs the guys one by one are pretty cool and well done, but it takes too long and is not brutal enough, considering what they done to her.
I guess it's brutal but again not graphical enough. But if you see what's going on and use some of your imagination it tends to get better, or worse depending on how you see it.
I Spit on Your Grave is not for everyone to see, as the rape scenes may be to hard for some and the overall movie being too slow for some. I would still recommend it though. It's a good old flick with a horrible theme.
Eugene and pregnant Jody Scott are having a baby shower in their home, and after that all the guests have left, one uninvited guest stays. He introduces himself as Frank Davis, a man who had a monster baby, and warns the couple that their child might be one of these babies as well. After some time, the couple begins to trust Davis, who explains that these special children might be the next step in human evolution. He's a member of an underground organization who protects these children and studies them, and so he helps the Scott's out when Jody gives birth to what proves to be what Davis warned them about. But there's also another organization who wants to rid the world of these monster babies, which all leads to a horrific confrontation.
I wanted to say that this is an old cool horror flick that is worth checking out, but instead I'll have to go with that this is an old shitty flick that it's recommended to stay as far away from as possible. I remember seeing this movie, and the first, way long ago when I was still a young lad with a bright future ahead of me, but since I didn't really remember anything about it from back then, I decided to take a look at it again. Big mistake folks. Well, a few things in it were a tiny bit hilarious, but overall it was a really bad flick, way too drawn out, and not nearly enough horror to satisfy on any level whatsoever.
Since it's a sequel as well, it tends to repeat itself a bit, and borrow too many ideas from the first flick, instead of coming up with new ones. But since that is the basic formula for sequels, I don't wanna complain too much about it. The basic idea is not really bad, but the way it was executed is just too bad. It felt like it took forever before anything remotely interesting happened, and when something actually did happen, it proved not to be worth the wait.
 
Biggest problem with It Lives Again is that it's just so predictable it's ridiculous. That on the other hand would've been totally ok if it would've had some decent scares, gore or whatever to it, but unfortunately there are not to many of these things to be found. Although, I have to admit that the babies looks pretty nasty, and I wish that they would've been given more screen time, because it was just not enough. It takes what feels like forever before you even get to see one of the small mutants, and then when you actually get to see them attack someone, the violence is too toned down.
The character development is non-existant, but with a movie like this, I guess you're not really looking for strong and well developed characters. What you look for is some cheesy horror, some blood, some gore, and some entertainment of course. It fails pretty much with being entertaining because it's just too slow. I have nothing against slow movies, but slow movies has to be interesting, and this is so not interesting. I mean, you don't really care about the characters, or the story, since it's not that kind of movie. This is just a movie you expect to be a whole lot of fun, and you just wanna see blood, mutant babies and a helluva lot of cheese. Basically, I think it's just too serious, it should've been more in the same vein as movies like Basket Case, Frankenhooker or whatever, cheesy and fun, but still nasty and gory if you know what I mean.
It Lives Again provides a tiny bit entertainment, but is basically just too slow, drawn out and lacks the horror, gore and cheese it should of had. To its defence, I have to say that it looks all right, and the acting could of course have been better, but it's still definitely decent. It Lives Again is just not worth the time though.
Danny St. Claire is a park ranger who spends most of her time alone with her trusted old friend, that is a bottle of vodka. She has issues to deal with, having recently just been in an accident where her best friend got killed, that she feel she's responsible for. Her boyfriend Justin, who's also a ranger, comes to see her and to help her deal with her problems. It seems to work at first, but soon they get other things to focus on when apparently some kind of beast is loose in the woods. Shortly after, two campers turn up dead, and Danny's boyfriend is next to go. She then runs into some Native American Professor, who explains what they're dealing with. And what they're dealing with is apparently some old creature, awaken from its slumber. Will they be able to stop it before it kills even more people?
Yikes, It Waits turned out to be the snooze-fest of the year, and even managed to give me a slight headache, and wasted my precious time among other things. I kinda figured right from the start that it was gonna suck, so basically I watched it only for two reasons; 1. Cerina Vincent is hot. 2. The monster might look cool. Well, take my word for it: Even if Cerina Vincent is good-looking, watching It Waits is so not worth the time, and the monster looked like a lame and cheap version of The Creeper.
Throughout the whole movie, I found myself struggling really hard not to fall asleep. If this was the intention with the movie, that is to make people fall asleep, then I have to congratulate them, because they've really succeeded. Like if the overall movie wasn't boring enough, in the middle of the flick, some Native American Professor appears and explains everything about the monster to park ranger Danny. This guy was so freaking boring, and it kinda reminded me of when being back in high school, half asleep, while a teacher kept babbling on about something one couldn't care less about. Thing is that I'm usually not like that, and can sit through most stuff even if it's painfull, but this guy and the whole flick in general just had snooze written all over it.
The viewer has to wait for what feels like an eternity for the actual monster to appear, and when it finally did appear, it was like getting a bucket of disappointment splashed all over your face. So while the monster took a hell of a lot of time to show itself, one must admit that the title is kinda appropriate as it sure waits, and waits, and waits. It kinda looked like a stupid version of The Creeper. Like they've stolen that character, then made him look a little less terrifying, and attached some shitty wings to his back. Poor thing, he was ugly as hell and not even frightening... I kinda felt sorry for the guy. Actually, the monster was a female but who cares?
When it comes to scares, the movie had a few very cheap ones, non-effective none the less. The little gore was somewhat graphical, but if you've seen a few horror flicks before, it has nothing new to offer on that subject either. Now, the acting wasn't half-bad, while that doesn't mean that it was really good either, at least it didn't completely suck. The score did though, and was one of the reason that caused that headache that I mentioned earlier.
It Waits looked all right, and while Miss Vincent always looks more than just all right, the monster didn't look anywhere near all right. All right? Problem with this movie was that it took too long for something to happen, and when something finally did happen, it didn't satisfy at all. The ending was really lame (I'm not gonna give it away though) and the overall flick was extremely boring. For a creature feature, this truly was a huuuuuge waste of time.
Jack Starks is a Gulf war veteran who's sent home after being shot in the head. Although he did not die but is suffering from amnesia. Back home, one day he's hitching and gets picked up by a stranger who kills a cop that pulls them over. Jake goes to trial and can't remember what happened so he's wrongfully accused and ends up in an asylum for the criminally insane. In the asylum Jack is treated with experimental therapy by a doctor, who puts Jack in a straight jacket and locks him up in a body drawer in the morgue. During his time in the body drawer, Jack gets flashbacks and visions of his future and finds out that he's gonna die in only four days. So his only chance for survival is to get back into the body drawer to find out how he's gonna die.
This movie actually made me think of The Butterfly Effect for the simple reason that both movies deal with time travelling, and share some similar things, even though they are not too alike. I was actually amazed with how good The Jacket really turned out to be considering I had no real expectations to begin with. I know Adrien Brody is a good actor but here he's beyond good. But it's not just the acting, it's actually the story that's so darn interesting. From start to finish, there's not a dull moment, every little scene has something to offer and it truly draws you in and does not let go until the credits roll.
For being a thriller, it does not actually have that much suspense to offer. There are some scenes in the movie that of course has some moments of suspense, but nothing really big. But like I said earlier, it's super interesting and once in a while during the movie when Jack gets his flashbacks all of a sudden, it kinda makes you jump a bit. Although it's never scary, things just come very unexpected at times and kinda hits you out of the blue.
Expect for Adrien Brody giving an excellent performance with his character, all other actors in the movie truly does a good job as well. Since the movie jumps back and forth in time, the actors has to perform in multiple realities. Still being the same characters, but with or without the knowledge of other times, and everyone makes that truly believable as well.
The directing is brilliant and the script is very well written. Since the movie jumps back and forth and has so much going on at all times, it still manages to be very clear and gives you just the right amount of clues to keep track and to keep up. This is one thing it has really succeeded in doing. With another director, things may have looked and been totally different of course, but as we get to see it now, it's perfect.
Even though it's not scary or that suspensefull, it still manages to keep you tense all the way through. Also this is the type of movie that could of easily had a really weird ending, with just cutting off so you would have to think for yourself. But it doesn't, and even if the ending is kinda what you expect, it still delivers and makes the overall experience truly worth while.
I wish there were more movies like this, but on the other hand if there was, maybe this wouldn't have been as interesting as it turned out to be. It's fantastic and you should definitely give it a go.
A group of strangers in a bar are suddenly attacked by a bunch of monsters who wants to feast on them. Trapped inside the bar, the group has to use all they can think of as weapons against the beasts who are killing them off one by one.
Feast didn't have too much of a story to offer, but instead it focused on providing splatter, entertainment and is first and most a movie that you should check out if you're up for some good-looking mindless fun. Not even 15 minutes into the movie, mayhem is at hand and limbs and guts are flying across the screen, people are being ripped apart, and it's basically a gorehounds wet dream come true. Then it slows down a bit until Henry Rollins who played a great character puts one dead monster on a stick and sticks it out the window only to show the creatures outside what they're dealing with, and that is mankind. Unlucky for the group, the dead monster turns out to be a baby and after that little incident, hell is unleashed upon the group who has to struggle and fight for survival. One thing I really liked early on was the fact that there were a lot of people in the bar to begin with, and so some of them could be killed right away without leaving to few left to root for.
Early on, Feast had this Tarantino feel to it or rather this From Dusk Till Dawn feel, since the group are trapped inside a bar, fighting evil monsters. But there were so much going on in Feast that you soon forgot about that and instead just enjoyed the movie for what it had to offer, which was quite a lot. Throughout the film, one was treated to almost non-stop action, and this combined with massive amounts of gore and splatter made for one really entertaining ride. Even though it slowed down a bit once in a while, it didn't take many minutes before there were chaotic blood-splattering scenes to get excited by yet again and again.
 
When I first started to watch it, some of the characters came off as a bit too macho and I was afraid that it was gonna go like that all the way through, luckily it didn't. And even though the characters had no real depth, you still got to know them a bit which was absolutely enough, since this was not the type of flick that you'd watch for the sake of deep characters that you would feel for, but instead for the action, monsters and mayhem alone. The way the characters were introduced were both good and bad at the same time I guess. Early on, when there was a new face on screen, the movie paused and showed some basic information in text about that specific character. That way, you got to know who each and everyone were right away and got that over with so that the film could put its focus on the action and horror instead, which it did. I guess this was a good thing to get that out of the way, but at the same time, I usually hate those type of things, just like I hate movies that explains what happened to all the characters after that it's over. No biggie though, and I guess it served a purpose.
Some of the killings or monster attacks if you prefer that, were pretty gruesome and that's a really positive thing since this is the type of stuff you wanna see when watching a flick like this. The gore was definitely there all the way through, but never really over-the-top so it looked ridiculous or anything like that, everything that had to do with that looked pretty much super-duper. Acting-wise I have no real complaints and thought that all of the cast members did a fine job. On the plus side is also that the movie looked very good, had a nice red tone to it and it seemed like it had a pretty high budget for a horror film. Anyway, it looked real sharp.
If I were you, which I'm not, I would defintely give Feast a go. Like I said before, it's mindless fun so don't expect anything too complex, but if you just wanna have a good time and get some great entertainment for your money, this one is well worth it.
Sea World in Florida opens a new attraction called the Undersea Kingdom. Soon a Sea World diver named Shelby Overman disappers and Michael and Kathryn, a couple who both works at Sea World goes into the Undersea Kingdom to try and find out what happened to him. In the water they discover a young great white shark, and they decide to take it back to Sea World and be the only ones in the world who has a great white in captivity. Later on the young shark dies and Overman's body is found, and when looking and the body, Kathryn is convinced that the young shark couldn't have done it. They soon discover that the mother of the young shark, a 35 foot long murderous great white is also inside the Undersea Kingdom, and suddenly everyone at Sea World are in great danger.
Lately I've been watching way too many new flashy horror movies so I figured that it was time to take a look at some old crap, and crap it surely is. Haven't seen Jaws 3 for a very long time, I had forgotten everything this movie was about, and maybe I should have kept things that way, but now it's too late anyway. Of course it's not even comparable to Jaws, none of the sequels are, but at least it wasn't so boring that I had to turn it off. Although, it's quite dull to say the least.
Only reason you would watch a flick like this is either for the suspense, or for the killings and the gore, or both. And even though it has a few kinda cool scenes the suspense is nowhere to be found, and the gore is of course non-existant. What irritated me the most when watching Jaws 3 was that there are so many scenes when people are falling into the water and the great white is swimming around but does not attack. What is that about? Counting all the people that are splashing around and falling into the water when the shark is around, the body count could've been great but instead it ends up being everything that is opposite to great.
We get to follow Dennis Quaid and his girlfriend who's a marine biologist, both of them working at Sea World that is owned by Louis Gossett Jr. Dennis Quaid is not one of my fave actors but he's actually pretty likable here. They soon discover that a 35 foot long great white shark has entered the Undersea Kingdom and is attacking (or at least should be attacking) everything around it. Also a group of people who are going on a guided tour gets stuck in the underwater tunnels so they have to try and save them, evacuate Sea World and somehow find a way to get rid of the killer shark.
The story is actually somewhat ok to follow, but the lack of suspense is just too great. Also when things finally are happening, they don't seem to have that much to them either. As I said earlier, there are a few cool scenes featuring the shark, but that never really takes it anywhere and turns out to be just one lame scene after another. Also the lack of blood and actual kills are just too big for one to fully be able to enjoy the movie. It actually feels a bit like this movie was made for kids with all the happy dolphins and that kind of stuff.
What it has going for it is that it's over pretty fast and even if it's dull, it's not really a snore. It's just too bad that the shark is such a sissy and doesn't kill more people. Sometimes it goes towards being a bit nasty, but every time that's about to happen, it manages to switch over into Disney mode, and we all know what that's like, uuuhh..
Jaws is still a good shark flick but the rest are unfortunately not nearly as good. Jaws 3 is a tiny bit entertaining at times but way too lame for one to fully be able to enjoy. Also the 3D stuff look like complete crap, I didn't have any glasses or whatever on and I didn't watch it in a theater, but I don't think it would've had come out any different in the end.
Danny and Trish are driving home for a college break, but are on the way attacked by a car, and almost pushed off the road. When driving past an old church, they see the same old car, and a man wearing a trench coat dumping something that looks like wrapped up bodies with blood staines on them down a pipe. Shortly after they decide to head back to the church, and look down the pipe in case of finding something, or someone. Accidentally, Danny falls down the pipe, and what he discovers down in the old church basement is truly a terrifying sight. And if things weren't bad enough, now the thing that lives in the church is after them.
The fact is that the first 30 minutes or so of Jeepers Creepers makes for a great horror movie experience. It has a lot of tension, a lot of mystery, and has some really good scares to offer. But the minute you actually get to see the Creeper, all is ruined. Well, it's not that bad, and all is actually far from ruined, but it's not half as good as early on in the movie. The very tension in the beginning is so thick it feels like you could cut it with a knife, and tension like that is kinda rare, and always appreciated.
What makes it eerie early on is the fact that you don't know anything about the Creeper. The movie starts out with Danny and Trish, two bickering siblings, driving their way home for a break, and all of a sudden, this driver comes out of nowhere and almost pushes them off the road. They are both shocked of course, but eventually figures it was just some crazy driver. But it doesn't take long before they see the old rusty car again, parked outside an old church and a man dumping something that looks like bodies down a pipe. After a while they head back to the old church to check out what the man was dumping, if it were actually bodies, and if so, could any of the victims still be alive? This scene delivers a lot of tension as well, since you know that the guy who dumped the bodies could show up at any time. Eventually Danny falls down the pipe (congrats, very smart move) and finds something horrible down there.
 
So far so good, but after that, the movie basically turns into a big chase, were Danny and Trish are being chased by this ancient demon called the Creeper. Apparently, this man-creature comes out every thirteen years or so to feed, and now it's time for that again, and the siblings finds themselves being chased by this horrible thing. Now, the Creeper isn't really that horrible after all, he looks a bit like the Djinn in Wishmaster, but with wings. As soon as he shows himself, the scares automatically goes out the window, and instead it turns into some standard kind of monster horror flick that is not very memorable in the end.
The acting is good with Gina Philips and Justin Long playing the two siblings who are being chased by the Creeper, and they do it very well. Other than that, the movie looks slick and has some decent gore to offer. The score's not that great, and the "Jeepers Creepers" song quickly becomes a bit of a drag to listen to. But overall, it's not that bad, and it's an ok horror movie that starts off really good, but after a while starts going down-hill a bit, fortunately never so much so it's no longer watchable. Because that it is.
Jeepers Creepers is not a bad horror flick, it's just that the first 30 minutes or so are really good, but unfortunately it just becomes worse after that. It's still works though, and provides some entertainment for sure, it's just that the eerie feel and the scares it had to it early on are missing in the rest of the flick. Watchable.
This broken-down bus of high school jocks, cheerleaders and some coaches is stranded on a country road and gets attacked by the Creeper, a beast of some kind who comes up to earth every 23 years to feed. Also a farmer who lost his younger son to the Creeper earlier sets out to get his revenge.
I don't know why they felt like it was necessary to do a sequel to the first movie. Jeepers Creepers was pretty good when it came out and there was no reason to do a second one, but they did and here it is, and it's as expected not very good.
Jeepers Creepers actually had some genuine scares in it, at some point a creepy feeling to it and was kinda intense at places. Jeepers Creepers 2 has nothing of that to offer, it's just a dumb sequel, totally pointless.
That's about it and it's crap.
First off you have all these annoying idiots in the bus and you have to sit through all their stupid jokes and dumb comments and remarks. After that you're so sick and tired that you don't really care what's gonna happen anymore.
Why do so many of these teen horror movies have to have such a stupid dialogue in them? Only thing that happens with that is that either you end up hating the characters more than you did at first sight or you just don't care, but either way, nothing good can come of it.
So the Creeper keeps attacking the bus and everyone's screaming and it's quite boring. And then you have the revengeful farmer on the side which is actually somewhat equal to the Creeper but this is not very interesting either.
I guess it has some entertainment value, but not much. I hope they don't make a third movie but they probably will. Those bastards...
Medical students Jay Jekyll starts experimenting with a strange drug similar to ecstasy that makes him become someone else. At first he's a bit frightened by what the drug turns him into, but keeps experimenting in order to improve it. It doesn't take long before he's addicted to the drug, or rather that he's addicted to being the person he becomes when taking the drug. And that person is Hyde.
I have to admit that I wasn't expecting a single thing from Jekyll + Hyde, and figured it was just gonna be yet another b-movie that I would later regret sitting through. But to my big surprise, the film actually turned out to be more than just decent, it was actually a really good flick. Even though I guess we all know the story about Jekyll & Hyde, and for the fact that the story has been turned into different kinds of films over and over again, I have to say that this one really had an interesting take on the subject. With a good script and actors that really pulled it off, Jekyll + Hyde proved to be one helluva good film. I guess having no expectations help quite a bit, but still, it's not a film to dismiss as yet another lame take on the tired old story.
Even though the movie has some horror elements in it, I think it would be somewhat wiser to refer to it as a thriller, because that is really what it is. This time the person that is Hyde is really no monster per say, or that is looking at him from the outside. When taking the drug, Jay Jekyll becomes Hyde, with Hyde being a violent, sexual predator, but he doesn't transform into a giant hairy beast or any of those things we've seen before. Thing is that Jekyll is a nice, somewhat nerdy person, while Hyde looks better and has way more confidence. And even though Hyde is one bad mother, it's still kinda hard not to like him.
After a short time, Jekyll becomes obsessed with being Hyde and wants to be him all the time. Eventually things starts to go down-hill and it all ends in tragedy, something that I have to give this movie credit for as well since I hate happy endings. Happy endings have a tendency to make you forget the movies, while tragic endings have more feeling to them and therefore they're more memorable. You don't have to agree with me on this, but I think this movie really delivered on that front. Since the story is familiar to most people, it of course makes the film itself a bit predictable, thing though is that it doesn't really matter that much. The way they've put it together is really good, and the actors makes the story come alive in a very good way.
I'm happy to say that the acting was very good, because that's always my greatest fear when about to watch some new horror flick. You might recognize Bree Turner who a little while back had a role in the Masters of Horror episode Incident on and Off a Mountain Road. She delivered a good performance here, but Bryan Fisher stood out playing Jekyll/Hyde. Well, especially Hyde, Jekyll I couldn't really care any less for, still a good performance though. Other than that, the movie actually delivers a bit of tension along with a little gore and violence. Not too much though, but what's the most interesting thing here is the captivating story.
An interesting take on the old story which to my big surprise actually worked really well. Good acting, and above all, it was very interesting all the way through. If I we're you, I'd check it out.
Police officer Frank Spivey one day stumbles upon a man who is about to murder a young girl, and it all ends with Frank shooting the man down. The girl's face is horribly disfigured, and it seems like she can't speak either. When he later on realizes that she has nowhere to go, he takes her home and lets her stay with him until he can find some other place for her. Soon though, Jenifer starts to become a huge problem, eating up Frank's family's cat and what else. But even so, Frank seems to have become obsessed with the girl and lets her stay with him. As time goes by, the more Jenifer makes Frank's life miserabel, and in the end, there's only one way out.
I didn't expect too much from Dario Argento's addition to the Masters of Horror series, but I was really impressed with what the man had accomplished here. I've seen most of his flicks, and have found a few of them to be quite enjoyable, although, I'm not a huge fan of his work. Thing though is that he really hit the spot with Jenifer, which is a genuine creepy flick that stayed with me long after it was over. And I love horror movies that do that to you, makes you think about them long after you've finished watching them, just as much as I hate it, if you know what I mean.
Best thing with Jenifer though was the story, as it was easy to get into, and extremely captivating all the way through. I heard some people saying that it was nothing special, not memorable etc, and of course we all have different kinds of taste. But honestly, I can't really understand that trail of thought. When constantly watching so much horror flicks, week after week, year after year, you end up seeing a lot of flicks that are just repetitions of other flicks. So when movies like this comes along, not very often but it happens, it's like finding that fine pearl after looking through hundreds of empty shells.
It was strange seeing Steven Weber in the role of the man who ends up taking care of Jenifer. He's usually a funny guy, and when the movie started, I wasn't sure if it could even be scary with him being in it. Well, I was dead wrong. Not only is he NOT funny, but he also does one hell of an acting job. I sincerely felt sorry for the guy, and his performance works all the way. I think this was on the plus side as well, not that he did a good job, but that he actually worked really well in a horror flick that was actually quite creepy. Apart from that, he wrote the teleplay for Jenifer as well, which is another cool thing. Carrie Fleming who plays Jenifer is great, and the make-up is...how can I put it..awesome! The girl really looks creepy, at the same time, you feel a bit sorry for her, even though she acts like she does.
The ending was somewhat predictable, but even so, it was a great ending, and I can't see how it could've had a better ending. So what if it's slightly predictable, it makes the whole thing come together, and just makes the outcome very good. There's some gore in the movie which was well needed, not for the fact of getting to see actual gore, but to show what Jenifer really is.
I'm actually really impressed here, and would never had thought that Jenifer would prove to be such a good flick. It had a great creepy feel to it from beginning to end, and even if the ending was a bit predictable, it still delivered big-time. Credit to those who did the make-up, as it just looks amazing. If you haven't seen, do yourself a favor and rent or buy a copy of it. Not to be missed.
Kelby gets word that his old man has died, and together with his fiancé he heads to his home town to attend the funeral. Haven't been back home for 13 years, once there he meets two of his former old friends that he share a dark past with. A past that made him move and start his life over, but that is now back and this time there's no escaping it.
Joshua, released by Fangoria/Gorezone, is an indie film with a gruesome plot that is really hard to describe without ruin the movie for those who have not yet seen it. All I can say is that Joshua is a truly creepy movie, that has a story that stays with you long after the movie is over and those types of films are quite rare.
Kelby's father dies while serving time on death row and while Kelby seem like he couldn't care less about his father, he still goes back to his small home town in Indiana, bringing along his new fiancé to go with him. Once there, he gets a visit from an old friend of his and later at the funeral he meets yet another one of his old friends. You can easily tell that things between them are not very good and the further the movie goes, the more is revealed to why. Because together they have a dark childhood secret that now is brought back to life again and makes for a terrifying tale that is quite brutal, not to say frightening indeed.
A lot of indie flicks have this bad feel to them. Often, even if the stories are good, they might still feel too cheap and usually they feature some really horrible acting, something that seems to be quite hard to escape from when it comes to these types of films. It's always fun to see indie flicks though, just to see what people can make out of an extremely small to a no-budget, but the very outcome of most of these films are unfortunately not that great for most of the time.
 
Joshua came like a real surprise, as I was expecting this movie to be watchable at best, but ended up really liking it, especially for the script which is brilliantly delivered. It's a sick and twisted movie and is so not your average predictable horror movie, but there was actually a lot of thought put into this one. Little by little the story is revealed and it just becomes darker and darker as well as more horrifying. It's clever and impressive and at the same time truly dark and sick. It's interesting all the way through and comes out looking really good in the end. (Maybe too good because I know I had problems sleeping.)
When finished watching it, I was actually really impressed. First off, I wasn't really expecting anything and secondly, the fact that it was an indie flick that was so well made with such an interesting and gruesome story just made it seem even more impressive. There are not too many scares, actually there are no scares that would make you jump out of your seat or anything like that. It's more psychological and the plot itself is so sick, it's hard not to be affected by it - I kid you not. It's has this creepy feel to it that constantly grows the longer you watch.
Long after the movie was over, it kinda hit me just how sick the plot really was and thinking about it now does not make me feel too good. It sounds like a negative thing, but is infact the total opposite. Not too many movies succeed with doing this and writer/director Travis Betz should get a lot of credit for his accomplishment. If you liked Ringu, the Japanese film that is, this is something you'd wanna check out.
Joshua is a really impressive indie film with a story that stays with you long after that the film is over. It's truly a clever movie and I can't wait to see what Travis Betz will do next. Truly recommended.
An exotic dancer named Gina is attacked in a motel, but is rescued by some neighbour. Later on she goes to the police station for questioning, and after that she plans to take a bus and go some place far away from all that has happened. The local small town sheriff, Lieutenant Krebs, offers her a ride to the bus station, but instead of taking her there, he abducts her and locks her in a cell in his basement. In the weeks that follow, Gina has to start seeing things the captors way if she ever hopes to escape from the unstable man.
The Keeper is a typical thriller featuring Dennis Hopper as the small town sheriff who's a mentally unstable man with a messed up childhood. Asia Argento stars as Gina, an exotic dancer who is kidnapped by Hopper and has to stay locked up in a soundproof cell in his secluded country home. As time goes by, she learns that she has to start trying to please the man, playing mind games, in order to be able to escape. And that's about it.
I'm not a huge Dennis Hopper fan, although I like a lot of his work. But recently he has started to disappoint more and more, and for every bad movie he makes, it seems to get harder and harder for him to pick himself up. I was somewhat disappointed with his performance in Land of the Dead, then his horrible performance as the priest with the phony accent in House of 9, and now this. He's not bad here, but on the other hand not nearly as convincing as one could have hoped for.
Lieutenant Krebs (Hopper) has this so-called point system that works as a kind of reward system. That is, do good and you get some points and eventually some high amount of points will give you something in return. That is what he's trying to teach Gina, how to make points, and while of course refusing at first, she figures that she'll have to play his game in order to be able to escape. I can totally understand what they were trying to accomplish and do here, but it's just not very convincing and ends up carrying a constant stupid dialogue that makes everything come out looking pretty stupid and with a just too wooden feel to it.
Another thing that kind of put me off a bit was that there's no mystery whatsoever. Things happen fast in the beginning with Gina being assulted, then kidnapped, but then everything slows down quite a bit. Within the first 10 minutes you already know who the kidnapper is, what he wants to do, and that his hostage's only goal is trying to escape from the place where she's being held, and that's it. Then you figure that there must be some clever twist later on, since this is the type of movie that really needs to have a twist to it. Big no. You can actually predict what's gonna happen within the first 10 to 15 minutes and there are no unexpected events ever occuring which in the end makes The Keeper a pretty dull movie experience.
There's a little more to it, but on the other hand it's not very important. Lieutenant Krebs comes out looking like a straight arrow cop, but underneath the surface he's supposed to be psychotic. But even though he's a weird fellow who says he has Gina locked up for her own good, he never comes out looking like the proper psycho that you wanna see. He's just too nice (yes that's the whole thing but it's just not very effective) and it never really goes anywhere. Movies like this has to have some suspense in them, that's one big element a thriller like this can't survive without, but it's really nowhere to be found. The girl manages to escape a couple of times, but when you see there's still a good half hour left of the movie, you know he's gonna catch her and things are gonna repeat themselves all over again.
The camera-work is ok for what it is, but it's not the type of movie you'd watch for the camera-work. The score is decent and even if it's not the least bit memorable, it still fits the movie and works well in the background. The acting is so-so, not bad but Hopper and Argento are not nearly as convicing with their character as they so needed to be. The suspense is really nowhere to be found and the dialogue is a bit stupid and contains too much nonsense at times.
I found myself having no problem sitting through The Keeper, but it sure did not deliver the goods. For being a thriller it's quite a dull experience that features no real suspense. Hopper is a bit disappointing as the not fully psychotic psycho, and Argento is ok at times but still comes out as pretty weak in the end. If you're looking for a good suspense thriller, it's recommended to look elsewhere.
Television journalist Ann Baurer is spending time in the Brazilian rainforest, covering some story. One day though, she stumbles upon Dr. North's experiment, to raise genetically mutated bees and sell their venom's healing properties as medicine. Unfortunately, these bees also contain a fast-acting virus which is extremely deadly. And now, several cases of bees are being shipped to New York on a jet. Oh noooo!!!
There's no real excuse for making a movie like this. Only excuse I can think of, that would be worthy, is if the people behind it said they made it so bad so it would actually be funny to watch. And while it kinda is that, I don't think that was their real intentions when they made it. I know some people that have awful taste when it comes to movies, but still, I'm pretty much sure they wouldn't go for Killer Buzz either. It's actually quite amazing when thinking about why movies like this are made in the first place, and who the hell they are for? Who actually watches the whole thing and likes it? I would like to meet that person, or actually I wouldn't, since that would just be too scary for real I'm sure.
Rutger Hauer, you kinda wonder how he ended up in this piece of junk that they call a film. Recently I saw him in Minotaur, and that was also surprising since that was a crappy flick as well, but still, it was a lot 'better' than Killer Buzz proved to be. I've had this movie laying around at home for quite some time now, and have just been avoiding to watch it. Last night I decided to give it a go which wasn't the smartest decision ever made, and it would've been so much better if I would've just kept avoiding to watch it. After finished watching it, it felt like one had gotten hit over the head really bad, and today, I suffer a terrible hang-over from it.
Hauer plays some crazed terrorist called Ezekial who wants to keep the bees for himself, and therefore causes a lot of trouble for others, him and his army. There's also this tribe of Indians called The Shadow People (where have I heard that before?) that doesn't make this movie any more interesting. Early on, the movie's actually so bad that it's at times kinda funny, but after some time the fun is gone and it's just all bad all the way through. It's not even a proper horror movie, it just deals with bees and feels more like a really shitty and pointless action flick that was meant for complete idiots. I really can't go on writing about Killer Buzz, it's just not worth the time.
This film is so freakin bad it's not even funny, and there's no point of going into detail about it since there's really no good reason to watch it in the first place. I hope I never have to sit through anything like this ever again (even though I know that is bound to happen sooner or later).
A guy and his girlfriend sitting in their car on a hill sees something big falling from the sky and land not too far away from where they are, so they go there to find out exactly what it was that fell from the sky. They stumble upon a big circus tent in the middle of a forest which has all of these clowns inside, but they don't seem like your normal circus clowns.
Here we have a true classic cheesy 80's movie that I guess have somewhat of a cult status, no wonder since it's a very cool movie about murderous clowns from outer space, how cool isn't that?
There are so many small details in this movie that makes it great, you have everything that has to do with clowns and circuses, even their space ship looks like a big circus tent. Then the clowns are mean as hell and instead of being "normal" earthly clowns, these ones comes from outer space.
After coming to earth, these clowns goes around and captures people trapping them inside cocoons made out of cotton candy and brings them back to their tent (well space ship) to drink their blood (no, the clowns are not vampires). Funny thing though is that no one in town realises what's going on and they are not afraid of the clowns either because the clowns look like, well clowns.
Another cool thing that has to do with the details I mentioned earlier is that they kill people with stuff that clowns use and that simply just looks like clown gear but are all deadly weapons. So no one realises what's going on except for this couple that saw when they came from the sky and two of their friends who are similar to some kind of village idiots working driving a ice cream truck.
It's a b movie, don't expect anything else, but it's still very well done and has some cool effects and even if it's low budget it still looks like they actually had some budget to it. It's not a serious movie but it's so not supposed to be either.
t's highly entertaining and enjoyable and if you haven't seen it yet, well then you've definitely missed out on some good stuff from the great 80's.
A man out diving is bit in half by a creature in a lake in Maine, and the local sheriff teams up with the local game warden to find the killer beast. Also joining them is a paleontologist from New York, and Hector Cyr, a rich and eccentric crocodile lover. Will they be able to figure out what's in the lake and stop it before it kills more people?
The first time I saw Lake Placid I was really disappointed since I thought they would be dealing with some kind of prehistoric monster and not a crocodile. So yeah, the crododile is unusually big, but nevertheless it's still just a crocodile. It was the cover that fooled me, and if you look at it you see that there's a huge beast and a small Bridget Fonda on it. If you compare their sizes, the beast is just enormous and unfortunately it doesn't look like that in the actual movie. But when I watched Lake Placid now a few years later I was aware of the cover and the actual size of the beast, so let's just take it from there.
So a man gets bit in half in the beginning of the movie and is dragged back into the boat by the local sheriff who's with him. That's a really cool scene since you get to see him laying there in the boat with everything from his waist down completely gone. There's one other scene later on which is kinda just as cool but that's about it. That's the type of stuff you wanna see in a movie like this so it's a shame it didn't have more of that gory stuff.
Naturally they have to figure out what's in the lake and stop it before it kills again, and the sheriff teams up with local game warden (Pullman) to investigate further. Since they found a tooth in the dead divers body that proved to be prehistorical, a New York palaeontologist (Fonda) is sent to Maine to find out more about the tooth and where it came from. She's a sarcastic little broad and is quite annoying to watch, it's supposed to be fun at times but her comical timing is just non-existant. Also joining them is a rich crocodile lover (Platt), a special and odd kind of character who has a lot on his mind and who's not afraid to say whatever's on it.
Together they go out to "hunt" this beast which they soon figure out is a 30 foot Asian crocodile, and a lot happen on the way. It mixes comedy and horror but the horror is not very strong. There's actually a lot of comical situations and remarks throughout the movie, and while some being really amusing, some is not. It's a bad creature feature, but since the makers seem to be totally aware of the fact that it is, it never tries to be anything else which is a really good thing.
Lake Placid is fast-paced and has some funny and cool moments, but is so predictable it's ridiculous. It's a B-movie and is probably just supposed to be entertaining, but it's so easy to tell what's gonna happen next all the time, even in the end and that brings it down a little. There's no tension, but some of the crocodile scenes are pretty cool to watch, like when it eats a cow or drags a whole bear into the lake.
The acting is ok, Pullman is not the least memorable and the rest are somewhat annoying at times even though Platt's character says some funny stuff at times. I actually found the local sheriff (Brendan Gleeson) to be most likable, and even if it's nothing outstanding, he's still giving a good performance. The score is crap and the "romantic" stuff in the end was just completely terrible.
It's not a great creature flick, but it's an ok B-movie that has some funny stuff in it. It's entertaining and is at least not boring. Don't expect too much and you'll probably have a good time watching it.
Land of the Dead is about that the living dead has overtaken humanity and the last people on earth live inside a city protected from what's outside. There are two classes of people, the rich who live in nice skyscrapers while the unfortunate live on the streets inside the city. What protects the city is an enormous tank called Dead Reckoning controlled by a group of people who later loses control over the tank to a man out to destroy the city.
I know a lot of George A. Romero fans have been waiting for this movie and now when it's finally out is it as good as hoped for? Personally I didn't think it was bad but it wasn't that great either.
Just because it's from the same man who gave you the Dead Trilogy doesn't mean it has to be a fantastic movie and it's really not. Since Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead was made long ago and were all really good zombie movies or lets call them landmarks there's still nothing that says that Land of the Dead (coming out so many years later) is gonna be just as good, I dont' think you can't even really compare them either.
I was really looking forward to this movie and I'm sad to say that I'm somewhat disappointed, even if it's not that bad really it's way worse then I had hoped for.
The cool thing here is that the living dead are actually smart, and not all braindead like most other zombie movies. Dennis Hopper's in it but he doesn't add anything to the movie really, I'm not really a Dennis Hopper fan either especially not after seing him recently in House of 9 which otherwise was an ok movie. It's also irritating that John Leguizamo stars in this movie, since he's a lousy actor, it would have been so much better if they had chosen someone else to play his part.
These are just minor negative complaints which doesn't really matter that much. I guess a lot of people really wanna like this movie and keep telling themselves to, even though in the end it's not that good. All in all it's an ok movie but also a very forgettable one.
Luke and William travel through the California desert when they're kidnapped by a psycho. This is the first part. Later, with the help of a friend they manage to escape and gets caught up in a bar that suddenly gets attacked by the legion of the dead. That's the second part, and this part is exactly like From Dusk Till Dawn. Well not exactly, this one's complete trash.
Legion of the Dead is a movie from German crap-meister Olaf Ittenbach, creator of The Burning Moon and Premutos among others. And even if Premutos is kinda crappy, it still had a lot more going for it than this flick has.
This is actually a From Dusk Till Dawn ripoff, you can't escape from the fact that it is, and it's truly noticable when you see it which is not a good thing to begin with. If he's was gonna try and rip it off, then try and do it somewhat properly, not like this as this is just plain horrible.
But let's get away from the fact that it's a ripoff. So what else does this movie have to offer, gore? Yeah some, but most of the time it just looks way too cheap and ruins the experience. Again, watch Premutos instead, it's bad but at least you'll get some proper gore. Maybe not proper but still a hell of a lot better than what you get here.
Just like From Dusk Till Dawn this movie is kinda divided into two different parts. Yeah it's a ripoff all the way.
I can't believe that Ittenbach made this movie, not that I'm a fan of his but it just seems so stupid to completely rip a movie off that most people who would watch Legion of the Dead most likely have seen. People take other people's ideas all the time, but cases like this are just too much.
The performances from the actors are so wooden that it actually hurts to look sometimes. And most of the time when watching this, it feels like the movie was just thrown together without any thought behind it whatsoever.
So what do we actually get here? Good dialogue? No. Decent acting? No. Gore? Yeah, shitty gore not worth the time. Nudity? No. Good directing? No. Nice photography? No. A good story? Hahaha. Plot holes? Yes. Stay away, you've been warned.
Five friends are on vacation in a Chinese city when they one night decides to go to a Kareoke Bar. In there, one of the friends happens to offend a Triad boss, but luckily a Japanese guy named Miles is there to help them get out from the place before the shit hits the fan. Once out, everything seems to be under control, and the friends head of to a sleazy porno theatre called Venus Theatre to relax and to forget about the unfortunate mishappening. They buy tickets and enter the place, unknown that the Triad boss and his men have followed them. The bloodbath is about to begin...
Obviously, Live Feed seemed to be somewhat similar to Hostel, dealing with a group of trapped people being exposed to severe torture. But other than that, the movies are a bit different from one another, and I wouldn't put too much weight on comparing them. I mean, Live Feed might not be a very original movie, but the main reason for watching this is of course not for originality, but for the gore, blood and carnage. Now gore is something that this movie offers a helluva lot of, and even if it has its faults when talking about the acting, the score, the script itself, whatever, at least it delivers full-on gore and carnage, which will probably make every gorehound out there jump with joy. Well, at least those parts of the movie won't leave the gore craving sickos unsatisfied.
I found it to be quite hard to put a rating on Live Feed, and the reason for that is because when looking at it from one point of view, it has some extremely bad things in it, but looking at it from another point of view, it also has a lot to offer. Let's break it down, shall we? On the negative side of things, there's too much crap in the way before we get to the good stuff, exacly like it was with Hostel. Now, this is not a huge thing really, and once the nastiness kicks in, the movie kinda redeems itself so to speak. Thing with Hostel was that it promised a lot, and when you finally got to see it, your expectations were pretty much through the roof, which is never a good thing. With Live Feed, I wasn't really expecting anything, although I can admit that I was interested to see what they had done with it gore-wise, but I never really thought it would be a very good flick to begin with. And I think that made all the difference; that is no expectations, and therefore I could take the movie for what it really was, nothing more, nothing less.
 
The actors were decent at best, with some of them being really lousy. The prize for worst actor in the movie goes to the Triad boss who shows what crappy acting is all about. I could definitely go on complaining about the acting but I don't really see any reason to, you'll notice when you see it. Since I want to get the complaints out of the way, it's probably best to dive right into the score which was truly the most annoying thing this movie had to offer. All music were basically just irritating, and while I can see the reason for why they played traditional Chinese music early on when the group visited a night market, the fact still remains, it sucked. Sometimes the music was so bad and irritating that I found myself having a hard time to focus on what was going on in the movie, now that's a real downer. Other than that, the fact that they were really not in China, but in China Town somewhere made it come out looking a bit stupid as well. Also, the Chinese guys couldn't seem to decide whether or not they should speak English or Chinese to each other which also made it look a bit dumb. These are little things though, and if you try (hard) not to think about it, you'll be ok.
The very best thing that Live Feed had to offer was the giant butcher who was wearing a freaky leather mask. When this guy first made his apperance, my jaw almost dropped to the floor. I mean, talk about being intimidating. This guy was H-U-G-E, and by wearing this bizarre mask, it sure made him look even more freaky, and also for the fact that you knew that he was gonna brutalize the group of unlikable teens kinda made you forgive the movie for its previous faults. This giant was definitely the highlight of the movie. Gore-wise you get to see a lot of nasty things, dismemberment, torture and most things that you can think of. There's for instance one scene where they force a snake down a girls throat using a plastic tube, pretty gross. So if for nothing else, at least you'll always have that.
There's basically just one reason why you'd wanna watch Live Feed, and that is of course for the explicit gore. It has its fair share of problems, and I really wonder why you got to see a naked chick dancing on stage early on in the movie for what felt like forever. This was shown with full frontal nudity, but didn't really make any sense or didn't have anything to do with anything, just totally pointless. I guess I could see a bunch of clueless teens enjoy this sort of thing, but it just felt extremely unnecessary and above all, way too drawn out. This thing kinda put me off right from the start but about 40 minutes into the movie, it suddenly got a helluva lot better, and actually managed to stay that way for the rest of the movie. Why it gets a "higher" rating is simply because of the huge butcher which looked really nasty and was great. Other than that, the gory stuff sure was entertaining enough. This review of Live Feed was for the unrated version, and since I haven't seen the rated version, I can't really say how different things would look. But if you're only after the gore and torture, I see no reason why you'd wanna watch the rated version.
A recently divorced lady and her two sons are forced to move in with her father, due to financial problems, in the town of Santa Carla, California. Santa Carla has a high murder rate and are famous for people disappearing without a trace and the youngest son Sam gets to hear that the town is inhabited by vampires who supposably are behind the murders but refuse to believe it at first. The elder son Mike meets a girl that he falls for but she's hanging with a crowd that are not your normal human beings. Later Sam sees Mike showing signs of becoming an actual vampire and together with two young vampire hunters that he met earlier, they set out to destroy the head vampire to get rid of all the vampires and to save his brother.
The Lost Boys is a pretty cool 80's movie and probably among the better vampire flicks ever made. Most vampire movies have a tendensy to suck (no pun intended) or take themselves too seriously which only makes them end up more goofy in the first place.
The Lost Boys actually manages to have a really good balance between comedy, thriller and horror. The comedy is 80's style but not too over-the-top and works pretty well without ruining the actual suspense parts of the movie.
The story is pretty cool but far from brilliant but works well and makes for a really good and entertaining movie. The twist in the end is nothing special and you can probably figure it out at least half way through the movie. This doesn't really matter though since it's a really good and most of all a entertaining flick with good performances from all the actors involved.
We get to see a young Kiefer Sutherland as a vampire and 80's star Corey Feldman as a vampire hunter, he's not really a good actor but his 80's movies are actually kinda fun to watch, same with Corey Haim who plays the youngest son Sam.
It's a serious movie but has a little humour here and there which works pretty well without taking the suspense off. We don't get to see that much blood and gore even if it deals with vampires but it's not that kind of movie and is not necessary either. About the directing, score, acting and special effects etc, there's nothing to really complain about since it's all well done.
For a lot of people I guess this movie is kinda nostalgic seeing it nowadays, and for younger people who haven't seen it you might wanna give it a shot since it's such a cool and classic vampire movie.
Influenced by the writings and works of Howard Phillips Lovecraft (better known as H.P. Lovecraft), LovecraCked! The Movie delivers nine Lovecraftian tales that are all tied together by an investigative journalist who tries to find out who this mysterious writer really was. Along with that the reporter keeps digging for clues about Lovecraft, one short film after another is shown; All being indie films with some being good and some that could've been a helluva lot better.
There has been a lot of adaptations of Lovecraft's works with the most famous one probably being Stuart Gordon's Re-Animator, not to mention The Necronomicon itself used in Evil Dead. If you're a big Lovecraft fan who likes and admires the man for his utterly obscure writing skills, LovecraCked! The Movie might not be your cup of tea since it mixes horror with comedy, and to make things better or worse, depending on how you see it, there's even some porn to be found in one of the short films. When talking about Lovecraft's writings, there are really no excellent adaptations out there to compare to what the man has written and LovecraCked! The Movie is no exception. But this is not a movie you should watch because you're really into Lovecraft, but for the fact that you get a wide variety of different indie films. Some made by people who might have a bright future ahead of them, while some made by others who should not make movies at all.
Let's break it down shall we? The first short story is called The Statement of Randolph Carter, directed by Jane Rose, and it had a pretty good feel to it even though it didn't really do it for me. The style of the film itself was pretty cool though and it was 'stupid' enough to work on some levels. Unfortunately it was over in a blink, but was kind of a good, sort of a tease, to start off with. Next one out was called The History of the Lurkers by Justin Powers, and even though I found it to be far from being great, the people behind the film definitely deserves some credit for originality. It takes place in modern day with a punk-rocker who can summon true evil (that was an hilarious scene for sure). The lurkers themselves were quite frightening but in a funny sense of the word.
What follows the lurkers is a short film called Remain, directed by Ashley Thorpe, that proved to be one of the best segments LovecraCked had to offer. Filmed using stop-motion technique, something that made things seem even more creepy and felt a bit like watching a video by the band Tool. It had some disturbing imagery to offer with an artist painting a canvas that comes alive. This piece was right on the spot. Fourth flick called Bugboy from Swedish director Tomas Almgren was, according to yours truly, the very best segment on the disc. Filmed in black & white, Bugboy looked really awesome and had a Cronbergian feel to it (couldn't help but to think of The Fly when watched it). It had a good but really simple story that worked wonders and even though it was really short, just like all the segments, it was still enough time for it to really satisfy. The film had some nice effects, nice make-up and I honestly think the black & white helped it look a lot better.
5th segment called Witches Spring by Brian Barnes was a drag to watch, and even though it was really short it was still too long and just looked and felt way too amaturish. Dealing with some pretty girl that were supposed to be a witch that lures some horny guy to her apartment and tries to steal his youth. It really had nothing to offer and was the worst so far. 6th segment called Alecto, directed by Simon Ruben, actually felt a bit too long as well, or that is that it was too drawn out. It had some cool stuff in it, like the puppets, but felt a bit too artsy and was really not my kind of thing. But at least it was different and it really separated itself from the other segments, something that was both negative as well as positive I guess.
Grady Granros's Chaos of the Flesh was the seventh film and had also been shot in black & white just like Bugboy which made it look really good. Unfortunately it felt like somewhat of a clone to Dario Argento's version of 'Jenifer', even though they were not exactly similar to one another. I have to give it some credit though for how nice, not to mention creepy, it looked and the make-up was awesome. This piece was really worth watching as well. Segment number 8 called Re-Penetrator, directed by Doug Sakmann, was basically a porn parody of Stuart Gordon's Re-Animator. It had some hardcore sex in it, some bad acting (I'm not gonna complain about the acting because after all, this was a porno), and a lot of blood, gore and some disgusting stuff. The girl in it was moaning for all she was worth there for a while and now I have a hard time facing my neighbours. But apart from that, Re-Penetrator sure provided some weird fun.
Last out was something called And This Was on a Good Day which best could be described as an animated music video. Watching this felt like being on drugs and the film stood out and was really captivating. I was in fact really impressed by this one, maybe because it was just so different from the rest, I'm not sure. Directed by Brian A. Bernhard it was definitely one of the highlights on the disc though.
To tell you the truth, I have some problems giving LovecraCked! The Movie a proper rating. I would say that half of the short films shown had some, to a lot of potential and were great to watch, but some of the films on the disc brought everything down a bit as well. The actual comedy by the investigative journalist between the films did not do too much for the movie and also I felt that it took away some of the seriousness some of the films had to offer. But if you're up for a bunch of different H.P. Lovecraft inspired indie flicks, LovecraCked! The Movie ain't half bad.
Trevor Reznik (Christian Bale) has not been able to sleep for a year. This causes him to see things, or is it just him? He starts recieving strange messages and past and present soon starts merging together into one. He starts searching for clues of what's happening to him.
Christian Bale is truly an amazing actor, especially for his fantastic performance in American Psycho. Here he has turned himself into a skeleton and is so thin it's hard to look at at times. Although this makes you see him very differently in the movie and also adds a certain feel to it.
The Machinist is not a genuine horror movie, but a creepy thriller with a constant eerie atmosphere always present. It creates a certain mood excellently and manages to stick with it the movie throughout.
 
It's hard to describe this movie without ruining it for people who haven't had the chance to see it yet. The Machinist is way different from most other thrillers out there.
It's utterly dark and takes itself totally seriously all the way through without ever failing doing it. Like other thrillers it builds up more and more until the final climax. But it's actually dark and eerie from beginning to end even without any special build-up. It just has that feeling to it which works brilliantly.
Don't think too much of the story, it can't really be explained without spoiling the whole thing and we don't want that. This is one of those few movies that actually has to be seen to see what it's all about. So do yourself a favor and go rent it, it's worth it for sure.
A group of bank robbers are on the run from the law and hide in a abandoned house. Next to the abandoned house is another house which is inhabited by a serial killer and of course the bank robbers are unaware of this. One of their hostages escapes and runs to the next house for help and from there on all hell breaks loose.
Every once in a while a new horror film is about to come out that horror fans seem to talk about and you kinda get your expectations up. Unfortunately too often when actually viewing the movie itself, it ends up being not so good after all. Malevolence is your typical example of this.
From what I've read and heard, a lot of people seem to have really liked this movie for some reason. But I for one cannot see what makes it so good as it brings nothing new to the screen.
Some people also claim that it's paying homage to flicks like Halloween etc, and yeah I guess it does but does this make the movie better? Of course not, wheter or not it pays homage it's still an unoriginal movie with bad acting and a laughable killer, you can never escape from that, homage or not.
If it's gonna pay homage it has to do it in a clever way otherwise it's not homage, it just borrows from other flicks. I've only said negative things so far, but the movie is actually watchable and have a few good things in it. Although they're very few and in the end I'm not sure it's worth it.
Malevolence is a slasher movie that tries to have some of that 70's feeling to it which works kinda ok but unfortunately not all the way. It's low-budget with a story that could have been delivered in a so much better way, unfortunately we never get to experience that here.
It has some of the worst sound effects ever heard which just makes it ridiculous and I can't believe why they used it in the first place.
When thinking about it, this movie ain't that good as it has too many negative things going for it and that are in the way for one to focus on the good. The acting is at times horrible and the scares are few and non-effective. If you're really into slasher flicks then you might wanna check it out but don't expect too much.
People turn up dead in the swamp and the new local sheriff has to do something about it. So he investigates further and finds out about an old legend that is Man-Thing, a monster living in the swamp. The movie is also about this unlikable oil tycoon who's drilling in the sacred Indian land and destorys nature and therefore angers Man-Thing, get it. There are also people who disapprove of the oil tycoons doings and this is more what the movie focuses on instead of the monster itself which is only a little part of it.
I'm not really into creature movies as they have a tendency to suck, but as a Marvel fan I thought it still might be interesting, unfortunately it turned out not to be anything more then your average B movie with a shitty monster in it.
With lousy actors, low budget and a crappy monster how is this going to be any good? Well it isn't very good but I guess on some levels it's somewhat entertaining. Did I mention the lousy actors, anyway they really suck and this screws up the whole "experience" for me. The actors are so bad and does such a shitty job that sometimes during the movie you just feel like turning it off. But then you (almost) wanna know how it's going to end and the end blows more then anything seen in this movie before and this leaves you with absolutely nothing.
Like I said, it has some entertainment value but so little that I don't know if it's worth anything, but if you can get pass the horrible acting I guess it can be ok, I'm not sure since I couldn't get passed it.
If you are willing to overlook a lot of faults then this might be ok but definitely nothing I would recommend. I'm really disappointed since it's Marvel but what can you do.
May couldn't seem to make any friends as a little girl so her mom gave her a doll to be her best friend. Forward several years ahead and in present time May is a teenager, still without friends, but still with the doll. She's a strange young lady who works as a veterinarian assistant and manages, through her work, to meet a girl who she becomes friends with. She also meets a boy for whom she falls for, later to realize that she's to strange for the man, and things doesn't seem to work out with her female friend either. After being let down, she decides to create her own best friend, using parts from different people.
Here we got a great story, but it didn't quite work for me as May (Angela Bettis) herself is just way to freaky and creepy. So everything with feeling sorry for her kinda goes down the drain, she's just way too weird.
It's to bad for her that she hasn't got any friends, but the way she acts and talks to people and everything is just too much, so hey no wonder. She actually has no real problems meeting people, it's just the way she handles things after meeting them. She freaks them out, and it's totally understandable why they don't wanna hang out with her anymore.
The acting is very good, nothing to complain about there, but May as a person is just very hard to relate to. Anna Faris from Scary movie shows up as one of May's friends, and she's exactly like in Scary Movie, or The Hot Chick for that matter. No real change in character, but she's still ok here though. It works anyway.
It's a little bit like a modern Frankenstein tale, without the actual science. We get some gore from how she kills people, and it's somewhat ok. Nothing spectacular though, and this is not a movie you would watch for the gore.
The score is horrible I tell you, just truly horrible. There's this "horror music" that pops up once in a while with some childlike humming, and it's just a pain to listen to as it takes away your focus on the movie and instead makes you irritated about what you hear. Truly annoying.
There's some black comedy in the movie as well. Very dark at times and works pretty well every now and then, but a flick like this sure could've had more of that. Other than that, it's an ok story, a bit too tame at times and kinda hard to relate to. Although I think it's worth a watch, but don't feel like you've missed out if you don't get to see it.
The story takes place long ago in the Iron Age where youths were taken from their families and sacrificed to the Minotaur, a mythical beast that dwells beneath a great palace. Theo is haunted by the loss of his sweet love who was taken earlier, and sacrificed to the Minotaur God. But he has a feeling that she might still be alive, and that the God is not really a God, but a beast that actually can be killed. He comes up with a plan, and when some families are taken to be sacrificed, he let the soldiers take him too in order to get to the beast and kill it.
Minotaur is a Sci Fi Channel movie from LionsGate, but with it being a movie for the Sci Fi Channel, it kinda put me off a bit right before I had even seen the flick itself. On the other hand, it stars Rutger Hauer and Tony Todd, and even if it felt like a proper B-flick, I still thought it could might be worth a look, since those two guys were in it. Honestly, I was expecting Minotaur to be pure shite, and while it didn't turn out to be a really good flick, it was still a bit better than I first had though it would be.
Now, with it having Rutger Hauer and Tony Todd in it did infact not really improve the flick, and while Hauer was not the least bit memorable, Todd was not even close to delivering the goods. So what was left was the beast, The Minotaur, which actually looked quite all right, something that came as a surprise since I was expecting some shitty kind of minotaur-looking monster. It's well made and believe it or not, the movie actually had some gore to offer. Not much and not that great, but still some gore, and you know what they say, a little gore is better than no gore, and I for one really can agree on that.
Another thing on the plus side was that the movie takes place in an age long ago, the Iron Age to be exact. That was way better and felt more suiting than if the movie would've taken place in present time, having a mythical beast in the middle of it all. It takes some time before the beast shows itself on screen, but the very moment it showed itself made for a pretty good scene. It's was gory, sudden, and The Minotaur looked pretty awesome. After that thought, things just keep repeating itself when Theo and c/o were trapped in underground tunnels beneath a palace, trying to make it out before The Minotaur would devour them.
The Minotaur kept showing up every now and then, killing some of the people down in the tunnels, and since Theo was the fine hero and wanted to kill the beast, I guess you can figure out how it all ends. It looked kinda ok, the acting wasn't half-bad and The Minotaur was well-made and looked pretty cool. Still though, the story wasn't that interesting and after a while, even The Minotaur itself got a bit boring.
It was not so good so that I would recommend it, but at the same time, it turned out to be better than I first had thought. It's a watchable movie, but still felt pretty much like a not the least bit memorable type of B-flick.
The Doyle family consisting of a mother, her son and a young daughter moves to start a new life running a funeral home somewhere in California. The house is old and have definitely seen better days and around the house is a graveyard. There are rumours about a man who disappered, returned and killed his parents and then disappeared again, and the locals fear the place. It doesn't take long before the Doyle family becomes aware of that something's lurking beneath the soil of their new property, something that raises the dead from their graves.
Been waiting to check out this new Tobe Hooper flick, but unfortunately it left me very disappointed. I have no idea why and how Hooper could make a movie like this. While it practically oozes horror and has a lot of potential, in the end it just ends up being completely ridiculous. Actually, everything is quite ridiculous from beginning to end. I thought he did a really good job with the Toolbox Murders remake, but the man definitely seems to have lost it again, big-time. Weird thing is that he has made some really good movies in his days and on top of that, some really horrible ones as well. I mean, of course every movie he makes can't be great, but the differences between his movies are just so big it's hard to know what to expect. As with Mortuary I never saw it coming, it's just so darn bad.
40 minutes into the movie I couldn't wait for it to end, but thought that it might pick up after a while. It never did and the ending itself is just so horrible and lame it's amazing. I actually felt a bit cheated after watching Mortuary, as I said before, it practially oozes of horror all the way through, but is just so cheap, predictable and non-effective it almost hurts. It's so bad because I really wanted to like it, and it sure could've been a decent flick. The story is nothing special but it works fine, it's just everything else that's so bad. I would like to have seen this exact same movie directed by Rob Zombie, I think that could've been something. That with a change of all the actors too. Oh the actors, I don't even wanna go there.
This family buys a mortuary and the mom is supposed to become the new local mortician of the small town they now live in. Funny thing is that I thought that she was a mortician before moving, but she doesn't seem to have clue to what she's doing. Their new house is not very new and is super shitty to the max to quote The Hellacopters, and there's also some black fungus or some kind of mold looking stuff that clings to the walls and floors around the house. The son of the family meets some new friends and gets to hear the local story, some sort of urban legend about a man named Bobby Fowler who disappeared and years later murdered his parents to disapper once again. The daughter of the family also claims that she saw a man in her closet that looked like they described Fowler. Soon the dead comes alive again and everything turns into a big uninteresting and non scary mess.
The award for being the most irritating person goes to the little daughter of the family. Either she's super happy and acts like a retard or she screams and whins until one just wants to chop his ears off. She so annoying and meaningless it's undescribable, I almost got sick putting up with watching her constantly whining, screaming and crying. Then we have the local sheriff who's such a bad actor I can't even find words to describe it. Other than that, all the other actors suck beyond belief. There's not one single decent actor or actress in the entire film, unbelivable.
We get a little gore here and there but it's nothing much. The scares are so cheap and they use a lot of loud sounds every now and then to scare the viewer, something that's just irritating and doesn't work at all. Mortuary has a lot of things going for it on the horror front, like the creepy old house, the graveyard just outside, the fact that it's a funeral home with coffins and stuff inside. But it never does anything good with it, instead it uses tons of old clichés and that makes it just too lame to put up with. The atmosphere is at times pretty nice, but is ruined by the worthless acting and the stupid and non-effective scares.
The reason I gave this movie a rating of two out of ten is because: 1. It has a lot of potential and some of the surroundings look really good. And 2, because even if it's complete crap it's at least fast-paced, stuff happen all the time and it's over pretty quickly. They use some CGI effects towards the end that look so stupid and ruins everything even more, although I don't know if that's really possible. I hope Tobe Hoopers next project will be better than this, on the other hand it sure can't be any worse. Avoid.
Susan Stevenson (played by Ursula Andress) goes with her brother by plane to South America to look for her lost husband. Once there they hook up with Dr. Edward Foster who are familiar with the area and the three of them heads off into the jungle. Dr. Edward Foster figures that Susans husband went into an area called Ra Ra Mea that is apparently cursed, so they head there and run into more than they had wished for.
Mountain of the Cannibal God is one of the many famous old Italian cannibal/horror movies and it's quite a good one. Not as good as Cannibal Holocaust which is in a class by itself but other than that it's a pretty good and fast paced cannibal adventure movie that you should check out if you're into this genre and haven't seen it yet.
Like other similar movies in this genre, this one also contains a lot of animal cruelty, I don't know what's up with that, not that I fight for animal rights or anything but it's not cool or funny to watch or anything, just dumb and pointless. I know it's part of the genre and all that but I still think it's totally stupid.
Except for that I felt that this movie had a good flow, it's interesting and keeps itself interesting the whole movie throughout and is fast paced and offers a nice suitable enviroment.
The actors do an excellent job and are very convincing, especially Ursula Andress and Stacy Keach who are both brilliant. The effects are pretty good especially considering for the time the movie's from.
I can't say that there's any real horror in the movie, it has more suspense to it I guess and the cannibals are pretty cool to watch. It's as much a adventure as it is a horror flick and if you're into that then give it a go, it's well worth watching.
On a deserted mountain road at night, Ellen crashes into another car that's left on the road, and after that, her car won't start. She goes out to see if there's another person in the other car, but when a monster-like man shows up, she flees into the forest. Being chased through the forest, Ellen starts setting traps for the monster, and fights back with any means necessary. But after a while she's captured and soon finds herself locked up in some sort of a basement where horrible things happen.
Incident on and Off a Mountain Road was the first addition to the Masters of Horror series, and was directed and co-written by Don Coscarelli, (Bubba Ho-Tep, Phantasm). It's sort of a cat and mouse flick for a while were a pretty girl is being chased by a monster-like man, who looks like one of the mutants from The Hills Have Eyes. During the chase, and during the rest of the movie, there are flashbacks every now and then, telling the story about Ellen and her former husband who was obsessed with survivalism and self-protection.
On one hand it sucked being married to the guy, but on the other hand, he learned her a lot about how to protect herself, how to survive and how to handle possible enemies. And being chased and taken prisoner by some mutant guy, she can apply everything she learned earlier in order to escape. This is a good thing for her I guess, but for the viewer it's not as good. Don't get me wrong, it's a decent story, and the movie's very entertaining. It's just that the monster guy is first off not scary enough, and secondly, he's too weak and not nearly as brutal as I would've liked him to be.
Actually, Ellen's husband is more scary than the actual monster-like guy. Since he's a normal looking dude, but who has something that's seriously wrong inside of his head, it makes him a bigger threat, while the monster guy is just, well, what you expect him to be. So even if I didn't like the guy, the story about him and Ellen is actually quite good and well developed. Anyway, she had to deal with her husband, and now she has to deal with the monster, but can't tell you how it goes though.
The acting is ok, and so is the scenery, while the lack of gore is not ok, and it's not half as scary as one wishes it would've been. Still, it works and is a pretty entertaining flick, and a good start to a great series. It starts off right away, and keeps feeding the story while there's a lot of horror action inbetween. What it gets credit for is that it starts out as a typical slasher kind of flick and could've easily been one, but instead it manages to do something else and also delivering, if not the least bit original, a pretty good story.
Incident on and Off a Mountain Road had a pretty worn-out plot, that dealt with a serial killer in a remote area who preys on those who pass by. Still, there was more to it than that, and the flashbacks used on and off throughout the movie, made it develop into something else than your average slasher type of flick. Far from great, but entertaining and a good start to a great series.
When horror writer Sutter Cane mysteriously disappears, insurance investigator John Trent is hired by the company who publishes Cane's book to find the missing man. Trent starts looking for clues to where Cane could've gone to, and his investigation leads him to a small town that is Hobb's End. Now, Hobb's End is not supposed to exist for real, but only in Cane's books. If that wasn't enough, there are more things from Cane's books that should not exist in reality either, but they do, something that Trent soon is about to find out.
John Carpenter's flicks are always, if not great, at least very entertaining, and In the Mouth of Madness might one of the best things that Carpenter has done to date. Personally I think that it has more real horror in it than most of Carpenter's other flicks, is more eerie, and features some creepy atmosphere. Although, it features some black humour as well, and Sam Neill does a good job delivering it. Actually, I'm no fan of Sam Neill, I usually think he's decent at best (no, Omen 3 was not a good flick), but here, the man is actually really good and it's definitely the best movie I've seen him in.
John Trent is an insurance investigator, he's really good at what he does and he has confidence in himself. One day, a big publishing company wants his services since they seem to have lost their best writer, a man named Sutter Cane. The writer sell loads of his books, and these books also seem to have a weird effect on people. Trent doesn't believe the hype and thinks that Cane is just a horror hack, but accepts the job and starts an investigation. After that, strange things starts to happen. For example; Trent is attacked by a maniac with an axe when having lunch with a friend. He later finds out that the same man worked for Cane, and in bookstores everywhere, there have been things happening, violent outbreaks, people all of a sudden going berserk etc.
Trent starts to read Cane's books, and soon after starts having nightmares that seems extremely real. Shortly after, when putting all of Cane's books together, he sees something and starts cutting the covers of the books out. The pieces eventually form a map, a map that leads to a sleepy little town called Hobb's End, that is featured in Cane's latest writings. So Trent sets course, following the map, to Hobb's End together with Linda Styles, Cane's editor. They soon find the town, which is an odd thing since it shouldn't exist to begin with, but that's not the only thing they find...
In the Mouth of Madness basically deals with a horror book that comes alive, what's in the book turns into reality, and since it's horror, it's a scary reality. There are monsters, twisted images and stuff, but no real gore. But it doesn't really need gore to work, it's how bizarre it is that actually makes it work. Creepy kids all over the town, people who mutates into monsters, and a bunch of people driven to absolute madness. Sounds great eh? It pretty much is. The acting is good and belivable from all the cast, but Sam Neill definitely stands out. The movie has a really good atmosphere. and a creepy and somewhat eerie feel to it. Don't expect to be scared Ringu-style, but it still works as a scary horror flick.
Easily one of Carpenter's best that makes you think of Lovecraft, but that still manages to stand on its own. Sam Neill delivers a great performance as the insurance investigator who stumbles upon this ghostly town that is Hobb's End. The scares are pretty decent, but there are really no sudden scares, it's more that the whole movie is quite eerie and has a creepy feel to it. Definitely recommended.
Many years ago Angie's parents were killed by some clown known as Mr. Jingles. Ever since then, Angie's been in the state psychiatric hospital, and now, after a long time, she seems ok enough to be released. She moves in with her aunt and her two cousins Heidi and Dylan, but there's someone else who also wants to welcome the girl home, to finish what he once started.
This little piece of film, if we even can call it that, have a really good shot at becoming the worst movie of 2006. Apparently it's a sequel to some DTV movie that came out in 2003, entitled S.I.C.K. (Serial Insane Clown Killer), which I haven't seen and do not plan to see either. I'm telling you now, if you haven't seen it yet, don't bother, there might be a chance of brain damage because this is far more crappy than your normal b-grade low-budget horror movie. Everything in this movie is just completely wrong. The acting is beyond abyssmal, the directing, how it's edited, the music, the story, well, everything is complete crap. I've been sitting through a number of extremely horrible flicks, but this one takes the prize.
It starts off with this clown, Mr. Jingles, going on a killing spree in a house. Now, this guy looks like a fat drunk in a ugly clown costume, and couldn't be any less scary. The fact is that if you would meet this guy for real, chances are pretty big that you'd beat his ass for looking the way he does, rather than you getting scared of him. I can't understand why Lionsgate picked this up, and when you watch it, you kinda wonder if the people there have even seen it. Let me put it like this, if you ever have been thinking of writing a script for a movie, but felt that it might not be good enough, then take a look at this movie, can't possibly be any worse right? A movie like Mr. Jingles proves that anything goes.
I still can't believe I sat through the whole thing, it's just 80 minutes, but still is a complete waste of time. Starring at a spot on the wall for 80 minutes would probably be more enjoyable since this was just one major headache. The gore in the movie is absolutely ridiculous, and the effects are so crappy you wonder why they even bothered. Well, that you wonder with everything this movie has to offer. The actual killings are among the lamest you'll ever see, and even though there's some blood gushing every now and then, it all just looks like a big joke.
The story is complete crap, and there should be a law against even putting stuff like this on paper. The make-up, no, let's not talk about the make-up... If you take a look at the cover, the clown actually looks a little bit cool, to bad that guy wasn't in the movie though, but instead some ridiculous looking clown. I just can't go on anymore...
I can't believe that movies like this are actually being made and sold around the world. Any retard could come up with a script like this, and the movie looked so bad it almost made me sick. When watching these types of flicks one wonders if the people behind it really are proud of it. I mean, do they really think they've accomplished something good here, that horror fans will actually enjoy? Well, probably, because after all, it's a sick world we live in.
Zoë Tamerlis is a mute woman who, one day when on her way home from work, gets raped i an alley. She makes it back home, but in her apartment is a robber who also rapes her. But this time she manages to fight back and end up killing the robber. After that her life changes, and she's no longer the innocent girl she once used to be. She starts roaming the streets of New York at night and extract vengeance on men with her 45 caliber gun.
This is an exploitation movie by Abel Ferrara (Body Snatchers, The Driller Killer), and even if it was made in 1981, it still feels extremely 70's. It's a movie about vengeance and it's somewhat similar to I Spit on Your Grave, Baise Moi and Death Wish combined.
It's a pretty simple story, a woman gets raped not once but twice, and seeks revenge. Thing though is that you think she wanted to seek revenge on the people who actually raped her, and even if her first victim is the second rapist, we never get to see her deal with the first one. Instead she seeks revenge on men in general. Some that she end up killing are sleazy and are coming on to her, but others she just kill for the simple reason that they are men. And that's when you stop feeling sympathetic for the girl.
I mean, it's totally understandable that she wants revenge and that of course makes for a good story. But the fact that she's just killing innocent random men makes it become too much, and makes you no longer feel sorry for her. You can tell that she's a pretty innocent girl at first sight but we never really get to know that character as she changes to the revengefull girl within the first 15 minutes of the movie. It of course gets worse and worse the further the movie goes, but since we never get to know the innocent girl very well, it's hard to feel sorry for her, except for her being raped of course.
The fact that she's mute adds a lot to the movie as well. We kinda find out during the second rape scene when the rapist put his hand over her mouth and tells her not to scream, and seconds after realizes that she actually can't scream, even if she wanted to.
The actual rape scenes are not graphical at all, we don't get to see anything, and they last for maybe 15 seconds all together. Take I Spit on Your Grave or Irreversible were the rape scenes are really drawn out, and even if it's horrible to watch, it still adds more to the whole outcome. Unfortunately it's too "nice and quick" here. If it would've been more to it, then we might have felt even more for the girl if you know what I'm saying.
She becomes more and more demented the further the movie goes, and it all ends at a party where she goes berzerk. The acting by the lead is very good and believable and same with the rest of the characters in the movie. Only exception is Zoë Tamerlis landlady (Editta Sherman), who's a quite terrible actress.
There are no really slow moments in the movie and it goes by pretty quickly. The story is pretty good but becomes a bit too much for one to being able to relate to. It's kinda entertaining and we get some violence of course, but nothing very graphical. If you're into exploitation movies you should definitely give it a try. In the end it's an ok movie, but nothing spectacular.
Simon Watterman, a space archaeologist, discovers a so-called Munchie in a cave in Peru when he's there looking for proof of U.F.O's. He and his son who's with him name the creature Arnold (instead of Gizmo) and takes him with them to the States. Paul that is Simon's son are supposed to watch Arnold once home but does not watch him properly and Simon's brother Cecil and his son steals Arnold away. Then Cecil's son is supposed to watch after Arnold but like Paul he's not the brightest boy. Things go out of control and Arnold multiplies into more Munchies.
Munchies from 1987 is a horrible Gremlins ripoff, or a Critters ripoff, or both. There's another similar movie out there entitled Ghoulies by director Jim Wynorski (Chopping Mall) that is complete trash but still I think it's better than this one. I'm not sure though, only thing I know is that they both suck.
Problem here is that, except that it's a movie for kids, is that the Munchies who apparently are out for blood are just way too cute and does not provide the comical relief like the Gremlins did.
I saw this movie first time about a year after it came out and even then as a kid, I forgot about it right away after seeing it. Watching it now was actually quite horrible as it didn't bring any nice nostalgic moment, just a headache and add to that some anger for the waste of time.
Look at the title on the cover, looks like Toys R Us or something.
They have a craving for junk food and have a mean streak. What the hell is that?
This movie so wanna be Gremlins but ends up just being a complete waste of time for the viewer. It doesn't really deliver on any level, except in the beginning when it starts out as an adventure film but then quickly turns into a real crap feast.
The special effects are really poor and so is the acting. Maybe it could've been an ok Gremlins parody but it just ended up being a total Gremlins knockoff that comes without any humour or horror.
Since it's a horror/comedy you kinda expect some elements of both but I'm not sure if you get any here. There might be some small humorous parts in the movie but they're easy to miss since you have to sit through so much crap inbetween. Stay away.
Jacob, a journalist who has taken to time off work to write a book, is one day having his handicapped sister over, and gets to meet her future husband for the first time. Jacob, along with his mother and his wife, thinks that his sister Julie is moving a bit fast, but still can't deny her to get married to this stranger named Anker. Right after the wedding though, Julie commits suicide, and a devastated Anker moves away to Jylland, a Danish island. Soon after, Jacob finds some suspicious obituaries, and realizes that Anker had a handicapped wife before he met Julie, who also died. This makes Jacob go to Jylland to visit Anker, and to ask him about some things. But when he arrives there, Anker is about to marry yet another handicapped girl. Could this all just be one major coincidence? Jacob starts to investigate, and the deeper he digs, the closer he comes to the dark truth.
All of you who have been watching Asian horror flicks for some time, do you remember when you first started to get into Asian horror? How those first movies you watched had a totally different feel to them compared to standard horror, and that chances that they would be scary were pretty great? This was exactly how I felt when I started to watch Mørke, it had this great feel to it, and had a really strong storyline that just kept getting more and more eerie as the movie kept rolling on. Personally I consider Denmark to be one of those countries that makes the best movies in the world. There are many great countries that makes good flicks, but Denmark has a tendency to spit out movies that are just awesome, whatever genre they may be. Horror may not be their strongest export, but when it comes to action comedies, they pretty much know exactly how to pull it off. One reason for that is simply quality over quantity.
Mørke is a psychological thriller that has an eerie story about a man who marries handicapped and braindamaged girls, who later are found dead. This movie made me at first think about another Danish horror thriller called Nattevagten (Nightwatch) which I saw a very long time ago, and that was scary as hell when I saw it. Mørke didn't really come off as half as scary, but still had a really eerie feel to it all the way through. The movie offered 110% mystery, and little by little, things were revealed and sometimes it shed light over things, and other times it just became even more eerie. The only reason why I can't give this movie the highest rating is because it didn't really have any twist to it. You know who the killer is all the way through, but you don't know the reason why, and it's because of that it manages to deliver a helluva lot of mystery among other things.
 
The movie also has a lot of moment that makes you doubt what you think it's all about. You are quite certain what's what, but then, every now and then, there are moments when you're not so certain anymore, and I really liked that, the fact that due to some things that happened, it made you doubt what you first thought was right. There are really no scares per se, but Mørke sure has a great deal of tension to offer. The plot is extremely good and it's hard to take your eyes, or mind for that matter, off when watching it. It draws you in, delivers an eerie feel, some tension, a lot of mystery, and you can't wait for more clues to be revealed.
The acting is absolutely brilliant. So good that you at times forget that you're just watching another movie, and of course the plot has a lot to do with that as well. Nikolaj Lie Kaas really stands out playing Julie's journalist brother, who due to his sister's suicide starts an investigation which leads him into a great deal of trouble. The island of Jylland itself makes for a great and gloomy location, where most of the movie takes place in the small village of Mørke. Mørk means dark in Danish, and so mørke means 'the dark'. The movie looks slick with nice photography, a great location, and an overall eerie but yet sad feel to it. On the horror front, it doesn't have too much to offer, it's eerie enough, but never really becomes full-on scary. What makes it good though is some of the tension it delivers, plus the story itself is reason enough to watch it.
Mørke felt fresh and original enough, and was a nice break from 'standard horror'. It was not really scary, but it sure was a bit eerie, had some tension to offer, and best of all, provided an extremely interesting story which made the film pretty much captivating. Definitely recommended.
Ed Jr cleans his dads guns as a kid and while cleaning a gun it accidentaly goes of killing his mother. Many years later Ed and his friends are talking about going on a holiday when Ed gets a call from his dad asking him to go to their condo at the beach and close it up. So Ed and his friends decides to go and spend their holiday at the beach condo. But when getting there they all start to get killed one by one by some mysterious killer.
The Mutilator is one of many of the slasher movies that came out in the 80's and I guess it's kinda popular among fans of slasher movies. It's an ok slasher but in the end really nothing that special, especially nowadays since you've seen this type of stuff a thousand times before.
Although, watching The Mutilator a long time ago it's was a pretty cool movie and it should be part of every gorehounds film collection. It wouldn't have worked nowadays but since the movie's from the 80's you get all the typical 80's stuff to go with it which makes it quite enjoyable to watch.
It's an average slasher movie so don't expect anything else, and also I guess it's somewhat nostalgic to some people who watched it when it first came out. And that it always a reason to watch a film again much later.
The story is nothing special and the main reason why people watch this type of movies are for the killings and not really the stories. We get some gore and violence of course but as so often it would not have hurt with more, anyway it's kinda ok for what it is.
The actors are not really that good and some are more irritating to watch than others, especially one character who really brings it down at times and is supposed to be the "funny guy" but who has no idea of the actual meaning of the word fun. The teen characters are also kinda stereotypical for this type of movie, but as said before, main reason for whatching stuff like this are for the killings.
It works if you're bored, but in the end it's not really that great. One of those semi-ok 80's slashers.
The movie start out with a not so beautiful chick stepping out from the shower and gets attacked by a cannibal rapist (yes a cannibal rapist). He stabs her and starts to eat her when two cops arrive and kills the cannibal. Later on a satanic cult are chanting satanic hymns on a graveyard and when one of the members starts urinating on a grave, the cannibal rapist appears woken to life once again from the chants and not the urin (or so I would think). And once again the bloodthirsty cannibal man is on the loose.
Doesn't the cover look cool? At least I thought so several years back and bought the movie only for that reason, well a small reason was for the title too. Anyway I wasn't really surprised that it was a shitty movie, more disapointed over the fact that it was a really shitty movie, still with a cool title though.
Great story huh, it's actually so bad at times it's funny but most of the time it's just unbelivable bad. It's of course VERY low budget and the actors don't really deserve to be called actors, although like I said before some stuff is actually funny to a certain degree but it doesn't make up for the rest.
It starts off pretty good and the first 20 minutes are ok to watch, after that almost everything turns to crap and at some places it's actualy really hard to sit through, not because it's too gory or scary but just because it's so horribly bad.
We also get to see a demon baby flying around carried in the air by a visible string and you can tell that the baby is a doll from a 1000 feet away. I usually have no problem whatsoever with low budget horror and sometimes it can of course even be great but this is just too much.
I give it 2 out of 10 for the humour parts which are extremely few but I can't honestly see how anyone could like this. There's also a sequel out there but that one I will never lay my hands on.
Some barrels that contains nuclear waste that re-animates the dead are brought from Chernobyl, Russia to a big corporation in the States. When some youngsters are out riding their dirt-bikes, one of the guy's has an accident but instead of being taken to a hospital, he's taken to the corporation that experiments on the dead. His friends sneak in to the corporation in order to free their friend, but at the same time they accidently release a horde of brain-craving zombies.
One thing is for sure, you won't get any smarter watching Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis, chances that you'll get dumber are pretty great though. Being a big fan of the 'trilogy', I of course wanted to check out this fourth installment in the series even though, in the back of my head, I knew it was not gonna be that good. Problem though is that this movie was not just slightly below what the three previous movies were, it was actually quite awful and it's a shame that it's supposed to be the 4th movie in the series. When writing this I haven't seen the fifth movie yet, but I'm not sure I want to see it after that I had to sit through this shitty flick.
It follows in the same footsteps as the previous movies, dealing with toxic waste and zombies craving brains, but that's all. Other than that it has nothing in common with anything from the other flicks, and is truly a huge waste of time as well. Even though we eventually get some zombie action, the movie starts off really bad and you get this negative feeling which is not a good start. It takes almost about one hour for something interesting to happen, but when it finally does, you're already so freaking bored since you had to sit through so much shit, you couldn't give a damn about the rest. And when I say that something interesting happens, it's not really interesting, it's more that something actually happens.
The story is complete crap with a bunch of teens sneaking into a corporation in order to free their friend who has been taken there. And while doing that, this retarded group releases a lot of zombies and has to fight their way out, and that's about it. Now these teen characters are a horrible bunch of über-idiots and it's hard not to get pissed off while having to watch them and see them 'act'. There's no character development whatsoever and you couldn't actually care less about what happens to anyone of them. Infact you want to see them killed as soon as possible since they suck so hard.
These characters are actually worse than your normal bunch of stereotypical teens. The acting is so wooden it's amazing, and that goes for every character in the movie, not just the teens. A lot of movies feature some bad acting, but here it actually goes beyond just being bad, it's actually quite painfull having to watch it at times. This alone manages to ruin the whole movie, even though it has a high number of other flaws and failures.
The gore is there and we get to see a whole lot of head-shots and some fine brain eating, but in the long run it's just not worth it. The make-up's pretty good and the gore looks really good at times as well, but other than that Necropolis is just pure garbage. It takes way too long before things actually start to happen, and when they finally do, they prove to be not that entertaining after all. Secondly the acting is so darn awful that you won't believe it till you see it. And third, it's a shame to see this as Return of the Living Dead 4 when the first three flicks were so great.
While the gore is somewhat decent, everything else is just complete garbage and this should not be considered part of such a great series. It's just 88 minutes long, but it's some truly boring and pointless 88 minutes to sit through, so do yourself a favor and avoid it.
In Halloween Town where Jack Skellington is the pumpkin king, people seem happy about what they do, all except for Jack. He's bored of doing the same thing on every Halloween and is not a happy camper. But one day he stumbles upon Christmas Town and discovers just how fantastic christmas can be, but does not quite understand the real meaning of it. Jack is so taken with the idea of Christmas that he wants to do that instead of Halloween so he kidnaps Santa Claus and takes over the job to deliver the gifts to children everywhere. Unfortunately, the meaning of Christmas is lost and Jack can't seem to get things right.
Summer is upon us so I thought it would be a great idea to write a review for The Nightmare Before Christmas. Seriously though, christmas or not, it's a fantastic flick that can be viewed over and over again, even if it's nearly summer time. Now I'm not a big fan of people singing in movies, but this is a movie where it actually works, the songs are great and the lyrics has a lot to them too of course, telling a great part of the story.
Jack Skellington is one cool dude and Halloween Town where he's king is one cool place. But Jack has gotten sick of Halloween, doing the same stuff year after year has lost its appeal and he can't seem to be bothered with it anymore. One day when out walking feeling sad, he stumbles upon Christmas Town and decides that Christmas is his new game. He runs back to Halloween Town all excited and starts talking about Christmas to the people who lives there, what it is about and how it works. The people in Halloween Town of course are a bit confused, all they know is Halloween and now suddenly they have to change everything they know since their king said so. Since no one in Halloween Town including Jack knows squat about Christmas, things of course doesn't go hand in hand with what a real Christmas would be like.
There's also a sub-plot about a girl in Halloween Town who falls for Jack and admires him from afar. That makes it different as well and it's nice to get a little romance in the middle of everything. There are a lot of things that makes this movie great, the story itself is simple but well-crafted and the whole fairy-tale feeling of the movie is amazing. It's has a lot of humour but is still dark and sad at times. One could interpret this movie in different ways as well, while some may just see it as an entertaining animated movie, some might find some kind of message in there, for instance about how you want to escape your boring routine/everyday life etc.
While being amazingly entertaining from start to finish, having fantastic and likable characters and songs that fit everything that goes on so well, the best thing might be the actual eye-candy. It's visually stunning to say the least. Personally I hate all these new animated movies that are so flashy and great looking, but that in the end are just completely hollow and has no feeling to them whatsoever. One couldn't ask for any more feeling when it comes to The Nightmare Before Christmas, it has all that and a bit more.
The Halloween Town has all these amazing character consisting of zombies, vampires, a stitched-up girl and more, but different from your normal type of vampires etc. The sceneries are fantastic and everything is very Burton-esque or Burtonish, whatever you wanna call it. It has a lot of horror elements baked in, some actual suspense, some romance and some sad moments, but are all lifted up with some comical relief, thrown in here and there just at the right time.
It's impossible to have any complaints here, as this is by far the best animated movie out there. If you haven't seen it, you better try and get your handson it asap, even though summer is upon us.
A very long time ago the armies of the Light and the armies of the Dark reached an armistice. They both signed and agreed upon that it's forbidden for the Dark to interfer in the matters of the Light, and the other way around as well. In order for this to work, they formed the so-called Night Watch and the Day Watch to keep both sides in check. But there was also a legend about The Other, a person who will become a powerful weapon and who can tip the balance between the two sides, depending on which side that person choses. Fast-forward to the year 1992 in Moscow where Anton discovers his identity as an other and has to choose between Light and Dark. Fast-forward another 12 years and now Anton is fighting for the Light side. His mission is to track down a boy that could might be the Great Other, and also find out the secrets to the boy's mother, who just as the legend was told, is a cursed woman that eventually will make the legend come true. Meanwhile, the Dark side is also after the boy.
The coolest thing about Night Watch is not that it's just a very good flick with awesome special effects, but that it actually comes from Russia. I mean, it's not too often one actually sit down to watch Russian movies, but all of a sudden Night Watch comes along and looks so fantastic and really proves that Russians can make horror/fantasy flicks too, something I hope we'll see more of in the future. Not only does it look good, but it's original as well and felt fresh and interesting. Another thing one would think about is the acting, but the acting proved to be top-notch and I was honestly both really surprised and happy, getting so many great things all at once.
If the exact same movie would've been made in Hollywood, it wouldn't have been half as cool I guess. Just the fact that it's from Russia and that they actually speak Russian in it makes it of course feel different, and different is always good, or at least always welcome. Now, I'm not completely sure about the budget for this movie, but I think I read somewhere earlier that it was around US$ 5 million. But to be honest, this movie looks absolutely awesome, and much better than a lot of movies with a higher budget. Add to that some brilliant camera-work which makes it even more interesting plus great directing, and a dialogue that, even if it's fantasy and far from reality, does not feel forced or too stupid.
The pacing is really good, and while it might slow down a tiny bit every now and then, the story is interesting enough to keep you from falling asleep. But then you have all the action sequences, there are tons of them, and they all look extremely impressive. There are actually a lot of things that are very impressive when it comes to Night Watch and the movie looks so darn stylish that I was kinda shocked when I saw it. It's eye candy all the way, and like I said before, the actual camera-work is really interesting to watch at times.
Apart from that, what I found to be the most interesting thing was all the little things that this movie has to offer. I think that Night Watch might require a second viewing for one to be fully able to capture it all. I don't wanna spoil anything by giving stuff away, but there are a lot of things to look out for, and that makes this movie feel even smarter. Also there are a lot of different things in the flick which makes it quite cool as well, like that the vampires are not really your usual gothic cry-babies, or rocket-powered vans and cool shape-shifters. It's hard to explain and at the same time I don't wanna ruin the experience, it just has to be seen in person.
The only real problem I had with Night Watch was that it felt a bit too chaotic at times. There are a lot of stuff going on, and while it's not really that confusing, the story still felt like a bit of a mess at times. Don't get me wrong, the story is somewhat interesting too, it's just how it all comes together and what is what. But this movie has so many good things going for it and there are a helluva lot of reason why you should watch it Be it for the stylishness, the fact that's it's a really cool foreign film, the action, the fantasy, the vampires, the directing or whatever, it's basically all good.
There are a lot of reason why you should check out Night Watch, it's stylish, different, original, and of course very entertaining. The story is ok, and the movie has so many fantastic things to look at, some really awesome looking scenes, and is a real feast for the eyes. The acting is good and so is the score, and the actual ending makes for a sequel, something I'll definitely wanna check out. Another thing I noticed was how good the subtitles were, as sometimes when it's translated from one language to another, things go missing and it might feel like you're not getting everything that was supposed to be there. But here the subtitles were actually really good, and it definitely felt like they made great sense all the way. Highly recommended.
Moments after his birth, the son of Robert Thorn dies, and Robert is offered an unusual deal by priests at the Catholic hospital; To take another womans baby, since the woman just died from childbirth, leaving her newborn baby behind. Robert accept, says nothing to his wife about what just happened, and pretends everything is as it should be, swell. One day, Robert is visited by Father Brennan who warns him about his son Damien, saying that he's the son of The Anti-Christ, and that Robert must accept Jesus, but Robert does not care, thinking Brennan is just some nut. But maybe he should've listened to the old man...
Watching this remake of The Omen is pretty much like watching the original version from 1976, only that this new flick lacks the genuine feeling that the 76's version had. Storywise it's the same, everything that happens in the movie is the same, and it also ends the same way as the original flick did, so really, it has nothing new to it. It's a bit like with the remake of Carpenter's flick The Fog, that the very remake is an exact copy of the original version. But while the remake of The Fog sucked incredibly hard, The Omen actually works on some levels. Yeah that's right, I'm talking about the death scenes.
There's one decapitation scene that is a must see since it pretty much looks absolutely amazing. Other than that, there are some other ok scenes, but nothing really that special. I won't go into detail what the story's all about, because you should've seen the original flick, and if you haven't...well, then watch it before watching this remake. One thing that sucks is that a lot of kids today will be watching this remake never knowing that it actually is just a remake. Seems to be the same thing with a lot of remakes, especially with Asian ones.
Anyway, I remember the 76's version scaring the living crap outta me when I watched it at the young age of 11 over at a friends house. Watching it, well actually the trilogy, again many years later, I found it not to be so scary after all. It was still a pretty good flick though, a landmark in horror, and the sequel wasn't bad either, but the third installment sucked. I guess they'll make a sequel to this one as well since it ends the way it does, and that's nothing I'm really looking forward to.
I first thought this remake would be pretty lame, and while it is a bit lame, it still somehow works somewhat ok. I'm glad I saw it, and even though I never thought it was really that good, it's still definitely watchable. One problem I had though was Julia Stiles. Honestly, I can't stand her and can't see why they had to have her playing the mommy, anyone could've done that. Let her do her stupid non-funny comedies and romantic crap-flicks, because watching her here was just terrible. It's not that she's a horrible actress, it's just that her very presence makes me sick to the bone. Liev Schreiber was ok as the daddy Robert Thorn, if even a bit stiff, and Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick was ok as Damien, even if the young man couldn't have been less scary.
It's pretty much like watching the original flick all over again, but does not have the same feeling as the 76's version had. Not scary at all, but it has an interesting story and one death scene that makes the rating go up, up, up. Watchable, but in the end, nothing special, just another remake among too many.
A busy couple goes on holiday to the Caribbean and are really happy to be able to get away since both of them work so much and don't have too much spare time. Anyway so once they're there they decide to go scuba diving several miles out in the open sea and they do so on a boat with a group of other scuba diving people. Once out there the boat with the other scuba divers do a misscalculated head count once finished and leaves for land not realizing that they forgot the couple in the water.
I like shark flicks, only problem is that there are hardly no good ones out there, you have Jaws which is the king and then the rest is either just ok to watch or just plain horrible.
What made this movie a little more interesting is that it's based on a true story, and movies based on true stories are usually better in my book. This is not a very good movie, but since it's based on a true event it's still very interesting.
It's kinda horrible when you think about it, to be left out in the open water with land so far away, and it adds a lot to the movie that it's based on a true story since you can't help to think about the people who were actually left like that for real.
The rest of the movie is just them in the water drifting and trying to make some passing ships see them which they never do. And then it's the sharks too.
I actually expected to see more of the sharks in this movie because we don't really get to see a whole lot, but at some part of the movie towards the end it gets very intense and just that scene kinda makes up for the whole movie which otherwise is somewhat boring every now and then.
The acting is lousy, and the movie is very low budget so don't expect too much. But in the end, it's interesting and even though it's far from great, I'm still happy that I got to see it.
The Creed family moves to a house in the small town of Ludlow and everything seems fine, except for that there are big trucks roaming the road just outside their house. When the young son of the family is out playing one day in their yard, he goes out by the road and is accidentaly killed by a trailer. Struck with grief, the father finds out about an old Indian cemetary not too far from where they live, where you can bury your loved ones and they will come back to life. He buries his son there who's soon brought back to life but the problem is that once brought back, the dead are nothing like they once were...they're pure evil.
There are two movies that has scared me absoutely senseless and that made me lay awake night after night with my eyes open for a long time before I could finally get some sleep. One of them being Ringu, and the second one being Pet Sematary. Now, if you would watch Pet Sematary nowadays it could might be a very good horror flick and even if it would have some scary stuff in it, it still wouldn't be that bad. What made it so scary is that I watched this movie at the young age of 11, and at that time it couldn't have been more scary. I believe I was constantly afraid and thinking about Pet Sematary for almost a year after first seeing it, and that was a lot to cope with. When watching it now it's of course nothing special, but I still have respect for it since it succeeded to scare the crap out of me 16 years ago, and that I still remember it like it was yesterday.
Even though if it's not really that scary nowadays, I still think it's a very good horror flick from the late 80's with some freaky stuff in it. The freaky stuff being the mothers sick sister named Zelda, played by Andrew Hubatsek, a guy(!), something that makes it feel even more freaky. I still don't like to see him/her on screen today, that character totally creeps me out. On the other hand, I have to give the movie a lot of credit for managing to do that and deliver that nasty feeling.
I'm not a big Stephen King fan, although I've read some of his books and watched almost all of his films, or that is the films based on his books. And if I would have to pick a favourite one, I think Pet Sematary would be it, but still there are some other cool ones too (not to mention a lot of bad ones). I'm a big fan of the story here though, it's somewhat simple but still pretty cool and it actually has horror to the bone. Like with all Stephen King flicks, the movie is set in a small town which always brings a certain type of atmosphere which is pretty good and suits the whole thing.
So this family moves to the town of Ludlow and everything begins with that their daughter's cat dies when only the father is at home. The neighbour, an old man named Jud, shows the father to an old Indian cemetary that is just behind a pet cemetery, spelled pet sematary, close to their house. The father buries the cat and soon it comes back to life but acts strange and looks terrible. Right then and there the father should of course let things be but when their young son is killed on the road just outside their house, he buries him too since he can't stand the thought of losing him.
The father works as a doctor and when first moving to Ludlow, a young man named Victor Pascow is brought to him due to a traffic accident. The father tries to rescue the man but he dies in the process. Soon Pascow returns to the father as a ghost to warn him about the cemetery and that it's not wise to bury people there, but of course the father won't listen and has to find out what happens the hard way.
A good word to describe this movie is eerie, because it truly is eerie, even when watching it today. The story makes you get involved, is a little gripping at times and it's easy to care about the characters. The mother named Rachel is haunted by the memories of her sister Zelda who had spinal meningitis and that looks so freaky it's amazing. The make-up effects are so well made and everything looks truly good and horrifying. The woman who plays Rachel also recently appeared in Tobe Hooper's terrible flick Mortuary, again in the role of a mother.
Pet Sematary has an interesting story and according to yours truly, it's probably the best Stephen King flick out there. It has a creepy atmosphere, is eerie and is definitely a great horror movie from the late 80's. The actors all do a good job and the movie has an overall good but creepy feel to it. Recommended.
A couple sneak in under a fence to an abandoned US Army test site at night and discover a swimming pool. Naturally they go for a late night swim, unaware that the pool is filled with mutated piranha and so they're eaten alive. Later on a young woman is hired by one of the kids father to search for the couple. On her search she meets a man who lives up in the mountain close to the Army site and drags him along in her search since he's familiar with the area. They find the pool and drain it to see what's in it. Unfortunately they've now let the deadly Piranhas out in the river and they're headed towards a summer camp downstream.
This movie is a lot like Jaws in many ways, although Piranha has some comedy to it as well, something that (luckily) Jaws never had. It works just fine here though without ever getting too goofy.
There are a lot of creature movies out there and most of them are truly awful. Piranha is not one of those as it delivers what it promises without ever trying to hard to be something it's not. Like a lot of other movies has a tendency to do.
The mix between horror and comedy works very well here and one could also say it has some adventure elements to it too. It's a very good thing that it doesn't try to be a full-on horror movie as that would've never worked at all. There are no scares but the fishes are kinda nasty and some scenes are actually somewhat graphic. No real gore but a hell of a lot of blood.
Compared to Jaws, this one's not half as brutal but still works pretty well. There's especially one scene where a boy and his dad are in a canoe and the dad gets stuck with his hand under water. He's then attacked by the piranha and dragged down into the water, eaten alive infront of his son. It was a terrific scene that actually brought some real tension to the movie.
So what about the rest? Well the acting is totally ok, I didn't actually find one single person irritating and that's a good sign. It's nicely shot and the fact that it was made in 1978 makes it look older and somehow gives it a bit more feeling to it. I definitely prefer this over newer movies. It's also fast-paced with a simple, yet kinda interesting story. The score is ok, nothing you really think about and nothing you really remember when the credits roll though.
For people who are after a lot of gore and real scares, look elsewhere. But if you're up for something entertaining and a bit fun, then you might wanna give it a shot.
While driving through the New Jersey's Pine Barrens, the car suddenly breaks down and leaves a family stranded in the middle of the woods. While the others wait in the car, the husband goes to look for help. He comes upon a house and asks to use the phone, but instead he gets in trouble. Now, the others are sick of just sitting in the car and waiting around so the wife goes to look for help as well. Meanwhile, there's something out there in the forest, a presence of some kind, but what it is no one is sure of. What's outside there in the forest is something of pure demonic evil, and the family soon wishes that they would've taken another route.
I have to admit that I've been somewhat eager to see Satan's Playground, mostly because of the cool title, but not surprisingly, the title proved to be way cooler than the actual movie. Not saying that the movie was all bad, because it sure had some quality stuff to offer, but as a whole, I can't say that I had a great time watching it. It had things in it that were extremely good and worked wonders, the best one being an old freaky lady sniffing coke (that short scene was hilarious), but it also had a bunch of things that brought it down a notch every once in a while, and came off looking a bit too B at times (not talking about the good B-feel here). I guess it all depends on how you see it, the mood and the expectations. One thing I did not enjoy at all was the fact that it held back on gore way too much when it should've been there. While it wasn't a gore flick, or a flick that you should watch for the sake of seeing gore for that matter, I still felt that most killings off screen were kinda unnecessary, and it would've been better to get to see the whole thing go down each time instead of taking the camera away from the place of action.
Satan's Playground has the style of 70's and 80's horror and that is something that works truly well in the film. It's spooky, a little creepy every now and then but still delivers some black humour that works well, and I was happy to see that it wasn't a too serious flick, the humour balances it out really nicely. Imagine a huge forest, and there's nothing there except for trees and in the middle of it all one crappy old house. Inside the house lives an old lady that looked like a proper witch out of an fairy-tale named Mrs. Leeds. Now, Mrs. Leeds had 13 kids that all had some faults to them, and most of them being dead with only two retared freaky kids left to help her carry out her 'work'. Mrs. Leeds herself is one of the best things that Satan's Playground had to offer since she delivers creepiness as well as some bizarre humour and was a cool nasty fairy-tale like character.
 
Basically, people seem to get stuck out there in the New Jersey's Pine Barrens and in order to get some help, they seek out the only house (Mrs. Leeds house) that seems to be there, but unfortunately for them, the house is inhabited by those who want to do the stranded harm instead of helping them out. But this house alone in the creepy forest, apparently inhabitated by the Jersey Devil, gave the movie a spooky feel and the forest alone created a great eerie atmosphere. There's something out there that's evil, but you don't know what.
I guess the movie pays tribute to Evil Dead as well and has those famous (and great looking) scenes where someone is chased through a forest and you see the one chasing through the eye of the camera. The movie also has some mystery to offer to what's really out there in the forest, the whole Jersey Devil thing and it was too bad Tomaselli didn't take things further with that, because it kinda left me unsatisfied and could've featured more of that. Acting-wise it's all right with Mrs. Leeds being the best character and added some creepiness to the movie. Other than that we get to to see Ellen Sandweiss from Evil Dead, Felissa Rose from Sleepaway Camp and Edwin Neal from the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, so the film had a pretty cool cast.
I'm not fully sure exactly where I stand when it comes to Satan's Playground. I really liked some aspects of the film, while at the same time it featured a lot of things that really didn't do it for me. The ending was all right I guess, but didn't leave me fully satisfied either, and also, like I said before, I would like to have seen and heard more about the actual Jersey Devil. I wouldn't say that Satan's Playground is a great horror film, and while it just lasted for 81 minutes, it still felt quite long and towards the end I found myself having problems staying completely focused. But at least it's worth a look because it's not bad, it's like so often more a matter of taste. You might get more out of it than I did.
On a Caribbean island resort people are suddenly turning up dead from mysterious attacks. Anne Kimbrough, who takes people on scuba-diving trips, starts investigating and discover that the attacks are caused by genetically mutated fish that have wings and can fly, and that seem to be able to attack in water and on land as well. She tells the hotel manager at the resort what's going on but he refuses to close the beach down, something that in the end causes great consequences.
Here we have James (T2) Cameron's full length debut, and I guess he can't be too proud of it. It's the sequel to 1978's Piranha, but unfortunately, like with so many other sequels, not half as good as the original movie. I can't say that Piranha was a very good movie, but still managed to be quite entertaining without ending up being too goofy. This one's the total opposite, it's cheesy as hell and just ends up looking quite ridiculous.
I have nothing against cheesy flicks, I actually love a lot of them, but this one's too much and just feels silly and uninteresting. I saw this movie a long time ago and did not recall it being so bad, as in the end this is just a waste of time, nothing else. Although, it's always fun to see Lance Henriksen, and here he's good too, only thing is that the script and the overall feeling of the movie itself is so bad.
Piranha 2 basically starts out the same way as the first movie did. In Piranha we got to see a couple take a late night swim in a pool that was full of these nasty fishes. In Piranha 2 we get to see a couple diving, and we also get the lamest sex scene ever, and then of course they're attacked by the nasty creatures as well. Actually just watching the intro to Piranha 2 just kinda puts you off right then and there.
The next 25 minutes or so are the worst 25 minutes I've had to sit through in a long time, since the only thing we get to see is people around the resort and it's like watching a lame comedy. The first 25 minutes doesn't contain any horror whatsoever, but is just pure comedy which is so not funny at all. It's was actually a real struggle to sit through that as the actors truly defines the word terrible. After that, the movie kinda takes off but it's still not that good, although not as bad as before.
What the first movie had going for it with the fishes was that they only attacked under water. Here they can fly and attack people on land as well, and it just looks so stupid every time you get to see them go after someone. Worst thing is that it does not look realistic at all, and it all ends up looking like a big joke. You might think it's cool that they can attack everywhere this time, but trust me, it's not. Even if it's cheap and cheesy you can't really laugh at it either, it's just plain dumb.
One could at first have thought that it could've worked as a so-bad-it's-good type of film, but even there it falls short. It's just a waste of time and is neither funny nor scary for that matter. The first movie's watchable, but I would recommend staying away from this flick.
Census taker Steve Kady from Chicago is sent to a small town called Rockwell Falls whose population of 436 have remained the same for 100 years. Once there, Kady starts to interview people, and starts asking question about the unchanged population but no one seems to wanna give him an honest answear. The idyllic little town also has all these golden rules to follow, and everyone seems completely happy there and calls it 'the most perfect place on Earth'. But something is fishy in the quiet little town, and the censustaker is soon to find out what, and why the population always remains at 436.
When I sat down to watch Population 436, I was pretty sure I was in for yet another meaningless 'horror' flick. Not only did it seem bad, but it also featured Fred Durst as one of the actors. Now, I absolutely hate Limp Bizkit, but to my big surprise the guy was actually pretty darn good, and was one of the few likable characters that were in this movie. Another thing that surprised me was the fact that Population 436 didn't turn out to be such a lousy movie after all. It wasn't great, but it was slightly above decent and I found myself to be quite entertained from beginning to end.
Steve Kady is a Census taker who's on his way to investigate the population in a small town called Rockwell Falls. The population has remained unchanged for 100 years and has stayed at the number 436. Very strange indeed. On his way there, he stops at a gas station to ask for directions but the people there won't give him an answear when they hear the name Rockwell Falls. Soon after on the road, Kady gets a flat tire and catches a ride with a deputy who takes him to the town.
His first impression of the town is that Rockwell Falls seems like an idyllic place to live in, and even though people are a bit strange, they welcome their new guest with open arms. Kady soon starts to interview people around the town but doesn't seem to get any straight answers to why the population has remained the same for so long. The deeper he digs into the towns secret, the more he starts to see how things really are, something that puts his life at risk.
Population 436 had a simple story and was extremely predictable. The very ending was good but was also very predictable as well. Still, it was a good ending that made the whole outcome seem a little better. I would describe this movie as more of a mystery thriller than an actual horror film, since there's hardly any horror elements in it. There's some suspense which works pretty well, but there are no scares to be found anywhere. Also, you won't have to use your brain too much, since like I said, it's very predictable, and it's not hard to figure out what's gonna happen next, or how it's all gonna end.
Having recently just seen 2001 Maniacs, Population 436 at times looked like a total rip-off of that movie. Even though it was slightly different it was still very similar at times, especially in the beginning. A small southern town that is inhabited by a lot of strange people, some outsider that comes into town and has to deal with the crazy people there, and what they wanna do to him. Ok, so it's a bit of a copycat, but apart from the setting the story is a bit different, and once I had gotten over the fact that it looked too much like 2001 Maniacs, I found myself to enjoy the film.
Even though it was too predictable, it still worked with being entertaining enough for one to sit through the whole thing. The acting was totally ok, I've nothing to complain about there really. Jeremy Sisto delivers a great performance as the census taker who has to deal with the secrets of the town, and Fred Durst surprised me with his performance as a likable cop. No gore, no blood and more of a suspense thriller than an actual horror movie. Not great but way better than I first had expected it to be.
The first fallen angel, even before Lucifer, is Premutos and he's out to rule the world, both living and dead and in present time a man starts to have visions of historical times long ago were he lived a life as Premutos son. He keeps having flashbacks of different time eras, like from the middle age and so on. Later his father finds an old book together with some potion buried in their garden and gives it to his soon who starts reading it and uses the potion and so mutates into a monster, awakens a legion of zombies and sets out to bring Premutos back.
Premutos is so not for everyone as it's mainly for those heavily into splatter and gore and Olaf Ittenbach, (The Burning Moon, Legion of the Dead), delivers tons of these two things in his movie and that is the main reason for watching it.
Forget budget, forget decent actors, forget most of the common things involved in movie making and be ready to embrace heavy amounts of gore throughout the whole movie. If you're into gore, splatter, low kind of humour, and are willing to overlook the acting and the very low budget, then you should give Premutos a go.
First off the story is actually really cool, especially when we get to see the flashbacks of ancient times, they have a nice atmosphere to them and brings a lot of "feeling" into the movie. Problem though is that a lot of stuff looks cheap and I wonder what this movie would have looked like with a higher budget.
You have to understand that this is truly a b-movie so don't expect anything else when watching it. The actors are really crappy and the worst thing for me when watching it is that the movie is in German, it's dubbed to English and there are no English subtitles which would have been so much better.
So you have to struggle with the dubbing which is also quite bad in a lot of places in the movie and this brings it down a notch, well it brings it down a whole lot actually. So basically there are a lot of things that you have to overlook when watching Premutos.
I don't know if there has been a copy released with English subtitles on it now though, if that existed it would help a lot. There are some funny stuff in the movie but not too much.
Only reason to see Premutos is for the splatter, gore and if you're a fan of Ittenbach, other than that there would be no point whatsoever for taking time to watch this.
When Ed Harley was a young boy, he saw a man get killed by some kind of demon. Many years later, Ed is a local storekeeper and has a young son who he takes care of alone after that his wife passed. One day some city kids show up in the country close to his store and starts riding their dirt-bikes there. Harely leaves in order to go home and pick something up for a customer, and leaves his boy to look after the store. But the boy's dog runs away, and when the young boy's chases after it, he is accidentally run over by one of the kids dirt-bikes and dies. When Harley comes back and finds his dead son, he takes him to some old witch deep into the forest, were she resurrects a demon named Pumkinhead in order to avenge his son. But for that, a high price must be paid, something that Harley is soon about to find out.
Pumpkinhead is a really cool horror movies from the late 80's. What makes it stand out the most is the fact that it at times feels like watching a dark fairy-tale, and while the story of Pumpkinhead is quite simple, it has a very good feel to it. The actual monster, Pumpkinhead, looks great and the viewer get to see a lot of him, up-close as well, and the special effects are really well done. Another thing that makes this movie really good is that it stars Lance Henriksen. The man is a really talented actor, and here he plays the local storekeeper who's boy gets killed, and so he seeks revenge by resurrecting the same demon that he saw when he was a kid.
He looks up a witch who lives deep into the forest, and later heads to a cemetary to dig up Pumkinheads corpse and bring it back to the witch. The scenery here is amazing and really adds to the whole fairy-tale feel, not to talk about the actual witch herself as well. She then helps him bring Pumpkinhead to life in order for him to avenge his son. So Pumpkinhead is let loose and goes on a killing spree, killing off the city kids, one by one. But soon Harley starts to see how he kills off the kids through the very eyes of the demon, and snaps out of his rage and realizes he must put a stop to Pumpkinhead. But to stop Pumpkinhead isn't easy, as bullets don't seem to bite, and in the end there seems to be only one way to put a stop to it all...
Pumpkinhead is a great horror movie with a good looking monster (I'm talking about the effects, not the monster being handsome) and that has a really cool fairy-tale like story to it. Unfortunately the gore is minimal, but it's not really needed either for it to work. There are some blood and some totally ok killing scenes, but some more actual gore wouldn't have hurt. One thing that is pretty cool with Pumpkinhead is that every time he kills someone, he later shows the other kids the corpse and not just throws it away. He lets them see the corpses so they'll know what to expect is gonna happen to them. That's pretty nasty but is more humerous than scary I guess.
Pumpkinhead has a lot of good things going for it. The story is simple, yet quite brilliant, and the whole fary-tale like concept adds a lot to the movie itself. Some scenery is really nice, and the monster looks great and is quite nasty (even though he could've been a hell of a lot nastier). Lance Henriksen delivers a really good performance as the father who seeks revenge on those who killed his son. It's a movie that is really easy to get into and it's hard not to stay interested the whole film throughout. Recommended.
It's the year 1850 and Lilith Silver (Eileen Daly) gets caught in the middle of a pistol duel and gets killed but is brought back to life by Sir Blake, one of the duellers, who guilt ridden of causing her death and so he makes her one of his own immortal kind. In present time Lilith Silver works as an assassin who kills members of the The Illuminati that are taking over businesses and the government. What she doesn't know is that the head of The Illuminati is the actual vampire that once gave her immortality.
Here's a different take on the vampire genre starring British actress Eileen Daly (Cradle of Fear) who plays the role of a hired killer. It was very hard to actually rate this movie since it's both good and bad.
First off to let you know what you're getting yourself into if deciding to watch Razor Blade Smile is that it's a very low budget flick and if a movie is low budget but still good I usually can stop thinking about that it looks crappy, that's unfortunately not the case here. Although even if the production values are very low it's still so entertaining on some levels that it somehow makes it work anyway or at least kinda work.
I guess in the end it all depends on what kind of person you are, what you've seen before and what you're willing to sit through.
It's a great story but the way it's delivered is questionable and a lot has to do with the very low budget and the crappy acting. Eileen Daly is actually somewhat fun to watch as Lilith Silver and even if the acting could've been much better it's still ok for what it is.
But then you have the other actors which are crap, especially the head of The Illuminati (Christopher Adamson) who gives an awful performance.
Apart from these things, Razor Blade Smile is actually a really entertaining movie if you can take it the right way. We get some gore and a lot of blood but the most interesting thing about this movie is the script which is really good, but unfortunately they didn't have the cash nor the actors to quite pull it off.
It's ok for what it is though and if you like vampires and can stand very low budget movies and horrible acting then by all means give it a shot.
Medical student Herbert West returns from Switzerland after having worked together with a well known scientist who died under mysterious circumstances. West enrolls at Miskatonic University to continue his research where he also meet Dan Cain who becomes his roomate, and who he later involves in his experiments. West uses Dan to get him access to the morgue where he can experiement on the dead, trying to re-animate them. But bringing the dead back to life has its price, something that both West and Dan soon will be aware of.
Nothing beats an old good horror movie, and Re-Animator is one of those classic horror films that can be watched over and over again. Watching re-Animator is way better than sex or drugs, but it might as well be a good idea to combine the three. I'll have to try that some day. Together with the Evil Dead trilogy and the Return of the Living Dead trilogy, I consider the Re-Animator trilogy to be among the best horror flicks that are to be found out there. I know that some people will disagree with me, but everyone has different kind of taste so no need to send emails about that, thanks. One of the reasons why this movie's so great, is for the fact that it mixes dark humour and excessive amounts of gore in a really good way.
A young man named Herbert West returns from Switzerland and enrolls at the Miskatonic University to study there, even though he seems to know more than the actual professors who works there. What West is interested in is how to bring the dead back to life again, and he's struggling to make that happen. Once at the university, West immediately has different opinions with Dr. Carl Hill on the subject of the brain and what happens when a person dies. And the two of them soon becomes great enemies to each other.
Dan Cain who's also a student at the university is looking for a roommate, and soon West shows up at his doorstep and wants to move in as fast as possible. Dan's girlfriend Megan who's the daughter of the Dean at the school, immediately becomes suspicious of West, but Dan ignores her warnings and lets West move in. Soon after, West starts to set up a lab in the basement and Megan's cat goes missing and is later found in West's fridge which only makes both her and Dan more suspicious of West's real intentions. It doesn't take long before West drags Dan down with him conducting his re-animation experiments, and people start dying and things go chaotic.
Even though Re-Animator features a few scenes that might seem to be somewhat disturbing and that has a lot of violence, it's always made with such amount of dark humour it's hard to take things too seriously. And that's what they have really succeeded in doing here, combining real horror with a big dose of humour. There's a fine line between what's enough and what's too much, and they've really done well in not crossing that line either. When talking about gore, it's over-the-top, but if it wouldn't have been like that, this movie wouldn't have turned out to be half a good as the actual gore is a huge part of the overall experience.
When it comes to acting Jeffrey Combs truly stand out as the mad scientist, and might as well be the very best mad scientist in movie history. Bruce Abbott is great as his assistant who gets involved in all the crazy stuff West is doing, and we get to see him as West's assistant in the sequel Bride of Re-Animator as well. The score is brilliant and fits the movie perfectly. Actually, the whole movie is quite brilliant.
Re-Animator is a fantastic horror comedy that spawned 2 great sequels. It has a lot of great humour and a massive amount of gore. It's super entertaining and takes an unexpected turn halfway through the film which is a really cool and different thing as well. When it comes to Re-Animator, I have absolutely nothing negative to say. A true horror classic
Lisa (Rachel McAdams), after a visit to Dallas, takes the flight back to Miami. Before entering the flight, she meets Jackson (Cillian Murphy) and their attraction grows. When on the plane, Jackson actually has the seat next to Lisa but he turns out to be something totally different from the nice guy she first though he was. Planning to kill the deputy secretary of Homeland Security who's gonna stay at the Lux Atlantic Hotel, the very same hotel that Lisa is the manager of. So he needs her help, and if she refuses, her father will be killed.
To be honest, I don't understand why so many people were so attracted to this movie. It's just a standard thriller and it's not even that clever. Personally I don't think it's bad at all and it's very entertaining, but in the end, it's not fantastic or even remotely close to being so either.
Is it because it's Wes Craven who directed it? You tell me. I think he has done a lot of good flicks, but I sure don't think that everything the man directs is brilliant.
What Red Eye really has going for it is that it's fast-paced and that it never really slows down. It sure has some tension and suspense but does not offer the kind of suspense that makes you chew of your nails or anything like that. It's good for being a thriller and you get 85 entertaining minutes of film, but it's nothing that stays with you long after viewing it.
 
What I kind of missed when finished watching Red Eye, was that it had no clever twist in the end, and that's maybe one of the reasons why it won't stay with you for long after seeing it. It also has a very basic story, don't get me wrong as it works really well, but in the end the story's nothing that special either.
About the acting one can't really make any complaints since both Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy do a very good job with their characters. On the other hand I'm not a fan of Cillian Murphy and find him kinda irritating to watch. Although I think it works pretty well here, better than in Batman Begins anyway.
The majority of the film takes place on the airplane with the two main characters, and even if that might sound a bit boring, it's the most interesting part. It's actually when they get off the plane that it starts to become a too standard kind of tv thriller.
This is simple entertainment that works really well if you want nothing more. Both Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy manages to do a good job with their characters and also manages to create some tension. Red Eye is a fast-paced flick and it's a fun ride that is worth watching, but not a movie that you'll remember and that'll really stay with you. Recommended.
A group of rednecks finds a barrel of radioactive waste and uses it to brew moonshine. But drinking the nuclear waste makes them turn into flesh-eating zombies. That is into redneck zombies. At the same time some people from the city are on vacation and happens to get lost in the woods and unfortunately they run into all these zombies and has to fight for their lives to make it out alive.
Yet another Troma release and I was thinking the other day that it's kinda funny when you read reviews about Troma movies on the net as there are usually two different kind of versions.
First are the reviews by those who absolutely loves everything that Troma puts out and who gives their movies the highest ratings possible. And then you have those that are the total opposite and have mainly written the reviews just to critisise Troma's work. But this is not a bad thing as we need some balance right.
But once in a while you find those who neither love or hate Troma's productions and can like some movies while considering others to be crap. This is one of those reviews.
When it comes to Troma movies I would say that Redneck Zombies are not one of their best accomplishments, but it still has some fun stuff in it, not nearly enough to satisfy all the way though.
Thing is that this movie is supposed to be bad and it has everything going for it to make that happen. So a warning to those people who are thinking of renting this, don't expect any seriousness whatsoever. What you can expect is a super cheesy movie that is shot on video and has cheap jokes, horrible acting, is really low-budget and has bad special effects.
With that said you should know what you're getting yourself into. But if you're a fan of Troma and their other releases and like those then you should definitely give Redneck Zombies a shot too.
I thought the first 30 minutes of the movie was kinda fun to watch and very entertaining. Unfortunately after that things got a bit slower for a while and I remember feeling quite bored. It gets going again, but when it did I wasn't really up for it. Maybe if I would have watched it another time the rating could've been higher but for now it have to stay this way.
It has this "so bad it's good" feeling to it but didn't quite do it for me. Other than that expect a lot of Troma style gore and splatter and if you've seen other Troma releases before you should know what to expect. If you wanna watch a "good" Troma release I would recommend Tromeo & Juliet or maybe Terror Firmer among a few others.
A group of college kids are on the way to some big rave, and when driving on some deserted road in the middle of nowhere, their car breaks down. A deserted diner lies close by and so does some cheesy motel. So the kids stop there to rest, while waiting to get back on the road. They get the feeling that they're not alone, and soon they run into a strange trucker who's looking for his wife. Shortly after the smell of death starts to surround them, and they see visions of dead people, and realize that there's something out there. Something that's out to get them.
Reeker starts off with a great intro that makes you wanna keep watching, and it all looks very promising. The scene in the beginning is gory, and splatter enters the movie fast. So like I said, it looks very promising, but shortly after, it slows down a bit, both the pacing and the gore.
It follows five college kids, on their way to some big rave, and when their car suddenly breaks down, everything takes a turn for the worst. The five kids consist of three guys and two girls, were one of the guys are blind. One of the other guys has a fun time messing around with this blind guy early on in the movie, and even if it's somewhat mean, it's not that bad and adds a lot of humour to the movie. And the movie featured some more humour as well, which actually worked pretty good without ever taking the seriousness away.
After a short time, they realize that there's something out there, and they all start to get a bit worried. And they are right, as something actually is out there, and it looks pretty cool as well. While Reeker might not be the most original horror movie to date, and while it might have borrowed a few things from other movies, it was still entertaining and mysterious enough to be able to sit through without complaining. It had some cool gore to offer, and I read somewhere that it was really gory which is not true at all, but still had some entertaining gore, and that's always something.
The overall acting I found to be quite ok, as all of the characters was pretty likable when talking about the five kids. Movies like this always has some unlikable character, and while these were not great in any sense, they were still likable enough and never irritating which so often seems to be the case. For a low-budget movie, Reeker looks really good, and the whole concept with that someone who's out there reeks of death was an interesting thing that gave this movie some new life.
The cool thing about this killer is that he's way different than most of your normal slashers out there. It's some kind of a supernatural being that looks pretty freaky, and like I said before; reeks of death. It takes a while before the viewer get to lay eyes on him, you know he's there at times but don't really get a 100% view until much later. And when finally get to see the nasty thing, it doesn't disappoint.
These are all good things, but I had some problems with this movie too. First off, since the beginning made you go wow, you were kinda expecting other things to be like that later on in the movie, but unfortunately that never really came. The movie of course had its share of cool things, but nothing as impressive as it was right from the very start. Another thing was that the movie was a bit too dark at times, well at most times which felt kinda bothersome.
The darkness wasn't really that big of an issue though, but the lack of scares and the pacing was. I felt that the scares weren't effective enough, even though they might work on other people (judge for yourself), and I felt that the movie could've used some more actual feel of terror, as it just wasn't enough. The overall pacing was somewhat ok, but at times it slowed down way too much, and it was a bit hard to stay interested at certain points. It had a big twist in the end which was kinda cool because when I was expecting it to end, it came, and made the whole thing come out looking a bit better.
Reeker was kinda hard to rate, since on one hand it was quite cool and had some interesting things to offer. But on the other hand, I felt that there was something missing, and so I couldn't give it a higher rating than 6. May it be that it could've used a lot more gore? I don't see the reason why to hold back, as this is the kind of movie that could easily go all the way and it would've looked so much better. Nudity is not a big thing, but again, movies like this needs some nudity as well as huge amounts of gore, and the total lack of nudity was a mystery. Still, for a low-budget movie it looks very good, and you can easily tell that there were some thought put into it. So even if it doesn't rank that high, it's still well worth a watch.
Biochemist Dr. Alec Holland developed a formula that could regenerate organic matter, but when his rival Arcane broke into his lab and tried to steal it, Holland was set on fire and dived into the swamp. Holland, who was covered in the formula when he dove into the swamp, became a mutant that were called Swamp Thing. Fast-forward in time, and Arcane is working on different experiments in his mansion together with a group of scientists on how to prolong life. One day his stepdaughter Abby Arcane shows up and gets dragged into her stepfather's sick experiments. But luckily for her, Swamp Thing is out there to make the world a better place.
The Return of Swamp Thing is a sequel to Swamp Thing, based on a comic from DC Comics. It's a humerous and at the same time a lame 80's sci-fi adventure with a young Heather Locklear falling for our green hero in the swamp. I'm actually a bit of a fan of Jim Wynorski (Chopping Mall etc) who directed this movie, not that he's a great director, but that his movies often are cheesy and campy. And campiness is something you'll find plenty of in The Return of Swamp Thing. And it's also one of those movies were the expression, so bad it's good can be used to describe it.
It's actually not a good movie, and I don't know if that expression above would be the totally correct way to describe it, it's up to you to decide. This is a movie I thought were somewhat cool many many years ago, but watching it now, it was most of the time quite embarrassing. I like Heather Locklear and I'm a huge Melrose Place fan (yeah yeah yeah, I know) but watching her here isn't actually that good. She's the best there is though, because the rest of the cast are really awful. This movie oozes of bad acting, and some of it is just horrible having to sit through. On the other hand it makes it more cheesy, and I think that if the acting would've not been as cheesy, the movie would've looked even worse. It's a campy flick, so don't expect anything else.
Thing is that Abby Arcane is obsessed with flowers and plants, well maybe not obsessed but she cares deeply for them, so it's no wonder that she falls for Swamp Thing who's covered in plants. Swamp Thing is a nice dude who used to be a biochemist, but got his lives wrecked by Abby's evil stepfather Dr. Arcane. While Arcane and his team are conducting experiments on how to prolong Arcane's life, Abby finds Swamp Thing and together they find love. But things doesn't stay nice for long, and it all makes for some predictable action.
Thing to look out for when watching The Return of Swamp Thing though is a little fat kid with red hair. There's one scene early on when he and his friend are going through the friends dad's collection of adult magazines, when suddenly a monster comes knocking on the door. This whole scene, together with the dialogue, is so extremely bad that it ends up being a whole lot of fun. The same kid are in a few scenes after that and he just brings everything down so much, it's so fun to watch. Ok that he's just a kid and while I don't wanna rack down on kids, he must be one of the worst actors of all time. He has cheese written all over him and while he's so bad you're most likely to get a headache from watching him, at the same time it's great fun.
The movie manages to have somewhat of the comic book feel to it, as well as a lame 80's comedy feel to it as well. The acting is absolutely terrible, some worse than others, and most of the time the movie's so bad it's actually a hoot to watch. Surprisningly there's no nudity at all in the movie, something that's very strange considering the fact that Wynorski directed this flick. This man is famous for having a lot of flesh shown in his movies.
I can't really recommend it since it actually sucks, but at the same time if you wanna see a really campy and cheesy movie, this is a really good pick. It's more one of those movies were you get a group of people, a fridge full of beer, turn off your brains and just have a good time.
A man who works at a medical supply warehouse is curious of a barrels contents and opens it not realising that it contains a deadly gas which makes the dead re-animate. Soon there are tons of zombies running amok in Louisville, Kentucky and are only after one thing, to eat brains.
Brrrrrraaaiiinnnsssss!!! The Return of the Living Dead is a fantastic horror movie that could've been part of a fantastic trilogy, but then, not too long ago when writing this, they decided to do not only a fourth but a fifth movie as well. Anyway, this movie has a little of everything to offer, at least for fans of horror and if you haven't seen it yet then you have truly missed something.
According to me this is one of the better horror films out there and it is a true joy to watch. It delivers tons of black humor among with tons of gore and splatter and will definitely satisfy people into this type of stuff.
Fun thing when dealing with zombies here is that you don't get the usually slow and brain damaged ones but these ones are actually fast and can both talk, think and feel.
The Return of the Living Dead features a lot of cool characters that adds a lot to the movie, from the warehouse manager who lets the chemicals out, the owner of the warehouse who'll do anything to save the name and reputation of his company to the very original mortician who works next to the warehouse and of course a bunch of other people too.
The special effects are great and the overall performances from the different actors are very good as well. It's fast paced to say the least, and out of the 91 minutes running time there's not one boring minute to find. Definitely a must see.
Colonel Reynolds works for the government with a group of scientists that work on bringing the dead back to life so that the military can use them. He has a son name Curt and Curt has a girlfriend named Julie who gets her boyfriend to steal his dad's security pass so they can get access and sneak into the military base were the re-animation is going on. Later on when Curt and Julie are riding Curt's motorcycle they get into a accident and Julie ends up dead. Curt then takes her body back to the military base to try and bring her back to life again which he also success in doing but she ends up being completely different and things doesn't seem to work out the way they were supposed to.
Brian Yuzna has made some great movies like The Dentist and more. He has a certain style to his movies which makes them different and very enjoyable and so is Return of the Living Dead 3.
You would think that a second sequel would most likely suck but Return of the Living Dead 3 is among the best actual sequels I've seen that I can think of when writing this. It stays true to the brilliant original movie even if it goes its totally own way and that is just one reason that makes it great.
If you have seen other movies by Brian Yuzna you might can figure out what kind of movie or what typ of humour to expect, if you haven't it doesn't matter, either way you're in for 97 minutes of great entertainment.
It has some gore and some horror elements but it's all done with a type of humour so it never gets scary, but is always a 100 percent entertaining. The story is pretty cool, one could say it's somewhat tragic, and the effects are very nicely done. The actors all do a good and belivable job and the movie is fast paced and will grab your attention easily.
Great gore, great fun! Very different and not as good as the first flick, but that separates itself from the original and the sequel as well, but still has the great Return of the Living Dead feel to it.
When about to head to a concert with two of his friends, Alan Parker receives a phone call and finds out that his mom is in the hospital due to having a stroke. So Alan skips the concert, after all his mother comes first, and hitchhikes to get to his old hometown where his mother is. But the way there proves to be nothing but easy as he meets weirdos and starts having visions of different kinds. Eventually he is picked up by a stranger who proves to have returned from the other side to give him a choise. A choise between life and death.
When I was young, well not that I'm old now, but when I was much younger, I was somewhat of a Stephen King fan. Actually 'fan' might be a too strong word to describe it, but let's just say that I was a bit into King's stuff. I read most of his books, and watched most of the movies based on the man's books, short stories and novels. Then when I got a bit older and came to my senses, I realized that his stuff was never that great, with a few exceptions like Pet Sematary and Graveyard Shift among a few others. But I think that a lot of his old stuff is still pretty good, at least it had something to it compared to the things he has come up with in recent years which have just been a total waste of time. And speaking of a total waste of time, Riding the Bullet is exactly that.
This is not Mick Garris first take on turning Stephen King's writings into something for the screen, but I've never been really impressed with any of Garris adaptations. One thing that the man has done though which really stood out, was to come up with the Masters of Horror series, that was truly brilliant, other than that, nothing really. Riding the Bullet is no exception, it actually plain sucks, and I couldn't wait for it to be over. I haven't read the book, and now I'm so not going to either since the story pretty much blew and was everything that's opposite to interesting. If having a bad story wasn't bad enough, add to that some totally uninteresting characters, pathetic scares and basically, just a whole bunch of complete garbage.
We get to follow Alan who's into some dark stuff, and already then and there, things took a pathetic turn. He soon finds out that his mom is at the hospital in Maine because of a stroke that she had. So Alan heads towards Maine, and to get there, he decides to hitchhike which wasn't such a great plan. On the way he meets some strange fellows, some that's out to hurt him and on-top of that, he starts having more and more visions of terrible things. Well, these things are supposed to be terrible, but they are actually just so bad it's terrible if you know what I mean.
After a while, David Arquette comes along and delivers a terrible performance (again with the terrible), playing some dead guy who's so freakin bad I felt ashamed when I saw it. He gives Alan a choise whether he wants to live which means that his mother would die, or the opposite. Btw, the title, Riding the Bullet, suggest that this Bullet is a roller-coaster that Alan was afraid to go on when he was a kid. Boohoo, who cares... At times it's supposed to be scary but it fails miserably at being anything but scary. Other than that, the story was a mess, and it was just a real drag sitting through the whole thing. Maybe the book is ok, but for a horror movie, it didn't work at all and I feel sick now.
It looked all right, but that was the only thing it had going for it really. Basically it was just a big mess that featured some crappy and unbelivable acting, some extremely lame scares and a whole heap of other things considered bad. Do yourself a favor and stay far away from it as it's just not worth the time.
Karin gets to inherit the old family estate when her grandmother passes away. She drives out to the house together with her boyfriend in order to clear out the property and then to sell it. Soon she meets a somewhat weird guy named Pierce who tends the horses, and fixes things around the estate. Later on Karin starts seeing things, and after her boyfriend leaves, things only gets worse. There seems to be many dark secrets that surrounds the house, and they also seem to be connected to her childhood when she was there as a kid. Meanwhile, Pierce is getting even more weird and Karin starts to feel really uncomfortable around him. Does he have something to do with all the strange things that are going on?
Someone who had written comments about this movie on IMDB, wrote that the flick sucked donkey balls, and that pretty much sums it up. Now, I never thought this movie would be great plus that the title sounded kinda stupid as well, but I figured I should give it a shot since I actually liked Gina Philips in Jeepers Creepers. She's not great here, but at the same time she's far from being bad as well, it's just that the story is so darn stupid and you can't help but to wonder what the hell the writers were thinking when they wrote this piece of junk.
Even if I was never expecting this movie to be very good, I still found it to be somewhat interesting in the beginning. Well, at least I tried to get into it even though it didn't felt very fresh or creative. While the shitty story unfolds, the viewer has to sit through a higher number of extremely cheap scares. But this movie didn't actually have one scary thing in it really, although it succeeded with being so bad that it was actually scary, so I'll have to give it some credit for that.
The way this movie was set up felt too standard and unoriginal. Karin inherits the family estate and goes there with her boyfriend to clean it up to later sell it. Apparently there's something wrong with the house, and Karin starts seeing things and suffer from 'horrible' nightmares. Her boyfriend leaves and she's left alone there, but fortunatly or actually unfortunatly, a weird care-taker named Pierce lives around there too. But something is not right with the guy, and Karin is soon to find out.
So many cheap scares in the beginning, and then it switches between being a supernatural flick and more of a terror type of flick. None of these things work though, and I would label it a shitty thriller that has no thrills or scares that are the least bit effective. The longer the movie goes, the worse it gets, and the last 15 minutes or so I actually felt quite ashamed for everyone who was involved in the making of this crapfest.
The acting is somewhat ok from Gina Philips and from Jenny Mollen who plays Gina's sister. Not that I had a lot of respect for Tom Sizemore before watching this mess, but now I have none. This guy can't play a psychopath for shit, and it was almost frightening to see such a terrible and unbelivable performance. I don't even remember the score, but considering that I didn't remember it, it couldn't have been that great.
Another new 'horror' flick that was complete crap...not really a big surprise. I can't think of one good reason why you would wanna put yourself through watching this. It really has nothing to offer, and the story was so bad that I feel a bit sick when thinking about it. Stay far away from this, it's so not worth the time.
It takes off kinda were the first one left off, it's now some time later and Rachel (Naomi Watts) moves to Oregon with her irritating son Aidan (David Dorfman) to start a new life. But unfortunately Samara returns and messes things up again and Rachel has to find a new way to put Samara to rest once and for all.
This is actually not a remake of the Japanese Ringu 2 but instead a sequel to the The Ring, US remake of Japanese Ringu. And this somehow made it work for me on more levels than expected.
The first one, US version of The Ring was better than expected but not even comparable to the Japanese Ringu, it was good but no movie has scared me shitless like Ringu, maybe except for when you were really young and were easily scared by most horror movies but that doesn't really count.
So good thing here is that we don't really have to talk about remakes anymore, only sequels (of which most of the time might not be a good thing either but still...)
The Ring Two does unfortunately not have the dept of The Ring but is still watchable with a few good scares.
It doesn't really have the same creepy atmosphere as the first film and some stuff feels repeated. I was somewhat anxious to see The Ring Two since it's directed by original Ringu director Hideo Nakata, but even though I'm not totally disapointed I still feel it could of had some more to offer.
Naomi Watts does a good job as Rachel once again and I guess David Dorfman as Aidan does a somewhat good job too even though I totally had enough of him in the first movie, I just hate kids in movies, can't stand them.
In the end I think The Ring Two was totally watchablem, and kinda entertaining even though it's very forgettable, and doesn't really "stay with you" once finished.
Based upon a true story of Manuel Blanco Romasanta, a travelling vendor who killed people and used their body fat to make soap. Some mutilated cadavers are discovered giving way to the legend of the Werewolf of Allariz. A man, Romasanta, a travelling vendor who's a charming man and is appreciated by the women in the villages he visits. But he's also the werewolf feared by all. He meets Barbara who discovers who he really is and hunts him down to bring him to justice.
This movie had bad written all over it, I should've known by just looking at the cover, it looks way too cool to be any good. So here I was expecting a gorefeast accompanied by some werewolf action, but instead I got a slow-moving drama with little gore and no action. If I would have known it would be a drama, things might have turned out a little bit different. But what's up with the cover, it sure looks like horror to me, and I hate when they do this with covers, trailers, promotions. That is fooling people into thinking it's something that it's not, and I don't see the reason why anyone would do so, all that's gonna happen with that is just that it's gonna disappoint a lot of people. Well, it sure fooled me.
The only thing that kept me from turning the movie off and that was a tiny bit interesting was the fact that it is based on a true story. I had never heard about this legend of Romasanta before, so it was a little interesting to see what the man did and how everything happened. Not interesting enough though, I was still bored out of my mind throughout the whole flick, and had to take small breaks every now and then to not loose it completely.
The movie follows Manuel Blanco Romasanta, a soap vendor, and a man who seems so sensitive it's kinda disgusting at times. I guess that is to show that even though he was a beast, he was still nice and everything and you're supposed to feel sympathy for him. It's too much anyway and took a lot of energy to sit through. He's portrayed by Julian Sands who might be a good actor but that I got completely feed up with within the first 10-15 minutes into the movie.
This girl named Barbara is trapped by a wolf in a barn and when Romasanta walks in, the wolf runs away in fear, so he ends up saving Barbara's life. He then leaves Barbara to take her sister and her sister's daughter to another town to find a secure place for them to live due to all the recent wolf attacks. But since the man is pure evil (but at the same time sensitive like a little girl) he kills the two females on the way to the new town. He then returns to seduce Barbara, but she suspects that he had something to do with her sisters death. So together with the men that found her dead sister, she sets out to have justice brought upon Romasanta.
Even if the story was a little bit interesting, you just couldn't care less what was gonna happen. This girl Barbara, played by Elsa Pataky, is really nice to look at so at least it had that going for it. We even get to see her tits but it's so not worth the time. Since it takes place around the 1850's, it has this old fairytale feeling to it which is a nice touch, but that doesn't really help much either. So anyway, the man is eventually caught in 1852 and confesses to have murdered at least 13 people, although he claims that he's innocent because he's was a werewolf. He was later diagnosed with the psychological condition of lycanthropy and were never sent to death as some people thought he should've been, but instead he was sent to a full life sentence.
Ok, so the story and the fact that it has actually happened for real is somewhat interesting, but I've could've read about that for like 10 minutes or something instead of wasting 90 minutes sitting through this boring flick. I guess it will work for some people, but don't expect a horror movie, because it's really not. I sure couldn't take it and the flick is now resting in the garbage can.
When Amy and her fiancé, Nick, are out driving, they happen to be in a car accident. A ambulance crew arrive on the scene and takes Nick, who's badly injured, away without telling Amy to which hospital they're taking him to. She goes to the nearest hospital in hope to find him there, but he seems nowhere to be found. Outside the hospital, she meets Lucas who was in the other car that Amy and Nick collided with, and he tells her that he's looking for his sister who was in the car with him, and that the ambulance crew took her away as well. Together they start searching for where their loved ones could've been taken, and their search leads them to a hospital that burnt down several years ago.
Room 6 is a low-budget horror movie that deals with the supernatural, but that does not look very low-budget at all, in fact, it looks really good. At first I had no idea what to expect, but the movie opened up with such an awesome scene, I was sure I was in for a good ride. And I was, until the last 20 minutes or so, but more about that later. The movie opens with Amy (Christine Taylor: Zoolander) laying on a operating table just about to have some surgery done. She can't move a muscle or talk for that matter, but she is awake, and the doctors are preparing to open her up. She tries to get their attention, to tell them that she's awake, but since she can't move, it's of course an impossible task. Talk about your worst nightmare, but it makes for a great opening scene, and gets the viewers full attention right from the start.
Later on, Amy and her boyfriend Nick (Shane Brolly: Underworld, Underworld: Evolution) are out driving when they all of a sudden crash into another car. The people around the scene of the accident seem strange, and when the ambulance crew arrive, they act even more weird. They drive away with Nick in the ambulance, and do not tell Amy to where they're taking him. She panics and heads to the nearest hospital, but he's not there. Then she runs into Lucas (Jerry O’Connell: Stand by Me, Scream 2), who was in the car they collided with, and he tells her that he's looking for his sister, and together they begin to search for their loved ones. While searching for Nick, strange things start to happen to Amy, and she starts to see people turn into zombie-like creatures for just a brief moment every now and then.
A young girl from the class that Amy's teaching (she's a school teacher), points Amy in the right direction to where to find Nick. It seems he has been taken to a hospital called St. Rose Mary's, but later Amy finds out that the hospital burnt down five years earlier. As she keeps searching for clues, things start to become more and more strange, and Lucas appears to be quite different from what she first had thought.
I must admit that the longer this movie kept on going, the more and more excited I got. I haven't seen a movie that have had such a good pace, such a good story, and so many scares and supernatural happenings all the way throughout in a long time. As I kept watching, Room 6 just kept getting better and better. But since the movie proved to be so darn good, I started to fear for the actual ending since that might make it or break it. And unfortunately, it did break it, and even if it didn't ruin the whole experience, the movie came out looking way worse than it did half-way through.
Even if I personally didn't find Room 6 to be very scary, it still had a lot of great scares to offer. The effects used in this movie are really good, the monsters make-up is great and they look pretty creepy, and the use of flickering lights and shadows in the hospital gave the movie an eerie feel. Best thing though with Room 6 is that it never slows down. Things/scares occur so often, but it never feels too much, it just makes it more interesting and draws your attention. It's fast-paced, but still you get a pretty well-developed story, and even if you don't get to know the characters that well, it's still enough for them to be belivable, especially Christine Taylor's character.
Room 6 is of course not a completely original movie, if you've seen Jacob’s Ladder, you'll notice that it has borrowed a few things from that flick. When watched it, I also felt that it reminded me a lot of Silent Hill. Been playing those games like crazy for years, it had a slight Silent Hill feel to it, especially when being in the haunted hospital. I don't mean anything bad with this though since Room 6 still managed to stand on its own and create a pretty creepy atmosphere.
We get to see some hot naked nurses drink blood, and while that might sound pretty awesome, I still felt that that scene was pretty tacky and unnecessary (no, I'm not gay), but it felt like it took some of the seriousness away. Save that stuff for slasher flicks or whatever, this story was just too good to have stuff like that in it. Anyway, it's a minor complaint that doesn't really matter at all. The big complaint though is for the actual ending, or the last 20 minutes or so. I don't wanna give the ending away, but the last remaining 15-20 minutes at the hospital just became more and more ridiculous and uninteresting. The movie was really great all the way, but that last remaining part was a big let-down.
Room 6 looked smashing, had tons of scares, great effects but a pretty bad ending. It's not the whole world though, and you should not avoid the movie for that single reason alone. The acting was really good, and not even comparable to your normal low-budget horror type of acting, as this was truly high-class acting. Christine Taylor really stood out and made a terrific job with her character, and while the others were not bad either, she definitely stole the whole show with her performance. I've only seen her in comedies before, but she really proved that she can do horror as well, and that was a cool thing. Even though I didn't care for the ending, I would still really recommend Room 6 since it had so many other great things going for it.
A young mother, whose husband was recently killed in the line of duty, one day comes across a 'wishing stone' in a mysterious antique shop. She can't resist the stone, but when she wish for to see her husband one last time, her wish also releases Rumpelstiltskin who has been trapped inside the stone for over 500 years. Rumpelstiltskin will stop at nothing to steal her infant son's soul and armed with just the fairy tale legend, the mother must fight to defend what she holds most dear.
Here's an old (only ten years, but still) classic from Director Mark Jones (Leprechaun, producer of Leprechaun 2 and writer of all the Leprechaun movies) which is called Rumpelstiltskin, based on the fairy tale. Even though the film was made in the mid 90's, it has the feeling of a cheesy horror film from the good old 80's, and that is one of the reasons for why I consider this to be a pretty cool flick. It's of course somewhat similar to Leprechaun with both movies dealing with characters from fairy tales, with those characters being evil as well, but I think Rumpelstiltskin is slightly better than those Leprechaun movies, with the first one being watchable and the others being close to crap. I've actually only seen the first three of those movies, but to protect myself from getting brain damage, I've stayed away from the rest, Leprechaun in Space/in the Hood or whatever they're called.
First off, this is not a movie to take seriously, and while I'm sure most people know that, it's still good advise for those who don't. With that said, if you take Rumpelstiltskin for the kind of fun and cheesy horror it really is, it's actually a pretty good ride. Now, Rumpelstiltskin is an ancient being who all of a sudden happens to find himself in modern day Los Angeles with all what that means. It's far from being hilarious but it sure has some comical situations to offer, and many of them due to him not being use to the modern day of age and how things work. He learns though, and will stop at nothing to get the mother's little baby.
Now, the plot might be a bit weak and the fact that Rumpelstiltskin delivers a few too many one-liners that doesn't really work doesn't really help the situation either. Like I said before, it's not a serious movie and you really need to take it for what it is, and that is one cheesy horror flick. But if you're in the right mood, and don't feel like anything too heavy, Rumpelstiltskin is a pretty good pick. It delivers what it is supposed to deliver, and that is a fun and horrific 91 minutes of cheese, and when looking at it like that, it gets the job done.
Ok, so Rumpelstiltskin will most likely annoy you, but at the same time it will also amuse you if you're in the right mood for this type of film. It's a movie that is easy to criticize, but just leave all the seriousness aside and take it for what it is, and I'm pretty sure it will be worth it. It might be stupid at times, but it has a bunch of really good scenes that are well worth watching it for. And compared to all kinds of crap made these days, this movie ain't half bad.
The devil's son lost a wager to an angel and had to play the good Santa that everyone's familiar with for a 1000 year, but in Santa's Slay, the 1000 years have now gone by and now Santa can be mean again, wreck things and kill people. This is the story, it involves some kids too that's trying to stop him but it's not important.
Ho-ho-ho only 6 days to christmas when writing this and I just saw Santa's Slay, a movie that will bring you in the mood and the spirit of christmas, or maybe not.
This movie has high entertainment value but don't take it too seriously, this is a b-movie just meant to be pure fun. Although it's a b-movie it doesn't look really low budget which often is the case so that was very nice for a change. Also there are a lot of familiar faces throughout the movie.
The greatest thing is that ex wrestling star Bill Goldberg takes on the role as Santa and is truly a mean one. I just realised it sounds like I'm promoting the movie, don't get me wrong as I am not.
Again this can't be taken seriously and if you just go with it, it's actually quite fun at times and even when it's not that fun it's still fast paced and entertaining.
It's fun to see Bill Goldberg walking around in a santa suit and being an a-hole, he's perfect for the part. It's also kinda fun to see a santa acting like this, the total opposite of what he's supposed to (I like to recommend the movie Bad Santa too, it's great).
It's not bad but I can't really say that it's good either, it's just very entertaining and is fun to view if you're bored and feel up for some unserious comedy.
One thing that brings it down a lot though is the music, it has the most shitty songs I've heard in a long time and two times when watching the movie I actually had to press the mute button cuz the music was so bad I actually started to feel nauseous.
Just take it for what it is and nothing more and you'll be fine.
Satan Rides the Media is a documentary by Torstein Grude, that was aired in early 1999 in Norway. As the title suggests, it deals with Satan, or that is satanism, in the media which was a huge deal at the time, due to that a bunch of churches were burnt to the ground in Norway. It tells about the satanic enviroment in Norway so to speak, dealing with black metal, and some of the people involved in the scene. But its main focus is on Varg Vikernes aka. Count Grishnack of the band Burzum, who didn't just burn down several churches, but who also murdered Øystein Aarseth of the black metal band Mayhem. Basically this documentary is about Vikernes, what he did, his trial, how it all started, and what happened to the black metal scene after that Vikernes was convicted to serve 21 years in prison.
Satan Rides The Media is actually a quite fair documentary which tells you about what happened in Norway in the early 90's. Usually when watching stuff like this, there's always an angle to it, but to my big surprise, Satan Rides The Media was told in a straight-forward way, explaining what happened and why, without ever judging or taking sides. It lets the people involved tell what they know from their point of view, whether it be some guy from a BM band, the journalist who did the interview with Vikernes which later led to his arrest, or Vikernes himself for that matter, among others. The fact that the documentary is of the neutral kind, and does not take a stand, but instead shows us and explains what happened helps a lot. It's never about taking sides, or fearing the evil satanists for that matter, but instead just to get an insight to what it was all about.
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| Vikernes in prison |
Vikernes at the trial |
If you know nothing about the scene, and is totally new to everything this documentary has to offer, you might find it strange and horrible at the same time. For me personally, growing up in Sweden and being just a few of years younger than the guys who used to be big names in the scene, I've heard about all of this a countless number of times during my teen years (when I used to do a death/black metal zine as well). It was still interesting to see Satan Rides The Media though, and especially to see the interviews with Vikernes. When the arsons started in Norway, it of course spread a lot of fear among the people there, and at the same time it hurted a lot of people who were involved in the scene because of the music, and not for satanism which everyone seemed to believe. There were just a small group of people, so-called satanists, who commited these crimes, and then the media blew it up in the papers, creating a lot of hype, and spread fear among ordinary people in Norway at the time.
 Mayhem was the first band in Norway to start playing black metal, and soon after them came others, in particular a one man band called Burzum, with the one man being Vikernes or 'Greven' which translates to 'The Count'. Øystein Aarseth, the guitarist of Mayhem, opened a shop called 'Helvete' which translates to 'Hell', and had his own record label were he released Mayhem's recordings on. Øystein Aarseth's stage name was Euronymous, and he was the big name in the scene during that time. Mayhem are also famous (or infamous) for their singer called Dead who blew his brains out, and later Euronymous discovered the corpse but did not call the police. Instead he got a polaroid camera and went back to where Dead's body was to take pictures of the corpse. One of these pictures ended up being the cover for Mayhem's album 'Dawn of the Black Hearts' (see pic to the left).
Since this documentary has its focus on the crimes commited that involved people in the BM scene, you never really get a full insight to the music itself, what it is and how it evolved. You still get to learn a few things regarding the music though, but first and most, it's all about crime. Most people involved in the scene back at the time weren't satanists at all, they were just into the music and everything that came with it, that be the hair, the clothes etc. Since BM music lyrically deals with the subjects of Satan, death and so on, I guess it was natural for people and journalists to see the people involved in the scene as satanists. But of course most of them weren't, and aren't in those bands that exists today. It's just an image, and that is basically all there's to it. When breaking it down, it doesn't come out as very mysterious at all. But back in the day, when black metal was something new, it sure had a lot of mystery to it, and that was what made it interesting.
Satan Rides The Media has in a good and true way a lot to offer for those interested in the events that took place in Norway in the early 90's. You get to hear all sides of the stories from different sources that had some involvement in what happened, whether it be the BM people themselves, or the journalists writing about them. It was fun to see that a journalist actually admitted that they had printed a lot of false information, and had made things up in order to get exclusive news. Satan Rides The Media proved to be a great and fair documentary, and is definitely recommended to check out if you have any interest in this whole thing.
Satan's Little Helper is about this annoying little kid (and I truly mean annoying, all you wanna do throughout the movie is to drag him out from the screen and smack him hard), erhhh.. Anyway, the kid who sets out to find Satan since it's Halloween and finds this masked killer which he believes is Satan and becomes friends with him and follows him (as his little helper hence the title) around while he kills off people one by one. The kid is convinced it's not for real and just goes along with it and having a great time, and let me tell you, this kid is the worst, it's actually hard to watch this just because the kid is such a retard.
I've seen one good movie by Jeff Lieberman and that was "Squirm", although I use the word good very losely here. Anyway, I started watching this one without any real expectations, I had heard some stuff about it and it seemed like it was worth a watch, which I actually think it was even though it could've been better.
It actually kinda had the feeling "so bad it turns good" and that was what made this movie quite enjoyable in the end. Don't get me wrong here, it's very cheesy and have all these countless faults but the actual story is pretty cool and the dark humour in it are at some moments in the movie really good and funny as hell and that kinda makes up for the bad things.
Funny thing though is that the guy who plays Satan/the masked killer actually never says a word, just nods. Wait till you see it, it's better then it sounds, it's actually pretty great.
It's actually the guy who plays Satan who's the whole reason for watching this movie. There are some really funny scenes with him doing stuff and the humour is really black which gives it a great feel.
It's hard to give this movie a proper rating since it has a really cool story and some really hilarious stuff in it. On the other hand it's a low budget film and looks somewhat like a student film at times. Plus the kid, oh the kid drags it down, can't stand him, he's gonna grow up to be an asshole for sure.
Jigsaw is back and this time he let the police catch him only to reveal that he has locked a large group of people in a house and that they only have 2 hours to find a way out before they'll inhale too much lethal nerve gas and die. The house is of course full of traps and the people in there has to try and work together to be able to make it out alive.
I guess Saw 2 has been a kinda anticipated sequel to last years hit Saw and for a sequel it's a pretty good one.
It doesn't beat the first movie but is still a very good follow-up. It's very similar to the first one as it deals with the same theme only that they made it a little different this time around.
I was afraid that Saw 2 would be a let-down and I'm happy to say that it was not. It's actually a lot gorier than Saw and some scenes will probably make you cringe.
There are a lot of detailed gore so people into that will definitely be pleased. The actual horror is there, one could say in your face, the whole time but never so it gets really scary, more towards sick and disgusting.
Saw 2 is fast paced and stuff happen all the time the whole movie throughout so don't expect any dull moments here.
The actors are good and they all do a fine job and I guess some are more likable than others. It of course has a twist to it but I liked the ending in the first movie a lot better, not saying that this one was bad though, but nothing that made you go wow.
If you've seen Saw and if you liked it, then you should definitely see this one too while waiting for the third movie to come out.
Substance D is an illegal drug that has flooded the streets, and over 20% of the population has become hooked on it. But there are those who wanna put an end to the drug as well, and one of those is Bob Arctor, who's an undercover cop in Orange County, California. Arctor is ordered to spy on his addicted friends, but is a drug-addict as well, and ends up having a paranoid journey.
There are already tons of reviews for A Scanner Darkly on the net, so I'm just gonna keep it quite short and simple here, and not go into too much detail since there are loads of reviewers who has already done that, and frankly, it's starting to become a bit boring. So let's start with the animation, and when I thought about it after seeing the film, I found different ways on how to look at it, both good and not so good. A word to describe it with is cool, cos seriously, it looks really cool, actually it looks so cool that it takes focus away from the movie itself and the story. For a while in the beginning of the flick, I found myself to be too caught up in the animation, and what everything looked like, that I actually missed out on the story, and so I had to rewind and watch it again. I'm not kidding.
But after a while you got used to it, the animation that is, and so you could focus more on the actual story, which is a story based on an autobiographical novel by Philip K. Dick. I guess the story itself was pretty good, at least I had no problem finding the movie to be quite interesting. But on the other hand, if it wouldn't have been for the animation, I'm not sure it would've been half as good. I mean now it's special because of that it's animated, but if you took the animation off, would it really have anything special to it then? Honestly, I don't really think so, the animation is at least half the thing, if not more.
As far as the animation goes, it looks awesome, and that's reason enough to watch it, just to see how cool it looks. Other than that, once you get into the story, it pretty much does the job too. The acting is good and Keanu Reeves is actually not bad at all, and not really as stiff as normal which was a nice change. I'm not a fan of Robert Downey Jr and all of his chatter here (most of it of the pointless kind) kinda made your brain hurt at times. Woody Harrelson plays a guy who's kinda confused, and was pretty good to watch with him being slightly over-the-top, but it sure worked all right. Winona Ryder also appears in the movie, and is pretty good even if she doesn't "steal" the show.
At times A Scanner Darkly made you think about such movies as Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, Spun and last but not least, Requiem For A Dream. Biggest reason for that is that they all deal with drugs, but it has a bit more to it than that, it's hard to explain, but basically it was just the very feel itself. It also featured some humour which worked pretty well, and then there were a helluva lot of chattier parts. Good thing though during these chattier parts was that then you could focus on the animation instead, so at least that gave you something to do. Don't get me wrong here, as these parts also has some good dialogue to offer, but a lot of them felt kinda meaningless, and it's just like they're talking for the sake of talking, and what comes out is neither very interesting or important.
I think A Scanner Darkly is the type of movie that kinda requires a second viewing, as it was just too easy to get caught up in the animation, and at the same time miss out on a lot of stuff that happened the first time watching it. It looks really great, and that alone is reason enough to take a look at it. But except for the fact that it looks cool, it was also, all in all, a pretty good flick. Recommended.
Scanners are people with telepathic and telekinetic powers, and this breed came from from a side effect from a tranquilizer that some women used during pregnancy. Revok is one of those evil scanners who doesn't let anything stand in his way of power. At the same time, Cameron Vale is a scanner too, but doesn't see things as Revok do, and tries to infiltrate his group of scanners. Along the way, his search leads him to find out a dark secret about himself, and where he really is from.
I'm a big fan of Cronenberg (The Fly, Videodrome, eXistenZ), but while Scanners is a pretty good movie, it's far from his best work. It's a really good idea, but on film some of it feels not that great when executed. My only real problem with Scanners is that, besides that the acting is a bit stiff, it starts off really good but doesn't quite manage to stay as interesting the whole film throughout. Although, this is not a major problem and it doesn't mean that it's a hard or dull film to sit through, as it is actually suspensefull and quite action-packed.
I guess that it's most famous for the exploding head scene, which is a really cool scene. Unfortunately, that scene comes very early on and for the rest of the movie, you find yourself waiting for some similar thing to happen, but it never comes. Still, it has a bit of gore but not that much, although the action and the suspense makes up for a lot. Michael Ironside plays the evil villain Revok, and definitely stands out compared to the rest of the cast. Our 'hero' Cameron (Stephen Lack) is ok, but far from great, and his acting feels way too stiff at times.
Like with some other of David Cronenberg's films, Scanners has a story that is original and interesting, and is the best thing this movie has to offer. And like others of the director's films, the story deals with things that can be applied on society itself, and can be interpret in different ways. While I think it's a really good movie, it's not half as touching or makes you really feel something for it like with The Fly, to mention one film. It's a good and somewhat memorable flick, but doesn't really manage to have that same strong effect as some of his other films have had.
In the end, it has all those elements that Cronenberg's films are know for, something that makes him a brilliant director and writer. Although it has its problems, but at the same time, most of those problems are pretty easy to overlook as well. One thing though that was hard to ignore was the somewhat awful score. It was not all that bad the movie throughout, but at times it's just an irritating mess. It might fit the concept, nevertheless, it's easy to get a serious headache from listening to it as well. The ending is pretty good and has some gore to offer, but unfortunately it's not an ending that makes you go wow. But Scanners has a strong storyline, and that is one major thing that overshadows all those little negative things.
Not as much a horror film as a thriller mixed with sci-fi, but that has its horror elements together with some gore as well. It sure has its problems, but most of them are relatively easy to ignore and never really makes the movie turn bad either. Scanners has a really cool story, and is quite an interesting flick that is definitely worth checking out.
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Cindy Campbell moves in next to Tom Ryan to take care of an old lady. But the house where the old lady lives is haunted by some freaky little boy, so Cindy heads to The Village to find out who killed him. At the same time, Aliens attack, and Tom has to flee with his children, and together with Cindy and her pal Brenda try to figure out a way to stop the aliens from invading the earth.
Scary Movie 4 was an unfunny 83 minute experience, that had some jokes that worked, while most of them did not. It starts off with Dr. Phil being chained to one leg and has to cut it off in order to escape the cellar which Jigsaw holds him prisoner. Instead he cuts off the wrong leg, and while that was supposed to be funny, it turned out to not be very funny at all, and so it was a bad beginning for something that turned out to be a bad movie.
Shortly after we get to meet Cindy Campbell who we've gotten to know from the previous three movies. She meets Charlie Sheen and get to witness him commiting suicide a la Bill Pullman in The Grudge. It's slightly different though, but I don't want to spoil anything for potential viewers. After that, Cindy heads over to start her new job taking care of an old lady in a haunted house. There we get to see a lot from The Grudge, but it doesn't work too well. The house where she's working is next to Tom Ryan's house, and the two fall for each other. But love has got to wait, since aliens are attacking, and Cindy needs to find out why the ghostly boy is haunting the house she works in.
She heads over to The Village with her friend Brenda (Regina Hall from the three previous flicks as well), and starts investigating why the boy was killed. At the same time, Tom has to battle aliens, or actually try to flee from them, and Cindy later hooks up with him to help him out to stop the alien invasion.
We get to see a lot of parody of movies like Saw and Saw II, The Village, The Grudge, Million Dollar Baby, Brokeback Mountain, but most of all War of the Worlds I think. I thought the two first movies had some really hilarious stuff in them, and I guess that was because of the Wayans Brothers. The third movie came from David Zucker, the same man this fourth installment came from, but while the third one was quite ok, this time around it just didn't hit the spot. Some of the jokes did work, but most of them did not, and even if the movie's not that long, it still felt somewhat like a waste of time.
I'm happy this was the final chapter, because this time around it didn't work at all and started to get really boring. It has a few things that works, and that's why I'm giving it a 3, but other than that, it kinda felt like a waste of time.
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American industrialist William Cole travels to Bulgaria to finalize a tax scam, and has his wife with him as well. At the same time, Dr. Ivan Ivanov and his assistant Pavel has created a drug that can connect brains and make them work together. Cole travels around the Bulgarian town with a rented taxi driver, but soon after his arrival, he's killed by a maid at the hotel he's staying at. Apparently the maid was the texi drivers old fiancé, and she soon kills him as well as Cole's wife when she visits the maid, looking for revenge. Pavel brings Cole's lifeless body to Dr. Ivan Ivanov, and connects the taxi drivers brain with Cole's brain, in order for him to be alive again. The two seem to have nothing in common, except for the fact that they're both looking for the girl who killed them.
I had no idea what to expect from Man with the Screaming Brain, but since it had Bruce Campbell in it, it felt a must see. Cool thing was that Campbell also wrote and directed the movie, so that was interesting as well. I read up on the movie a little before watched it, and since they didn't have that much money, they filmed and Campbell also re-wrote some stuff in it for Bulgaria. It sounded very low-budget and it was hard to know what to expect, a new Bubba Ho-Tep? No, way different but will of course still appeal to fans of Campbell.
I must say that Bulgaria seemed like an excellent choise to film this movie in, or that is that it made the movie look completely different compared to if they would've filmed it in the States. It gave the whole thing a different kind of touch, and it looks cool and I must say that the Bulgarian actors added a lot to the whole flick as well, and gave it another kind of feel. And that was a good kind of feel.
But to break things down a bit; Man with the Screaming Brain is a real B-movie, no question about it, but that doesn't mean that it was bad. While things really doesn't look bad at all, early on it felt a bit too stiff, but the longer I watched, the better it got. The acting was far from great, even from Bruce, especially early on in the movie he didn't do too well. When he later got to do his comical thing, things started to look so much better. The Bulgarian actors were ok, and it was really cool to see Stacy Keach as the somewhat mad scientist.
The only real complaint I have when talking about the acting, is about Ted Raimi. That guy couldn't act even if his life depended on it, and since he gets so much screen-time here (which he normally doesn't get) you really start to understand just how horrible his acting really is. To be honest, I was actually embarrassed at times, and the humour that he tried to deliver might've worked for a five year old, but other than that didn't work for shit, except for maybe one or two things at best.
Storywise, it ranks pretty high and kept you interested while it at the same time was funny. There are a lot of humerous situations in the movie, and while a lot of them didn't work, when they actually did work, they were really funny. Some stuff was so funny it was hard not to laugh out loud, and while a lot of stuff, humourwise, didn't work, the humour that did work compensated for it. It moved at a fast-pace and never felt slow or dull, except for maybe in the end where things felt a bit dragged out. But overall, it was quite an entertaining piece of film.
If you're a fan of Campbell, Man with the Screaming Brain is a must see. It has all the elements a B-movie should have, and while some of the humour didn't work at all, when it did work, it worked like a charm. It's not a movie to be taken seriously and if you watch it, watch it with an open mind to get the most out of it. Even if it was far from great, in the end this was a movie I could see myself watching again, many times in the future. And I'm impressed by Campbell as well, especially on the writing side of things. Recommended, but can't be watched with a too serious kind of attitude.
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This time the story is about Chucky's and Tiffany's child who's looking for his real parents and goes to Hollywood to find them, because of that he saw Chucky and Tiffany on tv at a movie shoot that was taking place in Hollywood.
Let's start from the beginning. When Child's Play first came out it was a pretty good movie, I was quite young back then and didn't know better. I decided to watch it again like two years ago and I guess in some way it has its charm and since it came out long ago it's ok, if a movie like that would've been released nowadays it would've been crap.
Then Child's Play 2-3 came which both are basically the first movie all over again, not one but two times. Then came a big surprise which was Bride of Chucky which I consider to be the best movie in the series. It had a better sense of humour than the three earlier movies and was way different too.
Since Bride of Chucky first came out I've been watching it again a number of times and I think it's an excellent movie, so when I heard about Seed of Chucky I thought that maybe it's gonna be in the same vein too. Let me tell you, it's not.
I must admit that I kinda like the actual story in Seed of Chucky but the way they made a movie out of it kinda ruined it, it's way too Hollywood (and that's never a good thing).
It has some of the dark humour which is supposed to be there but most of the time it's just not very funny and actually quite lame. Other than that, starring is also Redman, uhhh, what the hell...this drags the rating down for sure.
Jennifer Tilly is supposed to be a part of the movie, and I don't hate her or anything but here she's not just any fun to watch, she's just kind of annoying. Although I liked her in Bride of Chucky, but here it doesn't work that well.
When writing this I've seen Seed of Chucky three times. First time I would have given it a 7 out of 10 rating, since even though it wasn't that good I still wanted to like it, or so I told myself. Second viewing the rating would have been 5 out of 10, cuz it was so much worse the second time. Don't ask me why I saw it a third time but in the end it had to land on 4 out of 10.
I guess in some ways it's somewhat entertaining, but as a whole it's not a very good movie.
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A group of sentenced criminal young adults are sent to clean the Blackwell Hotel, and by doing so, they'll get some time taken of their sentences. But at the hotel, there's a psychopath named Jacob Goodnight hiding away in the massive building, but now coming forth to kill all those who has entered the Blackwell Hotel.
There has been a lot of fuzz surrounding See No Evil, but basically the movie's nothing more than your normal slasher type of flick. The story couldn't be less complicated; What you get are a number of young adults, criminals, who are chosen to clean a huge building called the Blackwell Hotel. What they do not know is that there's a psychopath inside the big mansion, something that they'll soon be aware of. With them in the house is a lady who put the project together, and also one cop to guard them, along with the old lady who runs the hotel.
Some of the characters are pretty likable while some are not. Funny thing though is that all the girls from prison are pretty hot, well, big surprise. What you get to see is wrestler Kane showing up every now and then, killing the people who has entered his home. He rips his victims eyes out (hence the title), and kills them in different kinds of ways, some that actually are pretty cool. The guy's strong like hell, and that added a nice touch to when he 'handled' his victims.
Early on, you don't get to see too much of Kane which was nice. He shows up every now and then, but never stays on screen for too long which added a little bit of mystery to his character. Later on though, the guy gets way to much screen time, and the little mystery that was there before goes down the drain. See No Evil had some potential to be a scary flick, especially for the fact that it deals with a huge hotel that is old and rugged which could create a certain atmosphere, something it did early on but later totally lost. The 'scares' are too predictable, and Kane himself couldn't be any less scary.
There's a background story to why the psychopath is doing what he does, and why he rips people's eyes out. Little by little, the viewer get to know more about his character, and this adds to that the guy's not scary at all, in fact, you might feel sympathy for him instead. Some of the killings are pretty cool, but some could've been a helluva lot more gruesome. Even if the movie's far from being a nice flick, it's still just not nasty enough to really satisfy. One thing it is though is entertaining, has a good pace with things happening all throughout the duration of the movie. I can't say that it was a great horror flick, but at least it's simple entertainment and the 85 minutes this movie lasted went by really quick.
See No Evil looks all right, has a few cool killing scenes, but is not the least bit scary. Still, it's entertaining and pretty fast-paced. The acting is decent, don't expect wonders, but at least it was totally bearable and never bad. Not a movie to take seriously, but works well as a modern slasher flick, and even if it has its fair share of problems, it still has some good entertainment value.
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Working-class Bostonians Phil and Gordon makes a bid on removing asbestos from an enormous abandoned mental hospital, they win the bid and are supposed to finish the job within a week. Together with a three other guys, the crew start what was supposed to be a straightforward job, but soon things get in their way as the mental hospital is closing in on them. All the guys has their own personal problems to deal with, and at the same time one of the team members named Mike stumbles upon session tapes of a girl with multiple personalities, with her third personality being something that's pure evil.
Session 9 is one of those kinda rare horror movies that stays with you for a while after that it's over. When watching it, the film certainly has a creepy feel to it, but afterwards, when thinking about the characters and putting things together, that same creepy feel found in the movie is still there with you. There are not too many horror flick that succeed with delivering this so-called after effect, so it's of course always a great thing when it happens. This is not a movie for those looking for cheap sudden scares, or a fast pace for that matter. Not that the movie's slow really, but it takes its time, creeping under your skin and delivers psychological fear instead of fast shocks and sudden scares.
It takes its time for things to build up and the scary moments have some distance between them. Still though, the movie has this eerieness to it that comes early on in the movie and that is quite hard to shake off. Even when there are just these pure drama scenes in broad daylight, the eerieness is still there, waiting patiently in the background, ready to strike again and again. First time I watched Session 9 when the movie first was released, I have to admit that it freaked me out for a little while. I can't say that it's extremely scary because it's really not, but if you really get into it, it will provide some genuine fear for sure. Filmed at the Danvers State Mental Hospital, this amazing monsterous building does a lot of the work for the movie on its own. It has to be seen to be believed, but imagine this abandoned mental hospital, so big that one could easily get lost there and that has a nasty history to it. Other than that, on the outside it looks quite nice, but on the inside it's old, worn-out, dusty, filled with dark rooms and so-called therapy rooms that were infact torture chambers. Other than that, it's so quiet there that you could almost hear yourself think. Yeah, it's definitely one freaky place.
 
The movie has quite good character development where we get to know a bit about each and every one. We learn that all of these men have personal problems and get to know some about that as well. Now, I'm not into flicks that explains every single little thing they have to them before they end, since that leaves no mystery and nothing to think about after that it's over. On the other hand, Session 9 might leave you with almost too many unexplained things, some that couldn't really matter less, but some things that could've been explained a bit further. This is really not a big problem though, and Session 9 is still a very enjoyable and creepy flick.
The cinematography is awesome and the acting is good as well. Best thing with the characters is that they feel very real, working-class men doing their job and at times you actually forget that your watching a movie which is a great feeling...that is, if you get into it to begin with. This is a very different kind of horror movie, there to creep you out rather than to scare you for a brief moment which you would have forgotten about ten minutes later anyway. The way it builds up is extremely good, but then if it will satisfy you in the end is of course a different story. I really liked the fact that the movie felt very calm and real, dealing with people that you might could relate more to, rather than just the usual superficial and stereotypical teens that we unfortunately have gotten so used to seeing in horror films.
Personally, I think Sesson 9 is a very good film that differs itself from the usual kind of horror films. It sure has some creepy moments, one of those in relation with the title of the movie itself. Of course the Danvers State Mental Hospital plays a huge role in the film and does a lot of work on its own, being a natural creepy place and all. Some people might dismiss Session 9 for being too slow, but personally I think it's a very nice break from the usual 'cheap scare horrors'. It's far from being a fantastic flick, but the fact that it separates itself a lot from the standard kind of horror makes it well worth watching, just for the sake of that. But of course there are many more reason for why you should watch it. Give it a try, you'll probably not regret it.
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A group of convicts being transported through the desert when the van breaks down and the convicts escape, killing one guard and taking another female guard with them as hostage. As they wander through the desert, they come across an old indian guy who tells them about a gold treasure buried under a city not too far away. Greedy as they are, they head for the city in hope to get rich. Once there, they get a strange welcome from the town's weird sheriff and when darkness falls, everyone suddenly turns into blood-thirsty zombies/vampires. While fleeing from all the madness around them, the convicts soon stumble upon the treasure. But when getting ready to take all the gold and leave, the protectors of the treasure who are seven deadly mummies suddenly awakens.
Yikes, this movie was BAD. On the cover it said, and I quote: "The most frightening American movie in a decade" written by some clueless jerk at Ain't It Cool News. I seriously wonder how you could even make a statement like that, have the person who wrote that even seen the movie? It would be even more disturbing if that person would have seen the movie and actually thought that it was the most frightening American movie in a decade. Comments and quotes on movie covers are usually quite stupid, but this was just amazing. But let's forget about that for now and go on to see what made this movie turn out so bad.
At first I thought this movie could've been something since we get a lot of actors that has starred in other horror films before. First off we have Danny Trejo who always is kinda fun to watch, that is except here. He plays some old indian that tells and points the convicts towards the gold, and we also get to hear him laugh for about a minute, and that's a long time hearing someone laughing, especially when there's nothing to laugh about. Then we have Cerina Vincent from Cabin Fever who is the reason why this movie got 2 out of 10 instead of just 1. That is simply because she's very nice to look at (after all I am a man) and even though everything in this movie sucks, she's still a pretty good actress. At least she gets the job done without irritating the hell out of the viewer.
Next up is Matt Schulze who was in Blade 1-2, and he's not a likable character here, although he's not really bad either but a little to macho for his own good. Then we have Billy Wirth who was in Body Snatchers and he's also quite ok here, not very memorable though. Noel Gugliemi who has been in a lot of flicks, but horrorwise we saw him in Wrong Turn. His lingo is a bit annoying here, and the fact that he says what's up every five seconds is a bit irritating. Billy Drago stars as the town sheriff and is truly the most annoying character in the movie. He has been in the 2006 remake of The Hills Have Eyes and Blood Relic, a crappy slasher flick, among other thing. Ok, let's stop with the actors and what they've done.
So these convicts stumble upon this indian who tells them about a gold treasure that is buried under a town that was built over it. So they head for the town and it looks like something from the old west. They enter this bar/saloon and get hazzled by the local sheriff. Soon after when it's getting dark outside, everyone in the bar, except the convicts turn into zombies, vampires or I'm not sure what exactly, and attack the convicts. Since they are in this type of bar and are being attacked by these type of things, you can't help but to think of From Dusk Till Dawn, only that everything is of course a hell of a lot more poor here.
Most of the convicts manage to escape and from then on they run around in the town, hiding out and getting attacked every now and then. Later on they come across the gold and when they're just about to take it and leave, the mummies that guard the gold awakens from their coffins. Now this part of the movie is just beyond ridiculous. The mummies awaken and start to fight the convicts, but somehow the mummies seem to know kung fu, how to jump high in the air and all that stuff like in some Chinese fantasy movie.
The fight goes on for a while, and even though it might sound fun that the mummies use this type of fighting style, it just comes out looking absolutely ridiculous. First off they are in what looks like the old west with guns and stuff, and add to that some stupid looking mummies (that are wearing cowls) and that practise some Chinese type fighting style. Geeez... Add to that also that the last two remaining convicts seem to know some self-defense as well as they're blocking punches and blows, and it's all just a big mess.
Seven Mummies is truly a B-movie in every sense of the word, and while some B-movies are greatly entertaining and can be fun to watch, some are just awful and unfortunately this is one of those later ones. The acting is a bit of a mix, some people do a pretty good job with their characters while some are just wooden, over the top or just not very believable. The score is also a mix, and in the beginning of the movie we get to hear some awful rap songs, and later on we get treated to some awful nu-metal type songs. The score is of course an important part for adding a certain feel to the movie itself, and Seven Mummies manages to completely fail at having that. There are so many things in this movie that one could complain about, but what it all comes down to is that it's just a very bad flick.
Could of course been better but there are just to many things in this movie that makes it come out quite ridiculous. For a horror movie it isn't the least bit scary, actually there are no scares in it whatsoever. The mummies look cheap and stupid and the story has nothing interesting to it. It's very predictable and features some awful music. It's also a pretty short movie, only 76 minutes, but on the other hand maybe that's a good thing.
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The sales division of the multi-national weapons company Palisade Defense go on a team-building weekend in the mountains of Eastern Europe. They take a detour to get to where they're supposed to stay, but soon people from the group start to end up dead becuase of a small war-crazed Eastern European army who will stop at nothing to see the English tourists dead. Now they have to fight for survival in order to get out alive.
There has been talk about Severance being the new Shaun of the Dead, and while they might have a few things in common (both from the UK, mixing horror with comedy) they're also quite different from one another. Although, I think that if you enjoyed the humour in Shaun, you'll definitely have a good time watching Severance as well. This flick does not deal with zombies though, but instead an army of war-crazed Eastern Europeans who will stop at nothing to see a group of English tourists dead. Even though I think Shaun was a better flick, Severance had much more to offer on the gore-front and I can honestly say that this is the type of flick that can (and will) be watched many more times in the near future, so maybe it'll grow on you and become even better, who knows? Anyway, Severance kicked a lot of ass the first time watching it so this is actually one of few times it's all right to believe the hype.
We're introduced to a sales division team working for a multinational weapons corporation who are on a team building exercise in Hungary. They seem to have enough trouble with each other as it is, but that's really nothing compared to what's about to come. When searching for their accommodation, which is supposed to have some luxury to it, they decide to take a detour in order to find it. The Eastern European guy driving the bus doesn't like the idea of the detour that is suggested, and when the team takes a short break, the driver takes of with the bus, leaving the team stranded in the middle of nowhere. They soon find their accommodation though, but it's far from as grand as it was supposed to be and some members of the team even doubt if they're at the right place. Nevertheless, they stay there for a while in order to sort things out, but soon they find themselves running for their lives when a merciless small Eastern European army is out to get them.
 
One thing that I was really impressed with was how well Severance combined horror and comedy. This is a really tricky thing to do for both of it to work, but for most of the time, it works truly well. Although, it's mostly fun early on when all the focus is on the comedy, later it kinda switches over and starts to deliver full-on horror and gore. It has a slight Wrong Turn feel to it, not that it deals with mutants, but for the fact that people are being chased around in a forest in the middle of nowhere, and also for the gore, violence etc. It's not similar to Shaun of the Dead at all really since the movies deal with totally different things, although the British humour works wonders in both flicks. But humour and gore is not all that Severance has to offer, it also delivers a great deal of tension and some scenes are, if not really nail-biting, at least pretty intense from a horror point of view.
The story is very simple, yet intriguing and will keep you on the edge of your seat with a few breaks for laughs every now and then. The acting is excellent and all the actors do a great job. It's always great to see Tim McInnerny, but I believe Danny Dyer is the one who stands out the most and delivers some fine one-liners while on drugs. Actually, all the drug scenes involving him are just hilarious. The camera-work is good and the movie itself looks pretty darn slick. Basically, there's no real reason not to check this movie out.
Combining horror and comedy is a really hard thing. Usually it ends up with the horror being just too lame and the comedy being not as comical as one could've hoped for, but I have to say that Severance did a mighty fine job delivering both of these two genres well. It has some tension, humour and a lot of great looking gore and splattery scenes as well. Sounds great doesnt it? Well, it pretty much is.
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A forestry company experiment genetically on trees in order to increase logging yield. But the experiment goes wrong, and suddenly a group of loggers and environmental activist are all turned into zombies. The boss for the forestry company's son travels to the remote section in a forest where the workers are to see why the production has stopped. There he stumbles upon hordes of zombies, but even some people who are still human, and together they have to make it out alive, and try to stop the zombie disaster.
I was afraid I was in for yet another new stupid low-budget horror film, with bad acting, directing and again, especially bad acting. I can live with an unoriginal story as it's truly hard to be a hundred percent original these days, but when the acting is horrible, everything becomes horrible, something that loads of new horror movies have had over the past few years. But to my big surprise, the acting here was good. Well, there were maybe one or two bad seeds, but the overall impression came out much better than your normal new low-budget horror flick. I had no problem with any of the actors or their performances whatsoever, and so it made the whole movie look a hell of a lot better.
Severed is a zombie flick, and is not the least bit original but it doesn't really matter as I found it to be entertaining and fast-paced. The pacing alone, with a lot of action and gore sequences all throughout the movie, never really made you loose interest at all. So even if it's not original (like most new horror flicks these days), it had these things going for it, and it truly made a difference.
The zombies were like your 'normal' kind of zombies, nasty and flesh-eating. They were not those typical super slow boring zombies that one could easily run away from, but were not super speedy either. Anyway, it worked quite well with the zombies, and this movie is actually a good choise if you wanna see a new zombie flick that doesn't completely suck.
For a low-budget film it looks pretty good and I have absolutely no complaints about how it looks. What I have to complain about though, was the camera-work at times which brought everything down quite a bit to be honest. Almost every time there were some action/gory scenes, the camera went completely spastic, and was all over the place. It was not as bad as it may sound at all times, but a lot of times it actually was. There's some visible blood splatter and some gore, but it felt like a lot of it was taken out of sight since the camera refused to focus on one spot at the time during these scenes.
Why watch a zombie flick? Well, it might be for a few different reasons but one big reason is naturally for the gore, and when that is somewhat taken away, it doesn't make such a great experience after all. Now, don't get me completely wrong here, you're still to see a lot of splatter and such stuff, but the camera-work is truly irritating at times and that is always a big negative thing. But for a new zombie flick, Severed is actually quite worth seeing for the reasons mentioned earlier, as well as for some of the visible gore and splatter.
I was expecting trash, and while I didn't strike gold, I'm still happy that I watched Severed and that I got something out from watching it as well. It has its problems, but at the same time it has many things going for it, and even if it was far from being great, I would still like to recommend it to zombie fans.
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Shallow Ground starts out with a boy covered in blood showing up at a sheriff's station, and apparently the blood he's covered in comes from a number of different missing or dead people.
I had heard quite a lot about this movie before I got the chance to see it, and everything I'd heard was positive so I kinda got my expectations up.
Good thing is that the movie actually managed to live up to those expectations, and it felt very fresh and original compared to many of the newer horror flicks out there today. I thought I would hate some actors too but they managed to pull that off too, even though some of them may be very far from the best, they were still ok so I don't feel any need to complain about any of them.
I heard some people saying that the guy who played the sheriff did a lousy job, but like I said, even though he might not be that good of an actor, he's still ok and I had no problem watching him on screen, although his accent was somewhat irritating, but in the end it's nothing to get hung up on either.
There's not really much gore in this movie, although we still get some, especially towards the ending, and also we get to see a hell of a lot of blood throughout the movie.
The special effects are done really well and the music in the movie fits really nicely. Even though the movie is not very scary it's really entertaining and have a somewhat creepy feeling to it now and then.
If you want to see a new original horror movie, this one is definitely recommended. It has a great score too.
Shaun, a man with no real goal in life are having a few problems. Except for his deadbeat flatmates and his step-dad, one problem being that long-time girlfriend Liz just dumped him because he lacks ambition and spends more time in his favourite pub than he does with her. His temporary management job is not going to well either, and the people working for him shows him no respect and giving him a hard time of day. In the middle of all this, London is all of a sudden overrun by zombies and Shaun must save, not only himself, but also his mates, mom, and his ex.
Shaun of the Dead is sort of like a black comedy zombie spoof of Dawn of the Dead and a little bit of 28 Days Later, but that still totally manages to stand on it's own. It sounded pretty good when I first heard about it, but when I actually got to see the movie, it practically blew me away. It's very British, that is the type of humour, but not weird or too out there like Monty Python sometimes can be. It's a movie that's really easy to get into and that offers tons of great laughs and an overall really good atmosphere. The humour is the biggest thing here and is so well delivered throughout the movie.
You should of course have seen Dawn of the Dead before watching this to get most out of it. And after finishing watching Shaun, go back and watch Dawn again, and I promise you, it won't look the same as it did before. When writing this I've seen Shaun of the Dead a number of times, and it's truly a great zombie comedy that probably will only come along once in a life-time.
Thing here is that the story is actually really decent. It's not your average parody movie that is somewhat fun for the first half hour or so, this one makes it all the way through and does an excellent job doing it. What it truly succeeds in is that it balances the humour really well. Usually when it comes to parodies, they just end up being too much in the end. Shaun is different because it's not only humour, but except for that the story being good and interesting, it also deals with some other stuff. The humour is of course there at all times, but not in your face and that's one thing that makes it last all the way and really deliver.
Since it's first and most a comedy, don't expect to get scared. Still, there's actually a whole lot of violence and some gore in the movie, and even if the zombies are braindead and funny, they're still pretty nasty. So it's never too comical in the sense that the whole thing becomes a joke, it's funny as hell but you are still able to take it somewhat seriously if you know what I'm saying. Infact, while always being a comedy, in some scenes it turns into a full blown horror experience, and other times it turns into a somewhat more romantic kind of drama. It has a little of everything and that's a good thing.
The directing is excellent and the whole movie looks very nice. The acting is top-notch and everyone do a tremendous job, especially Simon Pegg who has the role of Shaun himself and pulls off a brilliant and humorous performance.
Best movie of 2004? I'm not sure but it's a fantastic and original movie with great British humour, and a really good story that'll keep your interest up. If you haven't seen it yet, then do yourself a favor and go rent or buy it...now!
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Entomologist Ida one day discover that someone has left her a mysterious bug in a box outside of her door. There's a note in the box, saying that the bug's from Brazil, but not who sent it. Since she's obsessed with bugs, she lets the new little fellow into her home, and there tries to figure out what kind of creature he could be. She soon meets Misty Falls, a young woman who sits in the lobby of Ida's workplace, drawing pixies, and they seem to be a perfect match for each other. But on their first date, which ends in Ida's apartment, Misty gets bitten by the little creature who somehow got out of the box, and Misty soon starts acting very strange.
Sick Girl is Lucky McKee's contribution to the Masters of Horror series, and it's a pretty good creature feature that is both cute and scary at the same time. We're introduced to Ida, a shy and pretty stiff woman who only has bugs as friends, except for her colleague Max. She's looking for love, female love, and soon hooks up with Misty who she meets in the building where she works. They hit it off, and things seem to go great, except for one little problem. On their first date, Misty got bit by some mysterious spider-like creature that someone sent Ida, and that she kept in her apartment. Unfortunately the nasty creature somehow managed to get out from its plastic cage.
Misty is infected and one thing leads to another. And who sent Ida the bug to begin with, and why? It all comes together in the end, and makes for a pretty interesting story with a good finale as well. Lucky McKee's not a big name in horror, and I had only seen his May before, which I'm not a big fan of. In Sick Girl, Angela Bettis, who also was in May, has one of the lead parts, and the other lead role is played by Erin Brown, formerly known as Misty Mundae. They both do a good job, but I personally I liked Miss Mundae more, and thought her performance was better and definitely more interesting.
The movie switches a lot from being all cute and cuddly to being more of the horror kind. There are a bunch of nice transitions were you have one scene that is all nice and cute, and all of a sudden it changes to being a bit freaky or horrorish. This was a pretty cool thing, and is being used a few times in the movie. One nice moment that suddenly turns into a horrific moment...pretty cool. The character development is pretty good, and the viewer get to know both of the girls enough to care for what happens to them.
Being just under one hour, it's enough time to play out the story and give a pretty good picture of the characters it revolves arounds. If it would've been a full-length feature going for 90 minutes or more, it would probably have dragged a bit, and not come out looking as good as now. So it's enough time, and the pacing is pretty great. A lot of stuff happens, but it still takes its time giving a good image of the characters, and develops the story in a nice way as well.
Sick Girl turned out to be quite much better than I first had expected it to be, and now, I think Lucky McKee might be one to watch out for in the future. It's not really scary, but still has it's fair share of scares, and is a little gross at times as well. Recommended.
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Rose Da Silva's daughter Sharon has been sleep walking for some time, and in her sleep, she keeps mentioning the town of Silent Hill. Since Sharon's case just seems to be getting worse, Rose eventually decides to take her daughter to Silent Hill in hope to find an answer to their problems. But the road to Silent Hill is anything but easy, and the town was evacuated 30 years earlier due to underground coal fire which is still burning there today. After having an accident on their way there, Rose wakes up alone in the eerie town of Silent Hill, and discovers that Sharon's missing. She begins to search the town for her daughter, and gets drawn in to the disturbing history of Silent Hill.
I'm not sure I've ever been looking forward to a movie as much as I was looking forward to Silent Hill, and the reason for that is that I've of course been playing the games like crazy for years. I think they're easily among the best games ever made, especially the 2nd one, and not counting the 4th installment. So obviously I really wanted to see the movie, and I'm more than happy to say that it so delivered, not just as a horror movie, but when comparing it to the games as well. I absolutely loved the fact that it stayed so true to its source material, and not just with a couple of things, but featured so much stuff from them which was just fantastic to watch on screen. It really succeded with having this genuine game feel to it, something that all other game adaptations have been lacking (especially Uwe Boll's worthless crap). When writing this I've seen the movie three times, and I'm sure I'll be watching it many more times, especially because of Pyramid Head, he's sure one dude who's hard to get tired of.
It's hard to say how it would've looked if you never had played the games, obviously it probably wouldn't have been as interesting, but I'm pretty sure it still would've served as a very good and creepy horror film. Because that it is, creepy, offers a lot of horror, and has an overall very eerie feel to it. It pretty much starts right away, when you get to see that Sharon (Jodelle Ferland) having these problems, talking about Silent Hill in her sleep. It doesn't take long before Rose (Radha Mitchell) takes her there, and from then on, it's full on creepiness. I heard that some people got a bit bored around the middle somewhere, when there was too much talking and things generally slowed down for a bit. Personally, I had no problem with this whatsoever, and it was needed for shedding some light over things, as well as it was nice with a little break from all the massive horror scenes, to let things sink in a bit so to speak.
 
The very monsters themselves are of course one of the best things that Silent Hill has to offer, and while all of them were extremely cool, Pyramid Head of course stood out like nothing else. Thing though is that there were only a couple of scenes when you got to see the guy, and I'm not quite sure whether or not it was enough. On one hand I would've loved to see more of him since he's such an awesome character, but at the same time, since you don't get to see that much of him, you kinda put him on a pedestal and he comes out looking way better if you know what I'm saying. Except for Pyramid Head, I enjoyed the nurses the most which had this genuine SH game feel to them, as well as they looked beyond terrific. Another really freaky scene that was absolutely awesome was the one with The Janitor in it, when he came crawling on the ground...bizarre is the word.
As for the story, it was fairly easy to get into and not as complicated as I expected it to be, and the further the movie went along, the more clues you got to what was what and how everything had come to be. Honestly though, even if the story and everything was great, what I enjoyed most about this movie was the very wait for what would be next. That feeling stayed with me throughout the movie, and it was always really interesting to see what nightmarish and disturbing things would show up on screen. Most (horror) movies tends to be too predictable, but with Silent Hill, you had no idea what to expect, what horrible things would come next, and that made it not just stand out, but made it 110 percent interesting to watch as well.
As for scares, I'm not really sure just how effective they were. There were really no sudden or "cheap" scares, but instead it had an overall eerie feeling to it which worked well. Problem though is that you know that nothing is real, and you can't really relate to it so to speak. Everything looks fantastic and creepy, but it also looks like a nightmarish fantasy world, and it's hard to put yourself in that situation, hence to get scared. Still, it serves as a creepy flick that delivers some disturbing scenes for sure. I guess it all comes down to what kinda person you are, if you're used to horror, and if you have a wild imagination as well. Last but not least, the acting was ok from all parts I guess. Radha Mitchell of course stood out a bit more than the others (well, not more than Pyramid Head), delivering a really good performance, but overall I think everyone did an ok job and no one really looked bad. I must say that I liked the female cop (Cybil Bennett) as well, since at first she was really unlikable, but later got better, and in the end she proved to be such an ok person that you actually felt a bit sorry for her.
With outstanding visuals, extremely cool monsters and creatures, a very eerie town, Silent Hill is one of the best horror films to come out in a veeeery long time. The fact that it uses some of the music in the games for the score makes the game feeling even stronger, as well as the radio, flashlight and a few scenes that were played out exactly like in the games. It offers plenty of gore, some genuine suspense and overall, a lot of horrific scenes. Definitely one of the best movies I've seen in a very long time.
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Basin City. Marv meets Goldie for whom he falls for, but the next morning finds her murdered. While being accused for the murder, he goes on a mission to avenge her death. Hartigan, a cop who saved a girl from a pedophile back in the days, and the girl who's now a grown up stripper that gets kidnapped by the same deformed pedophile, and once again Hartigan must try and help her out. Dwight who only tries to do good but who accidentally kills a hero cop and has to try and cover it up while helping out the Old Towne girls.
I couldn't wait for Sin City to be released, but at the same time I was really afraid that my expectations were gonna be way too high. But this movie ended up not just being a fantastic flick, for me this was with no doubt the best movie to come out of the year 2005. There are some other good comic book releated movies out there, like Hellboy and such but Sin City manages to overrun them all. First off, it has to be given a lot of credit for staying true to the comic, I guess Frank Miller's involvement did that, and secondly it has more feeling than anything I've seen in a long long time. But I guess if you're a fan of the comic that makes the outcome even better.
By now I've probably watched this movie ten times, and I'm probably gonna be watching it ten more times in the near future. But it's not a movie you have to watch more than once to get it all, and it's not a movie that'll grow on you I guess. Only reason why I've been watching it again is simply because of just how super good the movie is, nothing more, nothing less.
The movie works of a bunch of stories, all set in "Sin City" and with some characters that show up in more than one story as well. It all melts together perfectly, and even though you're watching one long movie, it's also like watching a few shorter ones as well. You get to see different stories but that still connects with one another. I don't wanna tell you too much about the stories themselves, it's for you to find out yourself. But let me just say that they are all truly interesting and it's more than easy to get caught up in Sin City. To say the least, the movie sure is captivating.
Another thing this movie is, is violent and dark. And it's here it truly separates itself from other comic book related movies. While the others can be watched by a mass audience consisting of all kinds of people that'll enjoy it, take Spider-Man for instance, Sin City is, so to speak, more narrow, and is more suited for a different audience. Still of course a lot of people can and will enjoy this type of movie.
The performances are beyond awesome. Bruce Willis who I'm not a big fan of, has made some good quality movies but also a bunch of trash, but here with him playing the role of Hartigan is just so wonderfully done. He really nails it and is truly great to watch. Benicio Del Toro plays Jackie Boy Rafferty, a dirty cop who's not a likable character, beats up his girlfriend (Brittany Murphy) and is just a sleaze bag. Even though he's scum and you wouldn't root for him even if your life depended on it, he's still does a fantastic acting job, although he always does.
Jessica Alba I really think nothing of, she looks good and does a good job as Nancy Callahan who has a thing for Hartigan since he saved her when she was a little girl. She is ok, but over-shadowed by some of the rest. Rosario Dawson is really a hoot to watch as the leader of the Old Towne girls. They're all a pretty cool bunch those girl, especially with Devon Aoki as Miho who makes a nice addition to the movie.
I can't stand Josh Hartnett but we don't get to see so much of him, and when we do he's actually quite ok for what he is. Then we have the whiny little Frodo bastard that is Elijah Wood who plays Kevin. The name doesn't sound too harmful but he's actually a sick dude and is kinda creepy. I hate Elijah Wood but he's actually totally ok here, and it sure helps that his face is a bit covered up too. Clive Owen as Dwight McCarthy is also very good and believable. But the greatest performance is defintely given by Mickey Rourke in the role of Marv who seeks revenge for the death of his girlfriend. He's just brilliant and was in the story that I enjoyed the most, that is if I had to choose one.
The way it goes between the stories and also connects them, all the colourfull characters and the overall atmosphere is beyond amazing. This is truly a must see. I have nothing bad to say about it whatsoever, and even if there are minor things that could've been done a little differently, in the end it couldn't matter less. It's just a fantastic ride. Oh, did I mention that the movie's in black & white, add to that some true colours once in a while, a pretty cool sight. Truly recommended.
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Kate Hudson stars as Caroline who takes a job caring for a stroke-victim named Ben who lives out in the swamp in Louisiana with his wife Violet who is a somewhat weird woman. Caroline gets a skeleton key from Violet who opens all doors in the big old house were the couple lives and makes her way into a secret room in the attic were she finds items of hoodoo magic that used to belong to the original owners of the house. Also Ben had his stroke in the attic and his wife says she has no idea of how he got it. Caroline is determined to find out what caused the stroke and to unlock the secrets of the house.
This is more of a thriller then an actual horror movie. It has a somewhat creepy atmosphere at times but never really gets scary. Although it's kinda entertaining and keeps your interest up throughout the movie.
Kate Hudson who I've never thought anything either positive or negative of before plays the part of Caroline really well and belivable. The fact that they also are in the south adds a whole lot of feeling to the movie.
No gore, no blood and no real horror elements what-so-ever, but it still makes a decent thriller with some drama elements which actually added to the movie too. Recommended.
Angela moves in with her aunt Martha after that her family has been killed in a boat accident. One summer, Martha sends Angela along with her cousin Ricky to Camp Arawak. Shortly after their arrival, strange and bizarre accidents and murders start to occur around the camp. Who's killing off the kids and people working at the camp?
Only reason why I chosed to re-watch Sleepaway Camp now, is because I'm a big sucker for nostalgia. I quite recently re-watched some of the movies in the Friday the 13th series, and while I thought that they were quite bad when watched them now, Sleepaway Camp still makes for a great 80's slasher flick. The two of course has a few things in common; They are slashers, someone's killing off innocent campers, and they both deal with camps. But while the Friday the 13th flicks are more straight forward slasher flicks that deals with vengeance and that has spawned many clones, Sleepaway Camp is different, and I would say, more inventive.
Angela and her cousin Ricky arrives at the camp, and while Ricky starts to get along fine with some of the people there, Angela has problems adjusting. Time goes by, and more and more kids become irritated with Angela since she doesn't speak a word, and just sits by herself while the other kids participate in different activities. The camp is divided, and the boys and the girls sleep separated from each other, and some of the girls keeps giving Angela a hard time. First of to go is some fat dude who works in the kitchen and seems to have a thing for minors, so when he's almost burned to death, it's no big loss. Then other people start to go as well, and while the manager's trying to keep everything a secret not to cause panic among the kids and parents, eventually it's too much even for him.
Expect your typical kind of slasher flick, that has some murders that are a bit cool, but quite often they're just too lame. The movie has a great 80's feel to it, and while it's not a comedy, it's still funny and really campy at times. The storyline and the plot is thin, and while it seems like nothing really happens, except for that someone dies every now and then, it's still fun to watch and never feels like a snooze-fest. But the coolest thing, and that's the thing that makes this movie different, is the actual ending which is something very different from how these types of flicks usually ends. Naturally I can't give the ending away, but it's cool so trust me on that.
Someone over at Imdb wrote that the ending for Sleepaway Camp was one of the coolest endings in movie history. Well, that might be true if you've seen ten flicks all in all during your entire life. It's a good and very cool and different ending, but don't expect miracles. The acting is not bad nor good, it's what you'd usually expect when it comes to these types of flicks. But even if it's not that great, it's never so bad it feels irritating.
Sleepaway Camp is a pretty fun movie, and while it might be tacky and campy, it has a great 80's feel to it, and if you're into slasher flicks it's well worth watching. No real gore, and the killings are far from great, but it still manages to do the job with being entertaining, and the ending is pretty cool as well. Recommended.
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Somewhere in the forest, close to the small town of Wheelsy, a meteorite has struck down from the sky and has some evil kind of alien inside of it. Businessman Grant who has been drinking and is about to cheat on his wife Starla, becomes the alien's first victim. Thing though is that the alien does not kill Grant, but instead turns him into something else, and infected by the alien seed, he starts to spread the infection further, turning people into flesh-eating zombies. Will Grant's wife Starla together with the sheriff and the good folks in town be able to stop the coming alien invasion?
Slither at first made me think about The Blob as it is somewhat similar and therefore very comparable. The cool thing here is that Slither came out now in 2006, but when watched it, it felt just like when watching an 80's horror comedy back in the day when those kind of movies kept coming out. It's a very cool feeling, and even if I was aware of it before, when watching Slither you're bound to realize just how much you miss the 80's (that goes for when talking about horror movies).
I'm actually complaining quite often about the fact that those great 80's kind of movies are not made these days, and you have to live of old memories and re-watch those good old flicks every now and then. So of course Slither came as a big surprise, and it was somewhat amazing to see just how well they had managed to capture that great 80's feel.
Grant, portrayed by Michael Rooker (Henry: Portrait of A Serial Killer) is great as the richest man in town who one day's turned into a big alien blob kind of thing. His performance stands out over the rest, and while he's a creepy character, he never misses a chance to deliver some great humour.
Slither features a lot of gore of course, is gross and has some stomach turning moments to offer as well. It has so much gore and some scenes that are truly disgusting, that sitting through the film while eating would be somewhat of a challenge. This is nothing negative though, infact it's just positive. And while another director may have held back on the gore, director James Gunn dares to go all the way, all the time, and so makes it all better, for people into that stuff that is. Sometimes when watching the gore, it's hard not to think of Troma, because of the comical side the movie has as well. Although, when mentioning Troma, don't expect it to look or be like your normal Troma flick, this is of course ten times better, at least.
You could say that Slither had a somewhat sickly feel to it, and is nasty and disgusting and never lets you down with not giving a hundred percent when it comes to being gross. The acting is fine, and the 80's feeling is definitely there. Storywise, you've probably seen similar things before (but haven't we almost always?). Of course it has some negative sides as well, and while the first half-hour or so was great, after a while things started to become less effective. But in the end, Slither is a blast that oozes of great fun and great gore, gives you that fantastic 80's feeling even though it's the year 2006, and is overall a truly entertaining ride. Well worth a look.
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Sean Jones witness a mobster named Kim murder a prosecutor in Hawaii and when Kim's people tries to take Sean out, FBI Agent Nelville Flynn comes to his rescue. Flynn wants Sean to testify against Kim, and in order to do so, he needs to take Sean to Los Angeles. Taking over the whole first class section of Pacific Air Flight 121, Flynn figures that Sean will have a safe trip. But Kim doesn't give up easily and have placed a crate containing hundreds of poisonous snakes on the plane, ready to kill the witness and everyone else on-board.
There has been a lot of hype for Snakes on a Plane for what feels like a really long time now, and while I really don't understand all the hype, I still thought it was a pretty damn entertaining flick. With a title like Snakes on a plane, one had to wonder how much they could actually accomplish with a title like that. I mean, basically the title says it all and there was really not much else to it. You get what you expect and that is tons of snakes that are on a plane, attacking the passengers and with a hero to defend the poor people that is Samuel L. Jackson. I must admit that I had my fears that Jackson would be over-the-top macho and way to stereotyphical, and while he might be macho and all that, I still think he was perfect for the part and his character actually came out looking much better than I first had thought it would.
It started off quite bad actually, with a scene where a mobster and his guys are killing a prosecutor in Hawaii. It just looked like your standard type of B-action flick that I personally couldn't care less for, but fortunately, things got better. The crock that is Kim is soon out of the way and we are introduced to something much more evil, and that being the vicious snakes. I must also admit that the snakes looked great, and while I'm not a big fan of CG, it worked wonders here. It also helped a great deal that the film had this 70-80's feeling to it and that it offered plenty of cheese, but never so it became too ridiculous, infact, it was just the right amount. The feeling of watching an old disaster flick from the late 70's were definitely there as well.
 
One thing that really surprised me was how well some of the humour worked, especially early on in the movie. This combined with some serious amount of ass-kicking and plenty of action sure made for one good ride on the disaster train. The plot might be paper-thin but if you're just looking for some fun explosive action, this is an excellent pick. On the negative side, the character development was far from great, or even good for that matter, but with so much entertain stuff going on at all times, who needs it? The fact is that I was pretty much sure that I would not like Snakes on a Plane, some of that had to do with all the nerds clinging to it like crazy and all the internet hype which seemed like it would never stop. But the fact is that I actually liked it, not half as much as the nerds, but if you're up for this type of film, Snakes is definitely worth the money.
The acting is solid for this type of flick and even though it has this B feeling to it every now and then, sometimes it actually rose above all that and proved that it could be more, and that's worth a lot in my book. Another thing I really liked about Snakes was that it's a great experience when talking about watching movies for what they truly are, and for the fact that you could turn off your brain and just enjoy the ride. A lot of movies makes you think, other movies bore you and while I'm not saying that it's bad to think, watching Snakes was just one solid movie experience for the fact that you knew that you're only watching a movie and that it doesn't touch on anything that you can really relate to. It's just a great cinematic experience that kicks ass for 105 minutes and leaves you with a smile on your face. I guess you have to be in the right kind of mood for this, but if you are, it's pretty darn great.
Now, since I've basically only have had positive things to say about Snakes on a Plane, one figures that I should give it a higher rating than seven, but the thing is that while it might be really entertaining and all that, that is also the only thing it really is. Since I saw it, I haven't spent a minute thinking about it and it was just entertaining for the time being. You'll probably have a good time when watching it, but only for those 105 minutes alone, after that it's just another flick that you've seen which really means nothing. High ratings goes to movies that stays with you long after they're finished, and while Snakes was a hell of an entertaining flick, it was also over when it was over if you know what I'm saying.
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Lord and Lady Hoffman's are attacked by wolves on their way home and Lady Hoffman gives birth to Lilly just before she dies. Her husband brings her up alone and later re-marries to Claudia that Lilly does not hit it off with. Claudia blames Lilly for keeping her husbands dead wifes memory alive and also for that her own child died at birth. She tries to kill Lilly who flees into the forest where she meets the seven dwarfes. She stays with them and Claudia continues to try and take Lilly out using magic and all kinds of tricks to get rid of the little girl.
This is the Grimm Brothers Snow White, and let me add that it's much darker than the Disney version of the story. Played out like the fairytale we all know but here with actual horror. All the fantasy elements also adds a lot to the movie as it truly feels like a fairytale and they've managed to capture that feeling perfectly.
It's not a fantastic movie but very different and that's what makes it interesting. I sure wish there were more movies like this, fairytale-like but I would've preferred it to have been even nastier than it is. But you can't have it all.
I'm not really a big fan of any of the actors but they all manage to do a ok job and Sigourney Weaver is pretty cool as Snow White's evil stepmother.
I think the movie could best be described as gothic horror as there are many of those elements in it as well. It's not scary but a good fairytale is a good fairytale and it's fun to see how different it is compared to the normal Snow White story.
It's the actual Snow White story that you've heard before but done a little bit different here. There are some things that are totally different from the normal story and that are kinda fun. For instance, the seven dwarfes are a bunch of poor miners that actually really hates Lilly (Snow White) at first sight and think she's a spoiled little brat. So they sure don't break out in song and all that Disney stuff.
The actual plot is kinda intriguing and the film has a good pace all the way through. It's not for children as it's kinda dark and have some "frightening" stuff in it, although a lot of fans of horror probably needs more than the movie has to give. On the other hand, this is a movie you watch for the story and the horror, gothic and dark fantasy elements just makes it look and feel so much better.
Far from brilliant but still definitely worth checking out if you're up for something different.
It's spring break and young people gather on the Florida coast to celebrate, drink and act like total morons. Danielle travels down to Seagull Beach in Florida to hook up with her two girlfriends and to have some fun. But the fun does not last for long as the waters are infested with deadly tiger sharks.
Wow, talk about a waste of time. The stupid title, Spring Break Shark Attack, kinda suggest that it's gonna be a bad experience watching this movie, but I never thought it would turn out to be as horrible as it did. It's a movie made for tv, and you can really tell because it cuts for commercial every so often without showing any commercial, and it's just extremely annoying to watch.
It's nicely shot and looks good, but it actually feels like you're watching a soap opera and that they've just added some sharks into the whole thing. Infact, it's like watching a double episode of Sunset Beach with only kids in, and add to that some lame sharks and some even lamer attacks that do not occur often enough, and when they do, you can't help but to shake your head and ask yourself why you're watching this mess. All the kids look really good as well, there's actually not one single kid in the movie who does not look good, I wonder if such a place exist.
So we get to follow Danielle (Shannon Lucio) who really nice to look at and that might be the only reason for watching the movie, but even that isn't good enough. Her dad forbids her to go down to Florida, but she takes off anyway and goes down there and hook up with some hunk who's the hero in the movie. For like almost an hour, it's more like a romantic teen flick that takes place around spring break than an actual thriller, and it just sucks big-time. I got really stressed out watching this as the dialogue is so bad, the kids are complete retards and NOTHING happens.
The movie actually starts out with a shark attack. There are some hot girls in the water and you know something's gonna happen and it all looks kinda promising. I mean hot chicks that are about to die in a gruesome way, who can say no to that? But unfortunately the actual attack is so lame, you can't help but to doubt what gonna be next. I should have turned it off right then and there, but I sat through the whole thing and afterwards I was quite sad that I did.
You think a movie like this would offer some cheesy good fun, but there's actually no humour involved whatsoever. The scenes that are supposed to have some suspense in them does not have anything to offer either, you know that either nothing gonna happen, or if something actually would happen, it's just gonna be crap anyway.
This movie's so bad and is such a waste of time, I can't stress this enough. It has absolutely nothing to offer. You might think that there'll be some hot naked chicks or some cool shark scenes, but there are no things like that. Probably one of the worst shark flicks ever.
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Psychiatrist Sam Foster is standing in for a sick colleague and has to handle a case with a disturbed young art student named Henry Letham. The young man is inspired by an artist who took his life on his 21st birthday, and Henry, who turning 21 a few days later, announces to Sam that he'll do the same. Sam of course takes the threat seriously and tries to talk the guy out of doing it, but Henry seems too determined. Later Sam wants to have Henry taken into custody but fails at doing so, and while tracking his patient down, he gradually gets sucked into the world of Henry's obessions and loses his grip on what's real and what's not.
Stay is not a fantastic movie but was way better than I first expected it to be. It's not that close but somehow feels a bit like watching a David Lynch film. It jumps in and out of reality and sometimes it's hard to separate the two. For being a thriller it has the suspense going at full speed almost throughout the movie. It's complicated to know what's what at times but the movie manages to draw the viewer in and be interesting enough for one to care about what's going on. The characters are strong, especially Ryan Gosling starring as the suicidal patient Henry Letham.
Ewan McGregor's pants are too short. If someone would've asked me to mention one thing that really stood out in this movie, I would've mentioned his pants. I know it sounds really stupid and I'm not usually that superficial, it's just that they kept filming his pants so you really noticed them at many times in the movie, and they were too short. He changes pants in the movie but the next pair of pants were to short too, and so were the next ones. It didn't bring too much suspense or anything really to the whole experience, it's just that I couldn't stop thinking about it. I wonder if they did that on purpose, or if he just chose to wear those kind of pants on his own.
Enough about the pants already. Even if Stay is not an excellent film, it's somewhat impossible to take your eyes off it and it has a good pace from start to finish with a good build-up that later delivers some actual suspense every now and then. The actors do a very good job, Ryan Gosling plays the moody and dark Henry and manages to deliver a great performance to give the viewer a good picture of who the guy really is. Ewan McGregor does well as the psychiatrist who's trying to help Henry, and Naomi Watts plays his girlfriend who used to be suicidal as well.
Now, this movie asks a lot of questions and it's actually really hard to keep track of what's what. It's hard to know what's real, what's a dream or a fantasy, what goes one way and what's inside-out. Even if it's messy as hell at times, you're still never really thrown off the track, and most of the time you figure that you have a vague to a pretty good idea of what's going on and that it will work itself out eventually. I'm not really sure that it does, but it's still satisfying enough. Personally I hate movies where everything is explained to a hundred percent, it feels like you're a retard and that they wanted to make sure you really get everything right. But that's just boring, and while Stay might be a bit too much going the opposite direction, it will still make you think a lot and that's always a good sign.
I got sort of a Lynch feeling when watching Stay, as it's hard to know what's what and it's a bit unsettling and delivers some good suspense as well. It's beautifully shot and nicely directed, the acting is excellent and it's hard not to be drawn into the movie. A good but confusing thriller.
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After a guy dies a horrible death, some friends of his find themselves in possession of a videogame called Stay Alive that deals with Countess Elisabeth Bathory. They start playing the game together and when one of the friends die in the game, he soon after dies for real, the same way as he died in the game. The group of friends later realize that if they die in the game, they will die in real life too, so they stop playing the game. But to stop playing the game wasn't very effective since the game continues to play by itself. Will they find a way to defeat the Countess and be able to stay alive?
I've been playing videogames all my life, and I've been watching horror movies all my life as well, so one would think that combining videogames with horror would make a good flick. Wrong!! Well, it did work with Brainscan, but this piece of film comes off looking really ridiculous. I think that if I would've seen this movie when I was 12 or something, I would've been somewhat impressed. But watching it now just gave me a major headache and a great feeling of embarrassment.
What we have here is yet another braindead 'horror' flick for a clueless teen audience. PG-13 ratings always sucks, and even so here. If there would of been some nice gore and stuff, it could've improved it a lot, but unfortunately there's nothing. The Countess gets a nail through her forehead towards the end but it look more pathetic and shitty than anywhere near scary or gory. But the most stupid thing with Stay Alive must have been the utterly stupid story, it's just so unbelievable and poor. And when talking about poor, it makes a good description for the acting as well.
So this nerd plays Stay Alive, dies in the game and then dies for real. His friends get hold of the game and tries it out, only to later become aware of that the game is pure evil, and if you die in the game, you'll die for real too. Just the way they figured out what was going on just came out looking really stupid, and I could feel my fingers reaching for the stop button on the remote. But I kept watching in hope that the movie would might have one or two good scares to offer. Sorry to say, it so didn't.
When the group figured out what was going on, they later tried to come up with a way to stop the Blood Countess from killing them. Like for instance, one guy kept playing the game and opened doors in it etc, that also opened for real when his friends tried to get into a house. The guy also layed out some crowbar in the game, that another guy picked up in real life. Fucking ridiculous. To be honest, I felt pretty ashamed when I watched this for the fact that everything in this movie was so utterly stupid. A lot of things are bad but the worst thing might've been the dialogue. I said it was the story before but when thinking about it, the dialogue was truly horrible. I don't even wanna go there, so let's just say it's dumb. Well, really really dumb.
The actual Stay Alive game in the movie doesn't really look bad, although I would never buy it. In the beginning it felt like the movie had some potential but it started to suck real quick, and continued to suck a lot all the way through. The overall movie felt really annoying, I don't know if it was the actual actors, or the dialogue. Probably the two of them combined. One of the guys in the group was Frankie Muniz who you might recognize from such shit as "Malcolm in the Middle". And when he first appeared on the screen in the movie, I was sure I was in for some truly shitty teen torture. He of course sucked the most, but the other actors were really crappy as well. Totally unbelievable and totally unlikeable, and that goes for all of them.
Once again I wasted time on a super shitty flick, so thanks a lot. Recommended for 10 year old retards, or for people that have absolutely no idea what defines a good quality movie. Avoid.
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A hundred years ago, three students attending the Hellestads Boarding School were brutally killed and the man who murdered them drowned himself in a lake nearby. In present time, what happened a hundred years ago has become a famous ghost story. The legend has it that the murderer, once every year, rises from the lake and walks the hallways at the school, dragging his scythe after him across the floors. Sara, a student at the Boarding School, is writing an essay about the ghost story and what occured so many years ago. Her research makes her discover another side of the story to what actually happened, and that it also involves the family name of one of the school's main benificiaries.
Swedish horror movies are not the most common thing in the world, and with me being Swedish myself it's of course interesting when movies in this type of genre pops up. Drowning Ghost or Strandvaskaren starts out really good with this cool ghost story to back it up with. Unfortunately they later kinda abandone that concept and it turns into a somewhat lame slasher.
Hellestads Boarding School is a school for brats only, so it's that type of people this movie deals with. Some are ok, but most of them are obnoxious and it's kinda hard to relate to any of them. The actors are ok, some better and some worse than others, but it's totally watchable anyway.
So the story deals with this murders that took place 100 years ago, and it's kinda interesting with the girl writing her essay and uncovers new facts. It's never scary though and it's a shame, since it could've been if they would've done things a bit differently. It's such a good story so it's too bad it kinda goes to waste in the end.
Apart from the ghost story, there's also another story about a girl who commits suicide just in the beginning of the film. The two different stories, if you would say so, connects very nicely so they have to get some credit for that. It of course has a little twist in the end, but it's not that hard to figure out what's gonna go down.
The camera-work is good and the photography is nice, so visually it's well done and pretty interesting. The score consists of typical pop music, so yeah, that sucks. Actually, when some of the songs played in the movie comes on, it sort of feels like you're watching a teen flick and that sucks too.
The first hour or so is both good to watch and interesting. After that it kinda turns into a bit of a Friday the 13th ripoff, and it's too bad since Strandvaskaren has a lot of potential in the beginning. The old ghost folklore is a really cool thing, but unfortunately they pretty much managed to ruin that. It's a cool concept, and it's totally watchable but in the end is doesn't deliver.
Jill Johnson is a naughty girl who goes over her cell phone bill with 800 minutes and has to pay it off by babysitting for some doctor and his wife in their big house. When she arrives in the house the kids are already asleep, the couple leaves and she has the whole house to herself. But soon the phone starts ringing and she recieves one weird prank call after another. Later on the prank calls begin to turn into real threats, and Jill calls the police who says the she'll be safe inside the house and next time when the caller calls, she should try to make him stay on the line for 60 seconds in order for the police to be able to trace the call. She manages to do so, only to find out that the caller is actually inside the house(!)
This movie's a remake but since I haven't seen the original movie, I can't compare them. The biggest problem with this movie was the fact that you knew the exact story and what was gonna happen even before viewing it. I read it on the back cover and that was about it, so when later watching it there was nothing new and you knew exactly how it was gonna go down. To tell you the truth, it felt quite boring.
It starts off fairly interesting though, Jill arrives at the house and the phone starts ringing, not from the prank caller but from other people that she already know, all to build a little tension, and every time the phone rings you expect things to take a different turn. But after a while it gets boring, too many calls leading nowhere and when the prank caller finally calls you're already bored out of your mind with all the pointless stuff that has been going on till now.
Then it keeps going like that for quite some time. One call after another that scares Jill more and more but does not manage to scare the viewer. It's of course supposed to build some tension but it pretty much fails to do so. It becomes a drag and it takes way too much time before anything remotely interesting happens. Time goes by and after a numerous amounts of yawns things pick up a little. She calls the cops and they tell her to try and stay on the line with the caller for more than 60 seconds in order for them to be able to trace the call.
More time goes by and then finally it happens. She manages to stay on the line for more than 60 seconds, but then she gets a call from the cops telling her that the caller is inside the house. From then on it's actually quite exciting and what makes it interesting and suspensefull is the fact that you know that someone's in the house but since we haven't got to see that person yet, it's the mystery that makes it exciting and brings tension.
Without mystery, everything that was suspensefull and had tension before is taken away, and they sure managed to take that feeling away by introducing the prank caller in the flesh. Once you get to see the man who has been calling it's not very exciting anymore and the whole movie turns into a chase, cat and mouse style. I think it stayed really interesting for about 10-15 minutes or so but once the mystery had been revealed, it all went down the drain. I'm not gonna tell you how it ends, but it's not great or the least bit memorable.
The acting is ok and there are a few actors in the movie, but most of the time it's just Jill (Camilla Belle) alone in the big house. This girl is ok though and manages to pull things off quite ok. She's not fantastic but gets the job done so there's no reason to complain. This movie could've actually been quite scary if they had wanted it to be. There are things that could've easily been added to make it more freaky, and also the prank caller is not nearly psychopatic enough.
For a teen audience who doesn't know the first thing about horror this movie might work just fine, but for horror fans it's just way too lame. It has a little suspense, and the rating went up a little due to the scene when Jill found out that the caller was inside the house. That was a good 10 minutes, but that also carried the only real suspense this movie had to offer. The acting's ok and it's quite nicely shot, but it was a crappy choise to make a remake out of. Can't recommend it.
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Neo-nazi surf punks murder an old lady's grandson and being the mean bitch that she is, she seeks a brutal revenge.
With a title like Surf Nazis Must Die! it can't possibly go wrong, or can it? Well, since we're talking Troma here I guess it can. For fans of Troma though, this might be a fantastic flick. I have no idea since I don't know any people who really like Troma.
But compared to other Troma movies, this one's not on the top-list as it's actually brutally bad and has so many faults it takes a lot of energy just thinking about it.
Although with a title like that it's kinda hard to avoid not wanting to watch it. But it's just a title and does not necessarily mean that it's gonna be a good movie. Too bad cos it sure sounded promising.
It must have taken forever to come up with a story like that, can't remember last time I was so impressed. Wow, let me catch my breath...
The movie is supposed to take place in a post-apocalyptic future but does not look that futuristic to be honest.
Despite the title, the movie is actually quite tame for being a Troma flick. We don't get that much gore or violence, no nudity and other stuff that you are usually used to when it comes to Troma flicks. Although we get horrible acting and bad dialogue so I guess that always count for something.
You can't help but feeling a little bit ripped off since the title sounds so promising. I never expected it to be that good, but I expected it to be an enjoyable Troma movie with typical Troma stuff in it but it doesn't really even have that. What it comes down to is that it's just plain bad.
About the actual Surf Nazis, they rule some beach in LA and they are not even proper nazis. They've could've done much more with that. Again especially since the title suggest so.
During the movie I remember laughing one time but later I've been thinking maybe that was because I was so tired and didn't know better. But that's also about it, the rest was just a snore and a headache combined.
Tamara is an unattractive high-school girl who's into witchcraft and people doesn't seem to care too much for her. She also has a crush on her teacher but he does not respond the way she wants to. Her teacher publishes an article that Tamara wrote about the use of drugs and steroids in high-school to help her improve her self-esteem, but it backfires and makes things even worse for Tamara with the other students. Some students decide to get back and play a prank on her but it goes wrong and she ends up dead. But due to a love-spell she casted on her teacher earlier, she is brought back to life again and seeks revenge on those who whacked her sorry ass.
I actually expected Tamara to be another dreadfull typical teen-horror movie with stereotype characters and all that. Luckily I was wrong, well at least somewhat wrong. There are stereotype characters but the movie manages to offer a little more than your average teen-horror flick usually do.
You can't help but to think of Stephen King's Carrie as the story is somewhat similar even though if it's a little different here. The story is nothing fantastic but ok for what it is and manages to be kinda interesting the movie throughout....I said kinda.
Although what surprised me when watching Tamara was the actual gory moments as this movie actually offers some true gore that is great to watch. Then of course it has it's faults and everything but the actual gore is brilliant and this flick is worth watching only for that reason.
I thought you were gonna feel sorry for Tamara since she has a hard time in high-school and is disliked by almost everyone. But the thing is that once brought back to life she's a real bitch and you couldn't care less for her. And before she becomes a bitch she's too much of a whimp and quite irritating to watch so she doesn't come out very good one way or the other.
Keep in mind that it's a teen-horror flick quite similar to a lot of the same type of movies out there. That is with the characters and the basic movie in general. Storywise it's ok but as said before, nothing that special. I gave this movie a 7 out of 10 and if it would not've been for the gore, I would have given it a 4, maybe 5 on a good day.
I didn't really find any likable characters here, one girl perhaps but that's it. Most of them were just irritating, even Tamara. Also there's no one to really root for either. You just wanna see Tamara make her killings, but you couldn't really care less for her either. There's one scare that was pretty effective, but was also the only real scare the movie had to offer.
It's pretty entertaining and if you wanna see a teen-flick that actually has some proper gore, then you should give it a go.
A group of college kids are on their way to a Lynard Skynard concert in Dallas. On their way there, when passing through some small town, they see a strange girl walking on the road, and pick her up with the intention of bringing her home. But soon after the girl has entered the van, she takes up a gun and shoot herself. The kids stop at a diner to phone the sheriff, who says he'll meet them at an old mill, and that they should bring the dead girl's body there. While waiting for the local sheriff at the mill, two of the kids head over to where he's supposed to live. But instead of finding the sheriff, they find a family of inbred psychopaths.
Remakes can of course be both good and bad, but one thing is for sure, and that is that you'll always compare them to the original. When I watched this movie when it first came out, I sure had my share of doubts, but was pleasantly surprised to see just how good this remake actually turned out to be. There are basically two things you can do when remaking a movie in order to make it work. One is to take what the original flick had, do it basically the same way but improve everything. Or secondly, keep the basic story but still make it be able to stand on its own by adding a lot of new things.
This, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake, has taken what the old movie had, but brought everything to a new level. It's basically the exact same thing as the original version with a few minor different scenarios. But what was the most noticeable improvement with this remake, was the intensity, the horror and the gore.
Like most horror fans, I'm a big fan of the original flick, and while that movie is a cult classic for sure, it does not have the full amount of gore and terror needed in this day of age. Don't get me wrong, the original TCM movie is a great flick, but watching it these days, it doesn't quite work when it comes to violence and gore. And that's why it was great to see that they really succeeded with remaking the old flick.
It starts off relatively fast, and from then on it stays at a fast tempo the movie throughout. Greatest thing though is that when something brutal happens, you get to see everything. I hate when you don't get to see the actual gore, I mean, why do you watch a flick like this? Of course you watch it for the horror, the suspense and so on, but of course you wanna see (exactly) what happens to the victims, and they've really succeeded in showing the viewer that.
When it comes to acting, I've not one bad thing to say. Everyone involved delivers an overall good performance while Jessica Biel, who plays Erin, really stands out and delivers a great performance. She mananges to show the fear and panic with her character, and so brings more real intensity to the whole experience. The movie is quite brutal, and it features a bunch of pretty nasty scenes. It sticks to everything the original movie had, but still manages to stand on its own and take things up a notch or two. Another thing that is great, is that the viewer is actually treated to a real feeling of horror at times, something that a lot of horror flicks tend to fail at delivering.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003 is actually a really good remake that has way more instensity, horror and gore than the original movie had. If you're a fan of the original, you should definitely give this one a go, as it's not just your normal shitty remake, but is actually really good.
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The story of Terror Firmer is about a blind film director (played by Lloyd Kaufman) who tries to put a movie together. But there is a serial killer on the loose on the set and kills off people in the most horrifying ways possible. Will they have to shut down the production or will they be able to catch the killer?
Some people out there totally love almost everything by Troma and praises their films, I can't relate to that at all, and some people hate Troma and thinks that everything they do suck. Me, I think they've made a few ok movies, no brilliant ones and of course a lot of junk but still there are a few Troma movies out there that definitely are watchable.
With that said, Terror Firmer is one of those movies that are watchable. It's way over-the-top at times and a lot of stuff in it just sucks but then it also features some kinda cool and funny stuff which is the whole reason for watching it.
That I'm not gonna give away here but watch it and you'll find out. That's the main story of Terror Firmer but it's also about the cast and crew working on the film set and their problems and daily life. Like a lot of other Troma movies, Terror Firmer of course offers a lot of cheap style gore but that works totally ok. If you've other Troma movies you kinda know what to expect.
The actors vary from totally dreadfull to somewhat ok with Will Keenan as one of the main characters who do an ok job just like he did in Tromeo & Juliet.
Like a lot of other Troma movies the humour in this one's ok at times but for the most part really shitty. Thing is that it takes a while to actually "get used" to Troma and what Troma is about but when you do you learn to appreciated it a little bit more for what it is, well maybe.
We get to see a lot of gore and a lot of other gruesome things with high shock value and this is your typical Troma movie but has more sleazy and gory stuff to offer than most of the other Troma releases and that's what makes it ok. As usual it's a low-budget flick but still has ok effects and they've made the best out of it.
Terror Firmer is ok if you take it for what it is; a low-budget, gory Troma movie with lots and lots of humour of the lowest kind.
Adèle and her daughter Sarah goes to Wales to visit her ex-husband James. While out by the sea one day, Sarah disappears and appears to have drowned. Later, a young girl named Ebrill who apparently died over 60 years ago comes and visit Adèle and James. Adèle starts investigating and her search leads her to Welsh mythology, about crossing over to the other side to bring persons back to the side of the living. Can Adèle somehow use this legend to bring her daughter back from the dead?
Apparently The Dark is based on a novel called "Sheep", but I haven't actually read that novel and I'm not planning to do so either. Personally, for a while this movie looked like a complete The Ring rip-off (that is a movie ripping off the remake). In The Ring, horses started to die mysteriously and acted funny because of a little girl. Well, you have exactly that here too, only thing here is that it deals with sheep instead of horses. But that's just one part of it all. Another part is like something out of a Stephen King novel, the dead are brought back to life but does not always come back as wanted.
I can't believe that this movie came from the same man that gave us Ginger Snaps. While Ginger Snaps was somewhat original and creative, The Dark is just another "horror" movie that seems to be under heavy influence of some greater horror flicks out there. It really has nothing new to offer, and while it had a lot of potential to be scary at times, it failed miserably at doing so. It has a number of scares but they are all quite cheap, and at certain moment we actually get to sit through some short suspense scene before it's interupted with some lame thing that leads to nothing.
So mother Adèle (Maria Bello) goes to Wales with her daughter Sarah (Sophie Stuckey) to visit the kids father James (Sean Bean). On the way they get their car stuck in the mud close to a cliff, and Adèle gets a premonition/dreams some weird dream of her daughter falling off the cliff. So there we go, we get to know exactly what's gonna happen but first we have to sit through a lot of nonsense before the daughter actually meets her maker. That part completely bored me out, it's bad enough to know what's gonna happen so I was thinking maybe there's some clever twist to it but no, no twist whatsoever.
With the daughter gone, both James and Adèle are left devastated. James keeps helping the police search the waters while Adèle discovers some Welsh mythology about how to bring back the dead by sacrificing one of the living. She reads old newspaper articles about how some sheep went crazy and started dying all over the place, and The Ring influence here is enormous. First off you have the sheep to replace the horses, you have a female lead investigating and searching old newspaper articles in a library to find out what happened in a certain place many years ago, plus that you have an evil little girl causing the sheep (that's horses in The Ring) to die. Now, if they haven't ripped everything off, it's an amazing coincidence to say the least. Oh, did I mention that the mom goes to a mysterious place to look for her lost daughter...hello Silent Hill.
This is a typical thriller that adds in some horror elements once in a while but that does not work too good. At times it felt that some scenes had a lot of potential of being quite scary, but they managed to ruin that completely. Just like in the movie Half Light, we get some beautiful scenery but it didn't save that movie and it does not save this movie either. The acting is kinda decent, Maria Bello is pretty good as the mom, Sean Bean is neither good nor bad, he's just there, but the daughter, Sophie Stuckey, sure has no clue of how to act. I know that she's a kid and I don't wanna rack down on kids but she's absolutely terrible. Everything feels so fake around her and her character is not belivable at all. Sorry kid, better luck next time.
Any real horror or anything close to that is nowhere to be found. It's first and most a thriller but that has a lame story with nothing original to it. The actual ending seemed to be able to turn out pretty decent for a while, but just like with the scares, they couldn't seem to get that right either. For people into lame braindead thriller this might just hit the spot, but horror fans are recommened to stay away from this mess.
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Wrestler Roddy Piper stars as this working class guy who takes a job as a construction worker. One day he finds a pair of sunglases which makes him see the world totally different from how other people see it. Everywhere there are hidden messages telling people to obey, consume, not have any imagination, submit to authority and so on. He also discovers that some people out there are not real people but in fact robots and his discovery leads him to investigate further to what really going on.
This is easily one of my favourite movies by John Carpenter along with In the Mouth of Madness. It's a really cool 80's sci-fi thriller that delivers a thinkable message to the viewers.
It's so entertaining and offers a lot of great things from humorous lines at times, great action scenes, the thinkable fact of how people are being manipulated (even if not exactly as shown in the movie) and offers cool robots too, oh yeah.
It's a political movie but you don't have to have a political interest to see it of course, but the message the movie sends, as said before, is thinkable. It also shows the gap between classes in America and how the poor are exploited by the rich. It's not as serious as it may sound since the movie also has a lot of humour in it which doesn't make it unserious but not as serious as it could've been.
I think this is a good thing and the movie features some funny scenes for instance when Roddy Piper fight with his friend from the construction site and instead of "fighting like normal people", they wrestle and it's a pretty fun sight.
I believe They Live is one of Carpenter's greatest accomplishments - highly entertaining and highly recommended. Roddy Pipe is excellent and if you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and check it out, I'm sure you won't regret it.
Norwegians in hellacopter is chasing a dog over the frozen land of the Antarctic and is shooting at it but ends up crashing without leaving any clues for why they were after the dog. A scientific expedition that has their base in the Antarctic sees the chase and of course wonders what was going on. Later on the same night the dog mutates and start to attack the other of the teams dogs and the team starts to investigate and finds out that an alien life-form is on the loose and that it can take over bodies of both humans and animals. Trapped in the cold Antarctic the team fight for their own survival and against the paranoia about who has already been taken over by the alien and who of the team members that can be trusted.
For many out there considered to be Carpenter's best accomplishment, for me even if it's not the very best it's still among his best. The Thing is a very entertaining horror film with a lot of suspense moments and is also a very action-packed one.
The Thing is quite faced paced from beginning to end, or at least it really takes off once they discover that there are an alien life-form, a thing, among them.
The movie deals a lot with the subject of paranoia since they don't know who and who's not infected by the thing and it spreads fear among the team members. Also that the movie takes place is the cold snow-drowned Antarctic adds a lot of atmosphere to the movie itself.
All the actors do a fine job and Kurt Russell is great as MacReady, the leader of the team, and his character is kinda similar to Snake from Escape from New York etc. If you're looking for a fast paced action-packed suspense movie this one is truly recommended.
Peter is working hard to get things ready before the grand opening of his Bed & Breakfast place. He's joined over the weekend by his girlfriend Darcy, and her eleven year old daughter Pamela that are gonna provide some help with fixing the place up. Soon after their arrival, Pamela meets a young girl named Emma who tells her about the evil Tooth Fairy who used to live in the house Peter is turning into a Bed & Breakfast. After the meeting, Pamela happen to be in a bicycle accident which makes her knock out her last baby tooth. The construction work on the house has woken up the old Tooth Fairy, and now she's after Pamela and everyone else who stands in her way.
It felt like a movie like The Tooth Fairy could've gone either way, that you would dismiss it as yet another unsatisfying new horror flick, or that it would be entertaining, fun and splattery. Luckily, the latter alternative applied, and even if The Tooth Fairy didn't come off as very original, it sure had a lot of nice things to offer, but most of all, it was a really fun horror movie to watch. When it comes to movies like this, the stories are always fairly predictable, but it's just how things are excuted that matters, and with that, the Tooth Fairy really pulls it off. Chances that you are going to be scared watching a movie like this are of course very slim, that is if you're not a kid per se, so it has to offer something else, and it's when it comes to delivering these other things that a lot of new horror movies tends to fail. Fortunately this one managed to keep the interest up.
Do you remember Darkness Falls? Personally I hated that flick which dealt with a Tooth Fairy , just like this one does, but the similarities ends right there. The Tooth Fairy here looked better, acted better, and it was a joy to see all those gory scenes that she so nicely made happen. The fact that it had all these nasty scenes to offer made it feel like a proper horror movie, and not just something that was created for a bunch of young and clueless kids, but something that real horror fans could actually watch and enjoy. Also, that the movie had this fairy-tale element made it feel more like the gory saga it turned out to be, rather than your average slasher flick with some boring psychpath killing off teens to left and right. And no, there were no teens in this movie, thank God.
 
The story is rather simple but doesn't need more to it for it to work. We've all heard about the Tooth Fairy right? Well, the Tooth Fairy here was an evil old lady (with extremely bad skin) who took children's last tooth after it fell off, and then killed them. Just that with killing young children is kinda nasty enough, and the movie starts out with a scene featuring that; Luring a little kid into her house promising him a brand new bike, but instead he gets a hatchet in the head after that his tooth has been pulled out. Now, that's my kinda girl (well, on film that is).
This all happened back in 1949. Fast-forward to present time, and Peter is working on the old lady's house that he just bought, which he is turning into a Bed & Breakfast. He's joined by his girlfriend Darcy and her daughter Pamela, plus that there's already a friend of his there helping him out, and an early female guest arrives shortly after as well. Pamela meets a mysterious young girl who doesn't know who Harry Potter is, but who tells her the truth about the evil Tooth Fairy. On her way back home from meeting the girl, Pamela falls off her bike and knocks out her last baby tooth. Now, this evil Tooth Fairy has woken up from her slumber, or whatever kept her away, and since she's the Tooth Fairy, she of course wants Pamela's tooth, but also wants to see the little girl dead. So how do you fight a Tooth Fairy? Well, watch it and find out.
Basically what made this movie a pleasant watch, was the fact that it had some really good pacing, had some small amounts of humour that worked, and had these gory scenes that I mentioned earlier that it so wouldn't have worked without. The story is of course pretty predictable, and chances to get scared are below minimal, but that doesn't mean that it's not worth watching, because that it is. The house (Bed & Breakfast) made for a really good location for the movie to take place in. It was surrounded by a forest, plus a cemetary close by, and everything looked sharp, and the location and the forest added to the feeling of the fairy-tale itself.
The Tooth Fairy looked pretty nasty, especially up-close, and the make-up and effects used in the movie worked well. The photography was nice, and last but not least, the acting was above decent. My only complaint when talking about the acting would be from a woman who were present two times in the movie, and who warned Peter and his girl about the Tooth Fairy. She wasn't the least bit convincing, and the way she read her lines felt extremely stiff with no real feeling whatsoever. That's one minor complaint though, and is really nothing since she was not in the movie much at all. On the plus side, I have to say that the girl who played Pamela (Nicole Muñoz) did a great job. Usually I have huge problems with most children in movies when they have leading parts, but she proved to be good, and not irritating at all as so often is the case. All the other actors were ok, and it was cool as well to know that the Tooth Fairy was actually played by Peng Zhang Li, not just a man, but an Asian martial arts choreographer.
I never expected The Tooth Fairy to be one bit scary, so therefore I wasn't really disappointed when it wasn't. But it sure was entertaining, and had a lot of great splatter and gore to offer, and that's never a bad thing. Some cool killing scenes, a great location, and was basically a both fun and easy movie to watch. Even it was very predictable, the almost 90 minutes went by really fast due to good pacing, and it never felt dull or too unoriginal. The fairy-tale element helped a lot, and the fact that there were some nice gory scenes helped even more. If you're looking for an easy and entertaining horror flick, this would be a good pick.
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Colin's on his way to Baja to meet his brother that he hasn't seen for two years. Some friends go along with him and they plan to surf and have parties. But when they get there, the place is deserted and Colin's brother and his friends are nowhere to be found. Two of the friends head for the nearest village to see if Colin's brother and his crew are there, while the rest stay behind to look for clues where they might could have gone. Soon they find remains of carnage and realizes that they are not alone on the beautiful beach, but that there are actually cannibals there among them.
Trespassers is a new low-budget horror flick that unfortunately does not bring anything new to the scene. It has all the elements a bad horror movie should have and is neither promising in the beginning, nor rewarding in the end. Basically it's just another braindead horror flick where a bunch of young adults gets trapped and has to make it out alive. The main problem thought is that we've seen this scenario at least a hundred times before, and since it doesn't have anything new or original to offer at all, in the end it makes Trespassers just feel like a waste of time.
I actually feel bad since most of the time I'm always complaining a lot when it comes to these types of flicks, but what else can you do when they suck? At least the people behind it should be given some credit for what they've tried to accomplish. It's a nice try, just too bad it doesn't work. Better luck next time. So what's so bad about Trespassers? Well, I can ignore and overlook a lot of faults when it comes to low-budget movies, it takes a lot of hard work to make a movie and it's not an easy deal. But money or no money, some things could've been done a lot better.
What I found to be the most irritating thing in the movie was whenever something gruesome took place, the camera was shaking like crazy, Blair Witch style. You know what's going on but it's hard to make anything out, and all the gory moments in this flick leaves you with no satisfaction whatsoever. Every time something brutal went down, the camera was shaking and was all over the place, and it was truly irritating to have to sit through that over and over again. There's not one action/gory scene when the camera manages to stay still so we really get to see what happens, and that takes all the fun away. Because I mean, what is the main reason for watching a flick like this? It's not for the plot, the acting or the dialogue, but for the horror scenes where people actually get killed or where you get to feel some suspense. Unfortunately none of these things work here.
So some surfers dudes head to Baja to meet one of the guy's brother and his friends, and to catch some sweet waves (hey, I'm speaking surf here). But when they get there, the people they were supposed to meet are nowhere to be found. One guy and a girl head for the nearest village to see if the missing people have been there, but when they get there they get to hear a story from a local about a horrible man named El Gringo.
Now, El Gringo was a man who had a cult following, a sect, and he led them to the place on the beach for them to live on their own away from the rest of civilisation. But they had a hard time getting food since they couldn't grow anything on the land and the ocean didn't provide for them either. So El Gringo kidnapped local kids and fed them to his followers, but when his people found out what he had done, they cut his eyelids off and buried him in the sand, facing the sun. El Gringo prayed to God for a few days while being stuck in the sand, but got an answear from the Dark Lord and now he and his people haunts the place and feed on those who comes there. And of course this surfer gang gets trapped there, and has to try and make it out alive.
It might sound a bit cool and it's not a bad idea. It's just the way everything has been done and how everything looks that ruins it all. It would've been ok if we would've gotten some decent gore, but instead we just get the shaky camera. The characters are not really likable but not totally unlikable either, and the acting is ok for what it is I guess. There are plenty of low-budget flicks out there that are much worse when it comes to acting. Another thing is that nothing really happens for what feels like a very long time, and when something finally do happen, it's not good at all. So a lot of waiting for nothing.
Yet another new horror film that didn't pay off at all. If the gore would've been decent it might could've saved this flick, but instead we are left with nothing. Suspense is really nowhere to be found, the camera is way too shaky and all over the place when something that might could've actually been worth watching happens, and some times the movie's a bit too dark as well. The acting's not horrible, and there are not as much surf lingo as one first had expected it to have. It felt like Trespassers had some potential at first, but it was all washed away by the lame story along with the lame horror sequences. There are worse movies out there, but still though, this wasn't very good.
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Tromeo falls in love with Juliet but they come from different families who are at war with each other and have been for some time. Will love conquer all?
Of all the Troma movies out there I think Tromeo & Juliet are among the top ones if not the best, yeah it's probably the best.
It's goofy but not super goofy like your average Troma release and the fact that it's a different take on Shakespeare's classic that they've actually managed to make something really good out of is pretty cool.
If you know Romeo & Juliet then you know the story to Tromeo & Juliet as well as it has the same story as the original but here done Troma style and told a bit differently.
It's a modern adaptation of Shakespeare's classic with all the usual Troma elements but as said before not as goofy as most other Troma movies and also the actors are not as crappy as we're used to which is nice for a change. Although there are a bunch of crappy actors in this one too, seems one can never escape from that.
The story is kinda cool and it has a lot of humour in it that actually works quite well. We also get treated to a lot of splatter and gore shown in a kinda comic way.
I have to give Troma credit for being able to really capture the classic story so perfectly and pull it off like it's been done here.
I'm not really a fan of Troma movies but this one sure is different from the rest, so even if you know what Troma is about and aren't too into the stuff that they make you might still wanna give Tromeo & Juliet a chance.
Being different is true but it still has a lot of Troma elements in it and Troma is behind it so don't expect anything else, but like I said, give it a try as you might find yourself enjoy it.
Jennifer is living a good life; Working a great job at a big PR agency, is settled down with Alan, a man for whom she really cares, and just found out that she's pregnant with his baby as well. Things couldn't really be any better, but one day it all changes when there's someone who brutally starts killing men, and who looks exactly like Jennifer. After getting hassled by the police a few times, she eventually finds out from her parents that she was adopted, and that she has a twin sister named Norah out there somewhere. Norah is Jennifers evil twin who had to go through a terrible upbringing while Jennifer instead got the good life, and now Norah wants a taste of that...
From German director Wolfgang Büld (Penetration Angst, Lovesick: Sick Love) comes Twisted Sisters, which is basically a thriller with a few horror elements baked into it, with the horror elements being over-the-top death scenes, and on top of that, a bucket of gore, or two. I can't really say that it has an original story, featuring an evil twin and all, but for most parts, it works as an all right thriller that delivers a little suspense along with some gruesome death scenes. While the story never really draws you in that much, it still works ok with its fast pace which made the movie go by pretty fast, and therefore, it managed to stay entertaining enough and wasn't a drag to having to sit through.
Actress Fiona Horsey seems comfortable enough with her characters (she's playing both sisters of course) and maybe that's because she worked with the director on both movies mentioned above; 'Penetration Angst' and 'Lovesick: Sick Love'. She seems to get into both her roles fine, and during the whole movie, I never really though of the two sisters being played by the same person, even though I knew they were. That's a huge thing and makes all the difference, and I'm happy it didn't work the other way around. As for the other actors, some did an ok job while some could've been (a lot) better. The two police officers who throughout the movie were chasing the crazed killer were a bit lousy to watch at first, since it felt like they were reading the lines someone else had written for them, rather than the feeling that they were actually saying things in a more natural way. So their performances were a bit stiff, although, later on I thought it got better, but on the other hand, maybe I just got used to it. I'm not sure.
 
The title kinda says it all here; Twisted Sisters, well one of the two sure is twisted, going around killing men and cutting their genitalias off, ouch! It has some gore to offer which works quite ok, although it's far from being really nasty, and the gore scenes will probably not make you cringe. It's still somewhat enjoyable though and at least it makes for things to happen. There's especially one scene which must be quite original (can't say I've seen it elsewhere) when the psychopatic sister Norah kills a guy using fireworks. Other than that, it's pretty standard, at least if you watch horror flicks on a regular basis. It had some little twist to offer at the end, but it's nothing that's gonna blow you away.
I have absolutely no idea what kind of budget they had to work with, but it looked pretty low-budget, and while some of those movies manages to be so interesting (Joshua) that you tend to forget about what they look like, Twisted Sisters didn't make it all the way there. On the plus side of things, it used some cool angles and wasn't poorly shot or anything, it was just that it looked and felt a bit too low-budget at times, which sometimes made it a bit hard to focus on the actual story itself. No big thing though really, and at least it moved at a fast pace which made it seem better and provided some entertainment. The score wasn't so bad that it became irritating, but it sure could've been a helluva lot better.
Twisted Sisters was an ok but not very memorable thriller that featured some over-the-top death scenes and some gore as well. The acting had its ups and downs, but the main characters, the two sisters, were totally ok, and even if some actors could've been a lot better, it was never so bad so it became too much of a mess to watch. Except for the original death by fireworks scene, there were one scene right after killing the guy that was pretty bizarre but in a good way. When Norah had killed the guy, she noticed that he had a drum kit at home and sat down and started hammering away for a brief moment, and when she left his home, some neighbour came asking what the noise was all about. In the end Twisted Sisters was nothing special really, but it had pretty good pacing and worked quite ok as a low-budget flick.
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Set in the future, due to a biological warfare research gone wrong a genetically-engineered virus turned humans into something called Hemophages, similar to vampires. They are no longer part of the human society and the humans are out to destroy the diseased population. The human government wants to see a nine year old boy named Six dead since they believe he's a threat to humans. Violet, a female Hemophage who's mission first was to find and deliver a secret weapon, discover that the actual weapon is the boy and that the people's real intentions is to kill him. Soon she finds herself protecting him as the boy carries within him a rare cure which could heal all the Hemophages.
Wow dude, Ultraviolet climbed right into the top-ten shit-list of the worst movies I've seen in my entire life, and believe me, I've seen A LOT of shitty flicks. This one is not just bad, it's horrible to say the least and have absolutely not one single positive thing worth mentioning. I never expected it to be a good movie to begin with, but I would've never imagined it to be as crappy as it turned out to be. This is truly a horrible movie, and everyone involved in the making of it should take a moment and think about what they've done.
I've never read the comic so I have no idea how true it stays to that, but the comic can't possibly be this bad. And what is it with Milla Jovovich and these type of flicks? She stared in Resident Evil which was a crappy flick, I know some people out there like it, but after playing those games like hell for years, I can't possibly like what they did with the actual movie. Then you have the sequel which was even worse and now Ultraviolet that is somewhat similar, with a female heroine, a lot of action and a whole lot of crap.
The intro was cool where they showed some comic book art and it gave you a positive feeling. But a minute after the movie had started, that positive feeling was nowhere to be found. Personally I'm not a big fan of computer generated digital effects, a little works in some movies, but in a lot of movies the have definitely overdone it. Ultraviolet is like a big ball of computer generated effects, and in that ball you have Milla Jovovich running around blasting people to left and right with her stupid CGI guns.
One thing this movie manages to be is fast-paced and it delivers almost non-stop action. But the pacing doesn't really matter since the story's shit and the action scenes might be stylish but fail miserably to impress. Within the first half hour or so, there are an enormous amount of action sequences, one after another but they are all so boring and looks absolutely ridiculous.
Biggest problem is that Violet can't be beaten, and throughout the whole movie we get to see her fight against tons of soldiers etc, and is never even close of getting hurt. It's like playing a shitty videogame where the difficult level is set to super easy, and you can play it while drinking coffee and talking on the phone at the same time because it's just too easy. This is what this movie looks like, you know that no one stand a chance against her no matter how many guards or whatever are sent in to off her, and that also takes the little suspense that could've been there away.
So Violet finds this kid who looks like a retard and acts like one too, and can't let some people go ahead and kill the boy so she rescues him and have to flee while constantly being chased. One other really shitty thing that this movie has (yes, it only has shitty things to it) is that once in a while we get a emotional scene with Violet and the boy and suddenly you're supposed to feel something for these people and care what's going on. Only thing I felt during these scenes were irritation, and I didn't know whether to turn the movie off or hit something or what to do. So I stuck with it all the way and honestly, I'm really sorry that I did.
The story is nonsense, the acting is crap, the big bad boss had something up his nose the whole flick and looked like a real idiot. Milla Jovovich is supposed to look sexy and while she might be pretty, it's still a big turn-off watching her in a movie like this. I guess this is a movie for all ages because we don't get to see anything during the fights. I mean she cuts people with swords and shoot a hell of a lot of people but blood is nowhere to be found. I don't know how big the difference would be if watched the unrated version, but it doesn't matter because I would rather get hit by a bus than having to watch this movie again.
Ultraviolet represent everything that is bad. Some of the over-used effects look ok but some of them look like crap as well. The comic book feel is long lost and the action scenes are many but completely lame. And it's not even so bad so it's funny to watch, it's just plain horrible.
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The year is 1969 with the Vietnam war still going on, and at the same time a meat-packing plant in Texas goes out of business. One of the people working there, named Thomas Hewitt, is a deformed unstable person and when he gets word that he has just lost his job, he kills the foreman of the plant. Meanwhile, his crazy uncle murders a sheriff, steals his clothes and badge and starts posing as a man of the law. Driving through where all of this has just taken place, on a lonely highway, two young men and their girlfriends happen to be in a car accident and it doesn't take long before the 'sheriff' turns up at the scene. He kidnaps three of them since one of the girls flew out from the car when they crashed and is hiding just close by. The 'sheriff' takes the three victims to his home to let Thomas Hewitt (Leatherface) work on them to later feast on them. At the same, the girl who was left at the scene of the accident tries to rescue her friends together with a biker who's girlfriend was killed by Leatherface's uncle.
I have to admit that I, to my big surprise, loved the 2003 remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I'm of course a fan of the original movie, but felt that the remake had even more terror to offer, was faster and had a lot of 'go' in it as well as it looked terrific and was raw and brutal. So when I first heard about this prequel, I was excited but at the same time I feared that it would not be half as good as the remake was. Luckily, The Beginning turned out to be a great flick that had the same look and feel that the remake had as well as it was brutal and raw enough and delivered a whole lotta tension and suspense. I got into this flick right from the start and found myself being really captivated by it since it had so much to offer, story-wise as well as those brutal parts so needed for a movie like this to work.
I felt that just the story of this movie alone were a really interesting take on how it all came to be. It was simple enough but worked wonders and it was more than easy to get caught up in the terrific story-telling. But that's not all the movie had going for it, add to that those extremely nasty scenes that were truly chilling and delivered an undescribable amount of tension. I loved sitting through this, and it was very easy to give full focus on the movie all the way through since it had so much to offer on all levels. Both the uncle and Leatherface comes off as totally crazy, very unstable and most of all, very unpredictable individuals. At least the latter goes for the uncle, since you basically know what Leatherface is all about at all times, but the uncle has this tendency to seem like he actually has a heart every once in a while, but then, soon after shows that he has nothing even close to it.
 
Best thing when it comes to all those freaky and nasty scenes that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning has to offer are that they, even though it's just a movie, feel very realistic and at times you can almost feel the pain that the victims themselves are feeling. Well, maybe I'm getting a little too deep here, but I guess you know what I mean. A lot of movies out there, gore and terror movies, can have so much more nasty stuff in them and way more blood flowing, but problem is that it's not too often it all feels very genuine. But this film really captured the terror and fear in an excellent way.
It basically has the same kind of look and feel to it like the 2003 remake had, and I must say that it looks absolutely smashing. A bit dirty and raw, yet super clear if you know what I mean. The look of the movie itself, and the very surroundings of course makes it have a great atmosphere and deliver a great, yet quite eerie feel. The acting is also one thing that makes the very terror more belivable, and to say that all of the cast do a great job is not to exaggerate at all. It's not that all of the cast were just very good, but they all made their characters seem very belivable and at times you forgot that you were just watching a movie, and I truly love that feel.
I'm not a big fan of remakes, but I still think some films are definitely worth re-making, it's just that most of the remakes turns to crap with a few exceptions. I was happy when the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre turned out to be great, and was pleasantly surprised to see that its prequel was one helluva movie as well. I guess some hardcore fans of the old original didn't even give the remake a chance, and will most likely not see this one either. But I'm telling you, don't dismiss this one as some new stupid horror movie, because while it might be a new flick, it's not just a good film, but pretty close to great.
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A group of kids accidentally release a mysterious gas called Trioxin which reanimates the dead in a nearby graveyard. Soon the town is filled with zombies who only wants one thing - brains.
Return of the Living Dead Part II is an worthy sequel to its precursor, Return of the Living Dead, which basically is a bit like watching the original all over again, but that is not as great this time around. Still it has somewhat of the same stuff to offer when it comes to gags and gore, even though this sequel feels a bit more over-the-top when it comes to the gags, but that still works well. When saying that watching part 2 is pretty much like watching part one, it's because of that this one has pretty much the same story and the same type of stuff going on all the way through. The third follow-up kept the basic foundation of the ROTLD concept but steared away a bit more which was a good thing. This second part is not really half as good as the first flick, but considering the brilliance of the original, this one comes out not looking too bad either.
The plot of this movie is basically the same as the one in the original film with the army loses a canister of Trioxin that later is discover by a bunch of kids that open the drum, and so releases the toxic gas. There happens to be a graveyard close by and it doesn't take long before the dead walks the earth, looking for brains to feed on. The military is called in to contain the situation but leaves a group of people trapped in the middle of the town. After that it's basically the first movie all over again, with two actors from the original that were killed, here returns in pretty much the same type of roles, but playing different characters.
 
The problem with part 2, if comparing it to part 1, is mainly that part 2 focus too much on the humour and so leaves the real horror behind. It still of course features a lot of morbid horror, brain-eating and all that, but it's all done with a huge amount of humour. This is pretty bad since the first flick delivered a perfect mix of humour and horror, and even though it had its really funny moments, it could also turn to be very horrific at times as well. This movie doesn't succeed with delivering the same type of gruesome atmosphere and feels just way too over-the-top too many times the movie throughout, much of this caused by horrible (silly) acting as well.
But acting-wise it's not all bad either. If you just look at the acting in general, it's light years away from being anything close to great, or even that good for that matter. But considering the type of film we're dealing with here, the acting actually works really well for most parts of the movie. It's supposed to be campy, goofy and cheesy, whatever you like to call it, and therefore I feel no need to really complain about the acting either. The gore is quite good and will most likely satisfy a gorehounds needs, but it sure could've used some more serious types of those scenes because now the goofiness that is always present, sometimes ends up ruining a good kill/brain-feast/death... No biggie though. The score consists of, well 80's music of course, a lot of hard rock/heavy metal and add to that some other typical 80's stuff. It works well this time too, even though the first flick had better music to offer.
If you're a fan of the original, you definitely want to see this one too. Plot-wise it's pretty much like the first movie, and actually a lot of things apart from the plot are basically the same. It's not as good as the original though, but considering that it's a sequel, this is often the case. At least it provides some good entertainment and is a pretty gruesome and cheesy ride. Well worth to take a look at if you're up for some morbid 80's fun.
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Sam Harper died in Kuwait a few years back and rises on the 4th of July from his grave. Some kids burnt the American flag over where he was buried and now Sam sets out to kill all the unpatriotic citizens in his hometown.
Uncle Sam feels like a typical 80's slasher/horror flick even though it was made in 1997. I think if it would have been made ten years earlier than it was it could've been a kinda campy b-flick that could've been totally ok to watch. But since it was made as late as in 97' it just feels weird and does not come out as good as it could of had.
With a tagline that goes: "Uncle Sam wants you dead" it's kinda easy to figure out what this movie is all about.
I rented this movie a few years back for the simple reason that the cover looked very cool. Unfortunately it promises more than it actually delivers. It's a typical b-movie and even though we get a little violence and gore, it's not nearly enough to satisfy.
It wouldn't have been too hard to make this movie a slightly bit better. What it's really missing is the humour. It's not suppose to be a comedy but the story is kinda comical and they could've done so much more with that.
Since it looks and feels like an 80's flick why not add some 80's humour to it or whatever. Anyway, only reason for you to laugh is because it looks very cheap and ridiculous at times.
Also missing is of course the gore and with a lot more gore in it, this flick could've been quite enjoyable to watch. But you end up getting neither the humour or the gore and that doesn't leave you with much.
Why it's entitled Uncle Sam is because the soldier, after rising from his grave, dresses up like Uncle Sam when he goes around killing people. It's actually quite funny to watch and at least has that going for it. But is that enough? I don't think so.
The actors are quite wooden and not very good to watch. So this is extremely b-grade horror but still one would've expected more. I don't wanna say that it's super bad, but it's just not worth the time.
A girl namned Rene has to move out of her hometown Berkeley due to finicial problems but doesn't get far as meteors are raining from the sky and turns everyone in to flesh-eating zombies. She then runs in to a small group of people doing their best to survive and who also are trying to find out what is going on.
For all of you who liked Braindead and Bad Taste, this one is for you even though it's far from the same it still has some of the same elements and humour in it that makes a really good splatter/zombie movie.
This movie is actually really original, it's has similarities to mentioned before Braindead and Bad Taste because of the humour and the massive amounts of splatter and gore and it also has some similarities to other zombie movies like Day of the Dead etc.
I guess it's impossible to make a zombie movie without it not being compared to other zombie movies, but all in all it goes its own way and a really original way that is. For a low-budget movie, Undead has the most amazing special effects and it's really great to get to see this. It also has tons(!) of gore, and even though it's humorous it never gets really silly and takes away focus from the actual gore and splatter.
So what is there to complain about, well the actors are not the best, some of them are rather embarrassing to watch since they blow so much, but on the other hand, this movie has so many other things that even though it doesn't make up for the bad acting it still makes it totally worth checking out.
It has an interesting story, it's really entertaining, has great special effects and has more gore and splatter then one could wish for. It's also very cool that this movie comes from Australia since we haven't seen to much stuff like this from over there. I truly hope that the Spierig brothers countinue to make movies in the same vein in the future. Highly recommended.
Underworld: Evolution begins where Underworld finished and vampire Selene and Michael, the werewolf hybrid, are on the run from the vampires. Meanwhile, Selene's last remaining elder Marcus, who now is a very powerful vampire, has awakened and his mission is to awaken his Lycan brother William. Together with Michael, Selene must find the clues to unlock the secrets of their respective bloodlines and stop Marcus before time runs out.
I expected Underworld: Evolution, while might be entertaining, still not to be a very good sequel to the first movie, that is Underworld. I was way wrong, not with it not being entertaining, but it's actually a really good sequel, far better than I had expected. This one exceeds Underworld when it comes to action, blood and guts, and that was something that came as a great surprise. While it still stays true to the original and has the same feel to it, the violence and action sequences are so much greater here, and at times it was hard not to get all excited.
It looks brilliant and the combination between the use of swords and guns are just great and adds to the fantasy and mythology feel even if the movie takes place in modern time. There's a lot to take in and you need to have seen Underworld before watching Underworld: Evolution. It continues where the first movie left off, and while we still get a lot of flashbacks from things that happened in the first movie, we are at the same time introduced to new characters and a different plot. It gets a lot of credit here for going it's own way while still staying true to Underworld. It also feels like the viewer gets to know the characters better here as well, the character development is much better than in the original.
Fans of Underworld will probably not be disappointed with Underworld: Evolution. I found myself liking it better than the first movie, which is something that does not happen very often, that a sequel tops the original. On the other hand, Underworld was made so most people could enjoy it, but this sequel is definitely aimed for an adult audience. The battle scenes are much more brutal and nastier than in the first film, so are the death scenes and the use of gore, and add to that some actual sex. The first movie didn't have anything that even comes close to what the second one has, it only had the cool action sequences but Evolution exceeds it there too, the action sequences here are fantastic.
Another great thing is that the use of CGI effects are minimal, movies like this these days have a tendency to overdo it when it comes to the use of these types of effects, but luckily Evolution did that right too. The special effects and the make-up looks great and the werewolfs look extremely cool and nasty as hell. Actually everything looks extremely good. The hybrid Michael is much more interesting and raw here than in the first flick, he battles a lot of werewolfs and rips their heads off and stuff, if nothing else, it sure puts a smile on your face.
One thing that stops this movie from getting the highest rating is that there's just so much to take in, and sometimes the movie kinda struggles with trying to explain itself. You have to pay full attention at all times to not miss out on anything. This is the type of movie that, even if it's extremely enjoyable the first time, it still might require a second viewing. The other thing that brings Underworld Evolution down a little is Beckinsale. Even though she's perfect as Selene and does a really good job with her character, the problem is that it's impossible to get under her skin so it's hard to feel anything for her, despite all she has to go through. The character development is good, but not so good that it will make you care that much.
While it looks amazing in this blueish tone, add to that the scenery which is just awesome. The mountains, the castles, the dark and snowy woods among other things, everything just looks fantastic and delivers a really good feel. The atmosphere is great the movie throughout, and even if the story gets to be too much at times, it never gets dull or will make you loose interest since stuff happen all the time.
Far better than I had expected and ended up beating the crap out of the original. Definitely a movie that requires a second viewing, but was one hell of an entertaining ride the first time viewing it. Looks absolutely fantastic, and I wouldn't have nothing against the same director making a third installment and making it a trilogy. Highly recommended.
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In a small town redneck Ray Sawyer rescues a voodoo lady when her car is about to fall of a bridge. He manages to get the lady out but she also wants him to bring a suitcase that's inside the car so he goes back to get it but then the car falls into the water with him inside and the suitcase contains snakes that attacks and kills Ray. Apparently all those snakes were used to suck out the evil from tons of bad men so when they bit Ray, all evil got tranferred into his body and now he's to out to do evil deeds and some teens gets trapped in the middle of it.
I cannot say that I've been longing for this movie to come out but still I was kinda interested to see it and to see what they had made out of it.
Just before viewing it I saw that it said -"from the director of I Know What You Did Last Summer" on the cover and that kinda put me off right then and there since that movie was a crap feast.
Now after watching Venom which is a totally different movie from I Know What You Did Last Summer I must say that Venom was better but still not a very strong horror movie.
A bit entertaining but in the end nothing that you'll remember and nothing that I would really recommend either.
Ok, first off all this movie has all this voodoo stuff in it that doesn't interest me one bit and I recently just saw The Skeleton Key which also had all this voodoo in it so that kinda sucked having to go through that twice in a short period of time.
Venom is actually your typical teen horror movie and for teenagers who haven't seen that many horror movies and are not so into the genre, for them I guess it would work like a charm.
But for people who have seen tons then this is just a new commersial horror flick with nothing special to offer. You get your typical teen actors which are not that bad but nothing special either and we get to see some gore but I wish there would have been more, loads more.
I can't say that it is a really bad movie, it's just nothing special at all, you've probably seen it before, similar stuff that is. It's a little bit entertaining if you're bored and the actors aren't that bad. Also we get to see all teens die except for one so the movie gets a little credit for the low survival count.
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Late one night in the streets of London in a futuristic landscape of totalitarian Britain, Evey is rescued from some men by a mysterious masked man only known as V. Later on when Evey is at her work, V is taking over all broadcasting to deliver a message and urges the people of England to rise up against the governments tyranny and oppression. The police thinks Evey is V's ally and goes after her as well. This time Evey saves V but gets knocked out in the process and V takes her back to his place. There she finds out a little more about the mysterious man, but soon leaves him to go on with her life. She hides at a friends house who later is killed by the government and so she is captured. From then on she learns to understand V more and even also understand who she really is and what she think is important. This all makes her think alike with V, and so she becomes his ally and helps him in his cause to bring freedom and justice back to the society.
V for Vendetta is one of those movies I've been waiting to see for what feels like forever. So when I finally got to see it, naturally the expectations were quite high to say the least, but fortunately the movie lived up to those expectations. Haven't read the V for Vendetta from DC comics, I can't compare it to that so I don't know if that would've made a big difference or not. All I can say is that I had only read a little bit about the actual movie before seeing it, and it felt like the less you know the better.
While this being a political movie with a message and a plot worthy to think about, you don't need to have any kind of political interest to be able to enjoy this flick. There will of course be a ton of people trying to analyze V for Vendetta and will try to find a deeper meaning within it etc. Also a lot of reviews out there seems to have focused on the political aspect on the movie, so I won't go into further detail regarding anything political from here on as there are a heap of other places if you want to read about that type of stuff.
While this not being a horror movie, I thought I should review it anyway since I think it will appeal to a lot of horror fans out there. There are really cool action sequences in the movie that contains some fine blood splatter. There are also fantasy elements baked in and add to that the comic book feel, and also that a part of it belongs to the thriller genre. So you don't have to have any political interest whatsoever to be able to enjoy this flick as it has so many different things to offer. With that being said, let's move on.
V for Vendetta was written by The Wachowski Brothers who also wrote and directed The Matrix and the sequels. Now as we all probably can agree on, the sequels were completely awful, but personally I didn't even like the first movie. Sure it had nice special effects and all that but that does not make a good movie, to be honest I thought it was crap and I would never watch it again even if I got paid. The reason I'm saying this is because there are a lot of people who seemed to be interested in V for Vendetta since they were big fans of The Matrix. I don't think it matters if you liked the Matrix or not, V for Vendetta is a totally different experience, and while I didn't like The Matrix I found myself to think that V for Vendetta was an awesome movie.
It's easy to pick a favourite character here and that is V, he's a determined man who stands up for what is good and just but never so he feels "too much" so to speak. He his a hero, but a good and likable hero and not one of those heros that act so good it almost makes you sick if you know what I mean. V is the perfect character, and when he fights people he does not bother to spare their lives, he's not that kind of hero who does that and that of course makes him come out even better. Personally I hate all these sissy heros that are just too good for their own good, and that's why I really enjoyed V for Vendetta, and it was exactly the same thing with Sin City.
Another character that is really interesting as well is Evey, excellently portayed by Natalie Portman. I knew that she is a good actress, but when I started to watch V for Vendetta, I had the utterly crappy new Star Wars movies in mind since she was in them, but luckily I soon got rid of them and that whole feeling. I guess she was ok in Star Wars, it's just that those movies blew so much that in the end you couldn't find a single good thing in them since the overall experience just wanted to make you vomit in rage. Anyway, the character development with Evey is fantastic and truly interesting to watch as she has to go through a lot of stuff and changes more and more the further the movie goes. But I don't wanna spoil it for those who haven't seen V for Vendetta yet so I'm gonna stop here.
One thing about movies that takes place in a certain period of time usually have a certain feeling to them, whether it's in the historical past, the present or the future. V for Vendetta is set in a futuristic Britain so things are of course modern, but at the same time it deals with revolution and everything surrounding it and that gives it an older feel. Also some of the type of clothes worn in the movie also makes this feeling of the historical past of England more genuine and stronger, but at the same time you know that it takes place in the future. It's a funny thing and makes the movie very different, and sure adds a lot of atmosphere to the whole thing.
There are not too many action sequences, and I found myself at first thinking that there should've been more. But when I thought about it later on again, I figured that there was just enough to satisfy. Thing is that the action sequences are so brutally good so in one way you want more, but on the other hand it's a good thing that they are far between one another, because when you finally get to see one, it's so worth the wait. If there would've been more, they would probably not've been as effective. Once again, it's nothing like The Matrix, it's much better and has more feeling to it and is just not stylish action, even though it is stylish as hell.
I don't wanna go too deep into the plot or what happens in the movie, it just needs to be seen without knowing too much. Like I said before, you can see this as a thinkable movie and get into the politics of it all, or you can just enjoy it on the more entertaining level, because it sure is entertaining. In the beginning I was a little afraid that there would be too much to take in as it sure seemed like it with the massive dialogue and all, but that's not the case. Sure, there are a lot of thinkable things and you can sure make it hard for yourself if you go in analyzing and whatever, but in the end it was just enough and it's easy to follow and a true joy to watch. Movies like this doesn't come along often enough so if you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and go see it. You'll have a good time.
V for Vendetta was interesting for real and with that I mean that everything in it was genuinely interesting, not just one character, the story, the camer-work, but everything. It's an awesome movie that is thinkable and that does not have an either too sweet or tasteless ending. It's just a perfect balance of everything, with great characters, great acting, directing, score and story. Truly recommended.
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Max Renn owns a small cabel company called Civic TV that shows violent and sexual shows. Always being on the hunt for new sleazy shows for his network to broadcast, Max one day comes across a show called Videodrome. The show has no plot, you only get to see people being tortured and murdered and Max discover than the shows is broadcasted from Pittsburgh, USA. Later on, he finds out that Videodrome is actually a signal that creates a tumour in the brain that makes you hallucinate, and that the people behind Videodrome can control those who have been exposed to it. There are also those who fight against it, and Max finds himself caught in the middle of it all, used as a weapon.
From the awesome director David Cronenberg (The Fly) comes Videodrome, a bizarre and most original sci-fi horror movie that should not be missed. This is the type of movie that kinda requires to be seen more than one time, as it contains so many little things, and it might be hard to catch it all the first time watching it.
Anyway, it has this really interesting story about cabel company owner Max (James Woods) who through pirating discovers a snuff tv-show called Videodrome. Since he knows that only the most perverted and violent shows will get him more viewers, he of course is more than interested to find out what Videodrome is all about. He hooks up with this girl Nicki (Deborah Harry) that has a taste for the extreme and later disappers when going to an audition for Videodrome. But it's more than just a tv-show, as it uses transmissions to alter the viewer's perceptions. Max gets caught in the middle of it as the people behind Videodrome wants to use him for their benefit, and Max soon finds himself falling deeper and deeper into the world that is Videodrome.
I can't even begin to describe just how fantastic this movie is, all I can say is that it's a definite must-see. Videodrome has so many layers and the further it goes, the more confusing it gets. James Woods gives a brilliant performance playing the role of Max Renn and being as sleazy as one could be, but despite all his sleaziness, you still can't help but feeling a bit sorry for what he gets himself into. Videodrome delivers a message and thankfully is not just another brainless horror flick. It also has this typical 80's feeling which makes it better, and there are no movies like this these days and that's a shame.
It's never scary in the sense that it'll make you jump, and it's actually more of a sci-fi than a horror movie, although it has a fair share of horror elements baked into the whole thing. As we get to follow Max hallucinating, sometimes it's more than hard to tell what's real and what's not, but it doesn't matter, and it's not hard to follow either. Considering that Videodrome did not have a big budget, it comes out even more amazing. The special effects are brilliant, and the camerawork is excellent. Actually, everything about this movie is just truly excellent.
Be ready to see some freaky stuff like pulsating video cassettes, flesh guns, human VCR's and a whole lot of S&M among a heap of other things. Great acting, especially by James Woods, but also from Deborah Harry and the rest of the people involved in this flick. Videodrome is truly interesting, original, extremely fascinating and captivating. One of the best, and a movie that should not be left unseen.
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Twenty years ago there was a demonic massacre in a small Southern town and the only survivors were two young siblings named Cole and Heather. Cole has since then been fighting evil with all means necessary, combining different religions and using them as weapons. He has a psychic connection with a group of other people, including one mysterious healer, an outlaw biker and a traumatized cop. Tonight they're all brought together under the Voodoo Moon to take place in the final battle between good and evil.
With an excellent cast consisting of Eric Mabius (Resident Evil), Charisma Carpenter (Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Dee Wallace (Cujo and recently in the indie flick Headspace), not to mention Jeffrey Combs (from Re-Animator fame), Voodoo Moon sure seemed like a thrilling ride. And while it was, it also had a few things that were not so great, most of those things being the use of CGI, something that I personally, 90 percent of the time, really don't think much of. But Voodoo Moon also had a lot of things going for it like some pretty fine acting, especially by some new-comer named Rik Young who played the devil. And other than that you get zombies, magic, some mild gore, some nice decapitations and last but not least, a decent story which managed to do an all right job and proved to be fairly interesting.
Since their parent were slaughtered 20 years ago, Cole has been fighting evil with everything he's worth. He has this psychic thing going and can see what goes on even though he's not where things are going down. His sister Heather lives a normal life and is not out chasing after evil like her older brother, she also have the ability to predict things that are about to happen through her drawings. Now, evil is closing in and as Cole can feel his friend starts dying, he must travel to a place and meet up with a group of people that he's has a psychic connection with, and at that place, the final battle between good and evil will go down.
 
Voodoo Moon had some nice imagery and a fine atmosphere to offer at times, with the highlight being when Cole and Heather visited a graveyard early on in the movie. It looked stunning and had a great but quite eerie feel to it. That was awesome and I wish things could've stayed that way. The make-up itself, when used, looked great but there were way too many scenes that had way too much CGI in them. Personally I think that the less CGI the better, since CGI does never look real, no matter how good it is. When seeing computer generated effects on screen, I think it takes away focus from the actual movie and makes you concentrate too much on the effects, and that's not a good thing. I guess some sci-fi fans will go wild watching this, but for me personally it did the exact opposite. I'm not gonna say that it's a little thing since this movie uses plenty of it, but if you're into that I guess you'll be more than fine, but if you're not, it's not the end of the world because this movie has much more to offer.
Casting Jeffrey Combs was a great idea, and even though he didn't get a lot of screen time, at least his character delivered some well needed humour. The rest of the cast all delivered and some extra credit has to go to Johnny Amos who's over 60 years old(!) and played an outlaw-biker named Dutch who was a great character as well. Another guy who did a great job and that I've never seen before was Rik Young who played the devil and delivered a really solid performance. The movie had some nice scenes, one that revolves around a corn-field and that looked really cool, and some other scenes that had a lot of action to offer. The pacing of the movie was basically pretty good, except for things slowing down for a short while somewhere in the middle. But this was no major thing though and Voodoo Moon had a pretty nice flow to it companied by a score that was right on the spot for this type of film.
The rating had to go down due to the frequent use of CGI, something I really can't stand, but Voodoo Moon was overall quite an entertaining film that had some to offer. My biggest fear when it comes to horror movies is usually if the cast will be able to do the job, because if they don't, everything will suffer. Luckily, Voodoo Moon had a really solid cast and the film looked good as well. In the end, even though they used way too much CGI, it provided 90 minutes of somewhat good entertainment so at least it won't bore you to death.
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Jonathan Rivers wife goes missing and after some time a man shows up, saying that his wife is dead and is trying to contact Jonathan from the other side. At first Jonathan doesn't believe what the man told him, but after getting a strange message on his answering machine from his wife, he decides to go look the man up. The man's working with EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) and helps Jonathan communicate with his dead wife. But after just two sessions of contact, the man who helped Jonathan out dies a mysterious death, which leads Jonathan to start dealing with EVP himself. He soon gets obsessed with the whole thing with EVP and drawn into a different world, a world that is far more dangerous then it may seem.
Michael Keaton stars as architect Jonathan Rivers who loses his wife but finds a way to contact her through the other side, using something called EVP. When starting to watch White Noise, I actually felt that it had a lot going for it. The story is interesting enough to keep the interest up and it moved forward in a good tempo, not to fast yet not too slow. It doesn't screw around either, but instead gets to the good stuff pretty quickly and manages to deliver some suspense as well.
But the further the movie went, I was actually starting to fear more and more about the actual ending as movies like this usually does not deliver all the way through. I'm sorry to say that I was right, as the ending is a huge let-down. It's too bad since it had a lot going for it at first, and at times you couldn't help but thinking about The Ring or even more so, Videodrome. Unfortunately this movie doesn't even come close to any of the two.
I wouldn't watch a movie because Michael Keaton's in it, but here he actually does a pretty good job. The very beginning of the movie is just too family friendly and way too nice so you kind need something to go wrong quickly to avoid feeling sick. It does, and Keaton's going through a big change and gets totally obsessed with the whole EVP thing. That's mainly the reason why I compared it to Videodrome, it's not similar but just the very obsession itself reminded me of that movie. Anyway, Keaton's delivering a good performance with his character that is totally believable.
Problem after a while is that what was interesting with White Noise was the paranormal science and what it had to offer. Unfortunately they don't stick with that concept all the way through, but instead it turns into some ridiculous type of ghost story that does a hell of a job ruining the ending.
This could've been so much better, and maybe they'll make up for it in White Noise 2, but I'm not getting my hopes up. What it has going for it is that it has an interesting story and manages to deliver some good suspense, and brings a bit of an eerie feeling at times. Good atmosphere and good acting, but you can't espace from the lousy ending and that's just too bad. Kinda worth watching, but can't really recommend it.
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In ancient Persia, an evil being that was created in the beginning of time called the Djinn was sealed inside a opal stone. The Djinn makes peoples wishes come true, but their wishes always turn out in the most horrible of ways. In present time a gemologist named Alexandra is examining the opal and awakes the Djinn that is trapped inside. The Djinn is set free and goes out to make people wish for things with the prize of their souls. But his real mission is to make the one who woke him, Alexandra, make three wishes in order for him to become completely free in order to conquer the earth.
Here we have a pretty cool horror movie that is not great but still makes for a good 90's flick. Think of Aladdin, the genie and the lamp, a lot darker but basically the same thing. Apparently before stories like Aladdin etc existed, there was only one real version, the legend of the Djinn. The Djinn was an evil spiritual creature that travelled between the worlds, created in the beginning of time along with the angels, and that would make ones wishes come true, but in a gruesome instead of a good way. The Djinn twists peoples wishes and can only do bad, and once it gets three wishes from the person who woke it, it will be set free and able to bring its legions to conquer the earth and destroy humanity.
Robert Englund plays some sort of collector that collects historical things and brings a statue to America. But when loading it off the docks it breaks, due to a guy controlling the lift while being intoxicated and the statue falls down (on Ted Raimi) and is destroyed. A worker finds a opal attached to the statue and steals to later sell it to a pawn-shop. The pawn-shop owner takes the opal to a place to get it valued, and leaves it there for an expert to examine it. The experts name is Alexandra, a gemologist who by mistake manages to awaken the Djinn who's trapped inside the opal. The Djinn is let out and starts causing chaos by making people wish for things that all turn out in a twisted way. Eventually he has to confront Alexandra to make her give her three wishes in order for him to be able to be free to conquer the world.
Once the Djinn is let out from the opal he takes the form of a human being portrayed by Andrew Divoff, and personally I think Divoff does an excellent job as the "human" Djinn. His voice adds a lot of character and feel to the evil genie, and he is most perfect for the part. We even get to see him in Wishmaster 2 but after that he's gone, too bad. I heard some people complain that they think the Djinn talked too much, I don't really think so, it still works but the humour doesn't. The Djinn is supposed to be extremely evil so with him making some jokes at times does not really suit the character. I also heard people complain about Divoff's performance in the role of the Djinn saying that he's bad, but let me tell you, he's great (no I'm not his agent).
Wishmaster is a movie that should of course not be taken too seriously. It's a fun ride and a pretty good horror flick, so just enjoy it for what it is. Of course it has its flaws but movies like these so often do, but as long as the flaws do not dominate they are just small problems fairly easy to ignore. Now this movie is filled with special effects and if you are on heavy drugs they all might look mighty fine. Other than that, half of them are good and half of them are totally laughable. I'm not a big fan of computer generated effects, it can work at times of course but I hate when they use it way too much (Hellooo Lord of the Rings!). I guess it's needed here, but when it comes to horror movies I prefer the old school special effects and make-up. Although, the Djinn looks really cool and I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley at night.
The are some really cheap scares early on in the movie that couldn't be less scary, only thing is that they come pretty unexpectedly, but they're more irritating than fun. Other than that there are no scares but it's still entertaining to watch and you can't really expect a movie like this to be scary can you? We actually get treated to some fine gore and cool splatter effects, so it gets some credit for that. The acting is of course nothing special, but works for this type of flick.
Wishmaster is definitely a pretty entertaining horror movie. It might have a lot of flaws and things that are not so great in it. It might also be too predictable and feature some lame dialogue. But you're not watching a movie like this to become smarter, it's just supposed to be entertaining and fun, and that it manages to be.
During a art heist, female thief Morgana accidently awakens the Djinn. The Djinn (in the shape of a human) takes credit for the crime and lets himself go to prison in order to collect 1001 souls. In there he twist the prisoners wishes and gets more and more souls before the final 3 wishes that are needed from the one who woke him. Now Morgana together with a young priest has to find a way to stop the Djinn from taking over the earth, killing all of mankind.
It was a long time ago since saw this movie before watching it again now. 7 years I guess and I thought I remembered everything and that it was a good sequel to the original Wishmaster. Well, apparently I didn't remember as much as I thought I did, and unfortunately it didn't come out looking very good in the end. Why I had to give this movie such a low rating is because the utterly crappy ending which is horrible indeed. I watched this movie last night and after that I had nightmares, not because the movie was scary but because the ending sucked so much. But the movie still has some good stuff in it so don't diss it just yet.
The plot is just plain stupid, but you're not watching a movie like this for the plot. Just like in the first movie, the Djinn is awakened and has to give three wishes to the one who woke him. This time it's a girl named Morgana who woke the Djinn when she and her boyfriend were robbing some museum. There's actually a pretty cool scene very early on in the movie when we get to see the Djinn for the first time. He has a big head, four very long legs and looks like some kind of creature spider. Morgana's boyfriend is killed and Morgana flees the scene before the cops arrive, and when they do arrive they arrest the Djinn, again portayed by Andrew Divoff.
The Djinn is sent to prison and starts making prisoners wish for things in order to collect 1001 souls before he has to confront Morgana and get the three final wishes from her. Morgana becomes more aware of that something's wrong and keeps having nightmares and visions of the Djinn, telling her to fulfill the prophecy. She seeks help from an old boyfriend who's now a priest and together they try to find a way to stop the Djinn. I hate this priest guy, he just so righteous (well he's a priest) but he's also such a wuss and just extremely irritaing to watch and to listen to.
The whole prison thing is fairly interesting though, everyone wants something in there and it's the perfect place for the Djinn to have people making wishes. Also the whole prison enviroment adds a good feel to the movie itself. Although, the Djinn can't seem to get enough souls there so later on he heads for a casino in Las Vegas to gather even more souls. At the casino chaos soon takes over and we get a really cool long scene of people dying in different ways in there.
There's actually a whole lot of gore in the movie and that's a big plus and something that makes it a little more worth watching. We actually get to see a lot of gore and guts and it's well done and fun to watch. But just like in the first movie, there are a number of computer generated effects that are not as fun to watch. While some of them being good, some of them are just horrible but overall it's not a good thing. The acting is even worse than in the first one but it's still somewhat ok for this type of movie.
Wishmaster 2 is extremely similar to the first movie, there's really nothing new here and it's just as predictable as the first flick. Although it's somewhat entertaining and has some really cool gory scenes in it, but with an ending that kinda manages to ruin the overall experience. It's not extremely bad but it's still pretty far from being good.
A teenage girl named Diana Collins accidentally finds the stone where the Djinn is trapped and once again he's released into the human world. The Djinn starts killing off people at Diana's campus by making the students there wish for things that will come true in a horrible way. But as usual, he must grant three wishes from the one who woke him up and that's Diana, who now have to come up with a way to stop the Djinn from unleashing hell upon the earth.
Why the hell did they make a third Wishmaster movie, not to mention a fourth one. Were they on heavy drugs or do they just get off on making super shitty movies? I don't know, but what I do know is just how much Wishmaster 3 blows. Everything here is a complete joke, but unfortunately not in the sense of 'it's so bad it's good', it just plain sucks.
The boring Djinn is back again and he looks even worse than before. At least he looked a bit cool in the two previous movies but here he just looks plastic and stupid. Another thing is that he's not played by Andrew Divoff anymore, now it's some other jerk portraying him and he's doing a lousy job doing so. At least Divoff had the voice thing going and his overall performance added a little to the Djinn itself. I not saying that Wishmaster one or two were great, they were actually far from it, but compared to this pile of garbage they are both fantastic.
Thing here is that nothing new is added to the same old tired story. The Djinn awakes once again, starts spreading chaos and needs three wishes from the one who woke him in order for him to unleash his hellish legions upon the earth. I would've liked to see those hellish legions but unfortunately that didn't happen. But considering how bad the make-up and the CGI was, I'm not really sure they would've looked that great.
This time it's some college student named Diana who awakens the Djinn and she's anything but likable. It's amazing that those people who awakens the Djinn are always strong fearless characters. If I would've awakened the Djinn I would've probably just shit my pants and then commited suicide, but these people are not afraid of him and does everything in their power to stop him. That's just fantastic, but it's not the least realistic in the first place so what the heck.
Diana's boyfriend is the one to watch out for here. He's a sissy boy that do whatever his girlfriend tells him and he's just horrible to watch. If that was not enough, he's later transformed into the Archangel Michael but still remains to look exactly the same, only thing is that he's now carrying a big ass sword that looks ridiculous and his voice changes too.
That thing with the voice is so stupid I can't even begin to describe it. I didn't now whether to laugh, cry or chop my ears off when I heard it. Thing is that he, from the moment he becomes the angel, just starts to speak a little bit darker than before and keeps doing that for the rest of the movie throughout. But it feels so forced, sounds so stupid and the guy even looks ridiculous when he speaks, you can tell that he's really concentrating on keeping up the voice act and that made me feel sick to my stomach.
Just like in the previous movies there are some gore, but what looked a little bit cool in those movies looks pathetic here. The acting is horrible, the CGI effects are comlete crap, the score is unbelievably bad, the story is lame, the characters are the worst ever, the director is an idiot and everyone involved in the making of this shitfest should be shot. There are so many independent filmmakers out there with great ideas but who never gets the chance or has the money to be able to make something more out of their ideas. And that's why it sucks so much to watch movies like this were they have a decent budget but lack ideas or a brain for that matter but are still allowed to make movies.
A student named Walter Gilman rents a room in a decrepit old house that's apparently over 300 years old, and there something strange is going on with the walls in his room. It seems like they might lead to another dimension, and before he knows it, he starts getting visits from a rat with a human face in his nightmares. All he wanted to do was to write his thesis, but is soon visited by some kind of female demon, and from then on, things start to go down-hill for Walter. He soon meets Francis, a girl that he falls for, but is too shy and busy to do anything about it. She has a little baby that she lets him watch when going to a job interview, but again he caught up in a nightmarish reality and leaves the baby unattended. One of his neighbours explain to him that there's a witch, thirsting for souls and who needs a male victim to sacrifice babies for her. Walters nightmares turns into reality, and he soon puts both himself and Francis baby at risk when trying to fight off the witch.
From Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator trilogy) comes another H.P. Lovecraft tale about an old house, a witch and a student who gets trapped in the middle of it all. It's actually a pretty scary tale, and even if it's far from Gordon's best, it's still a great addition to a fine series. Personally, one of the worst things I know are rats, and even if this movie is not packed with rats a la Stephen King's Graveyard Shift, it's still too much and is kinda freaky. Not only that, but a rat that shows up here has a human face, and while that might look funny to some, it's just too darn freaky for others/yours truly.
I felt really sorry for the poor student Walter, as all he wanted to do was to write his thesis, but instead he was attacked by a witch and a rat, and had to go through hell. Like the title suggests, he rents a room in an old house that apparently was the home of a witch way long ago. There in his room, he starts having horrible nightmares and wakes up from that a rat with a human face sits on him in his bed, telling him that 'she's coming for him'.
While being freaked out by the dream, Walter still figures it was just a dream, and so didn't think more of it at first. But the night after, he gets a visit from a naked girl that looks just like his neighbour Francis, but that later appears to be the witch who's coming for him. Another one of his neighbours, an old man, seems to have gone through what Walter is about to go through, and so keeps warning Walter to get out before it's too late. But Walter stays, and things just keeps getting worse.
What I liked about Dreams in the Witch-House, is that it was a great tale that was pretty darn horrific. It works great as a horror flick, and was at the same time interesting enough, and made you wanna find out how it was all going to end. Best thing is that it ends in a really good way. It has a tragic ending, but so makes it way more interesting and makes for a better outcome then if it would've ended in a nice/happy way.
It's definitely not hardcore horror, but it's a great tale that is a bit freaky as well. The movie has really good pacing, and the acting is good, especially from Ezra Godden who plays the troubled student. It was hard not to feel bad for the guy. Now, I haven't read the actual tale by H.P. Lovecraft, but I guess it would be way more scary in book-form, still it works well as a horror film that has some black humour to offer too. Recommended.
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Three friends consisting of one guy and two girls go on a road trip and end up at a place called Wolf Creek in Western Australia. There their car breaks down but a friendly local comes along and offers them help and tows their car back to his home to fix it there. Unfortunately the friendly local is not very friendly and the three friends soon becomes aware of that and has to fight for their lives to get out of there alive.
There has been a lot of talk about Wolf Creek and I must admit that I was really excited to get to see it so when I finally sat down to watch my copy I had some pretty high expectations.
Like so many times before, high expectations has yet proven not to be a good thing and Wolf Creek only lead me to dispointment. Thing with this movie was that it was so damn boring, it took nearly half the movie for things to start happening and the stuff before that was just a sleeping pill.
Problem with this movie is that you know exactly what's gonna happen, you know the story and you know that this local man is gonna try and kill the three friends and that's all there's to it which is quite a downer.
No twist and no clever stuff whatsoever which makes this movie pretty plain and boring. I actually almost fell alsleep in the beginning of the movie. It felt like it took ages for it to take off and once it took off it didn't do too much either. I kept watching because I wanted to see the killings and what would happen with the three persons but that was kind of a let-down too since we don't get to see a whole lot of that kind of stuff. There's a little gore and such but unfortunately not enough to satisfy.
One thing though that makes this movie a little more interesting is that it's based on a true story and when watching it and thinking about that the stuff you see on screen has actually happened for real it alters your perspective a little, yeah that's a little.
Also the local madman isn't scary or demented enough, he's demented for sure but he talks too much and seems somewhat slow and is not very entertaining to watch.
The actors are not bad but I wouldn't say that they're good either. I really disliked the three friends, they seemed like a bunch of idiots so in the beginning of the movie you kinda rooted for the local killer but after watching him for a while and realizing that he sucked too, you ended up with no one to root for.
I expected so much more from this movie but unfortunately it didn't deliver very much in the end. Only thing it got going for it is like I said before, that it's based on true events, but that's also the only thing.
Three guys wanna get rich quick to be able to afford a fancy lifestyle in California. So they kidnapp two rich girls and brings them to a secluded cabin deep into the woods. Soon they realize that there's something out there in the woods, killing off everyone it comes in touch with. Now it's not all about the girls anymore as the three men also has to fight for their lives.
Are you up for some turkey? Well if you are, here's more than enough to go around. Christ, I can't believe I actually sat through the whole thing as all it gave me was a big headache. I like independent films and used to watch a lot long ago, and it's always interesting to see new ones and what people have been trying to create. Unfortunately a lot of them has a tendency to suck, although this was brutal. I quite recently saw the movie Joshua which was a brilliant independent film and that made me wanna check out some more, but starting off with Woods of Evil wasn't a very good idea.
The title couldn't be less inventive and I kinda figured that the acting would be so-so, but still though it would might have a few things to offer. Too bad it didn't. When it comes to these types of movies I couldn't really care less about the actual camera-work or stuff like that. It's not easy to make a movie and of course it's way harder on a low-budget, but still every movie must have something, just some little thing that makes it ok, otherwise what's the point?
Woods of Evil is a slasher movie with not too much actual slashing going on. Problem with this flick was that it had nothing going for it. I mean I can put up with watching some bad acting if that would give me serious amounts of gore, or maybe the story could have an interesting twist or whatever, just give me something. Unfortunately the story here couldn't be any lamer. Three thugs wants to get rich quick and kidnapp two girls that has rich parents in order to get some ransom money. They bring the girls to a cabin in the woods, and the woods being inhabited by a fat killer. That's it and there's nothing more to it.
Almost every time we get a kill, you first see the killer watching some person, then you see that person looking afraid/screaming/whatever, cut, and then there's the person laying dead on the ground with some blood on its face/body. If the movie would've just had some nice slasher scenes, then at least that would've been something, but for being a slasher it's incredibly lame. There's one impalement but it doesn't look that good either.
So the story has nothing to it, the kills are lame and the gore is non-existant. The acting, oh I feel like I've just been complaining here for some time now and I'm kinda sick of complaining so I'll keep it short. The acting is absolutely terrible, if you think acting a la Friday the 13th is bad, well then you've seen nothing yet. Conrad Glover, the guy who wrote and directed the movie also stars as one of the three thugs and he's the one doing the best job when it comes to the male cast. I thought the two kidnapped girls did quite ok as well, until we have 5-10 minutes left of the movie or so. Then they run around in the forest just screaming like crazy, and I actually had to click on the mute button since it was just too irritating to listen to.
It was hard to sit through and it had nothing to offer. I can't actually think of one single thing why this would be worth watching. Too bad, and better luck next time.
A guy is driving through the mountains of West Virginia when he, due to some problems, decides to take another route. He ends up on a lonely dirt road and while driving without paying too much attention he accidentaly happens to crash into another car. The car belongs to a group of people who are stranded on the road and together they go to look for help while two of the people stay behind to wait in the car. Deep in the woods, they soon discover a cabin and go there to ask for help. They find no one in the cabin for the time being so they start looking around there and discover some gruesome things that seem to belong to the owners of the cabin. Then the actual owners show up and after what the people have witnessed they decide to hide which they do and get to witness some more horrible stuff. And they know they have to try and make it out of there alive.
This movie was a really cool surprise since I was expecting another boring pointless teen horror flick and then it turned out not to be. Wrong Turn actually turned out to be fast paced and had a hell of a lot of suspense and horror to offer.
It has this TCM feeling to it without being a rip-off and the monsters or disfigured people in it are really adding a lot to the movie itself. It has all this tension that a lot of other movies never manages to deliver and that's one thing that makes it really good to watch.
The tension is there in your face the whole time and you can't help to wonder what's gonna happen next. And this is the good thing about this movie, it actually grabs you and pulls you in and lets you share the tension with the unfortunate people who happened to stumble into their worst nightmare.
The monsters are actually a bunch of inbreds but the way they look and the way they act you know it would be hell if they would catch you. The movie is also very graphical and gory which makes it even better (or worse depending on how you see it).
Eliza Dushku is a pretty girl who has done some shitty movies but that's no reason not to watch Wrong Turn. Here she actually do a fine acting job and so do the other actors.
It's not your typical teen horror flick, it's much more brutal and effective than that, and that's why I would truly like to recommend it.
Based on a true story, "The Zodiac" follows Sgt. Matt Parish who sets out to catch the San Francisco serial killer, and follows what happened in California in the late 1960s. The Zodiac killed on a random and was never caught.
This is not a bad movie, but one thing that felt quite bad was the fact that since the movie's based on true events, you also know how it's gonna end. They never caught the serial killer and you know that this flick is gonna end the same way. Now, I'm not asking for a movie where all the pieces comes together in the end, it's just that you know the outcome before you have actually seen the movie, and that felt a bit bad. But since it's based on a true story it makes it interesting. If this movie would've been just fiction, the ending would've probably come out looking even worse.
This movie focus just as much on Sgt. Matt Parish and his wife and son, as it focus on the serial killer. We get to follow Parish from when the killings first starts, to his obession with catching the killer and what that does to his family as well. His son, played by Rory Culkin, also becomes obsessed with the serial killer, something that the boy's mother of course does not approve of. We get to see the frustration within the police force for not being able to find any leads that would lead to the killers arrest, and at the same time we see the media blowing the story up and scaring people everywhere.
I was expecting a dull thriller made for tv, but it was actually better than that. Ok that it somewhat felt like a tv movie, but the story kept me interested from beginning to end. It's not only that The Zodiac killed people, but that he actually sent letters to the police, letting them know what he had done in detail etc. The movie has no gore, but the killings might still feel a bit disturbing since you know it's based on a true story. Also it gets more intense the further the movie goes, and it's definitely interesting even though we already know how it's gonna end.
The overall acting was good and even though there's not very much character development, it still works. We get to know the characters that is Parish, his wife and his son, but never on a deeper level. I'm kinda neutral when it comes to the acting, it wasn't great, still far from bad though, and I think Robin Tunney stood out a little more than the rest as the worried mother/wife.
Not a great flick but still interesting enough. Actually, I never lost interest for a minute and the story developed little by little and got a bit more intense as it went along. The Zodiac lasted for 92 minutes which felt a bit too short, it could've gone till the 2 hour mark without that it would've gotten boring. The pacing was very good, but the ending was a big disappointment. Not that the creators of this movie did anything wrong really, it's just that it felt like it all of a sudden was cut off, and didn't leave much satisfaction. Still, it's worth a look.
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A terrorist steal a nerve toxin from a secret military base and is later found dead, infected with the stolen chemical. When cremating the corpse of the terrorist, the virus is released into the atmosphere on the small island that they're at, and soon people start to mutate into zombies. A group of three soldiers on leave team up with some tourists they run into. Trapped in the middle of it all, together they have to try and fend off all the zombies that surrounds them.
If you're looking for a whole lot of zombie action, Zombi 3 might be quite a good pick as there are a hell of a lot of zombies in this movie, at all times. Although, I can't really say that the movie is very good, it has its ups, but it also has a lot of downs. But considering the amount of actual scenes involving zombies, the movie's never even close to a snore, and compared to a lot of other zombie flicks, Zombi 3 is fast-paced all the way and has the so needed gore as well.
While it has a lot of action, gore and some nasty stuff, you can never escape from the acting being completely horrible. It is so wooden and bad that it actually becomes good after sitting through a half hour or so. Don't get me wrong, the best word to describe the acting is that it's complete shit. But at times the acting is not the biggest thing when watching Zombi 3 as it's a whole lot of fun and has so much stuff going on that will make you forget about the terrible actors. All the action and flesh-eating scenes kinda takes your mind of just how bad the acting actually is, and makes you focus more on what's going on for the moment.
There are some movies out there where the acting is so bad that you can't seem to focus on anything else, how good the story even might be. With Zombi 3 it's the other way around, the acting's crap but it's easy to forget about it at many times since the movie has a lot of entertaining stuff going on. And secondly, you kinda expect a movie like this to feature some bad acting, if you were expecting an awesome performance from the whole cast to begin with then you were definitely looking in the wrong place. Ever heard the expression so bad that it's good? It's not exactly like that here, but still not too far from it.
The story is really simple but makes for an entertaining zombie movie that features both fast and your "normally" slow zombies, most of the latter. On a secret army base in the Phillipines scientists are working on a bacterial warfare virus called 'Death One' that is later stolen by a terrorist. The terrorist runs out into the jungle and is being chased and manages to break the box containing the virus and so gets infected. When later found, they cremate the corpse and the ashes are spread through the air, contaminating the entire population of a nearby village. Suddenly everyone starts turning into flesh-eating zombies, and the army seals off the area and send troops in to exterminate the problem. Trapped in the middle of the infected area are a group of three soldiers and some tourists that has to try and make it out alive with both the military and the zombies against them.
Like I said before, there are a hell of a lot of scenes involving zombies. They show up everywhere at all times, attacking whoever's nearby. A lot of scenes has no real suspense to them but a few of them have. There's especially one scene that feels a bit creepy when a soldier falls into the water and three fast zombies shows up chasing him there. Thing is that the water is shallow so they can walk on the bottom and do not have to swim, and you know how hard it is to walk fast like that, so that definitely adds some tension. There are also some other cool scenes where people being ripped apart, a girl gets her face ripped etc. If you're into over-the-top gore, you'll probably have a good time watching Zombi 3.
Not Lucio Fulci's finest moment, but Zombi 3 is still a movie that manages to be quite entertaining. It has a lot of over-the-top gore and almost constant action. There are not too many slow moments to be found during its running time so it never feels dull or anything. Although, some things you've seen a hundred times before and brings nothing new, but it still manages to stay somewhat interesting the movie throughout. The acting is worse than one could've imagined, but all the action makes up for it a bit and help you forget just how bad the acting really is. If you're into zombie flicks, you should check it out.
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Danny and Denise have just got married, and are on their way to spend their honeymoon in a big house on the Jersey shore. Everything is top-notch, and the couple couldn't be more happy, but one day when laying on the beach, Denise sees some strange looking fellow appearing from the water and walking towards them. The stranger attacks Danny and drools/pukes up some green slime on him, and after that Danny's heart stops and Denise takes him to the hospital. Once at the hospital, Danny is declared dead, but wakes up again after ten minutes, just like nothing ever happened. They go back to their happy married life, but things don't stay happy for long since Danny apparently got infected, and gradually turns into a flesh-eating zombie.
Zombie Honeymoon, the title kinda says it all.. A couple go on their honeymoon, the guy gets infected by some zombie-looking dude, and gradually starts turning into a zombie. I thought this movie would be a funny zombie movie, with a lot of comical stuff in it, but I was pretty off there. Although it features some amounts of black humour, I wouldn't say that the flick is very funny, and if it wouldn't have been for the gore, it would've been a straight-forward romantic drama. Fortunately it has some gore, and at least it's watchable for the sake of that. The story itself is also pretty simple but cool, it's just that the movie sometimes felt a bit too slow.
What it has its main focus is on the love and the bond between the married couple. Danny turns into a zombie, and Denise has to deal with it, something that proves not to be an easy task. One thing that actually was a bit funny was the fact that both Danny and Denise were vegetarians, and suddenly all the guy wanted was raw meat. At first he doesn't look all that bad, and Denise catched him one day at home, eating away at some neighbour in the bathtub, and that really were it all starts. She of course panics for a moment and is about to leave Danny, but then changes her mind and stays...in sickness and in health. But things keep getting worse, and Danny becomes more uncontrolable as time passes by. He attacks people to left and right, and he's turning more and more into a proper zombie, and his body and face starts to wither as well.
It sounds pretty great doesn't it? The fact is that the story is totally ok, but the way everything's played out/executed is not that great. It just feels too slow at times, and even thought there were a lot of quite gory moments, they couldn't really save it either. I wish that it would've featured some more humour, because it felt way too serious even though it's a movie you really don't expect to be that serious to begin with. It's never the least bit scary, and even if the gore is nicely done, it after a short while just feels like it's repeating itself over and over again.
It's far from being a bad movie, but I have to admit I had a really hard time staying completely focused the whole thing throughout. The character development is not that strong and you just don't really care too much about the people in it. Basically, I was in the mood for a fun and nasty zombie flick, but what I got was a real drama that had a zombie theme to it and some gory moments to offer as well. The gore and the make-up is good and it all looks all right, and the same goes for the acting which is not great but definitely decent. The score on the other hand though were f**kin terrible, and some of the shitty songs just gave me a headache.
When I finished watching Zombie Honeymoon, I couldn't help but to feel a bit cheated. It's all my fault though for expecting something totally different, and what I got instead wasn't really that great. Storywise it's a bit admirable, and it's definitely a cool story but that eventually starts to drag a bit too much and never really snaps out of it either. The gore is decent but it gets boring after a while as well, and that leaves you with just the drama part which I guess is ok, but that I was so not in the mood for. Watchable, but lower your expectations.
Brian, an average normal guy living in New York City one day becomes dependent on an evil, disembodied brain. The brain feeds Brian with a narcotic substance which he becomes very addicted to, and in order for the brain to feed him, the brain wants him to help obtaining the brains of innocent victims for sustenance. And even though Brian really doesn't wanna take part in killing innocent people, he so needs the drugs that the brain provides him with.
You gotta love Henenlotter for the simple reason of just how creative the man was. There were of course tons of horror movies made in the 80's, a lot of them that back then weren't that fantastic but when watching some of them today, you kinda realize just how good they actually were. Among all the horror films that were made during the 80's, I believe Henenlotter's films stood out quite a bit. The thing is that his films always suffered from a low-budget, but since the man was so creative, inventive and had so much to offer, one always tends to forget that his films are of the low budget kind and you simply just enjoy them for the creativeness, wackiness, originality and humour they all have to offer. And Brain Damage is no exception.
But I also believe that for one to truly appreciate all the great 80's horror films today, one had to have been there back in the day and seen them. For kids today who would watch an 80's film, I don't believe they would come off as being that great, but for people who saw them long ago and decides to re-watch them in present time, I guess you can really appreciate what they tried to do along with that the movies brings some great nostalgia as well. But enough of me being all sentimental here, let's move on to the actual review of the film instead.
 
Brain Damage might not be Henenlotter's best film to date, personally I think Basket Case is, but still Brain Damage has a lot to offer for those up for some weird and goofy kind of horror. The film is about this normal guy named Brian who one day happens to cross paths with this brain named Aylmer who has been locked up in his neighbours apartment, but that just recently escaped. Aylmer, who looks like some reptile kind of creature, lets Brian try some of his blue juice (sounds kinda kinky eh?) which is basically a combination of really heavy drugs that makes Brian have the most fantastic visions, but on the negative side of things, Brian of course becomes addicted to these drugs. And like all drug-addicts, he obviously wants more all the time, and once Aylmer has Brian hooked on his narcotics, he uses him to kill innocent people in order for Aylmer to feed on their brains.
The character Aylmer is actually a lot of fun. He looks like a funny puppet and has this deep voice, and at times he seems very nice even though he's actually pure evil. The movie features a lot of killing scenes that are funny, but still quite gory and the film in general has a huge amount of blood to offer. It's all done with humour, and while some of it works well, some of it is just too over-the-top, but that's Henenlotter and if you've seen any of his other films, you should know what to except. The acting is, just like in his other movies, not very good. There are of course some characters that work well and at the same time there are always those that do such a bad job, it actually hurts to see it. But since it's a goofy and campy film, the bad acting is not a huge deal really.
Brain Damage is a movie that is easy to watch, just sit back and enjoy all the creativeness and goofiness that Henenlotter has to offer. It might be too cheesy for some, but if you're a fan of campy 80's horrors, this sure is worth a look. Just take it for what it is and you'll definitely have a good time.
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Five friends are driving to the mountains to check out some land that one of them has just bought. But even before they get to their spot, they are warned by a Park Ranger to not proceed with the journey, but instead to turn around and head on home. The friends of course are not too bothered with what the man tells them and keeps heading for the mountain. Shortly after, they meet some drunk guy who also warns the friends of some demonic presence out there in the wilderness. Yet again, the kids do not take the warning seriously, something that they soon will come to regret.
With very competent acting, (something that's quite the unsual thing when it comes to most slasher flicks), and beautiful scenery, Just Before Dawn from Jeff Lieberman (Squirm, Satan's Little Helper) makes for one pretty darn interesting slasher experience from the early 80's. It has the elements of the typical Friday the 13th type of things, but also has this Deliverance feeling to it, since it deals with the wilderness and the hicks and inbreds that are to be found there. You could also say that it has a bit of a Texas Chainsaw Massacre feel as well as Wrong Turn has a lot in common with the movie. All in all, it's a good slasher film, and while it's just yet another early slasher, it still is a bit different and sure has some interesting things to offer for its viewer.
One character that has an huge impact on the movie is the character of nature herself. Even though the people (well, victims) in Just Before Dawn goes camping, they are not just at some ordinary camping place, but are actually camping in the remote wilderness, miles away from civilization. This alone gives the movie a lot of atmosphere, along with that constant creepy feel to what is out there in the wild. Think Deliverance and you are not too far from it, since the movie deals with hicks and inbreds as well. Personally, I think that inbreds alone are way more scary than say a psychotic person wearing a mask and kills people. The mentality of these "full-on hicks" alone are just really freaky, and since it's pretty impossible to relate to them, it makes it all a bit more scary which here is a positive thing.
 
Lieberman also has this talent to be able to create something really good with a minimal budget, and that really shines through. It pretty much looks like your typical 80's type of slasher film, but with the exception of that the characters does not come off as feeling very stereotyphical which is a very good thing. Also, the acting is very belivable and that helps a lot, and especially George Kennedy is doing one fine job as the Park Ranger, but on the other hand, that man is always very likable. While the movie isn't that gory or bloody, it still offers a few cool kills along with that it delivers some fine tension and suspense. So even if the very gore that we're always on the look-out for when it comes to slasher flicks isn't really there, it still actually works really well being a bit creepy and all with some "normal" persons being isolated in Hicksville USA.
Another thing that Just Before Dawn has going for it is that it feels more like a mature slasher flick and it's pretty easy to take the movie more seriously than you would most slasher films. It obviously has a lot to do with the competent acting, but also that it doesn't feature any of this dumb retarded type of humour and stereotyphical things that we're so often treated to in other similar films. And like I said before, nature alone does a lot of work for this film which makes it nice to look at and gives it a certain positive feeling as well. Story-wise, it's actually nothing special since it's just about these people that head to the wilderness to check out some property and to do some camping, with most of them getting killed by inbreds that roam the forest. But at least it's not boring, and Just Before Dawn is a good film to check out if you're into the whole slasher genre.
I can't say that Just Before Dawn is a great film because it's really not. It's a basic slasher, but that has a few very good thing going for it such as very competent acting and fantastic scenery. What it comes down to in the end is that it's basically just another early slasher and there were obviously tons of those movies made during the happy 80's, but if you're into the genre, then Just Before Dawn is a good pick.
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Spain 1965. Two boys goes to see their old town one more time before it completely floods over forever to be buried deep under the lake. But they discover that the town that was supposed to be deserted still has some people left inside of it, and when they free one of those people, they also let evil loose. Fast-forward 50-something years and a boy that is swimming in the lake goes missing. And that's just the beginning as what's underneath the lake now comes alive again.
For many years I considered myself to be a fan of Brian Yuzna, but as for now, I'm sure that those days are way over. The man has made some great films in the past, but his last film Rottweiler sure didn't do it for me, and neither did Beneath Still Waters. Although, I must admit that I was actually pretty excited to see the film when I first heard about it, but unfortunately it turned out not to be that great. Story-wise I believe that the movie had a lot going for it and I would definitely like to read the novel that the film was based on. Now, it might work well as a novel but on-screen it did not quite do the job.
At the very beginning, we're introduced to two little boys, with both of them having extremely irritating accents, that pays a visit to their old hometown which now is a deserted ghost town, just about to flood over and to be buried under water. While being in the watery town, all of a sudden they hear some voices and goes to see where those voices came from. They enter a big building and what they find in there is something horrible that one of them happen to release...nice going little dude. This is how the movie started out, and the actual horror parts of it looked completely ridiculous, so obviously it wasn't such a good start. Eventually it got a bit better to later slow down a little too much and towards the end it delivered something very predictable and unsatisfying.
 
One major problem I had with Beneath Still Waters were that all the characters were very uninteresting, and that alone made it really hard to get into the flick. From a horror point of view it treated the viewer to some decent gore and one or two scenes that actually featured some really decent horror. And while the film looked pretty good and the lake itself that you got to see a lot of had this mystery to it, the movie never fully managed to create a good atmosphere, and that is truly something it sure could've needed. I have to say that some scenery looked very cool and at the same time a bit spooky, but it never really managed to grab you and pull you into this whole ghostly atmosphere that I guess it was trying to create.
It also suffered from delivering a proper balance and to give a good impression of the film as a whole. The reason for that is that sometimes it looked very slick, had nice scenery and some pretty interesting camera-work that might have added a positive feel to it, but then sometimes it just looked like your typical B-movie and that, accompanied by quite bad acting, didn't really help. It also struggled with some bad CGI which I guess wasn't all that bad (the same goes for the acting), but often the computer effects just made it look cheap and stupid instead of it enhancing things.
Sorry to say since Yuzna used to be great, but I would actually have to warn you about this one. It was not all bad, but while Beneath Still Waters had some good things to it, it at the same time had much more negative things that in the end made it come out not looking very sharp as a whole.
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In a post-apocalyptic world infested with the walking dead, Eric sits on the roof of his motor home, shooting the zombies that happen to pass by in the head. But all of a sudden two strangers that is Jesse and Greg shows up and ask Eric for his help. Apparently their car broke down a number of miles back and now they're searching for some place safe. Eric, who seems very unwilling to help the two stranger at first, eventually let them into his motor home, and carefully explains that they can stay as long as they obey by his rules. But unfortunately, the strangers act on their own which leads to tragic things for everyone involved.
Broken Road is the first part of indie film-maker Kristofer Velasquez zombie series called Deadscapes. While writing this, part 2 has not been released yet, but after having seen part 1, I must say that I'm definitely looking forward to the director's second short film. Even though I like the whole concept of indie films, I have to admit that often I'm everything but excited when about to watch a new one. I've seen too many crappy indie films during the years and I always have this fear that I will not have a great time when about to watch a new one. But every once in a while it happens that an indie film actually turns out to be a good piece of cinema that has more than a few things to offer, and I'm happy to say that Broken Road is one of those somewhat rare indie movies.
Following in the footsteps of zombie master George A. Romero, Broken Road delivers a story about normal people trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world that is filled with flesh-eating zombies. The people who are left out in the world and who have not (yet) turned into zombies are just trying to survive, and the first one of we're introduced to is a guy named Eric. This guy comes off as an angry fellow who's only looking out for himself as well as he seems obsessed with the military ways, at least when he starts talking to others. He's soon accompanied by to strangers that is a more nerdy kind of guy named Greg and his, at first, quiet girlfriend Jesse. They seek Eric's help and all of a sudden there are three people fighting for survival and taking shelter in the motor home.
 
While Greg and Jesse may at first seem like the quiet and somewhat frightened couple, Eric is at first the complete opposite. He doesn't even want the people in his motor home to begin with, but eventually lets that go and invites them in, but at the same time shows that he's not the type of guy they should be messing with. What he doesn't know is that neither of the two are as harmless as they first seem to be as well as they are both keeping secrets from each other and not just from Eric. It all becomes a chaotic triangle which eventually leads to a tragic outcome.
Filmed in black & white, Broken Road delivers a good atmosphere and manages to look very sharp and does a convincing job with the film as a whole. I believe that if the movie would've been filmed in color it wouldn't have looked half as good. I recently saw some other indie shorts, also filmed in b&w, and it seems to only enhance everything as it manages to take away some of that usually 'cheap' indie feel. Viewing Broken Road in b&w, it of course also makes one think of Romero's The Night of the Living Dead which is a really good thing here.
What makes Broken Road stand out and the reason why I liked it was because it delivers some good human drama as well as the zombie action itself. It could easily have been a shallow film with lots of gore and zombies, and while we get a itty-bit of gore, the actual drama parts are those that really makes the film come out looking really good in the end. The film takes place in and around this motor home in the middle of the night and it's there everything happens from start to finish, and it works really well. The acting itself is convincing enough and even if none of the characters are the least bit likable they still serve a good purpose and makes for an interesting piece of film to watch.
Deadscapes Episode 1: Broken Road was an interesting indie film that not only delivered some zombie action that worked, but that had some good type of survival drama to offer as well. Shot in black & white, the film bears similarities to The Night of the Living Dead and makes it not seem as low-budget as it probably would've looked if shot in color. While waiting for part 2, I would like to recommend you to check this one out if you have the least bit of interest in zombie and indie films in general.
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As part of a late-nite horror program on tv, The Roost tells the story about four friends on their way to attend a wedding when their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. After looking for help for some time, the group stumbles upon what seems to be a deserted farm house. What they do not know is that the owners of the house were just killed and that the creatures of the night has awaken.
Last night I was about to re-watch the excellent Elvira's Haunted Hills, which I haven't seen for quite a few years, when I suddenly remembered that I had The Roost laying around, and since I hadn't seen that film yet, I went with that one instead. Now, funny thing here is that Elvira features all this goofy kind of horror that pays tribute to the black and white Roger Corman as well as Vincent Price films and classic Hammer horror movies from the 60's etc. And The Roost basically does the same, all least in the beginning/middle/end of the film where Tom Noonan appears as the ghoulish-looking host of a late-night b&w horror show. Now, since I was in the mood for this old horror type of stuff, The Roost did hit right on the spot, right at the start.
I believe that the ghoulish-looking Tom Noonan, as The Horror Host, presenting the film do make the movie look a helluva lot better in the end than if say that movie would've just started right away, without any presentation. Even though it's not very funny, The Horror Host and that whole presentation thing adds a lot of comical atmosphere as well as this old great horror feel to the film. Because the thing is that the film itself is not that special per say, and while it sure lacks originality among a heap of other things, it still comes out being quite the entertaining ride.
 
The story is close to nothing in The Roost where four friends who are on their way to a wedding happens to have some car problem which leaves them stranded in the middle of nowhere (yeah, never seen that one before). They come upon this farm house looking for help but it seems to be nobody at home so two of them go further to look for help while the other two stays put at the farm house. It doesn't take long before the two guys that took a walk comes back with a cop, and from there on, it's full-on horror.
One thing I truly hate are rats, and what's even worse are of course bats since they look similar to rats, only that they have wings as well. And even if The Roost deals with bats, luckily we don't get to see them up-close too many times in the film. They're there though and they're attacking people and that just about enough for me. The whole film basically takes place around this farm house where the cop and the group fall victims to the creatures of the night. It features some slightly gruesome scenes and even though the film looks a bit cheap at certain places, I must say that the make-up and the gore looks terrific. The score is just as irritating as it is good, and while I felt that it was in the way, being just too annoying at times, at other times it worked well with the film. There are also a lot of sound effects used with most of them serving a good purpose. Also the ending might be predictable as hell, but was still very good and made the film deliver.
Ti West proves that you can make a good horror flick on a low-budget, using not too many original ideas, but that still works and does not totally rip off other flicks. I believe that for fans of horror, The Roost can be a lot of fun if you just take it for what it is. It's not a film to take too seriously and while the cheapness of the movie shines through every now and then, it comes out looking quite good in the end.
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Annika and her daughter Saga has just moved to a small community in Norrbotten where Annika is going to be working at the local hospital. It's cold, constantly dark and Saga ain't too happy with her new home that lies above the polar circle. At her first day in school, she meets Vega and they instantly become friends with Vega inviting Saga to a party. Meanwhile, a teenagers has mysteriously disappeared along with that other blood-drenched incidents starts to disturb the community. Annika is happy about starting her new work where she meets Professor Beckert who conducts genetic research, and was the main reason to why Annika applied for the job in the first place. But she soon finds out that there are strange things going on at the hospital and that Beckert is not exactly the man he first appears to be. And Saga is soon to witness some gruesome acts herself as she attends a party with heaps of soon-to-be vampires.
First off I must say that this might be one of the best vampire flicks to come out since the 80's, and I was truly thankful for that it didn't have any of those sissy-looking gothic type of vampires in it that so often seems to be the case with vampire films in general. The greatest idea behind this movie and what makes it a perfect vampire film is that it takes place in Norrbotten, Sweden, where it's completely dark for months of the year. It's strange that no one has thought about that before since it's obviously the best enviroment a vampire could ever wish for, and what it also serves is that no vampires can be killed by the break of dawn like in so many other films.
Since I so far have just said positive things about the movie, I think I will stay on that path, because Frostbiten sure has a lot of great things in store for its viewer. Sweden's not a big country when it comes to making movies, and definitely not when it comes to horror films, and therefore it was somewhat a delight to see that they could accomplish such a great film as Frostbiten. Basically, everything in the film looks very good, the make-up is terrific and so is the CG. Usually, I'm quite often very negative when it comes to the use of CG, but whenever they use it in this film, it's just great and makes things look really good. The CG itself looks flawless and whenever it's used it never feels like they should've tried to accomplish something similar without the use of computer effects, but instead you almost invite it since it looks so good and does a lot for the movie.
 
Another thing that does a great deal of work for the movie is the enviroment of cold and dark Norrbotten, which looks grim, frosty and goes hand in hand with the whole horror theme. The film also has a pretty good amount of blood-splatter and gore to offer for its viewer, as well as some really cool horror scenes that delivers the creeps. First and most I would definitely say that Frostbiten is a horror flick, but a horror flick that has a lot of humour in it. Some stuff works truly well and creates laugh out loud moments, and while some stuff might have a too strong teen mentality to it, most of the humour stuff comes off as very good. The dialogue is well-written and the actors do a fine job delivering it to create some humour which works for most parts.
What I really came to like was that even though the film had a lot of humour, it never held back on the blood and the horror, but combined comedy and fright in an excellent way, something that is quite hard to accomplish. Story-wise you'll most likely find yourself to get sucked in because it's pretty captivating as well as it is truly easy to watch, and the fact that it is fast-paced and never really has a dull moment obviously helps a lot. I don't feel like complaining today so that's not gonna happen, and I believe that even if the movie has a few minor flaws, it's an original film and I can promise you that you never have seen anything quite like it.
If you're a horror fan and have a sense of humour you should most definitely hunt this one down. Films like this doesn't come along too often and this movie has instant cult classic written all over it. Give it a shot because you'll most likely have a great time watching it.
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A heartbroken witch makes a demented clown doll, curses it, then sends it to her ex boyfriend's house as a present for his daughter. When she opens the package all hell breaks loose as the twisted little clown doll does what it was made to do, kill.
Alright first of all let me make it known that this movie is only a little over half an hour long, secondly it was made on a very minimal budget with unknown actors. With that I have to say I didn't really like this short at all.
It starts out with this blonde haired gothic girl in a black cloak and, get this, blue jeans. So she's out in a public park sewing together a doll then cuts off her ring finger and curses the doll. Well I think she puts her finger in the nose of the doll because it's the only part of the doll that moves. It's kinda dumb. Anyways she sends the package with the doll inside to her ex boyfriend's house as a gift for his daughter. Well she opens up the box, takes the doll out and immediately falls in love with it. With the doll comes a strange odor from the box that the wife blames her husband of farting which was kinda a cute little addition to dialog. The daughter masks the stench with perfume and whatnot so her mom doesn't toss it out and next thing you know she's laying in bed with the doll while her mom and dad are in their room having it out. So as their arguing the doll somehow gets up and goes in their room and kills them both.
 
Forward another 30 years and the little girl is now a grown woman in a mental asylum with a straitjacket on and everything, including the clown doll by her side. So the doll gets taken from her and somehow ends up at her brother's house. Now keep in mind it's been 30 years by what the movie says but if you look at her she looks like she's in her early to mid 20's and he talks and looks like he's in his 60's though they were only a few years apart as kids. It's hillarious how bad the brother does as an old man. Either way, she gets the doll back and we find out the true motive of the doll.
So this short was strange, very strange, and the clown doll, just something I dont like in general, anything that has to do with clowns, and the acting wasn't good to me either. I dunno, all around I'm just glad this movie didn't stretch out another hour long. That's the best part about the movie, it was short. WOO HOO!
Not really all that creative and really hoaxy but it might be fun to watch when you're at home smoking clove cigarettes and pushing draino in your butt cheeks. Personally it's not my bag, so I wouldn't suggest anyone watch it.
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Business woman Joanna Mills travels to her hometown in Texas to close a deal with one of her clients. Once there, she starts having flashbacks from her childhood when she was stalked by some mysterious stranger, and she also starts seeing a woman that was brutally murdered.
First off, marketing this film as a horror movie is just plain wrong because The Return is simply just not a horror flick and going in thinking that it is will of course only make matters worse. The first time I heard about this movie I naturally got the impression that it would in fact be a horror film that would bear resemblance to the horrible Grudge flicks and what else. In other words, it didn't sound interesting and seeing that Sarah Michelle Gellar were gonna star in it only made things worse. Luckily, that was not the case and while that does not mean that it was a great film, it simply means that it was interesting enough and had nothing in common with the way it had been marketed.
Forget about The Grudge and totally forget about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and instead be open to that this is a slow moving suspense thriller that has not been edited showing clips that lasts for three seconds each in half the scenes and the other one's featuring Grudge-ish type of horror. The Return is a thriller, nothing more, nothing less. It is slow and not too much stuff actually happens but it has a nice feel to it and some stunning visuals.
 
Gellar is good and she looks alright in her dark hair, problem though is that it's (really) hard not thinking about Buffy when you see her and take her for the business woman character that she portrays. I think it took me like half an hour to be able to take her character seriously, but once I did, I found it to be quite enjoyable. Thing though is there's nothing wrong with a slow movie but at the same time the slowness has to have some kind of reward to it in the end and unfortunately it doesn't have that here. It just ends leaving you to wonder, was that it? Well it does not leave you totally unsatisfied, but asking for a bit more would not be asking for too much.
The film opens at a carnival where a little girl is being followed by a stranger. When she tells her daddy about it all, he explains that it was probably just the trauma from a car accident they both happened to be in several months earlier. Fast forward a whole bunch of years and the young girl is now a business woman living in St. Louis but soon heads down to a place close to her old hometown in Texas to close a deal with a customer. Once there, she start to suffer from flashbacks being in a bar she has never been to and also seeing a strange face in the mirror. And if that was not enough, she starts seeing the stalker from when she was young. She soon develops a friendship with a town outcast but later suspects that there's something fishy about him too.
While the story itself is not impressive it sure works all right, even though it does not have the amount of suspense one would've hoped for. Like I said before, the film's slow and it stays like that pretty much all the way through. The whole Texan feel is great though and the visuals are at times truly a work of art, and there's a lot of them to be seen. What made this movie work for me was pretty much the scenery and the atmosphere it delivered, and the little mystery that it had to it of course played out pretty well too, even if nothing special. I can't really see anyone saying that this is a great film, but I could definitely see people renting it and enjoying it on a slow night.
Again, it has nothing to do with The Grudge except for two things, one being that it stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and the second being that it was marketed as a similar looking horror film. A fairly enjoyable thriller, just don't expect too much.
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Chambers, a serial killer who've murdering people by ripping their hearts out has been convicted to be electrocuted. The man dies, or so it seems at first, but later he wakes up when being examined at a hospitals morgue and goes on a rampage there, killing all in his way while searching for a new body to transfer his soul into. He has one special girl in mind who's a patient at the same hospital, and now, she and a bunch of other people have to try to find a way out before they all fall victims to the deranged killer.
Heartstopper is a new slasher film from Anchor Bay that for most of the time usually have some pretty good releases, but this time it just wasn't quite good enough. I found it very problematic to sit through this whole film without falling asleep, and the reason for that is simply that it really has nothing new to offer and I'm quite sick of these types of new horror movies that tend to fall into that catagory. The film reminded a bit about See No Evil since we're dealing with a big bald insane killer and a bunch of people trying to escape a gruesome faith. While See No evil wasn't the most original new flick either, I still felt that it was a lot more entertaining than Heartstopper proved to be. Still, if you're a fan of slasher flicks and don't care too much about originality, a clever story or semi-crappy acting, then Heartstopper might just be your cup of tea.
What I hated most about this flick was the fact that the serial killer named Chambers kept walking around preaching his BS too much. It gave the film a quite ridiculous feel and it was pretty sickening to keep hearing his stupid ramblings. A good idea would be to record all this crap and put it on if you would find yourself having trouble falling asleep, it's so boring so you'd snooze off in a minute. Luckily, the guy doesn't preach at all times and we actually get to see some good heart-ripping action inbetween. It's nothing wrong with the way he kills people and the gore is definitely there for fans of that. Thing though is that you've probably seen all the stuff the film has to offer before, so expect nothing new.
 
Story-wise it's about a girl named Sara who tries to take her own life but fails and ends up in a hospital. Meanwhile, a serial killer named Chambers has been electrocuted and his body is brought to the same hospital for examination. Now, apparently the guy's not dead after all (ever seen Shocker?) and as soon as he wakes up he starts killing people to left and right while looking for Sara that's gonna be his host body. Along with some other people at the hospital, Sara has to try and find a way out before the killer catches up with her. Ok, so it's a bit cheesy and not the least bit original, but might provide some entertainment for fans of the genre.
The special effects used in this movie are not of the very good kind, but it's a bit forgivable since the movie has this pretty strong 80's feel to it which makes it seem a bit better, even though you know that it was made in 2006. The dialogue in the movie is absolutely horrible and makes no realistic sense at all. Ok, it's a slasher flick and you know that it's only a movie that you're watching, but the crappy dialogue alone makes it hard to actually feel some real tension and suspense when watching it. The acting is overall not extremely bad, but I wouldn't go as far as saying that it's any good either. The characters are not very belivable, you don't feel anything for them and the serial killer has no mystery to him at all, and plus that, he talks way to much shite...shut up already!
Don't expect anything new and if you're a horror fan, you've most likely seen it all before. The serial killer didn't feel intimidating enough and all his preaching almost made my ears bleed. I can appreciate movies like this once in a while, but unfortunately Heartstopper didn't have much going for it. I would only recommend you to check this one out if you're a die-hard fan of the genre.
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A young girl named Tara, who's quite unpopular in school, is one day kidnapped on her way home. She wakes up in a house in the country, and after asking too many questions, she soon finds herself locked up in the basement of the house. Down there she meets a suicidal boy named Johnny who can't seem to remember who he is, but that keeps warning Tara about something strange and horrible that's down there with them.
While most of the episodes in the Masters of Horror series were quite good, I believe that The Fair-Haired Child was one of the best that season one had to offer. First off, it totally separated itself from the standard type of predictable horror and delivered something new and that was quite shocking as well. The biggest surprise with this episode was that it was directed by William Malone who also brought the incredibly crappy FeardotCom into the world of horror. The Fair-Haired Child is definitely a shocker that has mystery to it as well as it proved to be creepy as hell and that was filled with great suspense. While there are no really big actors in the flick, they all delivered a top-notch performance, but the best thing about this episode was the monsters itself which looked pretty amazing and creepy.
The tension lays thick all the way through the film, and even though it's just running for 55 minutes, it never felt rushed or anything like it since even the characters proved to have some depth to them. The overall atmosphere also plays an important role in the film and Malone does a great job getting the viewer into a certain mood. Talking about the very mood of the film, the music in it really helps to deliver that wonderful yet creepy and sad feel.
 
The Fair-Haired Child starts out like some kind of horror thriller where a young girl, who is the outcast of her school, is kidnapped on her way home. She's thrown into a van to later wake up in a house in the country. Obviously, she wonders what the hell she's doing there and have no real memory of what happened. Eventually she's tossed down and locked up in the basement in the house where she meets a strange boy who seems to have no idea of who he is. All of a sudden the film somewhat changes from being a horror film, with a genuine thriller feel to it, to instead becoming sort of a horrific fairy-tale and this is where all the good stuff comes in. Now, the couple that kidnapped Tara made a pact with the devil to bring their son back from the dead after that he had been in an accident. But in return for this, 12 innocent had to die before Johnny could return to his old self again. Tara is the last victim to go and when just have been down there in the basement for a short while, the nice boy suddenly turns into something quite horrible.
Obviously, it's very hard not to feel bad for young Tara. She doesn't seem to have any friends, she's the outcast in school, her mom ignores her and now she's gonna be some horrible monster's dinner. But what happens down there in the basement is of course for you to find out. The Fair-Haired Child was one creepy flick though and while most monsters are usually not that scary, this one truly is. The film delivers a whole lotta tension when Tara is trying to desperately flee from the horrific creature - she crawls into small spaces and such and it was cool to see how the monsters arms could reach around corners and into smaller pipes and stuff. The very story was good too and this episode will most definitely keep you on the edge of your seat for a while.
Along with Dario Argento's Jenifer and Carpenter's Cigarette Burns, I think that The Fair-Haired Child were the best that season one of the Masters of Horror series had to offer. This episode really stood out and even more so due to Malone's kinda rocky career, but the guy really proved here that he truly is a master as well. Highly recommended.
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A big bunch of aliens came to earth, but since most of them didn't want to kill innocent humans to be able to stay alive, most of them also left except for a hundred of them that cared more about their own survival rather than the survival of the human race. A convicted serial killer is sent out on the streets to rid the world of these aliens that can do so-called body jumping, meaning that when their human bodies are almost worn-out, they transfer into another body and so claims a new victim. Will the serial killer be able to kill them all before they completely take over?
First off I must say that I read some rather negative reviews about Disturbance and figured that I would have to sit through a movie that supposably would not be that great. Now, I don't know if it had to do with those low kind of expectations I had or what it was, but to my surprise I found Disturbance to be quite an entertaining film. That is at least almost all the way through, while the first half of the movie was rather excellent, mid-way through it started to drag just a little and I must say that the last 15 minutes or so could've been better. But overall I was quite surprised with how good most of it was and even though it didn't work to a hundred percent all the way through, at least it was far from a waste of time.
As far as I know, the film only took 12 days to shoot and I must say that for such little time, Vallelonga and c/o did one helluva job. Even though the film was made on a low-budget it still managed to look quite slick and was nicely shot, so visually there's no reason to complain. Alien's invade earth, how can you not like that? But there were no spaceships to be found and the aliens, well, they look like your normal human beings - only thing that really separates them is that they seem to be really strong and that they're filled with some green kind of goo which they spew up when terminated. And obviously, we get to see a lot of that happening.
 
The film kicks off right from the starts and delivers action, suspense and an interesting story that was really easy to get into. Paul Sloan who plays our hero, a serial killer named Hud, does one bang-up job and is very likable and easy to root for. He's definitely the highlight of the film, and in the end I believe that if it wouldn't have been for him, the movie wouldn't have been half as good. With that said, the guy obviously stood out quite a bit, but at the same time I had no problems with the rest of the cast and I think they all did a decent job. There are a bunch of fights in the movie, and if I'm going to complain a little I would have to say that some of these fights could've been a bit better choreographed as sometimes when someone hit someone else, it just doesn't look realistic enough. It's a minor complaint though and while it's not the end of the world, some of the fights were a bit irritating to watch due to that.
The biggest problem with Disturbance is what I said before about the first 45 minutes or so being very exciting and explosive, but the fact is that after that it slows down, maybe a bit too much. It's not all bad because early on it's all about the action to later slow down and dive deeper into the story, and while I liked that, the problem though is that after that it never got back into full-on speed again and instead of ending in a really cool way, it tires you towards the end and then lets go. Most movies work the other way around, that is slowly building up and towards the end deliver most of the action. The way Disturbance worked was definitely not all bad and while the first half of the movie somewhat made me forgive the second half, it could've had some more go in it towards the end. Still though, it's worth checking out.
For a film made on a very small budget, Disturbance both looked and played out pretty well. Paul Sloan playing the serial killer did a helluva lot in the movie and made it interesting and easy to get into. The first half of the movie had me pretty much glued to my chair (well, except for that I usually lay down in a sofa) and had a lot of interesting sci-fi and action scenes to offer. After about two thirds of the movie, it got a bit too preachy but overall it's almost forgivable and is no reason not to check it out.
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Frigga lives on the country side with her parents and is mute because of that she was raped by an elderly man when she was young. One day she misses the bus but catches a ride with a man named Tony. Tony thought is one shitty guy indeed who takes the poor girl back to his place, pumps her full of heroin and makes her his prostitute. Tony then sends a fake letter to her parents, announcing that she has run away and will never come back home. Will she manage to escape her cruel fate?
What the hell are you doing giving this movie 10 out of 10 you say? Well, I could say that it is truly a great revenge flick but that would obviously not be enough, Thriller is so much more and you're gonna find out all about what makes this obscure little Swedish monster so darn sweet. First off, Thriller was the first movie to be banned by the Swedish movie censorship board and that alone actually says quite a lot. Furthermore, when it was first released in the US, it had been cut down to only last for 82 minutes when the original film itself lasted for a whole 107 minutes, and that also says a lot of what terror we're dealing with here. But these are just documented facts and even though it says something, it does not say what the movie itself is like. So let me put it like this, the title nails exactly what it is, and that is one cruel picture.
First time I saw this movie I was about 15 years old and was treated to this piece of film in the form of a copied VHS tape with lousy image quality, but things like that didn't matter back then; the important thing was to get your hands on these hard-to-find films and when you every once in a while did, you couldn't care less about that it looked like shit, at least you got to see the very film itself. I must add that at that time you had to put in some effort to get those obscure films you to see and it was nothing like today when you can simply just order whatever you want online and a few days later get a shiny new DVD in your mailbox with perfect image quality and such. No, you had to check magazines, write letters (not emails) to people all over the world in hope that they would make a copy for you. It may sound like a lot of hassle but the fact is that when you actually got to see the movies, it was just so worth it since you had fought to get them, today there's no challenge at all so it's easier to be much more picky.
 
But back to the movie now that tells the story of Madeleine who's nickname is Frigga, and this is a girl who was sexually assaulted during her childhood and the trauma it brought made the innocent little girl go mute. She lives in the country side outside Stockholm and one day when she's supposed to catch a bus but misses it, she's offered a ride by a man named Tony. She accepts the ride and so also opens the door to her own little hell. The man is a sleazebag deluxe and he takes her back to his apartment where he makes Frigga a heroin addict and also becomes her pimp. So she stays there at his place because she needs her drugs, and every once in a while some dirty old man pops in to bang her. You can see where this is going right? Eventually the girl wants revenge and does everything in her power to get it.
While we're used to watching people do drugs on film, it's quite hard watching some old perv having hardcore sex with a 15-year old girl and that is exactly what you get to see here, hardcore sex scenes.. no wonder this film was banned. Thing about this movie is that everything in it has this very realistic feel to it which at times makes you forget that you're just watching another film. Thriller also goes by the name of They Call Her One Eye and that is because during the sex act with one of her John’s, she scratches him and it ends with that she has one of her eyes gouged out as punishment. Through it all, you're just sitting there really hoping that she will be able to escape her cruel fate, because it is truly cruel and it is at times very painful to watch. But it gets better though so no worries.
Now, this is a film that was made on a very low budget and while that really shows, it is also something that I believe works as an advantage. By looking the way it does, it gives it a very raw feel just like that and is overall a very rough movie. Towards the end when the violence hits a high note, the filmmakers may have overdone it with its slow motion sequences as it makes it drag quite a bit. But it's such a little thing and is quite easy to ignore and forgive since the film offers so many other excellent things. In the end, what makes this movie such a fantastic piece of cinema is that it carries things that no other films have. People today talk about horrific cinema a la Saw, Hostel and what else, but while those are just movies that may gross you out, this has that and more importantly, it has a true feel to it. It's raw, bloody, cruel, perverted, completely insane, and last but not least, it's wonderful and a definite must see.
Thriller: A Cruel Picture is truly a cruel picture, even by today's standards and is a cult film that you should most definitely check out. Imagine what people thought back when this film first was made since there was really nothing to compare it to. Do yourself a favor and get it, and if the film does not affect you on any level, it's recommended to go see a shrink.
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After a slightly zombified woodsman shows up in the ER with a axe in his head, he’s put under the care of an outcasted lonely nurse named Patsy Powers. After growing an affection for each other the woodsman bites Patsy’s hand and she transforms from the girl no one notices to the zombie everyone wants. With the only person that knows what's going on being a old maintenance man will the rest of the hospital catch on before Patsy zombifies the entire staff?
The movie starts out at the engagement party of the studly Dr. Dox and his new fiancé Goodie Tueshuze which upsets our main character Nurse Patsy Powers because she’s jealous that Goodie has what she wants, that being Dr. Dox who we later find was Patsy’s ex boyfriend from high school before he tossed his nerdy ways and became the popular doctor he ended up being.
Around the same time a woodsman is out in the forest cutting down a tree after kissing his axe, like an idiot, and pulls out something that ends up biting him and running away, and after a little time starts to zombify him. So he ends up arriving at the ER with an axe mysteriously implanted in his forehead and after a little surgery the axe is removed and he’s placed in the care of Nurse Patsy. The two become quite fond of each other, him being a inbred redneck and her being a nerdy outcasted loser. So after a little Old Maid Patsy decides to call it a night but not before the zombified woodsman bites her hand which slowly transforms her from the loser she was to a buxom bombshell that the whole hospital wants to tap.
 
The only person that knows what’s going on is the maintenance man E.R. Kapotsky, an old miser of a man who just happens to have a book on zombies and how to kill them. Anyways it’s not until she kills E.R. that Patsy gets her first taste of blood and just can’t stop eating, so she goes to stealing body parts and patches of flesh from the corpses in the morgue to feed her appetite.
One day while looking for E.R. Goodie comes across his maintenance room which he uses for his room and finds the book on zombies then realizes that Patsy isn’t what she appears and that she went from Zero to Hero in a matter of days. The only known way of killing a zombie, or at least by this movie, is to drive a knife made of 100% pure silver through the third eye of the zombie in the center of the skull so she goes off to get rid of her enemy Patsy. Will she succeed or will Patsy turn the entire Hospital into sex crazed zombie idiots?
Personally I though this movie was pretty clever, it’s shot completely in black and white and is quite obviously dubbed from beginning to end, which isn’t bad, just kinda strange. For the most part all the actors are first-timers which was cool because they did a fairly good job for being in such a cheesy flick. Overall this movie was cheesy but alright. The only things I didn’t like was the fact that the zombies walked, talked and had sex and that the method of killing a zombie by driving a silver butter knife through their skull was kinda dumb. Either way I liked it.
This movie kinda gives off a 1950’s hoopskirt vibe but carries a good plot for the most part. If you like black and white dark comedies this one isn’t that bad, just don’t expect a lot of gore or seriousness, because this movie obviously doesn’t even take itself remotely serious.
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The entire town of Yerba City is turned into mindless drones due to an addictive drug called “The Drip” which was developed by a man who’s daughter, Claire, is searching for him. Besides her the only remaining unaffected being around is a self-hating sinister man named Miles that follows her on her search for the only person alive that she can trust.
Let me be blunt about this movie. I found myself being lost a lot throughout the entire film, I had to rewind it many times to even understand half of what the movie was about and still found myself lost. Here’s what I noticed.
Alright well the movie starts out in a mansion where a large group of richies are lounging around drugged up on this drug called “The Drip” that’s handed out by masked waiters and listening to Silent Night. Then in comes our lead, Claire, and sits on a couch next to the bald and creepy Miles who gives her a drugged cigarette which makes her have these strange visions, in fact throughout the entire movie she has these strange incestuous visions of her father which are shown in color, with the rest of the movie being in black and white.
 
Anyways she has an epiphany and decides she is going to go to a place called Tiburon, along which she runs into nothing but “Drip Dealers”, the droned out druggies called “Angels” with upside-down triangles on their foreheads and a lot of obstacles on her way to find her father. She finds herself on a wild goose chase at every turn. The ending however is quite strange, a little stranger than the movie itself but overall I think the plot is really hard to follow which is a shame considering it took 10 years to make the movie.
With a little more story and a lot more content this movie might be a great little mind fuck to ride around on for an hour and a half but I personally found myself bored very early in the movie. I had to watch the movie with the directors commentary to even understand most of the scenes and even then I just didn’t understand what the hell he was trying to get across to the viewers, which isn’t something any movie should hold back.
This movie really didn’t have enough of a story to me, I found myself getting really annoyed by the characters and I lost interest way to early in the movie, that and it had NOTHING to do with horror, it was more of a psychological thriller without the thrills. I don’t recommend this movie to people that are expecting anything other than an hour and a half of a drug movie without the great visuals most drug movies give.
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When four medical students are to perform an autopsy on a dead woman, one of the students named Alison discover that something is not right with the corpse. It turns out that she's right and soon people starts dying around her, and she has to find out the background of the corpse and a way to stop it.
For those constantly watching horror flicks, once in a while you're bound to get a bit sick of all the new unimaginative re-creations of older flicks that are flooding the market, but then, thanfully, every now and then there are movies like Unrest that comes along and pretty much saves the day and restores your faith in what horror films are all about. While this flick may not scare the beejesus out of you it sure has pretty much everything a fan of horror could wish for and not only that but the level of reality is sometimes so high you're pretty much bound to feel the terror somewhere along the way. Just like the rest of the "8 Movies To Die For", Unrest is an indie movie and while I've heard some people say that it could've looked better, I must admit that I was perfectly all right with the way this movie looked. It is dark and visually I see no reason to complain at all, instead I feel that the look of the film delivers a way for one to get more into the movie and be scared of it rather than if it would've looked like a flashy music video or a major (too nice) production.
Lots of kudos of course goes to Jason Todd Ipson for having created something that manages to keep you on the edge of your seat for the whole time being, not many succeed in doing that. The tension is great and the suspense is always present, but the best thing is that Unrest is not always as predictable as it first appears to be and that is of course excellent. The development of the story and the development of the characters go hand in hand and not once did I feel that it lacked something or that some characters weren't belivable. When talking about the characters I have to say that ALL the actors in this movie did their job to a 110 percent with Corri English of course standing out a little more than the rest.
 
The film follows a first year medical student named Alison Blanchard who on her first day of class is brought together with three other male students to dissect the cadaver of a dead woman. The body is covered in purple scars that apparently were self inflicted and when starting the dissection process, Alison passes out. When she wakes up, she has the feel that something is not right with the corpse and of course she's right. As people comes in contact with the corpse, named Norma, they all also meet a gruesome faith and as more people starts dying, Alison must find out a way to stop it all before she's dead too.
Dealing with anatomy, dissection, dead bodies in a morgue and all that of course delivers some tension alone, but it's the very realism of it all that makes it scary. What makes it feel more real than your average ghost flick is that it deals with medical students, and these people do actually deal with all these things in the movie in real life so of course it makes a lot of sense. It's also how the movie plays out as it never goes over-the-top with the gore or puts its faith in cheap scares, instead it builds tension from square one which just keeps adding up as we go. It's also quite gross and very detailed, and some stuff in it is bound to make you cringe.
Those with a weak stomach beware! Unrest is of course not all gore but it sure has its moments, and while I did love that I have to say that the very suspense and tension is what kept one interested in the film. Unrest takes its time but the fact is that there isn't a boring moment to be found within it as every scene is pretty much worth while. Highly recommended.
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Five pretty girls head on out to the countryside where they have got to borrow a very nice house for the weekend. Problem though is that there's a real psycho artist nearby who wants to drain them of blood and then paint with it.
So here we are with yet another new horror movie, made from an unoriginal script by people that apparently were somewhat inspired by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and what not. The problem with these kinds of movies are that they are so very predictable and all seems to have been done in haste, rather than that the filmmakers have actually spent time and thought to make a decent horror flick. Instead they borrow from a few other flicks-- throw in some crappy dialogue, a few hot (but oh so moronic) girls and some lame ass killings, and there you have it: A Brush with Death. Quality over quantity but the other way around, something that I do not really mind much as long as the flicks has something fun, bloody or sexy to deliver but this one pretty much falls flat when it comes to all those things.
You have five hot girls and right from the beginning you know that the dialogue ain't gonna be Einstein material and I don't mind that either as long as some nice T&A is provided, which may I add is a must for a film like this. But hell no there's nothing of that to be found in the film either which pretty much leaves us having to sit through boring dialogue for what feels like an eternity. We get to see a "hot" guy take off his shirt and wander around teasing the clueless girls for a while but since I'm not gay, that didn't do too much for me, well except irritate me a bit.
 
Storywise, uuuhhh, let me just break it down quickly and get it over with. Five girls are on their way to spend the weekend at a luxurious house that one of the girl's uncle owns or something like that. These girls are so thick in the head that they of course run out of gas in the middle of nowhere where one creepy old guy and his semi-retarded worker comes along and helps them out. There are some flashbacks here showing us that these are not good guys, and I gotta tell you I'm happy they provided those flashbacks here because it would've been truly hard to figure out that these guys were no choir boys. Later on the girls arrives at the house which has a nice pool and everything, and then they hang around that house doing pointless and time consuming things that one had to sit through. Then they decide that they're gonna spend the night in a creepy old house, located nearby and obviously something is bound to happen there.
Well when something actually do happen you've already lost interest in the film long ago. This one sure takes its times and when it gets to the climax, it really has nothing to show for. A psychotic guy who paints with blood? Yeah that's rich. The acting is not terrible though, even if some of the dialogue truly is so at least it's watchable but in the end just very boring, in every meaning of the word.
Who wrote the script? A mongoloid monkey? Thing is that I don't think some filmmakers who do these kinda flicks have seen many horror films themselves and so they just take a little of everything they've seen and mixes it up with their own crap, and voila, there you go. Avoid this one, it's not worth the time.
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During the cold war, American soldiers attack a submarine carrying chemicals for biological warfare. As a result of the attack, the submarine sinks down to the bottom of the sea and a couple of large canisters of the chemicals are spilled out. 35 years after, we are transferred in Bulgaria where one of the leading world terrorists enters a US Embassy, as is easy as he would go into a coffee shop and plant a bomb. His "clever" disguise as an old lady proves to be effective and without any problems he leaves the building which soon after blows up. The only surviving US Embassy employees are a plain office clerk and an experienced agent that go after the terrorist. They apprehend him, but the agent dies in the process. The clerk gets the starring role.
The big shots back in the States are furious with the situation and they see the only secure (?) way of transferring the terrorist from Bulgaria is via a submarine captained by renegade solider Jack Shaw. Accompanied by the office clerk, the terrorist boards the submarine and they are off to the US.
I usually don't like to discuss the movie in details, but Octopus is one of those exceptions that you really need to describe to the potential viewers. In the same time the submarine dives away, friends of the terrorist are setting up a "sleeper cell" of their men on the luxury cruise ship. The idea is that if the terrorist can break loose, he will send a signal to his companions and the cruise ship would cross the submarine path and save him from the submarine. In a galaxy far far away, things like this could happen, but not on this planet.
 
As usual with these kind of creature feature movies, especially the ones coming from Nu Image, you have a lot of action build a top of human interaction and just a small part of the whole experience is connected to the actual mutant animal. In this case we have an octopus that was mutated with the use of anthrax spilled 35 years ago and now, because of the mutation, she lacks sugar in the blood and therefore is extremely violent and hungry. I swear, I didn't make this up, it came as result of the tests done by a female scientist that is aboard the submarine. Of course she is a cute blond smarty - we all know the typical female scientist in a B horror movie. Btw, because of some strange scenario mishaps, in the beginning she talks with the typical russian-english accent, while 10 minutes afterwards she completely looses it and talks as she is an USA native. This is just a sample of scenario problems that can be seen in almost every minute of the movie.
The other members of the cast are trying to show the best of their abilities, but overall it looks pretty much like a true B or even C grade movie. This combined with the overall state of the script which is full of funny comments and extra cool reactions in some pretty bad situations, makes Octopus a movie perfect to watch in a companion of your drunken mates.
As regarding the Octopus action, she is of course CGI all the way and besides roaring around, we are under the impression that she can see with her "arms". Besides this, some of her attacks on the submarine are clearly in complete opposition to the rules of physics. The final moments of the giant octopus attacking a cruiser is breathtaking - not.
It is not easy to rate a movie like Octopus. I had to go with the rating relating to the overall state of the movie (2/10), but had to lift it one step to 3/10 because it could be interesting to fans of bad creature feature movies. I am one of them, and while I like good horror movies, there are times when movies like this get the prime place in my viewing queue. Some movies are just plain bad, and they don't fit in the "fun bad" category, but "Octopus" is surely one of the better bad movies.
If you are a regular movie lover, don't waste a second on "Octopus", you would most probably be more interested in the re-runs of the TV series where Hulk Hogan owned a big boat.
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After his parents die at a young age, young Ben Dobbs represses his dreams until his mid teens when they come back to haunt him in the form of nightmares. The only problem is his nightmares are coming to life and killing everyone he associates himself with. His only hope is finding a way to stop the beast his repressed dreams created.
Played out like a normal 80's movie with monsters, lots of guts and a pretty damn good story. You see Ben's in highschool when we find out he had stopped dreaming since he was a little kid because of being traumatized from his parent's death. Once he starts dreaming again it's in the form of a huge red gooey monster, which they did a great job of keeping out of the light for most of the movie to keep suspense and whatnot. Anyways this monster kills anyone that associates themselves with Ben's dreams, including the people that are trying to help him. It erases their lives, their homes, any record they were ever born. The monster keeps it's victims in Ben's nightmares trying to cover it's tracks so no one will be wise to it's existance. The nightmares are so fierce they even come to life during the day while he's wide awake, and he has no way of stopping them, or does he? He's running out of time to try to stop his nightmares from erasing him too.
 
Man this movie was excellent! The story was pretty solid, the Fx were kinda cheesy at parts but other times it was just outstanding; blood, guts, decapitation, head crunching, come on, that's what we all love right?
So the movie kicks in pretty quick with the story so your not sitting around for the first half hour guessing what the hell is happening. Ben himself is kinda nerdy but you get over that by the ending of the movie. He just wants answers, well that and to see his shrink naked, which he does on many occasions which is cool for us viewers. In all this plays out to be a pretty good 80's flick, even if it was made at the tail end.
For all you 80's horror fans this movie is great, has everything you'd want, but for more modern horror fans you might or might not like this. Personally I'd suggest this to all, to watch at least once.
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Some people, led by a man called Doc Frasier, at a local funeral home are making some cash by selling organs, but eventually the bodies of their victims are discovered. This angers the people in town and especially one young lady named Molly Sue whos son happened to be one of those victims. She seeks out an old witch who lives in the forest to get revenge on the people who did this. Soon Pumpkinhead is unleashed, yet once again to rid the world of those who commited horrible crimes.
Right.. Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes felt pretty much like watching the first movie all over again except for one major difference, everything in it sucked. I, for many reasons, am a big fan of the original Pumpkinhead movie and while this 3rd one deperately tries to capture the story and feel of that film, it's doesn't even come close and ends up being yet a horrible sequel to a terrific movie, with Blood Wings being the second sequel. I must admit though that I had been waiting around to see this film since I first heard about it, because for one, Jake West was gonna direct it and I really liked his Evil Aliens so I thought that he might be able to add some spice to the old story. It's not really that he made a poor job with Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes, but it's more that I think he should just try and do his own thing instead of trying to re-create an old story from a terrific film, since it's quite the impossible task. Also I believe that most directors would've failed trying to do the same. Pumkinhead is just a great stand alone movie that simply needs no sequels.
Another reason to why I thought this film sounded interesting was for the fact that Lance Henriksen was gonna be in it and reprise his role as Ed Harley. He was in the film for a short while but it sure didn't help, and I can't really see why he even wanted to be in this film to begin with. Gary Tunnicliffe who worked on the monster before did that once again, but this time it comes out looking more like some dude wearing some kind of plastic monster suit and there were also way too many close-ups on the monster that really made one see just how fake it looked.
Talking about looking fake, the one looking even worse than the monster was the old witch. She simply doesn't look like an old witch at all, but instead like some younger actress wearing a helluva lot of make-up. This and a heap of other little things made the movie seem a bit stupid and it was very hard to get into it, and it was even harder sitting through the whole film. In the original when Ed Harley loses his son you feel extremely bad for the man, it's a sad moment in the movie and the fact that he wants revenge seems like a natural thing. But what the first movie had that this 3rd one does not have too much of is feeling. In Pumkinhead you cared about the characters, felt something for them and that obviously made it all better. In this movie you couldn't feel less for the characters, the fact that Molly Sue loses her son and a bunch of other things, it simply has no feel to it and you pretty much just want it to end.
Another bad thing is that this is a Sci Fi Channel movie and those are never that great to begin with. Those few times I'm about to watch a movie on that channel, I always ask myself why I do it, because so far, I don't think I've ever liked one of them. Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes has a cheap feel to it as well, filmed in Romania for budget reasons might not really have been a bad idea (look at Campbell's Man With The Screaming Brain filmed in Bulgaria), but makes the film look very cheap when comparing it to the original. Also, the first one had this great fairy-tale like feel to it with mystic forests and scenery to die for while this one really had nothing of that. I'm aware that I'm really giving this movie a beating, and even though I don't really want to, it can't be helped. Frankly, I can't see how anyone could really enjoy this.
While the actual film look somewhat all right even though it may look a bit cheap, it lacks all the fantastic scenery that the original movie had. The forest and witch that creates such atmosphere is nowhere to be found as they've been replaced by more crappy enviroments and a really stupid looking witch that even a 5 year old wouldn't be afraid of. Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes is just not worth the time, it's as simple as that.
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After the death of an old friend, Harris is reunited with his old college buddies Kira and Sid, and since Sid didn't attend the funeral, he suggest that the group go to visit their friends grave in the night to pay their respects. When at the cemetery, Sid starts reading sort of a poem from some card that he found along with that the friends drink, and in their drunken state, they just happen to do some dancing on some graves. Shortly after the incident weird things starts to happen to Harris and his wife. It begins with them hearing strange sounds in the house, but later some ghostly woman appear in the bedroom and someone's playing piano as well when no one's in the living room. Eventually things go too far and they seek out Kira and Sid to see if they are the ones who have been messing with them. But both Kira and Sid have had their own fare share of problems, and it seems like the old buddies are haunted.
I watch a heck of a lot of horror movies every month and while most of them are usually not that great, every once a while one get to see those kind of movies that are, and The Gravedancers is such a movie. It was quite long ago since I saw a film that was genuinely scary and that really had me on the edge of my seat, delivered the creeps as well as a breath of fresh air in the polluted horror jungle. The Gravedancers proved to be such a film that one is always on the look-out for when it comes to horror, and even though I must admit that I had some minor problems with it during the last 20 minutes or so, I would still like to say that most of what's in this movie comes quite close to being excellent.
For a bunch of years now, it seems like only a few Asian horror films have been able to deliver those really thrilling and chilling moments that has an extremely creepy atmosphere and that can be a bit exhausting to watch due to that you tense up. So it was absolutely awesome to see a western film that could truly be scary in this day and age, as they are quite rare. The film started off with a bang - it looked great, but I can't say that it was the least bit scary though even though we were dealing with such a scene, but it gets there eventually, that you can be sure of. Some old college pals whos friend recently passed away, goes to visit the grave, reads this poem and dances around on some graves. For those who haven't seen the film (yet), it might sound a bit stupid with this whole gravedancing thing, but it plays out way better than it sounds like, so bear that in mind. Apparently, reading the poem and dancing on those graves wasn't such a good idea and the friends soon find themselves to be haunted by the ghosts of those who were in the graves that they danced on.
 
The hauntings begin in a light sort of way to later increase and become more terrifying. It might be a bit cliched at times, but since the film does a fine job delivering mystery, it's so easy to ignore that. Soon things starts to get much worse though and action needs to be taken. Harris, played by Dominic Purcell (Prison Break) and his wife look up Harris two other friends to see if they're screwing with him and his wife. But no, they have not been screwing with them, in fact, things are even worse for those guys with Kira who has gotten severely beaten by a ghost and is now in a hospital, while Sid has problems with some ghost lighting small fires in his apartment. Sid has taken some action though and has hired two paranormal scientists, and later when the group talks about their experiences, it comes quite clear that they're all being haunted.
The scientists tells the group of gravedancers that the ghosts have one lunar cycle to get back at them and that the spirits will be getting stronger, as well as the attacks will become more frequent. Eventually the paranormal scientists figures out a way to reverse the curse, but if it will work or not is for you to find out. The Gravedancers had a lot of positive things going for it; for one the script felt really fresh and inventive, the film had a lot of mystery to offer which made for a lot of scary moments and an overall really creepy atmosphere. Another great thing was that there were no teens in the movie and all the characters were quite strong, likable and had some depth to them. Just for the fact that there were no freakin teens involved made one take the film more seriously, and it all worked out quite nicely to say the least. Other than that, it was not totally predictable and had an interesting story to tell.
My problem with the last 20 minutes was just that I thought that you got to see too much; the ghosts became visible and were chasing the people around in a house. While the film was still really entertaining, the spooky feel and the mystery that it had to it earlier somewhat went down the drain. It was not all bad though, it was just that the dreadful atmosphere kinda disappeared, but it still had plenty of horror to offer which was quite entertaining and delivered a lot of cool action scenes as well. The very last minutes of the movie were pretty darn great though - a giant ghost head chasing after some people in a car, a giant hand dragging a person down into the cold ground. Sure, it was all CGI, but looked so darn awesome you just gotta to see it for yourself. Acting-wise it's all good, while the character-development wasn't really that heavy, it still worked totally all right and all the actors very pretty likable as well as belivable. In the end, even though there might've been some minor problems here and there, overall The Gravedancers proved to be one helluva horror film that you should most definitely check out.
For an indie feature, The Gravedancers looks absolutely smashing and all the way through I never thought of it as an indie film, it just looked and was too darn good. Best thing about this film was that it delivered a genuinely creepy feel and even had some really good scares too offer, and it's not too often horror films works that way these days. Highly recommended.
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Innocent people are being murdered on the streets of New York, and all the witnesses agree on that the murderer was wearing a cop's uniform. Frank McCrae starts an investigation and at the same time a young cop named Jack Forrest finds himself under arrest with the police believing he's the killer that they refer to as Maniac Cop. McCrae though is sure that Forrest has been framed and when finding some evidence to prove that, the killer strikes again and kills McCrae, leaving Forrest to escape. Now, with the whole force chasing after Forrest, together with his cop girlfriend Theresa, he must prove his innocence and capture the real killer.
When I was younger, and I mean a lot younger, I remember borrowing Maniac Cop from a friend a few times in a row and that I really enjoyed watching it. When writing this, the DVD for Maniac Cop was released only a day ago so I figured I had to do a review for this old cool flick, starring a young Bruce Campbell (wearing eye-liner) among others. Why I think this film works well even today might most have to do with nostalgic reasons, but if you've never seen the film before I'm not sure what you'd say, only except that you'd most likely agree on that it is in fact a pretty cool movie from the late 80's. Maniac Cop is a film that is extremely easy to watch and that has a lot of action mixed together with some horror and thriller elements, it delivers on more than one level and is, despite that it might lack a thing or two, pretty darn entertaining.
Maniac Cop is a low-budget B-movie, make no mistake about that, but it still looks and works out well. For fans of Bruce Campbell, just for the fact that the man is in it might be reason enough to watch it, but the film is not only about him as in fact Frank McCrae (played by Tom Atkins) is the film's main character. The cool thing with this film though is that something that hardly ever happens actually does happen, and that is that the main character dies, and after that Campbell fills his shoes and starts leading. Killing off the main character might just be as bad as it can be good, but here it only works to the film's advantage.
 
Another thing that is a bit cool and that works quite well is that the killer remains faceless until almost the very end. You get to see him kiling people, actually you get to see plenty of that, but it's always dark and they never shows his face, so hey, at least things are a bit mysterious if nothing else. The killers backstory is quite an interesting piece that is delivered like half-way through the film or so, which gives you something new to focus on, as well as it makes things a bit more interesting. The ending though is extremely predictable, but since the overall film is really entertaining, who cares? This is not a film you'd watch in order to see some gruesome killings and spectacular horror, I would say that it's first and most an action flick, but that has a horror theme to it. Simply put, Maniac Cop is just a heck of a lot of fun - 80's style.
When it comes to the acting, personally I think that Tom Atkins is the star of the movie. He makes a convincing job as the police who really cares about what's going on and wants to nail the killer at all cost. Bruce Campbell, being the icon that he is, is obviously great if your a fan of his, I know I always enjoy watching the man on the screen. If I'm gonna complain a little, it would have to be of the performance from the Maniac Cop's girlfriend, played by Sheree North (who later played Kramer's mom Babs in Seinfeld). She does a lousy job, is boring to watch and not half as convincing as the rest of the cast. Forunately, she doesn't have too much screen-time, so it's not that big of a deal.
If you're a fan of Campbell and enjoy 80's flicks, you have more than enough reasons why to watch Maniac Cop. Personally, while I don't think it's a great flick, it has a lot of nostalgia and is at least entertaining enough. It might not deserve a hard seven outta ten, but thinking back on the days when I first saw this film made the score go up. Don't expect too much and you'll most likely have a good time watching Maniac Cop. Also, look out for Sam Raimi who makes a cameo appearance as a news reporter.
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Zombies are everywhere, roaming the earth and it's up to one man to destroy them. But when some bounty hunters show up, things takes a turn for the worse. They shoot him, steals his money, but apparently he can't die and when he wakes up he seeks them out to take revenge.
Are you tired of zombies? I know I am. There are of course some great old zombie flicks out there, but most of the new ones just seems to be repeating themselves, "borrowing heavily" from Romero, while bringing nothing new to the scene. Quite frankly, I'm getting bored having to sit through these types of flicks. Not saying that all new zombie films are bad, but most of them has nothing to offer that we haven't seen before and keeps showing us the same slow-moving, flesh-eating, tired ol' zombies doing their "thing" in one film after another. It sounds like I hate zombie movies, but I really don't and while I didn't hate The Quick and the Undead, I sure didn't like it much either. It delivers nothing new, except for maybe the combination of zombies and the whole cowboy thingy, but hey, you'll have to do a lot better than that Mr. Nott.
The Quick and the Undead has close to no plot whatsoever and it truly shows all the way through the film. Instead of focusing on a good (or even ok story for that matter), the film-maker apparently set his focus on filling the movie up with a lot of meaningless scenes that were very unsatisfying to watch. If you don't have a proper story or anything going for that matter, maybe you weren't meant to make a film in the first place. Even though the bar might not be set very high when it comes to horror, you still need something to make it work, and this movie had more or less close to nothing. It angers me quite a bit that there are probably a lot of talented folks out there who could write up stuff that would whip this movie's behind. But the fact is that most of them probably never gets the chance to prove themselves, and instead you have stuff like this coming out. It sure is a strange world we live in.
 
Story-wise, what we have here is some kind of cowboy on a motorbike with a guitarcase full of guns. His mission seems to be to rid the world of zombies, and they seem to be everywhere, tearing away at any humans that comes near them. On his way into a small town, he run into some Spanish dude who he has made a deal with. When arriving in the little western-like town, he starts putting meat out on the street and soon there are zombies all over the place, feasting on the street buffet that the cowboy set up for them. While they're busy eating, he starts shooting them in the head, one by one. Ok, so the man is one cool dude, got it. Some bounty hunters that should win some prize for lousy acting comes along, shoots our hero(?), steals his cash and leaves him to rot. The Spanish man betrayed him, steals his jacket and hat, but later the cowboy wakes up, because apparently he can't die. He finds the Spanish guy, takes him hostage and lets him lead him to where the bounty hunters are.
Dealing with a zombie movie, it has some gore to offer, and even if that looks all right it's just not reason enough to watch this film. Other than that, the story is ridiculous, the action scenes are boring and so are the zombies. The acting, well, I don't feel like wasting more time complaining since I already wasted enough time watching this film. It's just not a very good film and it really has nothing going for it.
It's too bad that movies like this are being made and I can't for the life of me see how anyone could possibly like this. What it comes down to is that, even though it's not very long, this film is just a huge waste of time. Avoid.
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Bart gets into a fight in a night club and is thrown out. When standing outside the place with Ladj and Yasmine, their friend Thai comes out from the club together with a girl named Eve. Eve invites the foursome to her place in the country, they're all up for it and hits the road. Once there, they're introduced to Joseph, who's the cheerful, but at the same time very strange housekeeper, and that has a pregnant wife in the house, spending most of her time upstairs. When going to take a swim in the hot springs together with Joseph and Eve, the group are introduced to some of the other villagers who are all very special to say the least, and the group figures that something's not right. Being Christmas Eve, they later have dinner in Eve's house when Joseph suddenly starts getting ínto a conversation about incest and Satanism. And the conversation is soon about to turn into action.
Where a lot of horror movies tend to fail due to that the folks behind them do not dare to cross the line between what's just about enough or what's too much, Sheitan delivers in one way because it's not afraid to take that extra step. Sheitan (the Persian word for Satan) is a film that is demented, but you never get the feel like it's just trying to be that for the sake of it, but that it actually comes natural - be it because of the fact that it's French, or be it for the fact that too many other horror movies just looks and feels too alike. What reasons doesn't really matter, but what matters is that it works, and it works really well.
I think for the fact that it is a French movie, it helps a lot. It has a different mentality and a different feel to it, whether you compare it to Asian or American horror. The good thing here is that we're talking quality over quantity with the French not releasing too many movies all the time, but when they once in a while do release a horror film, it usually turns out quite all right, because of the fact that it's still something that is a bit rare. Chapiron dares to be different, and most of all dares to be shocking where a lot of other film-makers would've taken the other safer path instead. I liked the fact that he let the movie to be brutal at times and also to be completely weird, demented and absurd without that it ever felt like they were just trying to be as shocking as possible. Like I said before, it comes naturally, and works perfectly.
 
Vincent Cassel is of course the highlight of the film and if it wouldn't have been for him, I'm not sure if the movie would've been half a good. I think this is the best I've seen the guy in so far, and when given enough space, he delivers one helluva performance. The good thing though is that this actor is the type of actor that can play anything. He can be funny and likable as well as really freaky, and in Sheitan he's all that and more. Another thing that was great about Sheitan was that even though it was demented, weird, sick and bloody - it was also very comical at times, delivering comedy that really worked, much thanks to Cassel. Some moments featuring the guy were even so much fun that you kinda got the urge to rewind to re-watch those scenes again.
I don't really feel like diving into and explaining the plot, since I believe that the less you know about Sheitan, the better. All I can say is that the film is just as disturbing as it is hilarious. It has the energy as well as the confidence, and takes you on a ride that you'll remember for quite some time after that it is over. It might not be a movie for everyone, but if you keep an open mind and don't read up too much on it before hand, I'm sure you'll have a great time watching it.
In some ways, Sheitan reminded me a bit of the other French film Calvaire as well as it made me think of Haute Tension too, but those movies doesn't have too much going when comparing them to Sheitan which easily rises above, at least when talking about Calvaire. If you're open for new things and wants to see a film that combines horror and comedy in an excellent way, (something that doesn't come easy), give Sheitan a shot. Highly recommended.
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While being on a mission in the South American rain forest, a team of commandos run into native vampires that can be out during day and survive in the sunlight. The team manages to kill a few of these blood-suckers, but at the same time, they loose some of their own as well. 6 months later, they're sent back to the rain forest to track down and rescue a scientist who happens to be the ex-wife of the leader of the commandos.
This is the second film by VanHook that I got to see and I think it'll have to end right there. While the guy makes some mistakes that can easily be ignored and that are forgivable, he also makes tons of them that are not easy to over-look at all. The script for this movie is absolutely terrible, the dialogue feels everything but natural and the acting - well, let's just say that it could've been better - a lot better. Still, Slayer might have a few things to offer that would provide some entertainment for those that are not as picky as yours truly, but if you want the least bit of intelligence in the film's that you're watching, then this is not a good pick.
Apparently this movie was made for tv, that is for the Sci-Fi channel and that channel has a nasty ring to it (and not the good kind of nasty). I guess the budget for Slayer wasn't very high, but taken that into consideration, I'd have to say that it still looks all right. Unfortunately looking all right is never good enough and while it might have a few things going for it, it at the same time has more things not working out at all. It deals with these vampires that has a new twist to them, that is, they can survive and be out in the sunlight. Not only that, but some of them seems to know kung-fu as well, unfortunately someone working on the film didn't know how to choreograph fights to make them look good.
 
So this team of commandos are in the South American rain forest to investigate and all of a sudden they run into these new kind of vampires. Casper Van Dien is clever enough to realize that, while they won't die if you just shoot them with bullets, they'll die if you put a stake through theirs heart. The vampires jump up and down, climb trees and buildings, and it looks like they're hanging from invisible bungee-cords. They literally bounce through the air and it all looks like an HK kung-fu production gone way wrong. What I would like to know here is that: 1. Did Mr. VanHook not see how bad this whole thing looked, and if he actually did, why didn't he make it look all right? Or scenario 2, that VanHook didn't even notice how bad it looked which would of course be even worse. Either way, even if you can get past it, it's a sloppy mistake that shouldn't have been there in the first place.
The blood is flowing plenty in Slayer, but at times it feels like they have these kind of blood gushing scenes just to show off some blood, even though it's not needed at all times. Again, nothing feels natural here and that made it quite hard to get into the movie. There are plenty of fights, but no real violence and the fights are predictable and you can't wait for them to be over. In the end you get to see the head vampire who's a little Spanish speaking man that transform into a huge plastic looking bat-like type of monster. Just before that happens, the guys keeps preaching till your ears almost bleed. I know that a lot of people enjoy these Sci-Fi channel type of movies and you'll probably enjoy Slayer if you've enjoyed the rest, but for me, personally, it's just not working.
Sorry to say, but this is not my cup of tea, and as a matter of fact, I don't even drink tea. It just has way too many errors in it accompanied by, for most parts, terrible acting and boring and mindless dialogue, that might is supposed to be clever here and there but that comes off as quite dumb. But if you're a fan of the Sci-Fi channel and enjoy those types of films, you'll probably wanna check this one out.
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Spain, 1944: Ofelia and her pregnant mom arrive at a small village after have been traveling for some time. In the village they meet up with Captain Vidal who's Ofelia's new stepdad, a ruthless man who Ofelia doesn't seem to like one bit. Franco has just recently won the war and Vidal and his men are trying to rid the land of what enemies might be left out there. At the time, while war and hopelessness is a constant state for most people, Ofelia lives in an imaginary fairy-tale like world. She soon finds a labyrinth where she has the chance to perform three missions in order to become a princess, and while doing that, the horrors of real life is constantly tapping her on the shoulder.
Even though Pan's Labyrinth is not a horror film in the classic sense, I'm pretty sure that the movie will still appeal to a lot of horror fans - and therefore I thought a review would be in place. While it doesn't deal with horror as in horror films, it deals with the horrors of war and people who has to suffer through it, and it's all pretty gripping as well as extremely captivating. I'm a huge fan of the whole concept of fairy-tales and while Pan's Labyrinth deals with that and fantasy, it doesn't do it to the extent that I first had thought it would. The fairy-tale parts are there, and they are fantastic, but the movie deals even more with human drama, suffering and hopelessness. So don't expect some happy fairy-tale like story, but instead a movie (for grown-ups) that is wonderful in many ways, but also quite macabre and gloomy to say the least.
While Pan's Labyrinth was filled with imaginary creatures and scenery that you could only find in fairy-tales, most things in the film felt very realistic and never really that affected. I think that the human characters alone and the surroundings and dramas of the real outside world with the on-going war gave a good balance to all the fantasy elements. Moreover, Ofelia (played brilliantly by Ivana Baquero) always felt so genuine and had such a hard life around her that made her character come off as a hundred percent realistic - even though when she was in a totally unrealistic enviroment.
 
I don't want to give away too much of the story and everything that goes on in the movie, because the less you know... Let's just say that this girl, Ofelia, is trapped in the real world where she has to go live with a new stepdad who's the worst stepdad imaginable. Her mom is pregnant and tells her to do whatever her sadistic stepdad says. She lives in an imaginary world and goes through a fable with the chance of escape from the bitter world outside.
What I really liked about Pan's Labyrinth was that, while it was beautiful and amazing-looking, it was a very harsh, emotional and cruel film as well. It never hid the violence and cruelty which gave a good realistic vibe to the film. The characters felt very realistic and belivable and it was easy to feel something for most of them as their despair and suffering came through real well and was always a present factor in the movie throughout. I think it was also a good thing that the film was in Spanish because that gave it a certain feel as well as it made it different. It probably would've worked wonders in English too, but on the other hand, then the settings would've had to been different and I'm not sure how well that would've worked. I know some people out there are too lazy to read subtitles, (which is truly lazy in every sense of the word), but if you're one of those people, don't ignore Pan because of that you'd have to work a little - I can promise you it's worth it.
It might not be a proper horror film, and while I'm not even sure it could be referred to as a horror film, it had one scene that was pretty horrific and that actually reminded me a bit about the Janitor in Silent Hill (not gonna explain why). Anyway, you should most definitely give this one a shot because Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy) has really outdone himself here. Just don't read up too much on it before-hand. Highly recommened.
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It's the mid 1800s and a young American named Christopher ventures to Japan in search for a prostitute he loved and left behind years earlier. His search leads him to an island where demons and whores rule the night and where he meets a deformed courtesan who tells him a tale of extreme cruelty and perverse vengeance.
Imprint has it all - well, at least when it comes to sick stuff. I can definitely see why Showtime didn't want to air Miike's contribution to the Masters of Horror series, but at the same time, if your familiar with Miike's work, Imprint won't come as a complete shock either. It is quite shocking though and this sadistic little film has some stuff in it that'll make even the most hardcore fans of gore and horror cringe, I know I sure did. It touches on the concept of the dreaded Guinea Pig films, dealing with torture and a helluva lot of other nasty stuff, but at the same time, it tells an interesting story. So it's not just being shocking for the sake of being shocking, it has something to back it up with - something that is both clever and good.
Miike knows how to make movies, and furthermore, he knows how to make different movies - films that are like nothing else and that's why it's always so darn interesting to see his work. That doesn't mean that all that he do is outstanding, or even very good at all times for that matter. There seems to be a lot of people out there who likes him just because you're "supposed" to like him, and that's just plain stupid. I've watched most of his stuff that I've been able to get my hands on, and while some movies has been utterly amazing, some other stuff has just not been that great at all. Although, I'd have to admit that it's always very interesting to watch his films for the fact that they're always very different from what else is out there.
Imprint is a hard film to write about due to the fact that I'm somewhat indecisive to where I stand. While there were things that I really liked in the film, there were also a bunch of things that I didn't like. That's usually the case when it comes to most movies, but it feels harder to put a rating on this one, for different kinds of reasons. It's a good film, but that of course have positive as well as negative sides to it. Let's break it down shall we and maybe it's best to start with the complaints to get that over with..
 
First off, I wish they would've been speaking Japanese in the film, because that would've felt a helluva lot more genuine since the movie takes place in Japan, and everyone in it is Japanese, except for Billy Drago. He should've learned a few sentences in Japanese instead of everyone else speaking English. Why? Because like I said, it doesn't feel genuine - the language doesn't come natural to them and therefore the lines sometimes feels forced. Other than that, it's every now and then very hard to hear what they say. What else, well, too much focus on torture, at least when it comes to one scene when a whore is being tortured for about 5 minutes straight - it was hell to sit through that. I mean, the film obviously needs elements of torture, but I felt that the story was good/strong enough anyway, so with that scene being as (hyper) graphic as it was, wasn't really necessary. It's a matter of taste though, and I guess some people will like it for that reason.
Another thing that I felt didn't fit was the performance of Billy Drago. Simply put, it just didn't do the film justice and it felt like he was trying too hard which I guess made everything have the opposite effect to what it was supposed to have. This on the other hand is no major complaint and the film still remained more than watchable, but if I'm gonna be honest I didn't feel that his performance was very good - or that is, belivable enough. Ok, that's it, no more complaints. 30 minutes or so into the movie, I wasn't as caught up in it as I thought I would be and was, for a short while, afraid that it wasn't gonna deliver. It did deliver though, and started doing so around the time when the whore told Billy Drago her 3rd version of a story. When she did that, things got nasty as well as interesting and more clear as well as at the same time it remained somewhat mysterious. You can also add sick, horrific, repulsive, smart and spooky to that list and I'm still sure that I've forgotten about ten more words or so to describe it with. Either way, Imprint will leave a mark on you, that's for sure.
While Miike's contribution to Mick Garris' Masters of Horror series maybe wasn't the best episode that season 1 had to offer, it is definitely the most controversial one. I've only seen it one time so far and will be watching it again real soon, because I'm quite sure that this is one of those movies that'll grow on ya. A word of warning though: Imprint is not for the weak of heart of those easily offended either. The film features severe torture, extreme scenes of abortion, incest and a whole heap of other nasty and scary things, so beware of some strong content.
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A small group of college students discover that an urban myth has become reality and that a demon that is Appladus is about to raise hell upon the world. Together with a former mythology professor, the group must find a way to stop the demon before the army of hell will roam the earth and enslave humanity.
It's easy to bash on most indie movies, or to give them a knuckle sandwich or two in the gut, but what is never really easy when it comes to independent cinema is to see past the way the film's visually look, the amaturish acting that most of them feature and simply that they lack the proper budget to create certain effects and such. While The Wicked One tries, and nonetheless tries hard, on some aspects it doesn't work due to a low-budget. But the budget issue aside, the film manages to get its story through, that also shows some potential. It might be a little rough around the edges and needs to be polished up a bit, but given a higher budget, some neat effects, proper make-up and proper actors - I don't see any reason why this wouldn't work. While the story does not deal with stuff that personally makes me excited, there are tons of worse movies with a higer budget out there for sure.
Since I don't watch indie films that often anymore, when starting to watch one I would say that it takes at least 20 minutes or so just to get used to the way things look. When I began to watch The Wicked One, it pretty much looked like your standard type of indie flick, some of the lines felt a bit forced and the first action element, (that set the whole plot in motion), was a bit of a turn-off, although I believe that once again this was a budget issue and with a higher budget, it might've been all right. The problem, and that's a problem that keeps popping up all the way through the film, is that the script for this flick most definitely requires cash to be put into the film for it to work properly. The movie deals with demons that needs good make-up, and the film obviously needs some special effects here and there as well. But since this is a low-budget film, those things are nowhere to be found and even though you try to picture what things would've looked like with a good budget, it's sometimes very hard to get past the fact that they do not actually look that way, as presented on screen.
 
After about 30 minutes or so, I felt that the dialogue had gotten a whole lot better, it would still benefit from some re-writes during certain scenes, but overall it got ok enough for one to be able to get into the film. Also, the story got better and so did the action elements that provided some well-needed gore - something that felt needed, but that the film lacked early on. The very action from then on the film throughout had its ups and downs, but I think that the film-makers handled all that very well - again, it was just a matter of budget.
Acting-wise, I would have to say that three actors impressed me and managed to deliver performances that were belivable enough. One of them were Jared Haas who had the lead (or at least one of the leads depending on how you see it). He played the role of Jackson, a character that came to feel more and more natural as the movie kept on rollin'. The other one was Doc Ogden, the older man who had some wide knowledge of demons. Now, I'm not really sure how good his performance was, but one thing is for sure and that is that the man got into his character to a 110 percent and seemed to really believe every word that came out of his mouth (even though he was talking about something as unrealistic as demons). I applaud that, because for most of the time talking about such things on film feels stupid, the actors knows that and it sometimes shines through, but not here so that was actually quite cool. The third actor, or that is actress, that did good was Jess Shultz who played a character named Ariel, because for the fact that just like with Haas, her performance felt natural enough.
What's said above does not mean that the others did an all negative job portraying their characters, it was just that most their performances felt a bit wooden here and there and were just not convincing enough, but that doesn't mean that it was all bad either. Another character that I did like was Mitch Nyman who played an a-hole jock named Johnny, simply because he added some comedy to the film. While you can't take away the fact that The Wicked One is an indie film that truly looks like an indie film, it has a script that has potential and I think the film would've worked quite well with a higher budget. While it was entertaining and just long enough, on the horror front it would've needed some polishing up to be able to deliver more horrific scenes. Some were good and worked totally ok, but a lot of them were just too obvious. I don't know what the film-makers intentions was when talking about scares, but on an action and entertainment scale, they did pretty well.
Demons are not my thing, because for the fact that it's just too hard to releate to (or should I say impossible). And since I find it hard to releate to, I also find it even more hard to be able to get scared by it. But that is just a matter of taste and I think that the film-makers here have come up with a story that actually works quite well, but that also requires a higher budget for it to work all the way. Still, I believe that some blood, sweat and tears were put into this film and they should be given credit for making it work as well as it did. And who knows, maybe the future will hold something for them.
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A monstrous force devastates Kevin Reddle’s family when he's just a young boy. He grows up to be the sheriff of a small town in Texas, and even though he suffers from the memories of a horrible past, he still seems to be doing all right. Not for long though, because the force is back and wants him, just like it wanted his dad.
The Damned Thing is a damn fine film from a damn fine film-maker. Sure, Hooper has had his ups and downs, and while I wasn't too impressed with his contribution to season 1 of the Masters of Horror series that was Dance of the Dead, he opens up season 2 with a bang! The Damned Thing delivered horror, suspense, a good story and lots of nasty gore. The way the film opened up was just brilliant with a family having a nice quiet dinner that a few minutes later turned into full-on chaos. It was actually a bit disturbing right there from the start, featuring a shocking, not to say unexpected scene that I unfortunately can't tell you about since I don't want to spoil all the "fun" it has to offer.
Been waiting around of the 2nd season of the damned fine series that is MoH to come out, Hooper's film was just the perfect to kick things off with. Actually, the series continued to deliver after that with John Landis Family, but more about that in the Family review. The Damned Thing stars Sean Patrick Flanery, an actor I really dig, not for that fact that he has been in the most fantastic films ever created, but simply because I just like his acting. The man was great here as the small town sheriff who had a dark and terrible past constantly weighing on his shoulders.
 
To not ruin what happens or too much of how the story goes, I'm gonna keep things short and simple. When Kevin Reddle was a boy, he saw his father get chewed up by some unknown monstrous force. The man now lives a somewhat normal life as the sheriff of a small town, and with somewhat I mean that he seems all right, but that his past is still haunting him. Later on, after getting some back story and have been properly introduced to all the characters, a storm hits the little town, and it's a nasty one. Not only is it nasty, but the actual weather seems to affect people with a lot of them dropping like flies and others starts to fight for no specific reason. But it's the monstrous force that is back, and will Kevin Reddle be able to fight it or will he end up like his old man? Well, that's for you to find out.
What I liked here was that most of the characters felt genuine enough, and while there wasn't any huge development of any of them, it was still good enough to make things work. If I were to complain a little I would have to say that I didn't care much for Ted Raimi's performance as the town's priest, although it doesn't really matter since he was not in the film much. Another thing was how it all came to end, and that maybe too much was revealed. Thing is that you get to see the force, or that is the monster in the end, and personally I think it would've been better left unseen. But on the other hand, it's just a matter of taste and apart from that, the film was absolutely entertaining as well as it was a gruesome ride most of it throughout.
Even though I have complained a little, there's absolutely no reason not to check out The Damned Thing. While the highlight of the movie might be have been the gore and those gruesome scenes to were quite a few - the story was pretty interesting and the whole feel and atmosphere of the film was pretty close to great. To give further praise to the film, it was absolutely awesome how it started out and delivered some really good horror and suspense. It's definitely worth a look, or two. At least one thing is for sure and that is that Hooper has still got it.
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A young married couple moves into a new home in a new city and finds out that their neighbour is not what he seems.
Unlike Hooper's contribution to the 2nd season of MoH, Landis film is not as focused on delivering graphic horror and violent and gruesome scenes, but instead puts more focus on the story itself. While the story is very good with a big twist towards the end, things are never really horrific in Family. For most of the time when I watched the episode, it felt more like a drama, but that had sort of a horror theme to it, but nevertheless a drama. One thing is for sure though and that is that Landis does a helluva lot better here than he did with his Deer Woman in season 1.
Family takes part in surburbia and surburbia looks so freakin nice that you almost feel the urge to move there and raise a family of your own. Well, I might exaggerate things a bit, but trust me - it sure looks nice. And by looking that way, it right then and there creates a certain feeling and mood that hits right on the spot. We're introduced to a large fellow that is Harold (played absolutely brilliantly by George Wendt) who seems like a nice man on the outside, but that has a heap of issues on the inside. It's not just about what's inside of him, but what's inside his house where he has been putting together a family of his own, only problem is that they're all dead, but Harold doesn't see it like that. He sees them as his family and does things with them like a normal family would - like putting his little daughter to bed each night, have conversations and arguments with his wife among other things. This part of the story is awesome since it's sick and twisted, but on-screen it's played out in a cute and lovely way.
 
Harold collects his family members by abducting persons that he feel would fit the family concept and then pours some acid on them. So basically, his house is full of skeletons. One day a young couple moves in right across the street from where Harold lives - they're soon introduced to each other and Harold feels that his neighbour's wife would make a perfect contribution to his own family. That's all I'm gonna tell you folks, because this film has a great twist that I don't want to spoil for those who haven't seen this episode just yet.
The highlight of Family is the character George Wendt is playing, and he does it in a brilliant way. The guy's obviously a real psychopath (the character, not Wendt), but it's still quite hard not to feel sorry for him every now and then - he's very likable and just seems so darn nice. Apart from Wendt, Meredith Monroe does a terrific job as Harold's neighbour and she's very likable too. If I'm gonna complain a little it would have to be about the score which consist of a bunch of crappy Jesus songs that would most likely drive a person insane if hearing them too much. I guess the music plays its part and creates a certain feel and all that, but nevertheless, it's freakin awful to have to listen to. Apart from that, it's all darn good.
The big twist in the end might do it for some and while I thought that was very cool, what I liked most about Family was the atmosphere it had to it, played out in surburbia and all. The story was extremely easy to get into as well as to get caught up in and Wendt's character developed in a really good way as the film went along. Slightly better than Hooper's episode, but on the other hand, the films were very different from each other. Highly recommended.
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A transport unit holding very valuable cargo, codenamed Planetfall, while on it's way to a military base, crashes mysteriously. A group of elite troups are sent to recover the cargo but crash as well, leaving only one survivor who has to try to find the cargo before two competing bountyhunters do.
First of all I want to start this review saying I'm not a Sci-Fi fan, well unless it has gore or horror in it, anyways I'm far from a sci-fi nerd so this movie was hard for me to watch so if you do like sci-fi you'll know where I stand.
Alright, this movie, personally, wasn't something I'd ever watch normally, to me it's like mixing Star Trek, Doctor Who, any spaghetti western you've ever seen and a bunch of kids playing Laser Tag. Take a bunch of Trekkie nerds, toss them in front of a camera and play Space Dorks or something. Everyone overacts and the CGI isn't all that great but abundant, the only powerful characters are women, which is ok with me but only one of them is worth checking out, which is strange seeing as I figured nerds would have more eye candy. Instead the only nudity in the movie is a naked dude's ass, ugh.
 
Alright so the hottie is a bounty hunter who can't act but looks good in her tight little outfit and matching samurai sword. The other is the cigar smoking, butch looking, immiture president's daughter. Toss in a couple telepaths that can't even levitate themselves and a bunch of geeks with lazers and your about there with this movie.
With a little more gore and nudity this movie might have been tolerable, but it reminds me of half the crap they show on the Sci-Fi Channels, you know the made-for-tv movies. Like I said the only reason this movie is on here is because it was sent to me, so don't dock me any points.
If I was a total dweeb I'd probably like this movie but seing as I'm a sick horror freak I don't suggest this to people like me. Go ahead pencil pushing dorks, have fun with this one yourself.
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Deep beneath an Ohio state prison seven demons, each responsible for one of the seven deadly sins, are awakened from their crypt after 100 years by a construction crew set to demolish the prison to build a new shopping center. As a CSI crew arrives to the prison to investigate the crypt all hell breaks loose, literally.
Fallen Angels starts with a really hot chick in bed awaken by a strange sound followed by an even stranger snake demon slithering up her sheet then into her goodie bag, which was pretty damn cool to watch and pretty twisted. Later we end up at the prison where a crew is set to demolish it's walls and build a new Shopping Center, but as they get ready to blow up part of the prison, one of the crewmen discovers a entry way to a crypt full of the bones of several dead children with strange writing on their skulls. A couple of guys are sent to investigate the strange crypt and see what exactly happened 100 years prior to the discovery, but before they know it seven demons are unleashed killing people at random in the form of what sin they represent. Seven demons, seven deadly sins, seven ways to die.
 
Personally I think this movie is pretty damn cool. The cast alone puts chills up my spine. Where else can you see Michael Dorn out of his Lt. Worf Makeup and Bill Moseley playing the good guy? Mix it up with Kane Hodder, Michael Berryman, Reggie Bannister, R.A. Mihailoff, David Hess, the veteran Keven McCarthy and Christopher Knight, AKA Peter Friggin BRADY, all in one movie? The story is pretty solid although it's pretty slow at times and the ending could have been better, but the demons are cool and the kills are great; decapitation, eye gouging and one great scene where one of the demons cuts up a guy's face. And who better to bring the FX of the movie to shine but Bob Keen who's put hand in many classic horror movies that we've all grown to love. This movie is an all around great watch so look for it when it comes to DVD.
Fallen Angels is a great watch for horror fans, especially because the cast includes some of the greatest actors from some of the greatest 80's horror films. Definitely worth watching, although I would have changed the ending around a little.
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Sheila is searching for her missing sister Diana and when she finds out that Diana has joined a cult in the jungles of New Guinea, she teams up with Vietnam-veteran Mark to rescue her.
Not to be confused with Tobe Hooper's Death Trap which under its US release went by the title Eaten Alive. No, this is one of those old Italian cannibal flicks and when talking about these old films, there are often three cannibals flicks that fans like to mention and Eaten Alive is one of those, with the others two being Cannibal Holocaust and Cannibal Ferox. This film does not rank as high on the "cannibal scale" as the previously two mentioned, and personally I also prefer Jungle Holocaust and Mountain of the Cannibal God a lot more than Eaten Alive, but this one of course has its charm too. One major problem with this film is, expect for that the acting's unusually wooden, that the focus is not entirely on the cannibal side of things but instead on this dress-wearing sect leader named Jonas.
The film starts out with that Sheila Morris' (Janet Agren from Fulci's City Of The Living Dead) sister has disappeared. She later find out that her dear sister, Diana, has run off to join some bizarre religious cult that operates in the jungles of New Guinea. She's determined to track her down but she need some help so she hires this Vietnam-veteran, Mark Butler (Robert Kerman from Cannibal Holocaust/Cannibal Ferox fame), to help her out in the big and dangerous jungle. It doesn't take long before they run into some flesh-loving cannibals, but they're rescued from them when some cult members pass by, and so they find themselves in the middle of the crazy cult they were looking for.
 
Now, the cult leader Jonas (Ivan Rassimov) is one weird bastard indeed. He wears this lady dress and when seeing him on screen, it's hard to focus on anything else but why the hell this guy's wearing a freakin´ dress. Well, we never get to know the reason to why, maybe he just likes to stand out a bit (and sure succeeds at it as well.) If wearing a dress would've been the only thing the guy did, then things would've been just fine, problem though is that this ladyboy likes to drug and brainwash his followers and when he has some free time on his hands, he doesn't play golf but instead he likes to sexually assault the female members of the cult. Now that's one twisted hobby.
During the course of the film, Sheila and Mark are trying to plan their escape along with Sheila's sister, but things are everything but easy since Jonas keeps drugging poor Sheila, and even if they make it outside of the cult's village, they have tons of cannibals to face in the big jungle. One problem with Eaten Alive is that it borrows a lot from other films, even footage, and that's of course not a good thing. What is good about this movie though is that it's simply trash cinema that shouldn't be taken seriously but that is in fact sometimes very enjoyable.
The real gore comes quite late in the film but it's there and it's as enjoyable as ever.. well almost. The cult however is quite boring and way too much time is spent in the cult's village where we have to sit through dull ceremonies and other mind numbing stuff. Eaten Alive may be the little kid compared to a few other selected cannibal films and does not have very original or mind blowing stuff to offer. Still though, it's definitely worth taking a look at because even if it sucks at times, it sure has a handful of cool things to offer.
Not as good or gruesome as a bunch of other cannibal flicks but still well worth a look. Don't take it seriously but just enjoy it for what it really is: nasty trash cinema.
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This is a movie based on the life of the infamous serial killer Ed Gein during a breif section of his life that he was committing the murders he is so notoriously known for.
I want to go into this review saying that I have this huge interest in Serial Killers, I love reading articles on them, seeing what makes them tick, why they kill, what the hell they are thinking and everything involved with the gory details of the kills. Does that make me sick? Probably, but who cares, I'm not a killer, but Ed Gein was. He was a sicko redneck from Plainfield Wisconsin who was accused of killing and mutilating two women as well as graverobbing and cutting parts off of many dead bodies in the town cemetary. Of course it's not really known how many people he really killed, it is however known he was a sick bastard. Anyways he used the skin from all the women he took apart to make covers for his furniture, trophies for his house, an outfit made of women's flesh and a mask that he would run around his yard in screaming at the moon some nights.
With that said it's easy to see the inspiration of Texas Chainsaw Massacre's Leatherface in Ed, both were sickos with skin masks, both were cannibals, but the only difference between the two is that Ed wasn't a musclebound psycho, he was a wimpy little idiot, which brings me to the big point here, Kane Hodder is more like Leatherface, and didn't fit the body size of Ed Gein. Another thing I noticed with the movie is that it didn't stick to the real kills, which were gunshots. Instead Kane strangled the victims after going nutty thinking about his mother. Other things in the movie really didn't fit the stories about the real Ed Gein but otherwise this was a pretty damn good movie.
 
I didn't like that they spent more time telling the story of a cop and his girlfriend more than Ed's personal story but I DID like that during the opening credits they ran through pictures of his victims and himself, it was sick but awesome. That and a little cameo by Michael Berryman as his partner in graverobbing crime, I was torn between the lack of sticking to the truth and the fact that I'm a big fan of Kane and Michael. All around this is a great role by Kane and if they didn't tag on the name Ed Gein to the title I'd give this a really high rating. Either way I suggest this movie for what it is, and that's a pretty well adaptation of one of the sickest serial killer cannibals of all time, just not completely identical to what really happened.
I guess what you should ask yourself is although Henry: Portrait of a serial Killer was LOOSELY based on the real story of Henry Lee Lucas, did you like it? Yes? Ok then you'll like this movie.
If your a huge fan of serial killers you might be a little bit disappointed in this movie but not much, Kane is awesome and really should get more acting roles, just ones he fits, and that's roles of him being a billy badass of horror. This movie is still very much suggested and enjoyed.
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A group of rowdy teenagers break into an old mortuary looking for a good time when they find themselves stalked and killed off by the owner whom is a very real vampire.
When things just go too well for some time - it can only go down-hill from there and that's just the case with the 3rd entry in the Masters of Horror series, season 2. Hooper's film opened the season and kicked some serious ass, and after that came Landis with his excellent Family, but then it all went down the drain with Dickerson's The V Word, written by Garris. At least the 2nd season had a much better start than the 1st season had, but at the same time it also raised the expectations for what was about to come - and when The V Word hit, it wasn't without that one felt some major disappointment. The V Word is about vampires, and while that may sound cool to some, I can tell you that it was not very cool at all. The film had a whole heap of problems with everything from forced dialogue to predictable scares and I'm pretty sure I've seen it all before somewhere.
The film starts off with these two characters that are Kerry and Justin. Kerry sits and plays X-box 360 while Justin is being angry at his dad - two typical teenagers that share some forced dialogue in Justin's boy-room. Then Justin gets this brilliant idea that the two should head to the local funeral home and check out a recently deceased body. Since that sounds like fun, they decide to do so and in there of course a few things happen that are all a little too predictable. This is the thing right here and that is that everything is so freakin obvious - it's a horror movie, they're in a funeral home, there are dead people laying around everywhere, there are some bloody sheets here and there - you don't need to be Sherlock to know that something will happen - pretty much how it's gonna happen, and when it will happen. While it's pretty much impossible to be completely original these days, at least try and do things a little bit different, if for nothing else, because this is like watching a horror movie that you pretty much seen hundreds of times before, just that it has different characters and a different setting.
 
After been walking around among dead bodies that are laying in a room, suddenly one wakes up and good damn is he frightening! No, not really, it's Michael Ironside and he's a nasty fellow that bites one of the boys in the neck. From there on the story moves forward and that has a vampire theme to it that you'll find out more about if you see it.
The film looks all right, but what it deals with is something that is old and most of all boring. The scares are really nowhere to be found and what else the film offers you've probably seen somewhere else before. Jodelle Ferland from Silent Hill fame shows up in the movie as well, but without really adding anything to it. I know I'm complaining a little too much maybe, but I honestly had a really hard time sitting through this film for the fact that it was predictable and didn't offer anything new, different or interesting for that matter. The story was tired, the kids were pretty stereotyphed teenagers from ther MTV-generation that had some bad dialogue going early on in the film. Luckily, things picked up with the next episode that was Brad Anderson's Sounds Like.
The V Word did unfortunately not even come close to the two previous entries in the Masters of Horror series. It was predictable, lacked scares, didn't feature any character development whatsoever and almost made me fall asleep. Too bad.
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Frank and Sara moves into their new house on the countryside and they simply love it. But soon Frank starts to hear strange sounds coming from within the house along with that he finds the door to the attic always being open, even though he keeps closing it. He contacts a ghost-hunter named Allan who comes over to check things out, and they find that there are supernaturals elements within the house, but it also gets Allan killed. With his wife not believing him, Frank has to try and find out the truth of what's inside the house and its attic by himself.
Swedish horror from the late 80's, not the most common thing out there so all the more reason to check it out. I remember seeing a few scenes from The Visitors when I was much younger, but I never got to see the whole film, until now. I've been meaning to check it out for years, but somehow I have always forgotten to do so and the years have gone by. An old friend of mine brought this little horror gem up during a conversation that we had a year ago or so, and said that the film had really scared her when she first saw it 10-15 years ago. I wrote it down on a list, later managed to track it down and finally got to see it for myself. So was it worth it? Sure was.
The film pretty much plays out like The Amityville Horror, but with a few things different. First off, this one has some comedy in it early on that works wonders and makes the film easy to get into, as well as it's really enjoyable to watch. The comedy goes out the window after a while though and from then on it's full-on horror which works quite well. While the The Amityville Horror might be a cult classic or whatever, it doesn't take away the fact that the film was boring and left one unsatisfied when it was over. The Visitors on the other hand has things going for it all the way through, with likable characters, dialogue that feels and comes natural and that mixes humour and horror which is a tricky thing to do, but pulls it off pretty well when dealing with the two genres.
The story is nothing special though, but still makes for 104 minutes of quality entertainment. A family has just bought a house on the countryside, and Frank and his wife Sara moves in there with their two children. Everything seems great at first, but soon Frank starts hearing strange sounds coming from within the house, or more so, the attic. He gets freaked out and tells his wife, but she doesn't seem to believe him. One day when shopping at a supermarket, Frank finds a magazine that deals with the occult. He picks it up and in there finds an article written by a "ghost-hunter" named Allan. He gives the man a call and Allan turns out to be one eccentric dude who wants to come over and check out the house and what supernatural things that might be in it. It doesn't take long before both Allan and Frank are more than convinced that there's something evil present within the house, but when trying to use electricity and "ghost-hunting" machines that Allan has built himself, it also makes him end up dead. Left alone with no one believing him, Frank must try and figure out what's in the house and stop it before he ends up dead too.
Acting-wise, the film delivers to a hundred percent. Kjell Bergqvist who plays the role of Frank does a convincing job and is the highlight of the film. He adds a lot of humour to the movie, but is also very believable when frightened which helps add a certain atmosphere, feel or whatever you'd like to call it. The "ghost-hunter" Allan is funny as hell, he's a bit of a nut, but a very likable one. The film also features one scene that will most likely make you think of Evil Dead, and while it might not be totally ripped off, it's not too far from it either. On the other hand, I never expected an original film and you've probably seen most of what the film has to offer more than a few times before, but still, it does everything so well and therefore it is definitely worth checking out.
While I didn't get scared watching it, I sure got a few good laughs out of it. Not because it was so bad it was good, but for the fact that some of the humour in it works extremely well. The scares are definitely there, but if they are effective enough is up to you to decide. The movie has a creepy atmosphere of dread hanging over it most of it throughout, and with it taking place in the somewhat goofy 80's also makes it a bit better and gives it a good feel as well. If you can find it, it's recommended to check it out.
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A health inspector named Therese falls victim to Mad Cow Disease after catching it from Canadian beef she gets from her brother, a butcher. Faced with her newly found insanity and raging hormones Therese sets out to kill a group of actors known as the 10 Tigers from Kwangtung as instructed by a voice she hears in a confessional booth.
This twisted little ditty of a movie is about a meat, kung-fu and sex loving health inspector named Therese that undergoes alot of changes in her body as she is overtaken by Mad Cow Disease that she catches from eating Canadian beef she gets from her brother, a butcher played by the outstanding actor James Duval. As she goes through the changes she comes to realise that her life's mission is to kill ten fictitious movie star warriors from Therese's favorite kung-fu movie "The Girl with the Thunderbolt Kick". A drama turned violent slasher this movie aims its targets high toward meat eating and it's overall effects to the human psyche.
Alright so where do I go from here? There's so much to say about this movie I could go on forever, so let me just go from the beginning. After a breif overature of crappy music were setting in front of the tube watching a small video about mad cow disease and its effects on humans, something like a foreign PETA video, then we find out that our lead character Therese has a possible tumor but her doctor isn't sure. Come to find out she's a huge meat eater, in fact everyone in the movie is nuts for beef, it's insane. So being a health inspector Therese is faced with inspecing lots of meat packing plants and butcher shops, one of which is owned by her brother Thierry played by James Duval. So as a treat he gives her some jerkey and a package of freshly shipped Canadian Beef which she later eats and finds out is infected with mad cow disease. Well the outcome from her eating the meat is her going completely NUTS and turning into an ass kicking, nutso, slutso "mad cowgirl".
 
In the movie she has sex with a televangelist, her ex, a blonde chick she "meats" at church, a guy at a porno/kung-fu theatre, 4 of 10 kung fu actors and even her own brother Theirry and that's just on film. So as she goes more and more insane she's told by a priest that her new life's mission is to kill The Ten Tigers from Kwangtung, a group of characters on this kung-fu flick she's obsessed with. What happens after that makes this movie what it is, and that's a rockin' ass slasher.
This movie really caught me off guard, I had only heard rumors about it and when I finally had a chance to watch it for myself I was thrown around like a little bitch. This movie is awesome from beginning to end. All the sex, meat consumption and kung-fu was great and believe it or not there was LOTS of blood towards the end. Speaking of which the ending alone tossed me in a loop and had me saying "What the fuck was that all about?" for about an hour after each time I watched the movie. Trust me you probably won't understand the ending as I know I sure don't but it's worth the watch. Either way if your a vegitarian stick to crappy sitcoms, this movie is strictly for the meat lovers out there and there is alot of it!
The main thing that sold me on this movie is James Duval, I mean everything I've ever seen the guy in has been one fucked up roller coaster ride to the next, from Doom Generation to Nowhere, from Donnie Darko to Lucky McKee's May and Roman. This dude gets set up with some of the most jacked up characters out there and pulls them off extremely well, and for that I give him much credit.
Definately give it a shot and write your local PETA division and tell them to shove a steak up their ass, this movie is a prime cut of beef! I highly recommend this movie, it's awesome!
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A troubled young woman wakes up one day as a different person, someone being stalked by terrifying creatures. But what is the dream and what is reality?
There seemed to be a lot of mixed feelings about Dark Corners out there and while I was actually looking forward to seeing this flick and did my best to stay neutral, in the end I have to side with those that didn't respond too well to it. The main problem with this film was that it felt like it just kept repeating itself all the way through, and even though a lot of things did happen, it always seemed slow and never really took off. From the little that I had heard about this movie, it was gonna deal with the psychological and while I do love that stuff in horror films, Dark Corners pretty much ended up being a movie that wanted to be smart but didn't have the smarts to pull it off.
Thora Birch stars as blonde Karen and brunette Susan (yes, the hair colors makes us be able to separate the two characters). Karen is suffering from nightmares while having problems getting pregnant with her husband. In those nightmares she becomes Susan, the dark haired one, and those nightmares of course has that dark look and feel to them as well. Now, I did really like how things looked in the alternate dark reality where Susan is being stalked by monsters and a serial killer called the Night Stalker. There's a bathroom where some scenes are set and that whole enviroment looks ace, although it's not nearly enough to save this flick from falling flat.
 
A collegue at work recommend blonde Karen to go see her shrink and as soon as she does, the movie becomes too obvious and predictable, and that pretty much leaves you spending the rest of the course of the film knowing what's gonna come and how it's all gonna end. Personally, I've seen way too many movies to agree with those saying that the film is indeed very original and inventive, that's not the case at all. Now, Karen's nightmares becomes more and more frequent, she pretty much dreams all the time and the movie keeps flicking back and forth between Karen and Susan, and every time it does, we are pretty much introduced to the same type of scenes we've seen before. It really goes nowhere but instead just keeps repeating itself and that makes it a very hard, not to mention uninteresting, film to watch.
Thora Birch is not great but that doesn't mean that she's doing a bad job either, I believe she's just in the wrong type of film and it doesn't suit her too well. The very twists and turns are really nothing to talk about because they are pretty much non-existant, and when they are existant they're also never really satisfying enough. There are a whole heap of scenes that are supposed to deliver suspense, but they never really do and inbetween those scenes, we're just treated to tiring dialogue that doesn't have too much to offer. Personally, I think that the hair colors that separates Karen and Susan was a big mistake because it makes it 110 percent obvious to see when Karen is dreaming and not dreaming. It's too clear and I wish they would've thrown in some creepy confusion in the movie but unfortunately that didn't happen.
On the horror front, the only real thing Dark Corners has to offer is some cool horror imagery but it's just a minor positive thing floating in a sea of negativity. It's not all bad, but really good it is not.
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Two guys are driving from Mexico with a load of Spanish flies which they are planning to sell to college kids. While discussing the actual seduction effects caused by their chemical components, one of them challenges the other to prove if they really work as they should. In that same moment, the guys see a strip joint just in front of them. After entering, they get much more than a few beers and a lap dance.
After watching the first 25 minutes of the movie I was really puzzled as I didn't know if the extremely obvious connection to the mishaps of the Gecko brothers in a cult favorite "From Dusk Till Dawn" was a good or a bad thing. I liked the Robert Rodriguez movie a lot and as it turned out "The Devil's Den" was a new take on the "Titty Twister" bar from the movie. In this case we have two friends entering a strip joint located in the middle of nowhere and they very soon find out that the good looking chicks inside are effectively transforming into killing monsters.
To make things more interesting for the viewers, besides the goofy friends that don't have any fighting skills, we are introduced with two different modern warriors - Caitlin, a good looking professional assassin and Leonard, a professional monster hunter. Together they must fight to survive and kill the root of all evil - the Queen.
I saw the full page advert for the movie in one of the latest issues of Fangoria magazine, but my interest was raised when I read a simple plot synopsis on IMDB. Every average (B) horror movie lover couldn't step back from a movie that combines murderous strippers, sword waving demon hunters and mysterious assassin. Unfortunately, the idea was there, but I wasn't a bit impressed by the execution.
 
The movie hosts a variety of names that horror fans are familiar with - Dewon Sava that escaped the Death in "Final Destination" and had love interest towards super cute Jessica Alba in "Idle Hands", legendary "Dawn of the Dead" hero Ken Foree, a bit more mainstream actress Kelly Hu and sitting in the director's chair was "the sequel king" Jeff Burr (Pumpkinhead II, Stepfather II, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3 and a couple of Puppet Master flicks). All of their performances were solid, especially for this kind of movie that doesn't take itself very serious.
"The Devil's Den" is a combination of horror, comedy and an action movie. While I personally like to come across a horror movie that has its funny moments, it looks like this kind of movies are missing the target audience. Some great ones like let's say "Slither" end up box office flops, and the majority of others with lesser budgets usually prove to be just plain bad. I must say that "The Devil's Den" would fit in the latter category and I was a bit sorry because the basic idea looked interesting.
Some of the jokes, fighting and kicking ghoul asses in the first 1/3 of the movie was pretty good and the movie had a feeling of a bit trashy take on "From Dusk Till Dawn". Then after ten minutes of stagnation, you would hope the things to sky rocket, but the story just goes plummeting down. Besides just filling the screen time, there was no point of going deeper in discussions that are giving the viewers unnecessary character driven information. In one of the useless conversations I think that the writer was even metaphorically trying to criticize some of the current events related to the politics in the US.
I had an impression that the movie script was being built on blocks taken from or referencing other movies. Besides the obvious connections to the Rodriguez movie and even "Bordello of Blood" there is also a rather lengthy reference to Zatôichi, a popular Japanese blind swordsman who was featured in a number of movies. Personally the only blind fighter I saw was Rutger Hauer in "Blind Fury", but surely the Zatôichi reference will be a bit over the top to many of the viewers unfamiliar with its fame.
It was a shame that the only interesting part was the kicking and screaming mayhem, and even those scenes had its bad sides. While the ghoul effects and the slaughter looked very good, there were scenes that showed lack of perfection - continuity errors such as a ghoul that would have bullet wounds on the back before even she was being shot at, clear physical differences between actors and stuntmen and even badly done fighting choreography where it was so clear that the punches were not even close to someones body.
Characters were absolutely flat and because of this I couldn't be amused by latter interactions between them, especially in the final fight between Caitlin and the main ghoul. The main problem with "The Devil's Den" is that after a good start it quickly became boring.
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After the death of his son, Larry's sense of hearing has taken on extraordinary capabilities. He can literary hear everything that goes on around him, and that would be enough to drive a man insane.
Brad Anderson's Sounds Like is a film that, just like Landis "Family" did, it focuses more on a disturbing story than on graphical horror. Anderson is a skilled director who really separates himself from most film-makers - and that makes his films tend to be very interesting. While writing this, I'm currently looking forward to his upcoming "Transsiberian", after having really enjoyed his previous efforts that were Session 9 and The Machinist. The man makes unique films, that for sure, and Sounds Like is no exception. While it might not deal with pure horror throughout, the very theme of the episode is still pretty horrific to say the least, and in the end I thought that the movie was most of all sad - but in a good way.
Larry has ultra-sensitive hearing - that means that he can hear all that goes on around him, but to the degree that it's close to driving him insane. While Sounds Like is more dramatic than it is horrific, it's still quite scary what the man has to suffer through when thinking about it. He could hear a cancer grow inside his son, and after that the little boy had passed, Larry never fully recuperated from the tragic event. He's working monitoring calls of the people who are trying to help callers out with their computer problems, and his newfound "power of hearing" is affecting his work. As the film keeps rolling, things just keeps getting worse for poor old Larry (played by Chris Bauer), and in the end it drives him insane.
 
I've heard some people complain about the fact that the film was too long, that it could've been cut down to half the running time and that the story didn't go anywhere at times. Personally, I don't agree with that at all, but I believe that all the time spent on Larry and the focus of how he hears everything is important for one to fully be able to feel with his character. I never thought that the film was slow, but obviously I wondered how it would all come to an end. I'm not sure if it really did it for me in the end though, but at least it was good enough and I found most of the film to be truly interesting and that you really could feel something for the character that was Larry and his situation. Not that you could relate to what the man had to go through, but just for the fact that you felt sorry for him.
Actually, the same thing happened when I watched Session 9 for the first time and that was that, just like Sounds Like, it had an awesome story going, was a bit creepy and most of all unpleasant, but how it all came to an end did not really make me go wow. That aside, this movie is quite different from most of the stuff you probably watch so it's well worth watching for that reason alone.
Obviously Sounds Like has a lot of sounds in it, and it's all done with great effect. Imagine that you can hear all that's going on around you, but turn the volume up a lot for each separate thing and try think about how what that would've been like.. hell I would imagine. The movie shows many examples of what I just wrote and it's all great to watch as well as it is quite unpleasant at times. Not really sure about the ending, but at least most of the episode proved to be very good. Recommended.
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When driving down a mountain road, a couple almost run over the young Angelique. To make sure she's not suffering from shock, they take her to the very clinic they both work at. Now, the couple work at an abortion clinic and Angelique just desperately needs to have an abortion. Things could've been simple right then and there, but they turn out not to be when Dwayne, Angelique father, turns up and this guy's very much pro-life.
Carpenter's last entry, Cigarette Burns, in the last season of the Masters of Horror series was one helluva piece of horror cinema, and maybe that made the expectations go up a bit too much when it came to his contribution to season 2 that was Pro-Life. While Pro-Life was entertaining enough and all right to watch, it unfortunately did not even come close to being as great as Cigarette Burns was. While the film started out in a good way, telling an interesting story that was accompanied by fine acting from Caitlin Wachs and Ron Perlman, things later became a bit tacky when the good story went out the window and was replaced by some monster that you'd have to be about 5 years of age to get scared of. All of a sudden it started to feel like one of those films you can catch on the Sci-Fi Channel and would probably have been better off aired there then on Showtime's Masters of Horror.
Maybe too many complaints too early on, and while the episode was really not as bad as it might sound, it still wasn't good enough either. The title of the episode says a lot, and I'm sure that there are plenty of people out there that would like to dive into a deeper discussion about it. Thing though is that I'm not one of those people so I'm just gonna ignore the subject and focus on what was good and what was not in the film. Let's start with the good shall we? Carpenter is a great director who has made tons of brilliant flicks as well as he has inspired a lot of film-makers out there. That doesn't mean that he can't make a bad movie though, but on the other hand, bad might be a bit harsh because Pro-Life sure has its charm, it's just that it doesn't work all the way.
Ron Perlman (Hellboy) is excellent as the militant pro-lifer Dwayne who has been slapped with a restraining order so he can't go near the clinic his daughter Angelique is currently held at. Angelique is under age and wants nothing more than to get rid of what's inside her, in fact she wants to get rid of it so much that she even tells the doctors that God wants them to kill her baby. Dwayne of course does not let some stupid restraining order stop him when a life is at stake, so he gathers his boys to break into the clinic. Thing though is that once inside, Dwayne is in for one helluva surprise.
The first 30 minutes or so of Pro-Life was just great and I was excited to what Carpenter had in store. The story seemed really cool, the actors did a good job and it moved forward in an interesting way. After a while it looked a bit similar to Assault On Precinct 13, but this time some people were trapped inside an abortion clinic instead of a police station. It was still interesting though and even delivered some really good action scenes that were quite graphic, with one being very unpleasant to watch, yikes! Unfortunately then came the monster, and while it might've looked all right, the filmed just took a wrong turn and never got back on track after that.
I guess the end is supposed to make you think, as well as the film basically keeps asking the same questions all the way through. Now, if you want to analyze things and what not, that I leave totally up to you, but personally I just wanted to be entertained by classic Carpenter, and while I was, it just didn't last all the way. It's not a bad episode, and while it's worth taking a look at, I don't think I would look at it twice.
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Jake Feldman is a tailor/fur trader who likes to pay visits to a sleazy strip-joint and especially to one special lady in particular who works there. Too bad for him, she not very interested in the guy for his personality or looks, so Jake needs something to win her over with. One day he gets his hands on some beautiful looking raccoon pelts and tends to make a coat out of them that he asks his special lady to wear. Only problem is just that the same pelts are supernatural and they violently turn against those that covet them.
Been excited about Argento's contribution to season 2 since I loooooved what he did with his episode Jenifer that was featured in season 1. I am aware that a lot of people did not really like that flick, and while I can't seem to figure out why that is, personally I believe that it was one of the best episodes that season 1 had to offer - along with Carpenter's Cigarette Burns. But just like Carpenter, Argento does not do as well here as he did last time, but Pelts is still a lot of fun, and gorehounds in particular are more than recommened to check this nasty one out. I think that the short story that the film is based on does an all right job, but I would like to have read it on paper, because while I'm sure it works well in that form, on film it just does not do it all the way.
What delivers all the way though is the gore, it's very nasty and it's there in your face every so often. But while the story might feel a little too predictable kinda early on in the movie, the gore still makes it a fun film to watch. I'm not a gorehound per say, and I believe that a good solid story is everything, but still, Pelts somehow delivers due to all the nasty shite it offers as well as the fast pacing that it has. The fact is, even if it might lack a thing or two, in the end it's a quite entertaining ride, pretty much worth the money. Then if you feel that Argento has lost his touch as the film-maker he once used to be, well, that's a different story.
 
Now, Meat Loaf has made some extremely crappy song that almost made my ears bleed when I first heard them and people should be kicked in the groin for listening to horrible stuff like that (sorry Mr. Meat Loaf, that's just how I feel). So obviously, my first thoughts when I saw the man on screen in this episode was something like: "Oh my God, no!". BUT, the man actually did an all right job and I have no complaints about his performance whatsoever. He plays a pretty sleazy guy that only cares about himself in a really good convincing way, so it was all a pleasure to watch. The other actors did an all right job as well, only thing that was bad was that John Saxon didn't get too much screen time.
Argento may have lost some of the things he had going 20 years ago or so, but that doesn't make Pelts a bad film. The story may be a bit predictable, but not entirely mind you, and while some people may think there's too much gore thrown in for the sake of just showing gore, it still adds a lot to the movie and makes it fun to watch. Not great, but definitely not bad at all.
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A nerd named Alistair needs a place to live and moves in with three college students that are all potheads. One of them finds an add in a paper for a "possessed bong" and orders it with hopes of getting more high than usual, but is not too worried about that possessed stuff. After the arrival of the new bong, they of course try it out at once and it doesn't take long before one of the potheads ends up dead. Another one of the rommies are soon to go and in the end it's all up to nerdy Alistair and Tommy Chong to stop the evil bong.
Where to start? Well, I was seriously hung-over when I decided to take a look at Charles Band's Evil Bong, and while I think that helped me get through it a little easier, because after all I was looking for an easy film to watch, it just wasn't enough. Evil Bong is actually a really bad film, not that I expected it to be very good in the first place, but it was even too dumb for the state that I was in. I think you need to be seriously baked to be able to find some amusement here, as well as I'm sure the movie has its target audience that will probably find a lot to enjoy in the film, but since I'm not one of those, I found it quite difficult to sit through it all.
It is exactly what you'd expect though, nothing more, nothing less - just another stoner movie. You know exactly what's gonna happen all the way through, it's predictable and for most of the time you're just hoping for it to end as soon as possible. It doesn't look bad though, but the pacing was a bit too slow and there was not much to laugh at really. Bill Moseley makes an apperance and says some funny stuff, unfortunately that very scene only lasted for about 20 seconds or so and after that it was back to being all dull again. I did like the foul-mouthed grandpa though and that scene were he introudced his new wife to his grandson was funny. But for most of the time, the comedy that actually worked was pretty much none-existent and those scenes that were funny were just too few and too far apart.
 
When someone uses the bong, that persons ends up in the world of the bong which is nothing more than a strip-joint. The place does not only have naked girls, but also stars and puppets from other Full Moon productions that you might recognize, or not. It looks a bit cheap though and is supposed to be a dreamlike reality, but looks to be nothing more than a half empty strip-club. Pot and boobs might be enough for some and while I have nothing against any of those things, it's just not enough to make a good film.
Not too much happens in the movie actually and it's slow-paced as well as extremely forgettable. The acting is not horrible, but sure could've been better, although most of the acting serves this type of films pretty well. The lingo is not as tired as I first thought it would be and it was actually more irritating to hear the nerd talk rather than hearing the stoners. The film also serves as advertisement for Charles Band's Monster Bras that you can buy over at his site as well as other places I guess. They look horrible though and if I were to find my girlfriend wearing one of those, I'd kick her out in a heartbeat.
If you're a fan of B-movie veteran Charles Band and other of his Full Moon productions, you might wanna give Evil Bong a look, but load up on the weed before you do, because I'm sure that is the only thing that can save this flick, if even that.
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Dr. Edmund Redding wants to find the secrets within the ancient Aztec pyramid of Tenochtitlan; he hypnotizes a young woman, Ann Taylor, who is apparently a reincarnated human sacrifice to an Aztec God. After a sumptuous flashback reveals the ritual and the modern passage into the pyramid, the fearless Dr. Redding goes in search for the secrets of the ancient Aztec civilization. Once he shows up there are a peaceful Mummy (played by Lon Chaney, Jr.) and a creeping zombie. While Dr. Redding begins to present his glorious findings to the science community, the lights kick off and shots blast, the Doctor has been killed and-you guessed it-the classic monsters are gone. Soon the Chaney mummy is in the hands of a mad scientist and the bastard's soon thawing the beast out. The scientists walk away like disappointed Frankensteins, but when the mummy actually wakes alone, he faces a full moon and mutates into a screaming werewolf; meanwhile, the other monster is on the loose and the plot is falling into a pile of you know what.
It's especially nice to notice that terrible movies from the 1960s are photographically superior to most horror movies in today's movie theatres. The music is so good in The Face of the Screaming Werewolf that it had to be stolen from a better film-as a matter of fact it sounded very familiar. The formidable music flows atop lengthy moments through corridors and human sacrifice, but the one thing interesting the film does is stop the music when the monsters appear, and, of course, this makes the scene much creepier-you'll know what I mean when the depraved zombie slides out of the darkness.
 
The ambiguous lair of the mad scientist adds an amount of suspense to Face of the Screaming Werewolf; after all, scattered around every frame are wax figures with grotesque expressions and terrible gasps.
Basically, the film is filled with nostalgic absurdities that will bring the Ed Wood, Jr. fan back to where their fandom began. Besides, How many horror flicks have we seen where a mummy is thawed out and ends up being a freaking werewolf?
Watch it for the score and watch it for the sake of adding to the reasons why you visit the horror movie over and over again.
Guest-written review by Brad Guillory
A deformed kid named Tommy, who lived with his mom in the woods, was murdered by some punks long along. Fast-forward to present time, and a bunch of reckless teenagers steal some raise-the-dead-potion from an old witch (that just so happens to be Tommy's mom) and manages to raise her dead son who comes back in the form of a demon that is Pumpkinhead. Not only that, but the teens also manages to set the old lady's house on fire and leaves her in there to burn as the flames devours her home. Now, since Pumpkinhead's the demon of vengeance, he sets out to catch and kill those who once killed Tommy and after he's all done with them, he goes after the kids that brought him back to life and messed with his mom.
Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings is just as stupid as it is entertaining, and while it is pretty entertaining, it's obviously also pretty stupid; a lot of that due to that it's filled with plot-holes. If you're a fan of the original Pumpkinhead and horror flicks in general, then there are two ways to watch this film, with the first one being to complain about all its faults, errors and the fact that it seems like Jeff Burr and c/o never watched the original film, or at least that they didn't pay attention when they watched it. The second one being to just watch it for what it is, and that is a fairly entertaining horror film from the mid 90's that has a little of this, a little of that to offer, while trying not to be too bothered with all those holes it gets stuck in along the way.
Even though we're dealing with a sequel here, the movie pretty much ignores the story of the first film, borrows whatever it feels like and re-writes the rest the way it feels like. All that aside, I must still say that Blood Wings is a pretty fun movie to watch, it's easy to get into, has good pacing, and while it might not be very rewarding in the end, at least the 88 minutes spent doesn't feel like a complete waste.
 
The intro of the movie is something really special though and I had forgotten just how brutal it was. It starts off with a flashback to the 50's something where we get to see a deformed kid hanging out in the forest. A minute later a bunch of punks shows up and starts chasing the little guy and when they catch him, they cut him up, hang him to die and then drops the body into an old iron mine. It's brutal stuff and with it being pretty darn graphic as well, it's actually a bit shocking to watch. Now, since stuff like that is somewhat of a turn-on for a lot of horror fans, it of course gets your attention and you find yourself waiting for what will come next. But there's not too much horrific content after that very scene, of course Pumpkinhead rips a few people apart, but you never get to see much and it's never that interesting anyway.
The cast of the film is actually not too bad, but I wonder what the hell Roger Clinton (yes, ex-president Bill's brother) had to do in it. He has his usual mullet on and plays the mayor of a small town, but neither looks nor acts like a mayor in a very convincing way. He's not in the film much though, and when he appears, just take it for what it is - some cheesy fun. Trevor Edmond (Return of the Living Dead 3) is pretty darn great as one of the reckless teens, well, infact the one who's the most reckless of them all. Andrew Robinson (The Puppet Masters, Child's Play 3, Hellraiser) does an all right job as the new sheriff in town, although he doesn't seem to be aware of that you're not supposed to discuss police business in your own home with your family being present. Ami Dolenz does a good job playing the sheriff's daughter who's one of the teens - although she a bit more concerned about things than the rest.
Blood Wings is definitely not a great film, but it does provide some good horror entertainment. While it might be way off at times, it still has a few things going for it with the very intro of the film also being the highlight. Good enough to rent on a slow sunday afternoon or something like that.
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A woman leaves her husband and alone drives off into the desert where she meets a drifter that she picks up. What she doesn't know, but eventually will be aware of, is that the handsome stranger is a shape-shifting killer who preys on the weak.
Spaghetti western mixed with African spiritualism - it might sounds cool (well, actually it doesn't), but is just as much fun as studying math, and since math blows, so did this movie. I seriously don't know what this was supposed to be and can't for my life understand how someone could make such a dull film, but here it is and I suffered all the way through it. We're introduced to some cowboy type of guy who is kind of a drifter out there in the dusty old desert. He puts his head on the road and listens with the calm music playing in the background - ok, so the guy's a mysterious fellow, got it. A car comes a long and we soon see the cowboy dude getting picked up by a woman that's in it. They drive to her place, sleep together and then he kills her and burns her house down. This also might sound exciting (not to talk about one helluva first date), but was actually among the dullest things I've seen on screen and I could just feel my eyelids getting more and more heavy. God damn, only ten minutes had gone by and things were about to get worse, A LOT worse.
Dust Devil was first released in 1992, then apparently there was a lot of fuzz about a certain company wanting to cut the length of the film which originally was 120 minutes long. It was cut down to 86 minutes and then director Richard Stanley managed to get a 95 minute version released, but still with the film being cut into different version depending on which country it was to be released in. It's quite strange and cutting a movie from 120 minutes down to 86 minutes is a lot, so it's easy to see why the guy wasn't happy about it. The version I saw was 104 minutes long and I think I would've preferred the 86 min version instead, as I'm sure it would've been just as rewarding. Subversive Cinema released a new version of the film not too long ago which is a five-disc set that features a helluva lot of extra material. But since I didn't enjoy the movie one bit, I have no plans of watching the extras either.
 
As the film rolled on with its dusty scenery, I'd have to admit that it had some strong visuals and looked quite all right, unfortunately for this one, it's just not enough to make everything seem all right. The story of the film is not too bad either; about a demon who's trapped inside a man's body and who's also trying to escape from it. But the pacing of the film was just beyond slow which dragged everything down and after having watched it for a while, I actually had to struggle staying awake. It takes place in South Africa and there are a lot of different accents to be heared in the film - something that was quite irritating and became even more so the longer into the film one got. Despite what others may say, even though it looked nice and all that, it was just way too boring.
While I have nothing against slow-moving films, this one was just beyond that and story-wise it wasn't strong enough either to keep one's interest up. Richard Stanley might be talented when it comes to visuals, but when it comes to everything else, Dust Devil just doesn't cut it.
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When a virus overcomes the male population of the United States and turns them into murderous psychopaths, a mother and daughter escape across a country where their safety is in question.
Dante's The Screwfly Solution feels a bit like a full-length movie that has been cut down to a shorter film, only to show what is really necessary. Not that the movie feels too short and kinda cuts off halfway through, on the contrary, this way it manages to be exciting and have things constantly happening in it all the way. What I'm saying is that while some of the episodes barely makes it all the way through, this one was most likely written as something that were meant to last a bit longer than only an hour. Anyway, it's pretty good though and personally I thought it was better than Dante's contribution to season 1 that was Homecoming. While Homecoming had certain things to offer, it was also a bit goofy and had some humour in it, but The Screwfly Solution has nothing of that - this one felt way more frightening, had very realistic looking violence in it and was actually something of a nail-biter.
Was I surprised to see Jason Priestley showing up in the film? Oh yes indeed I was, but take my word for it, the guy really delivered, which was a great thing to see. I mean, it would be terrible if you have a story as good as this and it would come out looking not that great due to some actor being part of the production - and while that has happened before, it's not the case here so don't let the star of 90210's name put you off. The film centers on a family that are affected by the plague of violence that's sweeping through the country, turning the male population into psychotic killers. When on the job to investigate what has caused this plague, sickness or virus that makes men kill women, one of the family members (who's a female) is murdered. Barney (Elliott Gould) and his son-in-law Alan (Jason Priestley) starts to look for a cure and a way to stop this strange plague that seems to turn all men into cold-blooded killers.
 
As the movie keeps rollin, more and more women starts dying by the hand of men everywhere. For a while, the films deals a bit with religion, but thankfully lets go of that to move on to other more interesting things. What we get to see a lot of here are women getting killed and it is just horrible. While I'm all up for gore and sick stuff, the graphic violence that was in this episode just looked so darn realistic, not to mention brutal and at times you almost forgot that you were just watching a movie. Another thing I really liked about The Screwfly Solution was that for the first half of the movie or so, Jason Priestley was in the lead, but then, as he "got infected" too, we instead got to follow his wife and his daughter trying to stay alive, with his wife taking over the leading part.
The Screwfly Solution, just like Homecoming, was a thinkable film, and while we could dive deeper into the subject if humans are the pest of the earth, I think I'll just leave that to others to discuss for now. Also, another thing that was quite cool was that you could almost divide the episode into three different categories of horror. The first being with the plague that turned all men into beasts which instantly made one think of a heap of zombie flicks out there with a virus turning normal people into something horrible. The 2nd horror category would be survival horror, simply because Priestley's wife (played brilliantly by Kerry Norton) was trying to stay alive and was left out there alone in a world filled with crazed men that would instantly kill her if they saw of what sex she was. 3rd and last category would be Sci-Fi, which felt a little bit weird at first, but the more you thought about it after the film was over, the more sense it made. Well, it made sense the whole time, but I guess that part had to grow on you a little first. But since I don't want to spoil anything for those about to watch this episode, I'm just not gonna say anything more about it.
The Screwfly Solution was a pretty good episode, not to mention different. While I can't say that it was great, it was at least well worth watching and had a pretty interesting story that, for most of the time, felt more like a violent thriller rather than a pure horror movie.
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Five friends head to an exotic island for the weekend to have some fun and relaxation, but the good times are quickly interrupted when one of the friends is attacked by a vicious dog. It doesn't take long before the group discovers that the whole place is infested with these murderous animals and now they have to try and find a way to get off the island.
The Breed is a Wes Craven produced horror film from First Look Entertainment and it's hard to see how the horror master could put his name on this pile of crap. Vicious killer dogs? Geeze-louise! The film was nothing but yet another one of those clichéd horror movies that carried some stupid dialogue that made no sense every here and there and that delivered a few "scares" that you could see coming from miles away. Nowadays it pretty much seems like the bigger labels are never too concerned about having a good story anymore. Just stuff a bunch of obnoxious young people in the film, add a few "scary" action scenes here and there to keep the audience's interest up and don't forget to add a bunch of sadistic killings as well..because we all know that that's the only thing horror fans really care about these days. To hell with a good and genuine story, as long as there are a few brutal gory scenes everyone will be happy for sure. Yeah right.
 
The movie plays out kinda like a billion of other lousy horror films that we've all seen before. Actually, we've seen this so many times before that you just wanna break down and cry or rather kick the film out the window when having to sit through it yet again. It goes something like this: We're introduced to some young people, often teens, but sometimes a tad bit older. They're all happy and are goofing around and you couldn't care less for who is who and what the hell they're saying because you'll only get dumber if you listen to them. Something happens and you're supposed to feel bad for them and at the same time be a bit frightened of what it is that's going on. Then turn up the horror and action a notch and add some brutal killings and now we're having fun right? After a while of people dying and horrific scenes, we're suddenly introduced to some emotional scene involving one or two of the characters that are a little deeper than the rest of the bunch. Now we're supposed to feel something for them as they solve the mystery or make it out from whatever kind of place alive and then the credits starts to roll. Add some nu-metal crap to that and you got yourself one helluva intelligent movie.
My criticism may sound a bit harsh, but the fact is that I watch so many horror films every week and I'm getting a bit sick of watching the same stuff over and over again. That's why you have to keep getting back to all the old favorites and re-watch them once in a while to be able to sit through a lot of the new ones. The Breed was not all bad though and featured a couple of scenes that were quite entertaining. Another thing it had going for it was that it moved at a fast pace, stuff happened all the way throughout, but the problem though was that everything that happened was just way too predictable. I could see a lot of people liking The Breed though, because a lot of folks doesn't have such high demands when it comes to horror, they simply just want to be entertained and I think that The Breed has that going for it. But personally, I need more..much more.
Being too predictable, featuring uninteresting characters and scary dogs didn't really make for a good time. It is fast-paced though and has quite a few action scenes to offer and if you just want to be entertained for a while, then this might still be your cup of tea..or your headache.
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After a terrible bus accident, a bunch of tourists get stranded in a small Brazilian village. It's a fantastic looking place that has got a beautiful beach and it almost seems too darn perfect..and it is. Soon it stands clear that the small village holds a dark secret and the tourists are soon to find out exactly what that is.
While the very trailer looked like your ordinary teen survival type of horror with a touch of Hostel to it, Turistas does not deserve to be called a Hostel clone, as this movie was infact something else. Sure, there were scenes of torture and all that, as well as we got to follow a group of American tourists getting sliced and diced in another country, but while you can always draw similarities to other recent films, Turistas still managed to stand on its own. Still, what we're dealing with is a group of teens (well, duh!) that are in the country of Brazil where things tend to be a little different than back home. When going on vacation to a different country, you obviously have to be a bit more cautious than usual, but since the people in the village that they arrive in seems nice enough, the tourists let their guard down, and so the terror begins.
Well, the terror doesn't kick in until a short while into the film or so. First we have to sit through watching the teens goof around, drink, dance and spew out some totally meaningless dialogue as ever so often when it comes to these types of movies. Actually, you can skip the first 20 minutes or so because all that happens is that the tourists happen to have an accident with their bus which leaves them to seek out a small village nearby. Because to sit and listen to the dialogue early on in the movie and watching the youngsters f**k around is about as much fun as getting hit with a shovel over the head.
 
To tell you the truth, I wasn't expecting much, if anything, but actually found myself taking a liking to Turistas the deeper into it I got. While it was definitely not a great film, it was at the same time far from being a bad movie, and if you're looking for 94 minutes of suspense and entertainment, you could definitely do worse than watching this one. While the characters that we got to follow were not as irritating as they sometimes can be when watching other similar flicks, they were still shallow, and add to that that there were really no character development whatsoever. Now that is quite a bad thing because we get to see these people getting chased, beaten, shot and operated on, but the fact is that you couldn't feel less for them. They're just there, thrown into a movie that's suppose to amuse and/or scare you and you know that some of them will die during its course, but you couldn't care less IF they die, so all you got left with that might entertain is to see HOW they die. (I'm not as sadistic as it might sound)
The cast was decent and pretty believable, although like I said before, you're not gonna feel too much for them, but at least they were not as obnoxious as these types of characters in other films sometimes can be. The main villain was a bit scary at first, because of the realistic feel that the film sometimes had to it, but it went down the drain as soon as the guy started speaking English and talk about "his mission". Another thing the movie does not have in common with Hostel is that Turistas was not half as brutal as Hostel was, so those of you (gorehounds) looking for that kind of stuff, keep in mind that you might not get what you seek here. Personally, I think that the amount of gore and terror was totally all right, as I'm not a gorehound per say, and for the fact that Turistas was pretty darn suspenseful every here and there, and that was just enough to make it work.
Turistas is obviously a no brainer and those of you who are looking for a smart script and a scary story, it's recommended to look elsewhere. But if you just wanna have a good time, accompanied by some pretty good suspenseful moments, you could definitely do worse than going with Turistas. You'll probably have a good time when watching it, but it's not a film you'll remember for very long.
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Six guys think they're gonna have the time of their life in a whore house that they just heard about, but when getting there, it turns out to be everything but a pleasant experience.
Mustang Sally's House of Horror, or rather Mustang Sally's House of Poorly Written Dialogue is not a good film, infact it's so bad that it would be better to get hit by a bus than having to sit through this lousy film again. I kid you not, and I can't believe that someone actually took time to make this movie, because one just gotta wonder, who in their right mind could possibly like this? One thing that is truly funny after having seen such a horrible waste of film is to head over to the IMDB in order to see what other people have written about it...and it's always the same thing. Movies like this always get rave reviews, there are usually between 5 to 10 comments or so, all of which tells us just how freaking great the movie is. As we all know, because this is always the case when it comes to movies like this, is that the filmmakers, actors or friends of some of the two have written all the comments themselves. What I never understand though is why they always give the movies almost the highest ratings possible, instead of trying to be a bit realistic and give them like a 5-6 or so that people would actually believe. It's just ridiculous and we've seen it so many times before, but it's always kinda funny because for the fact of how stupid it is, but at the same time, it's quite sickening as well.
Ok, so if you gonna watch this film, grab onto the remote, because you're gonna need it during the first 40 minutes or so (or maybe you're smart enough to turn it off after 5 minutes), anyway, you're in for hell and it's about to get worse. With a bad script, you can't go too far and this one really goes nowhere. First we have to listen to these young boys that find out about a whore house that they decide to visit. They arrive at the place, Mustang Sally's, and introduce themselves to the hostess in the dumbest way possible. They shake her hand, one at the time, and she tells them what they're all about like some fortune-teller or something...just fantastic. They're soon introduced to the girls and we know we're in for plenty of softcore sex-scenes that will seem to never end. Good for you that you held onto the remote because you'd wanna use it here. Later on, it's killing time and it's not too much fun and apart from that, the film has a little "twist" if we now can call it that to offer which was not that great. Needless to say, it all ends with one major headache.
Mustang Sally's House of Horror felt like a bad version of Bordello of Blood - that they somehow picked up that same basic idea, but then turned it into something slightly different. While the Tales from the Crypt feature had a few things that were at least midly entertaining, this one really had nothing going for it. Acting-wise it was actually not as bad as the overall film may sound like, sure a few of the bunch delivers wooden and unconvincing performances, but there are also those that maybe could've been all right if someone would've given them something decent to work with. I know I've been complaining like crazy here, but to be completely honest, this was truly a waste of time. The film felt a bit sloopy as well, like they've just shot it as fast as humanly possible to get things over with and never took time to look at what could've been improved. Worst thing about seeing movies like this is for the fact that in this world there are a lot of talented people who never gets the chance at making a movie, while at the same time, guys like this can spew out any kinda crap and be able to put it on film. It's amazing as well as it's truly a sad thing when you think about it.
The so-bad-it's-good saying does not apply here, as it was all just pretty darn bad. Head over to IMDB if you wanna read some truly unbelievable shite, (some f**ker even wrote that the director is great! Yeah, good one..), but my advise to you is to stay away from this one..far away.
It's the 1960's something and the young and happy Florence Forrest becomes the so-called "Chicklet" - the first girl surfer at Malibu Beach. At the same time, people starts turning up dead here and there and the police find themselves struggling with the case of finding out who could be the killer.
Written by Charles Busch, who also stars in the movie as the female police captain Monica Stark, Psycho Beach Party is a spoof of 1960's surf & beach movies and is first and most a comedy, but that has a slasher kind of theme to it. Don't expect too much horror though and the only reason why you should watch this is for the fun stuff that it has to offer. Sure, it has that slasher theme going; someone is killing people around the beach area and where else, but don't expect to see any hack and slash type of stuff, it's just not that kind of flick. Very early on I thought it seemed a bit too lame and I was worried what I had gotten myself into. The whole 1960's theme got old fast and I could say the same for some of the lingo used. Eventually it got a bit better though and the comedy started to effectively kick in every here and there. While I can't say that it was a great film, it sure was easy to sit through it and after all, it did provide some good quality entertainment.
 
I'm sure you'd have to be in the right kind of mood in order to be able to appreciate a film like this. It has a certain type of charm to it and manages to catch that 60's feel real well, but it also tends to drag a little here and there, although, it's not a big deal. We get to follow this young girl named Florence Forrest (played by Lauren Ambrose) who wants to become a female surfer and so gets the name of "Chicklet". She suffers from schizophrenia though and sometimes her alter ego, some girl named Ann Bowman who's the complete opposite of nice Florence, takes over. Florence starts hanging out with surfer guru Kanaka (Thomas Gibson from Dharma & Greg) and some other beach bums (one of them being Nicholas Brendon from Buffy fame) and everything is just swell until another dead body is found. The first killing took place at a drive-in theater in the very beginning of the film. As the movie keeps moving forward, more victims starts to pop up and you just gotta wonder who the killer could be; is it Florence's alter ego Ann, the Swedish exchange student Lars (who can't seem to imitate an accent for shit) or Florence's pedantic mom? Well, it's a big mystery for sure..
I guess this film has its fair share of fans who really can appreciate the film for what it is and what it tries to do. While I didn't hate it, I'm just not sure how much I liked it, but let's just say that, if in the right mood, it can be somewhat entertaining. I'm not a big fan of the 60's and since I grew up in the 70's, I can't really say that I can relate to it either. But it all looks all right and the acting is good - sometimes way too over-the-top, but I guess that's just part of the film's charm and it's quite clear that it's supposed to be that way, still it's a little hard to sit through at times though. I gotta admit that I loved some of the lower kind of humour that was delivered a few times in the movie, but at the same time, the film's very far from being anything remotely close to hysterical and most of the humour was just cute (which translates to that it did not work).
Psycho Beach Party is a title that has a nice ring to it, but unfortunately it's not a film that's awesome, but it works though, at least for most of the time and it's easy enough to sit through. Don't expect any horror or much slashing though, but instead just a comedy that is a nice throwback to the 60's.
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Frank and Donnie are two brothers who lives peacefully outside of a small town, until one day when Donnie is attacked and Frank has to use violence in order to help him out. It doesn't take long before Donnie shows up with a dead girl who was with the attackers, but that Donnie did not kill. Since the brothers come from a tragic and murderous past, which has affected Donnie deeply and left him to completely rely on his older brother, they feel that no one will believe them and therefore they kidnap the only witness, and from there on, things only tend to go down-hill.
Bloodshed tells a quite simple, but yet very intriguing tale that is just as captivating as it is easy getting into; and getting into it is as easy as to snap your fingers. While the budget for this movie might not have been very high, the thought put into it really shines through and in the end that is of course a helluva lot more rewarding for the viewer than just looking at a flashy film that might have cost fortunes, but that has nothing to stand on. Bloodshed is a solid movie with the story in focus and is a film that does not rely on cheap gore, cheap scares and bad CGI. Instead it delivers atmosphere and feeling, showing us that a good story accompanied by a good script does not require heaps of cash for it to work - something that a lot of people within the industry of today seem to have forgotten. In other words, I was pleasantly surprised over the fact of just how good this film turned out to be.
Having no expectations whatsoever always seems to be the best way to go about things and it really turned out to be true this time around. I wasn't really expecting anything, good or bad, and early on in the film I wasn't sure what to think, but luckily, it got good real fast. I believe that too many people are just too focused on how a movie looks that they tend to forget to look past that first impression and focus on what's on the "inside". I'm more than willing to admit that I've been pretty much like that too, but have over the years learned not to be so shallow and have tried to look behind what the eye first sees before judging whatever it might be. Wow, getting a little too deep here maybe, sorry bout that and we're moving on.. For a low-budget film though, Bloodshed definitely looks good enough and more importantly, it really works as a whole.
 
We get to follow two brothers in the film, Frank and Donnie, who lives peacefully outside of a small town until one day when Donnie gets himself in trouble. Later on he finds a girl in the forrest that he brings home to his brother Frank. Since the brothers comes from a tragic past that involved a murderous father, Frankie figures that no one will believe that they did not kill the girl and their only chance to keep their freedom seems to be to kidnap the only witness - a girl named Beth. Having done that, it turns out that easy street was further away than they first had thought and since some people turn up at their house to look for the missing girl, the brothers need to, yet again, take action into their own hands. Needless to say, thing just keep getting worse.
What I really liked about Bloodshed was the two brothers that were Donnie and Frank. They were both just minding their own business until fate was cruel enough to get them tangled up in a big bloody mess. The thing though is that while these two were the bad guys in the film, you still felt a lot of sympathy for them all the way through, and even though they did what "had to be done", no one in the movie came off as the despicable villain, but instead you kinda rooted for all of the character - how strange that even may sound. Both Íce Mrozek and Christopher Childs really delivered as the two brothers and Shana Lee Klisanin also pulled off a terrific performance as the kidnap victim as she was truly believable all the way through. As for the other actors in the film, they were decent enough to make it work and my only complaint would've been about the sheriff who wasn't your regular award-winning type of actor, but it's a minor thing that in the end doesn't really matter. But with all the actual suspense, likable characters and good story-telling that Bloodshed has to offer, it's more than easy to forget about the small faults that it might have and instead see it for what it truly is - and that is one bloody good movie.
Bloodshed is a little gem that you should most definitely check out. It had an intriguing story that, once it got started, also kept one pretty much glued to the screen. Rare movies like this definitely deserves more credit because they do what Hollywood has since long forgotten all about, and that is to tell a good story that feels genuine and that is easy to get into as well as to appreciate. Recommended.
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After having found their daughter Emma murdered, Julie and Allen Pyke rent an isolated cabin in the mountains in Kingspike to try and get away from the bad memories that they both carry. Former photographer Julie is deeply depressed and to make her feel better, Allen suggest to his wife that she should go out and start taking pictures again. She follows his advise and finds an abandoned prison nearby where she starts taking photos, but when developing those same photos, she sees that they have murder victims on them - something that only she can see as well. Meanwhile, Allen finds out that the people who owned the cabin before they moved in apparently killed themselves and as he digs deeper, he find out more and more about the mysterious place and what really happened there long ago.
As far as I know, Dark Remains was Brian Avenet-Bradley's third feature film and since I liked his previous feature that was Ghost of the Needle, I was pretty excited to check this one out. It's easy to tell that the director has improved a lot this time around; everything looks much more slick, the scares are more effective and Dark Remains oozes of being more professional than his previous film, even though that one was very good indeed. Best thing about this film though was how creepy it tended to get every here and there and reminded me of that similar feel that some Asian horrors have proved to cause.
If you didn't know it, we're dealing with an indie feature here, but don't let that turn you off one bit because Dark Remains neither look nor feels like your typical indie film. I have no idea what kind of budget Avenet-Bradley had when putting this together, but the film looked way better than your standard type of indie film and not for a second did I think of it as a low-budget feature; it was professionally shot, the acting was above average (for most parts that is) and the film delivered some really creepy angles that created one helluva great dreaful atmosphere.
 
I noticed how the film had certain sounds or music to it every time a scare was about to hit and I guess that worked both for it and a bit against it as a whole. Sure, it delivered a certain feel of dread, but at the same time made you aware of when to put the coffee cup down in order not to spill if you know what I mean. While all the scares might not have been effective, let me just say that there were plenty of those that really were and you got to witness them every once in a while all the way through, something that helped the film to never feel like it slowed down too much. To be honest, this is what I would sometimes like to see Asian films going towards, since a lot of the time, they have a tendency to just be to dull during the first hour to later fire off all the creepy stuff during the last 20 minutes or so. With Dark Remains, you got it all, all the time and that is a good spooky story that was told in a way that always made it easy to keep an interest up and add to that, great scares every now and then to keep the high level of horror up as well. I'm not saying that it was a fast-paced movie, but rather that the pacing was simply just very good.
It all sounds great doesn't it? Well, I must admit that the film was pretty darn great, but like most films, it also had things that tended to be not so good. Although, they are few and I guess some of it depends on what kind of taste you have. The leads in the movie Cheri Christian and Greg Thompson delivered fine performances and I must say that Greg Thompson who played Allen was extremely likable. While the other characters were never bad, most of them still didn't come close to manage to pull off what the two leads did, and that sometimes felt like it did drag the movie down a little bit. It's no major complaint though and it's definitely not reason enough not to see this movie, in fact, in the end it doesn't matter. The music in the film was also a factor that added some really good feel to the overall experience and I believe that Brian Avenet-Bradley might become a big name in the horror genre in the future.
If you wanna see a genuinely creepy ghost movie, Dark Remains would be an excellent choise. The film has a lot going for it and best thing was that it had scares that did actually work, something that is soooooo hard to find these days. Highly recommended!
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When Melissa from Phoenix heads to Los Angeles for an audition and never returns, her older sister Brenda in travels to LA in order to track her down. What she doesn't know is that Melissa is one of the victims of a mad ex-plastic surgeon named Dr. Cranston, who is seeking replacement parts for his disfigured daughter.
Dave Reda's indie horror Bit Parts proved to be one pretty exciting ride and actually reminded me a little bit of a brilliant film called Re-Animator. It's not dealing with a scientist trying to re-animate the dead though, but a plastic surgeon trying to find the perfect parts for his disfigured daughter. What the two films also have in common is that the main characters are mad, and that means that they'll stop at nothing to get what they want. We're dealing with a psychotic fellow named Dr. Cranston here, who once used to be one of the top plastic surgeons in LA, but who happened to be in a car accident that left his daughter disfigured, and after that, his whole life went down the drain. But instead of moping around doing nothing, Cranston places phony audition notices in the papers seeking actresses with perfect features to restore his daughter Maggie's once beautiful looks.
Bit Parts plays out more like an exciting thriller that sometimes switches over to gore-mode and has some comedy every here and there as well. It actually had less comical scenes than I first had thought that it would have, but I felt that this served more as quality over quantity, meaning that the little humour that was there worked well, but that it never took away focus from the suspense that was in the film. When talking about actual suspense, it was miles away from "nail-biting", but still had enough tension in it to keep the viewers interest up. If you're looking for scary this might not be it, but if seeking some enjoyable light suspense, Bit Parts would certainly prove to be a good choise.
 
What I really liked about Bit Parts was the fast pacing that it had all the way through it, but at the same time I have to complain about that some things felt a little bit rushed, although it's no biggie. Since it had such good pacing, I found myself having no problems sitting through the 72 minutes that it lasted for, and I'm happy to say that it pretty much delivered in the end. The special effects were decent for an indie feature and with more money, some of the gorier scenes that the film had to offer I'm sure could've looked great, (not saying it looked bad now, but those type of things are always a money issue).
While the film looks like your standard type of indie flick, the story that the film tells is interesting enough to make you focus on that, instead of how everything looks. Again, it's no real complaint, but rather something that could be fixed with some more cash, and I'm sure that if Reda were given some more money, he could pull off an above decent film. I find that there's no reason to complain too much about the acting either, while it might not be award-winning type of acting, it was good enough to make it work. While I really did like the villain in the film that was Dr. Cranston (played by Christopher Page), I didn't care too much for his daughter Maggie (Melissa Angel). While she wasn't really bad, she sure was one major headache, but I guess that depended on the annoying type of role/character she had to play and not just the performance alone. While Bit Parts might not be without some flaws, it still has a lot going for it and when talking indie standard, it's above average.
Although it might have a few minor issues to deal with, I found Bit Parts to be quite an entertaining ride and the storyline was interesting enough for one to keep an interest up throughout the whole film. The villain might've been a bit too likable and fartherly for one to feel any real horror or fear of him, but somehow, it was still all right. The film was not as cheesy as I first had thought it be either and with a big bag of green, I'm sure Mr. Reda could create some enjoyable films in the future.
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Jenny and Julian finds some strange chemical container in a hidden room that they take to their friend Cody for screening. Cody though finds a way to turn the chemical into a new party drug called "Z" and starts selling to it college kids which makes them turn into zombies. And as Halloween approaches and everyone's wearing costumes, it makes it quite hard to distinguish the living from the dead.
Rave to the Grave is a terrible movie, period. Did a drunken monkey write the script? Probably. Again we're faced with some of the idiots that were the very irritating characters in the God awful Necropolis. Buckle up folks, because now it's time to deal with them again and the headache will hit you twice as hard this time around. Well, maybe not, Necropolis was one shitty piece of film and I'm not sure if this was any worse, but what I'm sure of thought is that it was just as horrible and I would rather watch puke melt in the sun, than having to sit through this utterly crappy feature one more time. Trust me, it's that bad.
What the people behind this awful feature need is a swift kick in the balls. How can you make a flick this bad and then release it upon the world and why the hell is it called Return of the Living Dead? I'm aware that both Necropolis and Rave.. are sequels to the great three previous flicks, but they're also a disgrace to them. For a lot of horror fans out there, the original Return of the Living Dead is probably one of the top films on their list (I know I have it on mine) and watching this is just plain insulting. And if that wasn't bad enough, well, then you have the plot holes, the bad acting, the irritating teens, the dialogue and a lot of other shitty things, and the list goes on..
 
When watching a movie, I usually try and see the good things it has to it and while I don't live to complain, sometimes you just got to. I can honestly tell you that Rave to the Grave does not have one single redeeming quality and I can't tell you how much I hated that I wasted one and a half hour on this piece of crap. It's not a so-bad-it's-good type of movie, it's not a cool B-movie either; simply put, it's pure stinking garbage. I'm not gonna tell you about the story or anything else because I'm gonna go burn this DVD instead. All that's left to say is that I'd like to warn you about this little monster as it's just something that you shouldn't even go near.
If you didn't like Necropolis, there's no way you're gonna like this one. It was made by the same people, directed by the same guy and had some of the same actors in it - no wonder it turned out to be so shitty. It's just a shame that movies like this get to be made and I can't f**kin believe I sat through the whole thing. I think I'm gonna be sick.
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On a remote Irish farm, a man has been conducting genetic experiments with cow DNA in order to get the cows to reproduce faster. Things go horribly wrong though and the cows start giving birth to some horrific kind of creatures. Now, a couple of kids on the run and the farm owner, along with two others has to do everything in their power to stop the "disease" from spreading beyond the farm.
Isolation was a movie that I hadn't heard too much about before I saw it, but it was all a very pleasant surprise that somewhat reminded me of Carpenter's The Thing, although it was a bit different. The movie starts out in a gross way right from the start with a young lady having her hand inside a cow's butt. It might sound funny, but was quite gross and that was only the start, and as the film progressed, things just kept getting more and more nasty to say the least. I gotta say though that one reason to why I found Isolation to be such a good film was because of the seriousness it had to it and that it never stepped away from for even the slightest moment. A lot of films has a tendency to mess up the good atmosphere they sometimes have to it, but fortunately this one was not like that as it had a great dreaded atmosphere glued on it all the way through.
I don't think I've seen the actors before, but I gotta say that they truly delivered, and that is all of them. What made them so good might've been the realistic feel the movie had to it (even though dealing with mutated cows) and the characters actually felt like ordinary human beings one could releate to, instead of stereotyphical horror film actors that were just in some movie.
 
95 percent of Isolation takes place inside a barn and even though that might sound boring, trust me, it was not. It builds tension which just keeps increasing the further the movie goes and delivers full-on horror at a few places in the film that were pretty much great. For most of the time, the movie was kinda dark, not too dark though and I felt like that only added to the level of suspense. There were a few scenes that made me cringe and if you want blood and gore and be grossed out at the same time, this would be an excellent choise. Good thing though is that the gory scenes were justified and not just there for shock value and at the same time being somewhat pointless (which quite often can be the case), but instead they felt necessary and like I said before, justified.
Another movie it somewhat reminded me of was Alien, not saying that it ripped that film off, but that it had some similarities. No big thing at all though and Isolation is the type of film that easily manages to stand on its own. It looked very slick and was nicely directed, not to mention how gruesome it was, but at the same time always very suspenseful. While you don't get to see much of the horrible creature, beast, monster - whatever you wanna call it - it might've been a good thing because that only added suspense as well. I'm really happy that there were no humour in the film because I loved the serious tone that it had to it at all times and while it might not be very "scary", you will most likely feel a bit uncomfortable when watching it.
Maybe not for vegans, but sure a good pick for fans of good serious horror cinema.
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Valerie on the Stairs tells the tale of a novelist who discovers there are fates worse than literary anonymity in this sexually-charged tale of terror.
Based on a short story by Clive Barker, Valerie on the Stairs is probably a great read, but on film, as an episode in the MoH series, it just doesn't work. It starts off all right, but quickly becomes boring and quite predictable and stays like that until the very end which just felt very dull and made for an overall bad outcome. Garris tries hard, but even if the man wants well, it just doesn't cut it from a horror point of view. I've read a bunch of interviews with the man and while he seems like a great guy, his very films have never appealed to me and I'm sorry to say, but Valerie on the Stairs was no exception.
In Valerie on the Stairs we get to follow Rob Hanisee, a struggling writer trying to get published. He moves in at a place called Highberger House that is some kind of hostel for unpublished writers, where they can live for free until they're published. Not long after the guy has moved in and started to write his masterpiece, he hears crying and sounds in the walls and it doesn't take long before a girl appears before him on the stairs outside his room, begging for his help. Can you guess her name? Anyway, she at first seems to be held captive by the Beast Othakai who comes and takes her every time she appears before Rob, but then she seem to be Othakai's life partner as well. Naturally, Rob needs to find out who or what Valerie is and try to free her from the walls in the house that she's trapped behind.
 
Rob has to deal with the strange tenants in the house with one of them that he befriends and who's a guy that doesn't seem to write too much, but instead just likes to chit chat and smoke pot. Or at least that's the first impression you get, but the tenants of Highberger House are not really what they seem. Well, that's all I'm gonna say and I gotta say that it sounds somewhat exciting, but the fact is that it was really not. Like I said before, the episode starts off all right, but it soon starts to drag a little too much and the overall pacing is pretty much dreadful. Even though things do happen in the film, it somewhat feels like it just keeps on dragging and that made it a little hard trying to stay completely focused on it while it was making its way through.
Simply put, it goes from potentially interesting to bad and when at the end, you just know it's not gonna end in a satisfying way, and it doesn't either. Clare Grant who plays Valerie bears a slight resemblance to Sissy Spacek and that was pretty much all that I found to be cool with this episode, and I guess that pretty much says it all. I gotta admit that the very premise of the episode was interesting, but it quickly fell to to pieces as soon as the little mystery that it had to it started to unravel.
The acting was not bad, but I'm not gonna go as far as saying that it was good either, because while it may've been decent enough, the actors that were in the film didn't really stand out in any way. The lead character Rob, played by Tyron Leitso, felt pretty stale and didn't do much for the movie; he wasn't really that likable and it was hard rooting for him, even though he was supposed to be "the hero." Christopher Lloyd you'll recognize right away for the fact that he seems to be his usual self that we've all seen before. Tony Todd is of course the evil one and I guess he's all right for the part, but his character talks way too much nonsense which makes him less scary, or should I say not the least bit scary.
Valerie on the Stairs didn't feel like a horror film, but instead like a very slow moving drama that had a horror theme to it. It's too bad that Garris didn't succeed this time around and I was not a fan of his last episode that was The V Word either. It had a good start, but that was follow by a sleepy and uninteresting middle part which led to a pretty poor unsatisfying ending. It might all work great on paper, but on film it just didn't cut it.
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Alex is suffering from a degenerative bone disease and his wife Kristen is doing everything in her power to help her poor husband. Morgue attendant Thomas Granger, who's Alex best friends is also doing everything he possibly can to save his buddy and gives Kristen a combination of corpse marrow and red meat mixture to add into her husband's food. Too bad for Alex that the marrow wasn't fresh enough and it doesn't take long before the sick man becomes a flesh-craving Necro-junkie.
Ok, so obviously Bone Sickness is not a film for anyone and saying that it's just another gore flick would be to take things a little to light - it's THE gore film. Remember Peter Jackson's Braindead/Dead Alive? Bone Sickness goes beyond what that film did, gore-wise that is. Good things with Braindead though was that it was funny, the gore was funny and Bone Sickness is nothing like that, and that was why it didn't work for me. If I were to describe Bone Sickess I would go something like 'gore, gore, more gore and then some' and that would pretty much summarize the film up. It's not that I don't understand what the filmmakers wanted to do with their film, because I'm pretty sure that I do and that is to have fun and create one helluva gory film - so gory that you need a raincoat when watching it. And the fact is that they do it well, they succeed with what they set out to do so I'm not saying that it's a bad film, what I'm saying is that it's not my type of film.
Horror fans are different and what it all comes down to in the end is just a matter of taste. Some like disgusting stuff, some like mindless fun slasher flicks and some requrie a strong and scary story and you can count me in on the last one, even though I'm a sucker for goofy 80's horror among other things too. While I have nothing against gore, I wouldn't label myself a gorehound and I believe that gore is all right if justified. I can usually sit through practically anything and while I thought I would never say this about a movie - this one just has too much gore in it. Let me put it like this, if you call yourself a gorehound, go buy this film right now because Bone Sickness is your wet dream come true. Me, I'm not a picky kind of guy, but I prefer when focus is set on the story.
 
The story of the film is quite promising at first where we're introduced to Alex who is suffering from a degenerative bone disease. His wife, Kristen McNetti is doing what she can to help her husband out as his condition just keeps getting worse. This is something that we can all somewhat relate to I guess, not bone disease per say, but people getting sick, people needing help, just turn on whatever news channel, visit a hospital or go out and interact with people - the world's a mess and sometimes we feel bad for certain people. Alex is one of those people and you're just bound to feel some sympathy for the guy. Thomas Granger though, Alex best friend is determined to help Alex out and gives Kristen a combination of corpse marrow and red meat mixture to add into her husband's food. This is of course supposed to make the guy better, but it only makes him worse. Granger figures that what was wrong was that the marrow wasn't fresh enough, but it's a little to late since Alex has developed a taste for the recently deceased and is now a so-called Necro-junkie.
After that there's really no more new parts of the story to take in as the whole film just becomes a bloodbath, and what a bloodbath it is. Zombies, ghouls, naked chicks, limbs, flesh, tons of blood and gore and chaos all the way till the very end. The zombies are dry as hell, decaying corpses that moves very slow and that likes to feast on human flesh. I gotta say that the zombies were pretty great and had this genuine zombie-like feel to them and the filmmakers manages to portray them in an excellent and bone-chilling way. It must've been fun making a movie like this, working with all the make-up and gore and the filmmakers love for the genre definitely shines through. Paulin has his heart in the right place and gorehounds should really keep an eye on this guy, but for me personally, I'm just more into the psychological kind of horror.
This was a very hard movie to review due to the fact that I didn't really like it, but at the same time it's easy to see that the filmmakers have done things right. Bone Sickness definitely has the heart, the genuine zombies and more gore than I've probably ever seen before, so if you're into that kind of stuff, this would be a great pick.
Note: The review for Bone Sickness is for Unearthed Films' 2006 re-release of the movie that were originally released independently in 2004.
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Cliff and his wife Abbey are out driving one night and seems to have some marital problems. While arguing in the car, they soon get themselves into a horrible accident and Abby is burned beyond recognition. Later on Cliff wakes up in a hospital and soon finds out that Abby's in a coma and is on life support. Cliff returns home, but soon gets a visit from Abby, a ghostly visit but that leaves burn marks where she has touched him. She keeps showing up and when Cliff’s lawyer is found burned to death, Cliff begins to realize that Abby might be behind all what's happening.
Horror movies with a thinkable message, sometimes it works, sometimes it does not. I gotta admit that I was a little afraid that Rob Schmidt's Right To Die was gonna try and deliver some preachy message, like Homecoming did or Carpenter's Pro-Life, but luckily it didn't. Instead the episode turned out to be one cool kind of ghost story that was easy to get into at first, had some good horrific scenes to show for, some characters with a little depth to them and last but not least, an outcome that made one feel that watching Right To Die was time well spent. Maybe not the very best episode of the season so far, (can't really say which one has been), but definitely among the top ones and an episode that is well recommended to take a look at.
If you didn't know it, Rob Schmidt who directed this episode did also helm the survival horror Wrong Turn, a movie that I'm a big fan of so other than me at first being afraid of being slapped with a preachy message, I was also excited to see what Schmidt had in store for us. Written by John Esposito, who wrote the screenplay for Stephen King's Graveyard Shift, Schmidt manages to deliver a few chills, some gore, but most of all a great amount of suspense and dread that lingers for most of the way through it all. It's a story that deals with the supernatural, still it doesn't jump on the Asian horror wagon and even though it deals with a vengeful ghost, it does it in a slightly different kind of way.
 
The pacing of the film is extremely good and it had my full attention throughout it all, something I can't say about some of the other episodes in the series. As the story unfolds, we get flashbacks that makes for some twists and turns, and the good thing here was that Right To Die had horror to it all the way, be it supernatural or more of the realistic kind. While I want nothing more than for a film to really scare the living hell outta me, I can't say this one did, but on the other hand, those types of flicks are so rare it hardly ever happens anymore. What I can say though was that the scares were good, especially two of them. So even if the film wasn't "scary", from a horror point of view it sure did things right.
Martin Donovan who played Cliff was good and was very believable and so was his wife (played by Julia Anderson), even though she was a corpse in bandages for most of the time (which looked pretty darn horrific). What I found to be really cool though was that Corbin Bernsen had a role in the film where he plays Cliff's lawyer and friend, who's a bit of a sleazy guy who only thinks about money. He did an excellent job with the role, but overall the whole cast did a terrific job. The film also had some sex scenes that actually fit perfectly into the flick and were justified. I usually hate that in (normal) movies since those scenes are often just used as pointless fillers, but here they actually worked wonders. All in all, Rob Schmidt really delivered so check this one out.
One of the best episodes in the season so far, but why you might ask. Well, maybe because it didn't feel like it tried to be anything that had already been done hundreds of times before, and neither did it set out to create something completely original. What made it good was that it felt very genuine and delivered solid horror that worked really well. It had a great story to stand on from the start and from there, it only keep getting better...not to mention that it looked really good. In the end it might not be for everyone, but I'm sure a lot of horror fans will appreciate it.
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Being raised by an own abusive mother, schizophrenic Frank Zito needs to get revenge for the mistreatment he got as a child, and so he stalks and kills various young women in New York.
The best thing, or maybe the worst depending on how you see it, with William Lustig's Maniac is that it is very realistic and therefore much more frightening than your normal horror movie. Frank Zito doesn't wear a hockey mask, he doesn't bite girls in the neck, nor does use one specific weapon or leave riddles for the police to solve in order to find him, or find out what he's about to do next. No, he's just a schizophrenic psychopath, one that feels real and acts like a sane person at times to later drop that mask and become a beast..a beast that randomly stalks and kill girls. It's terrible, but in Maniac, as seen on screen, it's very good.
So we get to follow this nut-job that is Frank Zito, a man who goes out at night in order to kill women, scalping them and putting their hair and clothes on mannequins that his apartment is packed with. In there, he talks to them and he cares about them, all this because of an abusive mother. That is practically the film, that we get to follow Frank as he butchers women and keeps switching between the insane mode to the more sane mode every now and then. It might sound boring but it's most definitely not..what it is, is that it's very creepy and sometimes it even feels too darn real.
 
Even though it was made in the 80's, in 1980 to be exact, it has this great 70's feel to it. The way the people look and that very raw feel that a lot of movies from that time had, something that just totally disappeared later on in the 80's. Joe Spinell who plays the psychopath Frank himself does one helluva job with his character. It might have helped that Spinell both wrote and produced the film, but still, that doesn't mean that one can act, but the guy sure delivers there too. Of course, he should have a "greater feel" for the character he's playing since he wrote the guy himself so obviously, that might've helped a bit.
The pacing of the film might seem a bit slow at times, but these slower scenes makes it all so much creepier, and in the end it's more effective. I saw this movie ages ago when I was just a kid, but didn't realize just how good it was due to that I must've had ants in my pants. Watching it now though, it makes so much more sense and I could truly take it and understand it for the sickness it had to offer. It might sound weird, but watch it and if you really get into it, you'll see. It was quite hard though to feel sympathy for Frank since the guy's somewhat hard to relate to (if you're not a psycho yourself that is), but still, even for the things he did, he wasn't completely unlikable. This movie is much more gruesome and creepy than any slasher flick out there, because of that it has this realistic feel to it, and is about something that we read about in the newspapers every day.
Maniac is as fascinating as it is sick. Sometimes you don't wanna look, but you can help but to, and it's pretty much like that all the way through. But when it comes to horror, that is horror that almost feels too real, this one's sure worth the money.
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Jared is a car thief who is sentenced to serve some time in prison, but shortly after his arrival, he discovers that something's not right with the place. Soon the whole prison is filled with zombies and Jared and his cell-mate Miguel must find a way to get out before they turn into zombies themselves.
I honestly don't know what's up with indie filmmaking and zombies, as it seems like more than fifty percent of these filmmakers tend to wanna makes flicks filled with the undead, and with most of them saying they pay homage to George A. Romero. It's getting old, not to mention boring and personally I prefer psychological horror over zombies any day of the week. Living Dead Lock Up is an indie zombie flick as well, but that takes place in prison and that was actually something that made it seem a little different, and different is good, change is good, but of course it has its fair share of problems too.
Living Dead Lock Up is a pretty straight forward action flick that has a zombie/horror theme to it. Shot on digital video and made on a very tiny budget, the look of it is probably something you wouldn't say yes to at the alter. But hey, isn't it always like that when it comes to these types of films and to complain about such things would be just as shallow as it would be stupid. I mean, if you're a horror fan you've probably done your fair share of splashing around in the indie pond, so the look of movies like this shouldn't come as a big surprise. What I always try and do is to focus on what they filmmakers have been trying to accomplish, because as we all know, how things look is just a money issue.
 
The film do things right at first; we're introduced to Jared, a petty car thief who has just been sentenced to spend some time in jail. Once inside the walls, our hero is faced with people calling him a bitch, he gets beaten up and put through those things that are so typical for the whole prison enviroment. It's cool though because it makes it clear that the guy really is in jail and that life behind bars pretty much blows. If things weren't bad enough, some of the inmates soon start to turn into flesh-eating zombies that seems to be lurking around everywhere in the massive building. Jared and his cell-mate Miguel must find a way to escape as well as rescue Jared's girlfriend and take her with them, and that's were most of the focus lies, the very escape.
While the story is simple, it's just enough to be able to provide some semi-good entertainment, and Living Dead Lock Up has its charm, but the problem is that it starts to drag a little after a while. The little story that it has is just told too fast and then there's just action and zombies all the way through, until the credits roll. I wish they would've done more with the story, but you can't get everything now can you. While speaking of problems, another problem I had with the film was the use of digital effects, as it's simply way overdone. They should've just gone with what they had from the start and never bothered with all the effect nonsense since it didn't really improve anything, but instead just made it a lot harder to watch.
Acting-wise it's quite all right. Expect your standard indie type of acting and nothing else, and you'll be fine. I gotta admit that I liked the performance of Mario Xavier who plays the lead Jared. The guy really believed in what he was doing and that shined through, and I think stuff like that makes all the difference - that is when people truly believe in what they do. Even though I didn't really dig this movie, it is obvious that Xavier and c/o has a lot of heart and I believe that as long as that is the case, it's all a good thing.
In some indie movies the actors are sometimes almost laughing at the camera because they don't really believe in what they do, and I hate to watch stuff like that because really, why even make a film in the first place if that's the case. Fortunately, Living Dead Lock Up was nothing like that and while it might not look that great or have the most interesting story, it sure stands clear that the folks behind this film are truly dedicated people that really believe 110 percent in what they do. And as long as that's the case, there's nothing that says that there isn't a brighter future ahead.
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Jigsaws apprentice Amanda kidnap Dr. Lynn Denlon to keep the cancer-ridden Jigsaw alive for one last game that's about to be played. Dr. Denlon has to keep the puppet-masters heart beating, while Jeff, one of his other victims must complete a game. But if that wasn't enough, Jigsaw has even greater plans in store for them all.
For a while there it was hard to surf movie sites on the net without coming across the talk that for the moment was the coming of the 3rd movie in the SAW franchise. It finally came out and now they've already started on a 4th installment to be launched next Halloween. While I thought that the first movie was brilliant, I just found the second one to be a gory flick that managed to entertain, but that just were riding on the fame of the original. But for most of the time, with a few exceptions, it's pretty much always like that so it didn't come as a big surprise either. I gotta admit that I avoided this third film a while, because when people talk way too much about something, the attraction that it might've had at first somehow gets lost and instead becomes the complete opposite. Eventually I decided to give it a try though, because after all, it felt like a movie one "should" see, and maybe it was my low expectations of a third installment that did it, or I'm not sure what it was. What I'm sure of though is that I really liked it, much more than the second film.
While Saw III proved to be extremely entertaining, my main problem with this film was that I couldn't feel any less for the characters that were in it. Sometimes it felt like it was all for show, but without the heart. What I mean is that we're introduced to characters that we've never even seen before, who are hooked up to deadly devices and are about to be embraced by death, and all we want is to see how that device works and how their bodies are torn apart. Most of the characters are just a bit too shallow for one to be able to feel anything for them, and therefore, when most people die it means nothing, instead it's just fun and entertaining. In the end I guess that's the way you have to look at the Saw films, but if you do, you're in for one helluva gory treat.
 
What started out as a clever and scary low-budget production eventually grew up and became one sweet flashy-looking bloodfest. The relationship between Jigsaw and Amanda is revealed and that was actually pretty awesome to watch. I'd have to say that I really dug Amanda (Shawnee Smith) throughout the whole film, she really stood out and I came to like her more and more the further the movie went. She's a deranged psycho-bitch, but still I found her character to be very intriguing. The overall cast members were great, but personally I think that Bahar Soomekh's performance lacked something as you were supposed to feel really sorry for her, but it was quite impossible to feel anything for her character. Tobin Bell was great as in the other films, and this time around we even got a really good feel for his character, the more human side of him so to speak.
Saw III is a movie aimed at the fans though and you need to have seen the previous two before getting into this one, otherwise this film will make your head spin - early on as well as towards the end. I felt that this third movie didn't overdo it on the violence either, sure it was gory and utterly sadistic, but it also had another side to it, something that was lacking in the second installment. Also, I think we get more drama that really works this time around while the tension and suspense is always there, just waiting around the corner to hit again and again.
If you're a fan of the two previous films, you should most definitely check this one out as it's probably all you want it to be. It's not extremely predictable, but if you put your mind into it when watching, you can probably figure out what the outcome will look like. Even though this third film somewhat felt like it was gonna be the last chapter, it ends in such a way that a fourth film is "necessary".
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Long ago, a group of young kids bullied and tormented a local ice cream delivery man, dressed like a clown, which eventually led to his death. Fast-forward to present time and those kids are now all grown up and have families of their own. But the clown is back for revenge and uses the children to get to the adults.
I was actually pretty excited to get to see We All Scream For Ice Cream since it was directed by Tom Holland who gave us Child's Play and Fright Night among others. But while those two mentioned films were both pretty good, this episode did not fully satisfy.. or even satisfy for that matter. Apparently the film was based on a short story called "I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream, for Ice Cream" by John Farris, but unfortunately this film will not make you scream.. at least not in a good way. I never expected scares from Holland, rather that he would make the movie a bit comical, but it's just not really working on either ends. What is a bit sad is that Holland disappeared from the scene for a good ten year or so and I would've just liked to seen a better "come-back" than this.
So this guy Buster (played by William Forsythe) works as an ice cream man - a very sweet guy who makes the younger kids laugh, but who's also slightly retarded. Some kids play a prank on the poor guy, they let the brake go on his truck and he ends up dead (that's one helluva "prank" and some sadistic bunch of kids.) Well, the kids grow up to become adults and have families of their own, and the ice cream man comes back from the dead to get revenge. It's not really a bad horror story and I gotta admit that I was a bit intrigued early on and curious to where the story was going, but unfortunately sweet turned to sour pretty fast.
 
Lee Tergesen ('Toby' Beecher in OZ) plays Layne Bannixter who we get to follow and who is trying to solve the mystery with the evil clown. When the so-called horror actually kicked in, it felt like a horror movie for kids. Not that I ever thought it would be scary, but the horror was just way too simple and similar things have been done like a billion times before and predictable is the word. The final show-down was the greatest mess of this episode when Layne "battles" the clown Buster, but at that point I had already lost the little interest that I had before.
After last week's awesome episode that was Right To Die, watching this felt like getting smacked over the head. I'm sorry but it just didn't cut it at all. Thing is that we're supposed to be watching the very Masters of Horror's work here - now think about that for a while. A master is someone who have mastered something, meaning that person is not just good at it, but he or she pretty much rules when it comes to their thing. I think they should be way more selective with this series because some episodes are just, simply put, not that impressive at all. I'm a horror fan, but if this is what people consider to be the work of a master, well, then I better find myself a new hobby.
Tom Holland have made some cool stuff in the past, but this was an ugly flick, not worthy to put a Master stamp on at all. I don't think this would work even if you're one of those who are scared of clowns. Hope next week's episode will be a lot better, because it's episodes like this that makes you lose faith in the show.
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Audrey goes to visit her sister Karen in a Tokyo hospital to find out what happened to her, but soon after she arrives, Karen mysteriously dies. Now Audrey has to start digging to find the truth to what really happened to her sister. Also involved is a family from Chicago, three schoolgirls from Tokyo's International High School and a photojournalist from Hong Kong that all seems to be connected by the curse.
I guess horror and suspense fled the field when the production for The Grudge 2 began, because they were absolutely nowhere to be found within the movie. It would've been understandable if a big company had released this film only with the intention to make some green and would've had someone who had just been making romantic comedies or something like that before to helm it. But that is not the case now is it? What is really sad is that this movie was released by Ghost House Pictures that has Sam Raimi's name on it and was infact helmed by Japanese horror master Takashi Shimizu. Still, it turned out like your worst nightmare and that's not in the good sense.
So who's this horrible movie for then? Well, I guess that if I had been 12 years old or something, I probably would have found it somewhat enjoyable as well as scary, so I guess that means that it's aimed at all the teenagers out there with their heads in the air. So if you're one of those, well enjoy, but if your not you better just stick to the first four Japanese films (two being theatrical, two being made for tv.) What is the worst thing here is that there's evidence, in the form of most of the Japanese films that he have made, that Shimizu is a really talented guy, so it's quite sad to see his name on something like this.. it sure makes one lose faith.
 
The Grudge 2 really doesn't offer anything new and while we get sort of a better understanding to the grudges and some background knowledge of it all, it was still not enough to keep an interest up. I hated how the film started out with some clueless girls that visits a place where a woman was murdered, and obviously something "scary" happens there. Watching the very intro itself was like getting a kick in the balls, it had a foul taste to it and it felt very unlikely that the movie would turn around later on, and no, it didn't either.
The sequel picks up where the first film left off with Sarah Michelle Gellar being in a hospital in Tokyo and Gellar’s sister, Amber Tamblyn, goes there to visit her. It doesn't take long before the vampire slayer dies and her sister obviously needs to know what caused her death and tries to figure out what happened in the last film. At the same time, there's a second story going on, but you'll have to watch the film to find out about that yourself because I'm getting tired of describing it, maybe because I feel that I truly wasted some time watching the film and do not want to waste any more if possible.
Gotta mention Edison Chen though, who's a great actor and it was sad to see him in this film. He does a good job with his character, but the script for this film is so poor and just keeps repeating the ideas from the first film and really has nothing new to show for. Shimizu is a great director though and the film looks very sharp, unfortunately there's a lot of CGI work put into it which brings it down a bit, but what really brings it down is the somewhat slow-moving boring story and how the whole thing have been executed. The scares were all utterly predictable - you could see them coming from miles away and when they hit, they accomplished nothing decent whatsoever.
Just stick with the Japanese Ju-on films because watching this is just as amusing as getting poked with a stick. It might look nice on the outside, but on the inside there's not too much happening. I really hope Shimizu goes back to Japan and starts making those awesome flicks again, because this is just not working at all.
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A professional killer retires to his colorless apartment but soon starts to suffer from horrible headaches along with that he hears voices. In order to cure himself, he starts practising self-trepanation and hammers a nail into his skull. This seems to do the trick at first, but after a while he needs more, and more, and then some..
Imagine to hold a nail pressed against your skull and with your other hand take a hammer and start to pound it in.. the very thought kinda makes you cringe now doesn't it. Well, welcome to Russian director Andrey Iskanov's Nails, a sadistic piece of cinema that will most definitely make you cringe, over and over again. It might not be as horrible as it sounds though, and furthermore, while I at first thought that this movie was exclusively aimed at gorehounds, it later proved not to be the case at all. But to be able to dig Nails though, you'll have to have a very open mind because this is weird art, of the gruesome kind that is.
In Nails we are at first introduced to a hitman who's out on a job and seems to get it done right. We then get to follow him to his apartment where he start to experience these horrible headaches that just seems to never go away, and the same goes for the voices that he keeps hearing. Desperate for a cure, the hitman reads up on self-trepanation and soon hammers a nail into his skull. Trepanation being a medical procedure where you drill a hole in your head to expose part of the brain. This method, putting holes in the head, was used long ago but is a primitive method that's not really used anymore, and also something that you shouldn't practise on yourself. With that being said, this is exactly what the hitman does and it helps him. Problem though is that putting one hole in the head in not enough, kinda like doing heavy drugs.. you need one more fix, and then another and well, there you go.
 
As soon as the first nail enters his skull, he sees the world in a more sort of clear kinda way, but at the same time it's even more terrifying. He keeps putting nails into his skull and so keeps having horrible visions like on a bad acid trip or something like that. Comparable to the drug thing is that he becomes a "nail junkie", meaning that he can't stop what he's doing, and as the need keeps increasing, normal nails won't do anymore and after a while, well, it's time for the drill. I guess you can see where this is going and while it might sound like one guy just practically torturing himself for a good hour, there's more to Nails than just that.
What Nails really is, is extreme experimental filmmaking, like a heap of different drugs mixed together and injected at the same time, with this being the weird and scary result. Early on in the film, it was shot in black & white and I really dug that. Oftentimes these low-budget indie flicks have a tendency to look way more professional when shot in b&w; I've seen it a bunch of times before and for most of the time with a very good result. So I was happy at first because the movie looked kinda slick, but poow, suddenly it changed to color. After a while though it started to look good, being shot in color and all, and color was definitely something that this film needed to enhance the experience.. you'll know what I mean when you see it.
Set in a small desolate town somewhere in Siberia, Nails has this grim look of hopeless and lifelessness to it, but after a while it becomes very atmospheric, not to mention quite colorful. Iskanov is definitely a very creative guy, not a single doubt about that, who shows his art in a pretty raw and primitive form. While it for a while there somewhat reminded me of Eraserhead, Nails is definitely a movie that is quite different from your normal horror type of movie and if you're (very) open to new and different things when it comes to filmmaking, you might wanna give Nails a shot.
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Based on a famous story by Edgar Allan Poe, The Black Cat tells the tale of Poe himself who's short on cash and has no ideas at all, or what you'd call a writer's block. Then a black cat shows up and starts tormenting the poor writer, but maybe it's not as bad as it at first seems and maybe the black cat will inspire the writer to write one of his most famous stories ever.
In The Black Cat, Stuart Gordon has Mr. Re-Animator play Edgar Allan Poe, and Combs delivers a brilliant performance as the somewhat creepy-looking writer. Even though I don't really have any expectations for what to come in the series anymore, I gotta admit that I had some expectations for this episode since it was Gordon's turn and for him having cast Jeffrey Combs to be in it. In this 11th episode of the MoH series, Stuart Gordon has turned one of the old days horror masters Edgar Allan Poe's writings into film which works extremely well. What added an old, and I guess "Poe-ish" feel to it was that the film was shot in faded color which almost made it look like it had been shot in black & white - something that made the film have this old look to it which fits the very concept of what we're dealing with here perfectly.
Stuart Gordon was responsible for last season's Dreams in the Witch House which I actually did like quite a lot even though I've heard a lot of people complaining about it as well. Anyway, while Witch House might've been all right, The Black Cat is by far much better and most of it thanks to Jeffrey Combs for portraying Eddie Poe in such an excellent way. At times there, I tended to forget that it was Combs that I was watching; he looks a bit different and while that of course helps, what was the main reason for that was because of how he really captured the character he was portraying.
 
While Poe may have scared folks with his writings a long time ago, times have changed quite a lot since then and I was fearing that either they would go with that (I'm gonna use the word again here) Poe-ish kind of horror which probably wouldn't have worked too well. Or, that Gordon would add a too comical side to how the story would be told, but thankfully, neither or this did happen. What we get here is to follow Poe who is short on cash and is trying to expand his credit at the local inn/bar while his young wife is laying in bed at home and is being terminally ill. Her conditions keeps getting worse for each day that goes by and their black cat, Pluto, is constantly in Poe's way.
His only way to make money is to write a fabolous tale, but unfortunately the man is suffering from writer's block. So he keeps drinking, his wife's condition keeps getting worse and the cat is more annoying than ever. But there's much more to it than that, but since I don't want to spoil anything for potential viewers, I'm not gonna say any more.. just watch it, it's definitely worth it. The very look of the episode is very cool indeed and has this gothic kinda touch to it, and while I figured Gordon was gonna add some humour to it all, there's really none to be found as it's more quite the sad kinda story which works very very well. Just don't let your cat see it.
The Black Cat is the kind of film that has the very story in focus and that's always much appreciated. Not too much gore to be found, but the little that is there still feels somewhat massive and both looks and works tremendously well. So far, The Black Cat is definitely one of the better episodes, even though I'm sure that is a very individual thing.
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15 years ago, five men were abducted by aliens and only four of them got to return home. Now, these men have captured one of the aliens who killed their friend and who ruined their lives, and now it's time for revenge. But making things right tends to be harder than the men first had thought.
I'm pretty sure that Altered would've been a blast to see in the theater, but because of big studio suits, the movie ended up being just another straight-to-DVD release. While that is kinda sad and of course is a bad thing for the director as well as the rest of the cast & crew, that doesn't mean that Altered is not a good movie, because that it really is. What makes this movie so cool is the very different take on the whole alien abduction thing where we're used to aliens abducting people, but in Altered, it's the other way around - people abducting an alien. There are all kinds of cases around the world where people claim that they were abducted by aliens, and while some nuts may just be seeking attention, some cases have proven to be hard to fully explain. Anyway, what Altered deals with are a bunch of guys who were abducted when they were kids, but they got to return home and now, 15 years later, they want revenge so they kidnap one of the aliens that once kidnapped them.
Director Eduardo Sánchez was behind the mega indie hit that was The Blair Witch Project many years ago and since that is written on the very cover of Altered, I'm sure a lot of people will rent the film for that fact, as well as others will ignore it for the same reason. But whatever you thought of Blair Witch, I can tell you that Altered doesn't even compare to it, and was not filmed documentary-style either. So forget about that whole Blair Witch-thing because everything's quite different this time around.
 
Another thing that is very good when it comes to what Altered has to offer is that the alien is not some stupid CGI creation, and that alone just makes things so much better. It's a very stylish movie, at least when it comes to the effects and the gore, and the good thing is that it never overdo it and shows blood and guts just for the sake of being nasty; no, it's all justified and works wonders. Another thing that works wonders are the actors, or the actors portraying these characters that are rednecks. They have a very human and realistic side to them and are quite easy to relate to as well as to feel something for. Ordinary people that once have experienced something horrible come together to "make things right" and to get their sweet revenge, but things don't work out exactly as they first had planned.
Three rednecks kidnap this alien, that many years ago killed their friend, and brings the creature to their friend Wyatt who doesn't wanna be part of what the guys are up to at first. Eventually, Wyatt let the boys into his home and soon the alien is chained up on a table while the group decides what to do with it. But the alien's a sneaky little bastard that does everything in its power to escape, and soon the boys find themselves in a whole heap of trouble. While it might not be a scary movie per say, the horror's definitely there at times and so is the gore, accompanied by suspense. What I liked the most about this film was that it was truly easy to sit through, maybe due to the fact that it has plenty of things happening in it from start to finish. Entertaining is the word and with dull never being present, Altered is a pretty awesome ride.
I'm not too into Sci-Fi, but the only thing Sci-Fi about Altered is the fact that it has an alien in it and deals with an abduction kind of story, but other than that, it's pretty suspenseful and gory horror all the way. If you're looking for a great time and an easy enough movie to watch, Altered would be a good pick.
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When Mike's grandmother dies he and his family atends the funeral to later stay in her estate. In the big house Mike's ten year old daughter Amy accidentally knocks over a painting portraying George Washington and inside of the broken frame is a secret parchment, stating that Washington was a cannibal.
Whoa! This was so bad it was hard making it through the 56 minutes it lasted for, not to mention how meaningless it feels to write about something that doesn't deserve to be written about. But what the hell, let's go: The Washingtonians is based on a short story by satirical horror author Bentley Little and while it might work very well on paper, it does not work on film. Peter Medak's, whose merits include The Changeling, adaptation is pretty much a mess from beginning to end and even though these films are kinda short, it was really hard making it all the way through. This episode is not as much horror as it is comedy, or that is black comedy, but the kind that does not really work. Suggesting that George Washington was a cannibal who loved to eat little children might sound horrific and fun, but watch this episode and you'll see that it's pretty much anything but that.
When Mike's grandmother dies, he and his wife and daughter travels to the old lady's house and stays there to atend the funeral etc. His daughter Amy runs around and is afraid of pretty much everything you could think of. One day she heads down to the basement to mess around and be obnoxious, and knocks down a painting of George Washington. Inside the broken painting, Mike finds a parchment that was written by Washington himself, saying how the man liked to eat tasty little children. He later finds out that the parchment is authentic and it doesn't take long before all hell breaks loose and a group called the Washingtonians starts threaten him and his family.
 
If you wanna see a lot of creepy old people that are just as disgusting as they are weird then at least The Washingtonians has that to offer. It's not all extremely bad and it of course has a few things that could've been decent, problem though is that the whole story doesn't play out too well on screen. At times, the whole story and the acting is just so over-the-top it's not funny anymore, and talking about being fun, this is definitely a bad choise if you wanna have a laugh. The only person that I liked in this film was Venus Terzo who plays Mike's wife, thing is that she didn't do anything special really, but at the same time didn't come off as an idiot, something that pretty much everyone else did. The gore is there but it felt like watching a really bad zombie movie (with a decent budget though) and the cannibalistic side of things was not scary nor funny, it just ended up feeling quite stupid.
I'm pretty sure this was the worst episode in the series so far and I wouldn't sit through it again even if I got paid. Next week it's time for Norio Tsuruta so hopefully that'll be a helluva lot better.. well, it can't be any worse, that's for sure.
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Paul White (David Keith) is a father and a husband, but he can't help but succumb to the hunter part of his brain. While installing 1980's home entertainment systems for rich house wives, he kills them and stashes body parts in his wife's (Cathy Moriarity) abnormal home.
Donald Cammel (the director of the iconic Performance) wrote and directed this over the top drama wrapped in a slasher flick. The story of Cammel's life is perhaps more cult cinema than his short body of work; after a career of Hollywood interference, Cammel ritualistically shot himself in the head and visually experienced his slow death (35 minutes) with his reflection in a mirror. This truth alone peeks interest in Cammell's filmography, but the film that brings us into the art of death that Cammell so brilliantly noticed is White of the Eye.
The film opens up with a predatory eagle flying high over the cityscape, and of course we get a literal birds-eye-view that also brings us in to the point of view of a hunting animal. The film then cuts to the first murder seen of the film. The killer leaves a suffocating goldfish in a plate of dead meat being thawed for cooking. With Hitchcock style, the murder scene kicks in lick a loud speaker sliced by a blade. Fluids hyperbolically fly across the room, giving us the feel of a horror film, but none of the fluids belong to the victim. Like a true revisionist, Cammell begins his slasher flick with all the archetypes of the genre, but one is missing: the victim's blood. In opening the film this way, Cammell may be bringing the murder into a state of beauty as wine and red roses spill to the floor in slow motion-he is showing the aesthetic pleasure of murder that has been proven over and over again with the popularity of the horror genre.
 
As the film progresses, we are introduced to the degeneration from society's civilized normalcy. Paul White is not only an infidel; he is also a serial killer. The human monsters of slasher horror were formidable plagues of the city and suburbia especially. Cammell throws his monster even further into the American nightmare--the killer is daddy. The ideas in White of the Eye bring humans back to the animal ancestry about which Charles Darwin theorized. Maybe we're not meant to be tied down to one person; after all, animals don't understand the notion of fidelity, but they understand territory and the hunt (but could sexual freedom cause murder and mayhem and isn't that what the slasher genre always reveals). Cammell also brings up the possibility that the hunter simply may not stop at the animal; the hunter may become the animal, and the hunt may spatially spread up the food chain.
When looking at White of the Eye and Cammell's suicide, we may see that Cammell's self inflicted murder was not a tragedy, but exactly what the artist wanted. In the documentary Donald Cammell: The Ultimate Performance (1998), Cammell's wife, China Kong, mentions that Cammell "couldn't understand why the western civilization prefer[s] the last moments on earth [to] be random." With this statement and Cammell's history, we can see White of the Eye as an intelligent horror film that tries to break free of horror and civilization by reminding us that savagery is within us, and the animal also resides in the normalcy expected of us throughout our lives.
I can't recommend White of the Eye enough; the film is one that will be watched over and over again, and new appreciation and ideas will come with every viewing, a true cerebral horror picture.
Guest-written review by Brad Guillory
Jacob is a professional photographer who lures girls into his big studio that's located in a basement. In there he drugs them, take their pictures and then kills them. One day he meets Aimee, a girl who goes with him just like his previous victims, but who also fights him and almost manages to escape. Eventually Jacob gets the situation under control, or at least that's what he first thinks. But not before long, ghostly images and strange noises starts haunting him. Is he really alone down there in the big basement or is there someone there with him.. someone who's supposed to be dead?
Psychological horror, isn't it just a wonderful thing. No teens, no unnecessary/unjustified gore, no dumb monsters, but instead a creepy and horrifying story that is told in a clever way and that'll linger in your mind after that the film's over. Sure, if you'd watch stuff like this every day it might not be the greatest thing, but these little indie gems that really work are quite rare and therefore it's always something that's appreciated. To find movies that are really scary is not an easy task, at least not for a grown-up person who have spent his or her life watching horror flicks, so when these movies comes along it's just about as exciting as Christmas Eve when you were 5-something years old.
I saw Ghost of the Needle when it first came out and not only was it a creepy and well-told indie film, it was also very stylish, intelligent, not to mention artistic. Late last year I got to see Brian Avenet-Bradley's new movie that was Dark Remains which was a great horror film that dealt with the supernatural. A while after having seen that I figured I should give Ghost of the Needle another shot because the only thing I remembered about it was that it was good. I re-watched it and this time around it hit me just how good this flick really was, so I tell you this, if you tend to like these psychological horror type of films and have some interest in the whole indie scene, then look no further.
 
The great thing about Ghost of the Needle is that it pretty much does everything right from beginning to end; be it the acting, how the story is told, the suspense that just keeps increasing all the way through or the cinematography which is, simply put, just freakin’ great. Movies like this are pretty much the reason to why I love the horror genre, of course I'm into a lot of things horror, but if it wasn't for these kind of movies popping up kinda seldom but still once in a while, I'm not sure how long it would've lasted for. So thank you Brian for this, the horror biz most definitely need more filmmakers like yourself.
The writer/director/editor also has the lead in the film and plays a photographer named Jacob who likes to take innocent girls to his studio, drug them and take photos of them. And when all that is done, he simply kills them and moves on. One day, when out on a job, Jacob meets Aimee, a girl who he takes back to his studio and plans to kill as usual. But Aimee fights back and for a while there, she almost manages to escape, but "luckily" Jacob manages to get the situation under control.. well, at least that's what he thinks. It doesn't take long before he start hearing strange sounds and seeing dead people come alive again.
Ghost of the Needle is pretty much a nail-biter from start to finish and the way this movie was shot makes it carry a dreadful atmosphere with it pretty much all the time. The character development is good and even though we don't get too much background on Jacob, it still feels like you get to know the guy pretty well. Another interesting thing is that Jacob's the bad guy here, but when watching the film, you almost feel sorry for all the horrible situations he's put through. For an indie movie, the film looks great and it's obvious that Brian Avenet-Bradley is quite a talented man.
Ghost of the Needle is a very suspensful horror film that sure has its scary moments, and those are scary moments that actually works. If this film would've had a high budget, it would've been amazing, but as it is, it's still way beyond decent, in fact, it's pretty darn great.
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Five semi-crappy stories are thrown together in a big mess accompanied by some poor animation. They are all connected and this film should never have been made.
So you're a fan of the Creepshow series that Stephen King and George Romero started? Cool, me too. But I can tell you this though, that if you like the original and the very cool sequel then stick to those two, avoid this one and remember Creepshow as being something good, because this one sure brings the name down, a lot! We're introduced to some shitty animation to start with which kinda makes you wonder if you inserted the right disc in the DVD-player. Well, you did and it blows right away. Remember all the cool comic book stuff in the previous two films? I loved that, but it's all gone this time around. So there you go, the film pisses you off right from the start and when we dive into the five stories that Creepshow 3 has to offer, well, things only keeps getting worse.
The first story is called "Alice" and I'm sure I've read pretty much the same story in some old Donald Duck comic book when I was a kid (obviously without the gore.) Anyway, Alice seems like the kinda girl who likes to complain a lot, and she keeps doing that until she gets home where her father is playing with a universal remote that some weirdo professor down the street of surburbia has given him. He hits a button which makes the girl's family change from white to black, and then from black to Spanish. She gets to hear the same conversation that family members are having a few times around and every time someone pushes a button on the remote, the girl mutates into what the professor down the street says is her true form. This little entry was really short and thank God for that.
Next out is "The Radio" where a guy buys a radio from some bum on the street and later finds out that the radio can talk. The radio is gonna show him how to make cash and be successful and makes him do things. Even though it was far from good, at least the episode was somewhat decent, problem though is that it was a little too long, not to mention a little too predictable. At least the lead character was not as irritating as "Alice" was, but what I found to be somewhat irritating was that the guy who plays the detective in this short was the same guy who played the father in the previous entry which made things look a bit bad, couldn't someone else have stepped in to fill that part? I later found out that this with the actors stepping in here and there happened all the way through in the movie. In the end this short was actually fairly enjoyable, but just as forgettable.
 
"Rachel the Call Girl" is a girl you don't want to call, she might look nice (and muscular), but she's quite deadly. This pretty young lady is someone you'd call for a "good time" but she seems to hold a grudge towards horny boys and so she kills them. So this guy calls her and when she arrives at his place he says his parents are out of town, but the camera let us see that some dead bodies are hanging in the next room which leads us to think that this guy might be deadly too. And yes, he is. This one was not all bad but still not anywhere near good enough either. The problem with all the episodes are that even though they are short, they just felt way too long. You can expect some gore here, but don't expect too much.
Moving on to the fourth, called "Professor’s Dayton’s Wife", that is maybe the worst entry that Creepshow 3 has to show for. This old geezer, the professor from earlier shorts, is going to get married and has invited two of his former students over to meet his bride-to-be. The girl is way too young for the old sleazebag and she acts like a robot and can't seem to stop giggling which is so God damn irritating. Luckily these two boys figures that their former teacher has built her and wants to play a prank on him by taking her apart. Needless to say, it turns out she was a real human being. If you gonna watch this one put a bucket infront of you and get ready to do some serious vomiting. Yeah, it's that bad.
Finally we're getting to the end here and its in the form called "The Haunted Dog"; Dr. Farwell has to work in a free clinic for 30 days to prove that he cares about humanity. When buying a hot dog from a street vendor, the good doctor accidentally drops it on the ground and since he don't want to eat it after that, he gives it to a homeless man who dies in the street after he has taken the first bite. Then the hobo starts to haunt the doctor and it all turns stupid faster than in the blink of an eye.
Connecting all the stories was truly a bad idea that really makes no sense. You see one actor showing up in one episode and then later in the next.. what the hell? Also, the acting is at times so bad it's insane, and that this film has the very title that it has is truly a shame. While it didn't look like shit, all the ideas put into this films were and I can't really see how anyone could like this. I hope the people behind this awful mess never get to make another film.
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Anne, a mountain bike obsessed girl, has a one-night-stand with some jerk who later wants to see her dead. Was she really that bad?
The German-made, English-language thriller Blood Trails won the Audience Award at last year's Dead By Dawn Horror Festival and it's extremely hard to see why. Half an hour into the film, I was so sick of it I wanted to explode. The story is boring and really offers nothing new, but is instead a tired slasher flick without any good slashing going on. I heard that Blood Trails were supposed to be a mix between Wolf Creek and High Tension and I was kinda excited to get to see it, but man, am I glad the film's finally over. While I thought nothing much of Wolf Creek, it would still beat the hell outta this flick any day of the week, and High Tension was a great movie so just comparing that film to this one is way wrong.
Basically it goes something like this: Anne has had a one-night-stand with some random guy who for some reason is very angry with her. Was she bad in bed? Didn't she make him breakfast the following morning? I don't know and I couldn't care less, they both suck and so does this flick. She heads up to the mountains with her boyfriend to do some serious mountain biking, but someone's stalking her and guess who? Yeah, it's the one-night-stand guy and he won't leave her alone. So he proceeds with killing Anne's boyfriend and then he kills everyone else up there that she tries to talk to as well. The main problem here is that we know who Anne's stalker is from the beginning so there's no mystery whatsoever to who it could be that follows her around the big forest and kills people to left and right. That would've been fine if the film would've had some really clever twist to it in the end, but it doesn't and you find out that watching this film was truly a waste of time.
 
When it comes to movies like this, it's good to have some character to root for, be it the evil villain or the helpless girl being chased by the psychotic killer. In Blood Trails though you have no one to root for at all and that just makes it even more difficult to sit through. Anne's stalker is some boring normal-looking guy in a wetsuit or if it's a dress you wear when biking around, I don't know but it's not important anyway. Anne herself is a very irritating young lady who is impossible to feel any sympathy for whatsoever. The gore is nothing you haven't seen a hundred times before and the suspense (something that a movie like this can not do without) is absolutely nowhere to be found. The acting is not bad, but it does not make you go whoa! either, and there's no character development to talk about. The actors do their job, but since Blood Trails has nothing to stand on to begin with, it doesn't really matter if the acting would've been supreme.. it would still blow and it sure did.
Not that I expected Blood Trails to be a great flick to begin with, but I would never have thought it would turn out to be so darn bad. Blood Trails may try hard, but in the end it's just too slow and way too predictable. There's really nothing rewarding here and if I were you, I wouldn't waste my time watching this mess.. there are some way better genre films out there for sure.
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A family moves from Chicago to a farm to start a new life, but it doesn't take long before the daughter of the family starts seeing ghosts, only problem is that no one believes her.
Once again talented people leaves the East to take their careers further, to a more commercial level, in the U.S.. and the result? Well, as usual not that great, or very good for that matter. The very premise of The Messengers is not bad at all and I was excited to get to see some farm house horror with maybe an Asian twist to it. But in the end sweet turned sour and the last 15 minutes or so of the movie was quite the mess. Apparently there were some trouble on the set and there were re-shoots that had to be done, but not by the Pang Bros. It would've been fun to know exactly what went on, how much say the Directors had in the end and so on and so forth, because even if The Messengers sure had some Pang-ish feel to it, it was just not there to last all the way.
At least this time around we're not dealing with a remake, but nevertheless, we're dealing with Hollywood horror and that's just not a great thing these days.. still, they keep putting them out there. This film could maybe work well for those commercial moviegoers that are not too familiarized with the whole horror genre, but for horror fans, it just doesn't cut it.
 
The Solomon family moves to a farm to get a fresh start and to get away from their troubled past. Joining them is John Corbett who I belive is a good actor but that doesn't quite cut it here either. He's asking for work and Roy, the dad, hires him and you know right then and there that this guy has a secret or two. Anyway, it doesn't take long before the daughter Jess (Kristen Stewart) and her mute little brother (played by Silent Hills' Jodelle Ferland!) starts seeing ghosts. Jess tries to explain this to her mom and dad, but they won't listen to what she has to say and just believes she's unsatisfied with her new home. Why are there ghost in the house and did something happen in there in the past? Well, that's up to you to find out.
With most other films, I would not have cared, but since this was Pang material it was somehow more disappointing in the end. I gotta admit that I was really getting into it during the first half of the movie; the story was building some suspense and everything looked nice and dandy. There were scenes where crows attacked that were very visceral and the whole setting of the film, out there on that big ol' farm, looked great. The scares did not work too well though and it was too easy to see when they were gonna hit, still though, the film had a good feel to it. But towards the end, when the mystery revealed itself things became too simple, boring and you knew it was not gonna end well.. and it didn't either.
It was definitely not so bad that The Messengers is a film that you should totally avoid. If you have an interest in the Pang Bros. American debut, then by all means, go see it, just don't expect much.
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American lawyer Jack lives in Tokyo and since he saw his little brother drown when they were young, he has had a fear of water. One day a client of his calls him up and wants to have a business meeting on his yacht which Jack, after some serious consideration, agrees to. With them is the client's wife who Jack is currently having an affair with. Is it all just a coincidence or does Jack's client want something else besides having a business meeting?
Dream Cruise may seem like a standard Japanese ghost movie (with an American actor in the middle of it), but is a decent entry in the 2nd season of Masters of Horror; some of it due to the fact that a few of the scares actually worked quite well. It is Norio (Premonition, Ringu 0, Kakashi) Tsuruta who's helming the final episode of the new season and I believe that the way Dream Cruise plays out will appeal to both a Western as well as an Eastern audience. Needless to say, you don't have to be a fan of J-Horror to enjoy this episode, but if you are, you may be in for a treat.. or maybe you've already grown sick of seeing the same thing over and over again. While Dream Cruise was nothing spectacular and while we've seen better episodes in the series, it was still easy enough to sit through and while it was not very memorable, it sure had its moments.
With Dream Cruise, Tsuruta adapts another story by Kôji Suzuki who wrote Ringu, Ringu 2, Ringu 0, Rasen etc. and this time it's about love and dread on a boat. While I said earlier that this episode would work for both East and West, I think it's safe to say that those that have seen a lot of Japanese horror films have probably seen it all before, with the exception of the location of the boat of course, but where it takes place is actually not that interesting. It is kinda predictable and while it is rather interesting halfway through, the story falls overboard and pretty much drowns in the end.
 
Jack is an American lawyer in Tokyo who has one major fear and that is the sea. His little brother drowned in front of him when they were boys young boys and since then Jack has kept himself on land, and to this day, Jack still has nightmares about the tragic accident that he blames himself for. Then one of Jack's clients (Ryo Ishibashi - Suicide Club, Audition) wants to have a business meeting on his yacht and after some persuasion, Jack accepts the invitation. Apart from Jack, the client's wife also joins them at sea and this lady just so happens to be Jack's current lover. Is it all just a coincidence or does Jack's client want something else besides having a business meeting?
For most of the episode, it's quite obvious what will happen next, where the story will take us and such, but I still found it to be quite all right, that is at least until the last ten minutes or so. While a lot of J-Horror's have a tendency to be slow-paced, Dream Cruise was not and it actually delivered some totally ok scares. Although some scares were stupid and towards the end of the film, the horror seemed a bit too drawn out and pretty much showed some scenes that reminded you of a few other Asian horror films. The acting was actually not that great, but instead came off as a bit mediocre. I don't know if it was the mix between East and West that did not make it work or what it was, but the acting left something to wish for. In the end, Dream Cruise was decent and I really dug some of the scares, but at the same time, it really didn't deliver anything new.
For fans of J-Horror, Dream Cruise may seem a bit clichéd and really offers nothing you haven't seen before. Still, Tsuruta manages to deliver the creeps a few times and while that might not save the flick, it still gave you some value for the money.
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The psychopath Jonah murdered two little girl almost ten years ago and have been incarcerated in a mental institute ever since, but the freak manages to escape and returns to where he feels most at home; in an amusement park attraction called Dark Ride. Meanwhile, six s**theads go on a road trip and just so happens to stop by the park to go on the ride.
Right, where to start.. Dark Ride is so bad it's not even funny. In fact, it is a film that you've probably seen hundreds of times before; it's stalk and slash where stupid, incredibly stupid, teens meets a "gruesome" fate. Their only reason to live is to die and while it fills my heart with joy watching these f**ks die, Dark Ride does not cut it as a proper horror film. Thing is that the ride is not very dark, it's just extremely boring and you can't wait for it to be over. When the credits started to roll in the end, it felt like the movie had kept playing for ages, a neverending mess and add to that, speaking from a horror fan's point of view, it felt like you had been violated. Yes, it was that freakin’ bad.
Dark Ride was one of the "8 Films To Die For" that were shown at the After Dark Horrorfest, and how the film even got picked up from the beginning is beyond me. It takes an eternity before anything remotely interesting happens and during that time, the story delivers such an headache it feels like your head is going to explode any minute. The film could've easily lasted for hardly an hour instead of streaching it out to 90 horrific minutes, and like I said before, it's hell to sit through it.. well, that is if hell would be the most boring place on Earth.
 
The plot is retared and so are all the actors, and they will piss you off, over and over again until you can't take it anymore. I'm not gonna describe the actors or what type of characters they're trying to portray, let's just say that they're all douchebags and if I were to spend one minute in real life with any of these characters, I'm a 110 percent sure I would've been arrested for assult. That's about how likable they are and what kind of effect they have on you.
It may sound a bit harsh, but I believe Dark Ride to be a very bad excuse for a (horror) film. Sure, it may have the gore some of us are seeking and it may have one or two shitty thrills, but in the end that ain't worth nothing and the whole film is pretty much crap defined. A bunch of teens decide to spend the night in the "dark ride" in an amusement park, s**t happens and they are too dumb to be able to find their way out. The settings of Dark Ride is not bad though, only problem is that the filmmakers doesn't do anything proper with it as it could've been a lot more atmospheric and more suspenseful if done right. But the bad pacing, the drawn-out unnecessary scenes and the gut wrenching acting, not to mention the plot holes, are all major parts of the film that just drags it down way too much.
Maybe the film could be fun for some, but I can promise you it has nothing new to offer and I'm just sick to the bone of having to sit through these kind of crappy so-called horror films that really do nothing for you more than giving you one major headache. Believe me or not, but Dark Ride is so not worth the ride.
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Kristel’s dad died in a brutal car accident following an argument that the two had. Racked with guilt, Kristel takes some high school friends to a museum, located in an old abandoned mine, in hopes of retrieving the manuscript her father was writing about eighteenth and nineteenth century serial killers. Her dad was particularly interested in Andries Martiens, a man sentenced to death for slaughtering several youths. Martiens died in a massive explosion centuries ago, but it’s rumored his spirit still haunts the mine and is hungry for another Slaughter Night.
Horror films from the Netherrealms may not be as common as the country's beautiful tulips, but with Sl8n8, Holland shows that they know how to make them. While DoodEind, the Dutch film that also featured a performance by Sl8n8's lead Victoria Koblenko, might not have been a very good film, Sl8n8 steps up a notch and delivers a very slick-looking and horrific ride. Dealing with people that find themselves trapped in a mine, the film has a slight Descent-feel to it due to the claustrophobic settings, but that is also pretty much all the two films have in common. Instead, Sl8n8 takes the supernatural road where a mine is haunted by the restless spirit of a serial killer from the past.
A very good thing that Sl8n8 has going for it is that the group of young people that find themselves trapped inside a mine are not the usual group of stereotyphical youngsters that we are so used to seeing in these type of films. There's one real jerk among them, but other than that, it's quite easy to relate to most of the folks. That is normal folks that doesn't have their heads in the air, or say things you wouldn't say in the kind of situation that they're in. No jocks, no nerds, no irritating cheerleader type of girls, no cheap-shot at boobs or anything like that.. awesome, and I would like to give kudos to the filmmakers for understanding that s**t like that is not needed in every freakin´horror film that comes out.
 
Now on to the story. While Sl8n8 might not tell the most original of tales, it's enough to make the film work in an interesting way as well as to deliver some horrific entertainment. Kristel's dad dies in a car accident and later on Kristel takes some friends with her to go pick up her father's manuscript that he left behind in his office. She's offered by the man who runs the place to go on a guided tour in a mine that her father had written about and what happened there, and she accepts. Soon though, Kristel and her friends find themselves trapped down in the mine and things only get worse when they find out that the restless spirit of a serial killer from the past named Andries Martiens is down there with them.
Running around in the tight tunnels down below, a claustrophobic feel soon hangs thick in the air, but that is not the best thing about the film. No, the best thing is when the action sets in and during the last 30-or-so minutes, Sl8n8 becomes quite the gory flick to watch. Now the gore looks really good and so does the whole film, but it is the action elements that makes it work, not the very story itself or the "scares" as they're not that great. Again, it might not be the most original of films, but it does provide some good horror entertainment, decent acting and great looking gore.
It's great to see some good horror coming out of Holland and I sure hope they keep em´ coming. While it might not have a story that'll blow your mind, at least it has characters that won't irritate the hell outta you and in the end, it's quite a good piece of horror cinema that you might wanna take a look at if given the chance.
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When a voodoo experiment goes wrong, three nerds wake up in a morgue the next day and find that they're all zombies. At first they discover that they are super strong and have great powers, but soon they fall apart and must try and find a cure to snap out of their current state of undeadness.
Well blow me backwards. Sitting through Night of the Living Dorks would probably be something similar to getting hit by a car and then when you're seriously injured and hospitalized, the nurse forces you to watch a Pauly Shore movie ten times in a row. You could literally feel thousands of your brain cells getting completely fried and wasted during the course of the film, and I believe this is one of the dumbest, most ridiculous films I've seen in years. Some moron over at the IMDB described Night of the Living Dorks as a "refreshing teen comedy" and that might apply if you're retarded, but this German semi rip-off of American Pie is nothing but 89 minutes of the worst unoriginal, unfunny crap when it comes to movie making. Ok, so it might have a couple of jokes that do actually work, only thing though is that they get lost in puddle of crap that the movie's floating in.
 
One thing I have never been able to watch is dubbed films as it gives them a unrealistic feel, not to mention that it looks incredibly stupid. Well, Night of the Living Dorks was dubbed all right, and if it wasn't a bad movie to begin with, the dubbing only added more negativity to it. Ok, so the movie relies on being idiotic so one would have to try and go with it, but it is h-a-r-d.. way too hard. Imagine a horrible version of American Pie where the jokes are way too obvious and not the least bit funny, and instead of hearing these shitty American skate-punk songs, we get to hear shitty German skate-punk songs.. uhhh. Furthermore it has a horror, well a zombie twist to it which could've been a funny thing, bit it is not and the girl that's supposed to be hot looks like a train wreck. Did I mention that all the actors blow? No? Well, they do, a whole lot.
When hearing comedy and zombies you might of course think Shaun of the Dead, but think again because to even compare these two movies would be pretty blasphemous. I know some people that would probably enjoy this film, but these are the kind of people that would also claim that Steven Seagal is a really talented actor, and I guess that pretty much says it all. I didn't find Dead and Breakfast to be a very good movie but since they are a bit similar and if I were going to compare them, I'd have to say that Dead and Breakfast is one glorious film indeed. Night of the Living Dorks has a little of that horror comedy feel a la the 80's to it, and even though I'm a big fan of 80's horror, it doesn't help the film get any better at all. So the special effects may not be that bad and the make-up may work too along with a couple of gags, but that does so not make a whole film.
I sit through way too many crappy horror movies every week, but usually, even though some films can be pretty awful they still might have something that's a little rewarding. Night of the Living Dorks has nothing of that and those minor things that do actually work are so overshadowed by all the crap, they're not even there anymore.
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Recently freed after 25 years for killing his girlfriend, Antonio Frau has just inherited an old motel from a relative he never knew. Old habits die hard and Antonio takes this as a sign from God to begin “cleansing” those who have lost the will to live. He leads his naive victims to room 6 where he purifies them through excruciating pain and blood-soaked torture, while at the same time, continuing his everyday life next to his new wife.
H6: Diary of a Serial Killer is definitely one of those, the less you know the better films, as it is the type of movie that needs to be seen by yourself, rather than to be heard about from others. I did the mistake of reading up a bit too much on it before I sat down to watch the film, although that didn't ruin it for me, instead it may have changed the way I looked at it. From the few reviews I read, it sounded like I was in for one sadistic and gory ride a la Hostel and Saw, but now, after having seen the film, I wouldn't compare H6 to those two previously mentioned movies. It might be sadistic, but while Hostel has just one layer to it, H6 has ten and should therefore not be compared to such films. If you're only looking for gore and cheap kills, H6 will most likely seem too slow and not very rewarding, but if you'd actually want to challenge your mind a bit, then H6 is a striking dark drama that has a lot to offer.
I do not speak Spanish and one thing I noticed was how good the subtitles were, they had a great flow and it never felt like you were missing out for the reason that you didn't know the language. It may not sound like a big thing but it really is, and the work put in here makes the film so much more enjoyable. This is often a big problem when it comes to Asian movies, that the subs suck and while they do make you understand what's going on, there's no flow and flow is everything in order to get a better understanding, and moreover, a better experience.
 
As the movie starts, we're introduced to Antonio Frau and we get to see him beat up his girlfriend, eventually kill her and is after that sentenced to spend a long time in prison. Fast-forward 25 years and Mr. Frau has now been rehabilitated so that probably means that he won't kill again. Wrong. Although, the man has changed his ways and is not the aggressive person he once used to be, and when he inherits a motel, that used to be a brothel, from his recently deceased aunt, life suddenly has a new meaning to it. The way Antonio Frau sees it is that God has given him a mission, a mission to cleans those who have lost their will to live, and so the man starts bringing home prostitutes to "let them have it."
Depending on how you look at things, H6 may seem a bit sadistic but I never felt that the violence or sadism was unjustified. That does so not mean that I'm some sicko who likes to watch people getting tortured, on the contrary, but the way things are done in H6 never feel like it's too much or over-the-top, it just works and delivers a good amount of fear. While obviously Antonio Frau is one sick mother, the guy has a certain charm which pretty much makes it impossible to hate him. In fact, at times it feels, despite of what he does, that he's the only normal character around since the other ones are the kinda "leeches" that preys on other people. He kills some pimp, some drugged up hookers and at the same time, his wife is a slut who's sleeping around with the doctors at the hospital she works at. No one is really likable, still it's hard not to feel some sympathy for each and every one, and that makes things interesting to say the least.
I could go on and on about H6 and all the "nice" things it has to offer, but I think you just need to see the film to truly be able to grasp what it is about. Let me say this though, not only is it very interesting but it also looks terrific. The colors used are fantastic and so is the whole tone of the film. Highly recommended.
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George Walker returns to his deceased grandmother's house to claim his inheritance and to try and fix the old place up before the city condemns it. With the help from his neighbour, George keeps working on the house every day, but soon starts to suffer from terrible nightmares that are hard to tell if they're just dreams or reality. It doesn't take long before George realizes that these dreams are in fact real, but when he tries to tell people about it, they just think he's crazy. Did something bad happened in his grandmother's house while he was away? It's up to Mr. Walker to find out.
Weiler's Head Trauma is without a doubt one of the best indie films to come out in 2006, and dealing with psychological horror, I found it to be right up my alley. This is one of those somewhat rare films where one tends to forget that you're just watching another movie, instead, it sweps you off your feet and it feel like you land right in the middle of it, if you know what I'm saying. The future looks bright for the director who had success with his directional debut that was The Last Broadcast and now, delivering Head Trauma, Weiler proves that he's an excellent filmmaker. The film is very interesting in the way that it deals with something that we all can relate to, what's inside of our own heads, buried deep down. And when you keep thinking about it, things just keeps getting scarier and that is pretty much how this movie goes.
Head Trauma begins with that we're introduced to George Walker who returns to his hometown to try and fix up his grandmother’s house before it will be demolished by the city. The house is a complete mess and as George keep discovering everything that's wrong inside of it, he gets to know a neighbor and meets a girl from his past that he starts to get to know all over again. But soon terrible things hit and George starts having bizarre and horrible nightmares, and if that wasn't enough, the same visions soon start to invade his waking life during day as well.
 
Not only does this film look absolutely superb with its creepy locations and outstanding cinematography, but it's also a film that goes from creepy to incredibly creepy and never lets down the guard. It stands quite clear that Weiler was inspired by Asian horror films when he crafted Head Trauma, but the good thing here is that he succeeds in what he's trying to do and so the film does not fall flat like so many other similar type of films, be it Asian or American. The problem with most horror flicks seems to be that the filmmakers never know when to place the scares for them to work in a effective way, but luckily Weiler does that right too, delivering nightmarish imagery that'll stick in your mind long after that the film's over.
The very pacing of the film is excellent with a somewhat slow start to get things rolling and to build the foundation of tension to come. Then it shifts to another gear and starts delivering creepy terror to a 110 percent. So when it comes to horror, Weiler sure shows that he knows how to handle it, only problem is that some of the actors does not respond to it as well as one could've hoped for. Don't get me wrong as I'm not saying it's one of those indie flicks where the acting just sucks, but rather that some of the actors are newcomers and it's just too obvious and it shines through a little too much at times, especially with the lead George. Still though, the script for Head Trauma is pretty darn close to perfect and so is everything else in it, so even if the acting at times could've been better, it's no reason not to check this one out. In fact, if you don't you are certain to miss out on some splendid horror.
Head Trauma is a very inventive flick that may have been made on a minimal budget but that still comes out looking nothing but grand. With its Hitchcock feel that is constantly there mixed with Asian influences such as Ringu and Dark Water, Head Trauma is a film that will probably make you jump high when watching it, not to mention that it may creep you out as well. Grow some nails before you watch this one so you don't start grinding your fingers down by mistake.
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When serial killer Gabriel Engel is arrested, country cop Michael Martens travels to the city to interrogate him. He hopes to get a confession from Engel, but instead the crazed killer turns Martens' world upside down.
You may have heard about this film, Antibodies, I sure know I have. "A top-notch psychological horror-thriller", "a gruesome ride into the mind of a twisted child murderer", "a gripping and chilling piece of cinema".. and the list goes on. So obviously I was expecting one helluva good thriller that would not only be suspenseful, but extremely clever as well. Now, Antibodies is not a bad film per say, but it was not half as smart or "chilling" as some people claim it to be, in fact, it wasn't better than you're average episode of CSI and while that may be all right, it does not make it great. In the same vein as Silence of the Lambs? Hell no, it's rather that Antibodies at times is a clone of Silence of the Lambs, something that the filmmaker even admit to early on in the film, making a reference to Hannibal Lecter. But doing by that and showing that Alvart is aware of that he's stepping into the territory of another film does not justify his actions. The borrowing becomes too much, it's just way too similar and has a foul taste to it.
We're treated to a pretty good intro, but as soon as the lead, Michael Martens (Wotan Wilke Möhring), makes his first appearance, things start to go down-hill. Why? His character is one of the most boring characters ever, and even though I at times through the course of the film found myself struggling to like it and to accept him, I just couldn't. He is this police man that lives out in the country where he upholds the law, he's a married man, a "good christian" and a very wooden type of person. Furthermore, he's Antibodies' "Jodie Foster", the only man the vicious serial killer, who's a sissy version of Hannibal Lecter, wants to talk to.
The camera work is good and the film looks very slick, but the fact is that it feels like watching a tv-thriller and that's not a good thing. To even compare the film to Seven is absolutely crazy since Seven was a truly smart movie and Antibodies feels somewhat like the little brother to all these smart bigger thrillers, that have been looking up to them for ages and now trying to be just as good, but that does not even come close.
 
As the film starts, serial murderer Engel is captured and is being questioned for the murder of a whole heap of young boys and a cop. Soon, the body of a young girl, from the town of Herzbach, is found and the murder fits Engel's profile as well, but the loony denies that he had anything to do with the death of the girl. Eventually, the police in the big city calls for police officer Michael, also from the town of Herzbach, who after having visited Engel, seems to be the only one Engel wants to speak to. So the police have to continue using the country cop Michael in order to find more leads.
While it starts out as cop versus serial killer, director Alvart soon takes the movie in a more Biblical direction and re-tells the story of Abraham attempting to kill his son Isaac. This Biblical direction of the film is absolutely horrible and so is all the borrowing from Silence of the Lambs, and there's no excuse for that because it's not like it pays homage or anything, it just borrows, and may I add heavily. The serial killer Engel is supposed to be one smart mother, but by showing him off like this, Antibodies' keeps aiming at something it just can't reach and needless to say, it does not have a satisfying outcome.
I would like to discuss the ending a whole lot, but because of possible spoiler, I can't talk too much about it. Let's just say that if you think about it during the course of the film, you can probably figure out that Engel has some "diabolical" plan to release upon the poor country cop towards the end and that is correct. Furthermore, a plan like that is just a piece of the cake and obviously the film needs another twist to make it seem really smart and unpredictable. And it does have a twist and I have to admit that it is a very good twist, unfortunately Alvart does not stick with the "sad" ending that could've made the outcome seem so much better. Instead he makes it end in a typical Hollywood fashion kind of way, so that you will feel good and not be leaving the theater all upset. Well, that is just too bad.
While Antibodies may have some redeeming qualities, the Biblical part of the movie is terrible and with this Christian layer that constantly lays thick over the whole film, it's hard to not feel a bit sick every once in a while. The suspense is really nowhere to be found and the heavy influence of Silence of the Lambs makes the film quite uncomfortable to watch. Our "hero" is dull and not the least bit likable and the serial killer is not half as terrifying as some reviewers wants him to be. In the end, Antibodies may work as a tv-thriller in Germany, but if you want to see some really clever thriller, then just re-watch Silence of the Lambs or Seven one more time.
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The Newman's are in South Africa and when the dad is going to work, his new wife takes the kids on safari with a tour guide. They soon find out that there are vicious lions all around and when their tour guide is killed, they have to try and survive on their own.
I'm a big fan of Animal Planet and watching nature shows because even though I'm often not that interested at first, these shows often tend to draw you in, and at the same time they're somewhat relaxing to watch. Maybe because they deal with animals and nature, and not with stupid people. For a while there, Prey felt a little like some nature show rather than a proper horror movie, only problem though was that I actually wanted to watch a horror film and not some mix between the two. Couldn't they have featured supernatural lions or ghostly monkeys or something like that, at least that would've made it different, because now it just felt like a soap opera that took place in the wilderness with a touch of kinda boring and predictable horror added to it.
Sure, the violence was sometimes pretty graphic, but it was obviously not enough to save the film. You see, this family that are the Newman's are having some problems; the dad has married some new woman and his daughter, who's an irritating little brat, doesn't like that at all. Right from the start you know how it's gonna end, that the daughter and the new wife will live through terror together and so find each other and be friends and all that crap.. I mean, what the hell. You know that they're gonna bond and on the way there, we'll hopefully see some cool kills. Well, the kills were actually not that cool, at least they're not worth 92 minutes of your life.
 
I guess Prey is somewhat of a creature feature, but on the other hand, I'm not sure lions count. It's actually even hard to really call this a horror movie, it's more like a bad thriller about a vacation gone wrong for this dysfunctional family. Scares are nowhere to be found and while it may have a little suspense, it's not enough at all for it to even remotely work. The thing is that the premise of Prey is not good to begin with and it's very hard to take it like a serious horror film since it's more like a family drama with some nasty attack scenes every now and then. Maybe not for kids, but I don't think it's for horror fans either.. to be honest I can't tell you who it's for, people with shitty taste perhaps?
On the good side of things, there's no CGI in the movie and that's something I'm always thankful for. But what it comes down to in the end is that Prey is just another mediocre "horror" film that is way too predictable, that features some poor acting and doesn't have much to keep ones interest up the whole way through. The scenery is of course very nice and I loved that the tour guide only was in the movie for like 3 minutes or so. But these are such little things and does not make up for all the dull situations the movie will put you through.
Prey may have a few cool scenes to offer, but just watching lions wandering around and stalking their "prey" gets kinda boring after a minute or two, no to mention one and a half hour.
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Darkplace is not your average hospital where doctors are working hard to spend all their working hours on taking care of their patients. Its staffers are in an every day jeopardy as one of the doctors played with dark magic and accidentally opened the Gates of Hell. As you would expect, the Gates are located below the hospital and generate a series of strange events. While this sounds like your typical B horror movie, the situation couldn't be more different - "Garth Marenghi's Darkplace" is a hilarious 6-episode TV series that can be regarded as a spoof of an ultimate trash kind.
When I first got a hold of "Darkplace" DVD I didn't have any prior knowledge about the show. I expected it to be a typical British sharp humor show that has some relations with our favorite genre. After watching a couple of episodes I was laughing out loud, all by myself, which doesn't happen to me even when a terrific comedy is on the TV.
"Darkplace", which is shortened alternative title to the show, was shot in 2004 and aired around the same time in the United Kingdom via Channel 4. What is so different about it is that it very realistically clones the feeling of a typical 80s TV show. A bad 80s TV show I must say. Everything is over the top here: hospital building is clearly a cheap cardboard model, actors are trying to be as bad as they possibly can, stories are so shallow and I really won't go into discussing the state of special effects. Imagine early Spectrum graphics. There you have it.
Garth Marenghi is a fictitious horror writer that wrote, produced, acted and directed "Darkplace". In his words, the TV series were so unorthodox that it was banned from every TV station except a local channel in a small South American country. In a manner of Ricky Gervais from the "The Office", he is talking to the cameras about the show and in the meantime gives the audience a possibility of finally watching one of the "legendary" episodes. What we get is a mix of played interviews with the cast and the actual episode.
Matthew Holness who is playing Garth Marenghi, as well as lead character Dr. Rick Dagless M.D, is a perfect guy to play this part. He did a very realistic impression of an egocentric bad horror writer that thinks all the best about his work. I really can understand why some people thought that Garth Marenghi is a real person. When the show starts, we see Dr. Rick Dagless MD as a righteous doctor that is in the same time a role model for all the young children he is treating and a fierce fighter against the evil lurking around the hospital.
 
He is accompanied by hilarious characters as Liz Asher, blond doctor with special telekinesys powers, his boss Dean Lerner that shows some of the worst acting ever seen on TV and my favorite Dr. Lucien Sanchez, the man who tries to be charming with his special (cheap) laugh and a regular 80s mullet. BTW, the guy who is playing Lerner is the series co-creator and director.
These crusaders of trash are battling flying irons, one eyed monsters, haunted Scottish drunkards and even green piss that is transforming hospital employees into monkeys.
What is so hilarious about the show is that the people behind it really know there stuff when talking about all the stereotypes of 80s TV shows and movies. I really cannot describe until what details some scenes are planned to look bad. Try to imagine random rough cuts in the middle of a scene which make some things appear in front of the camera and disappear in the next moment. Think of Ed Wood coming back and taking a helm at directing a TV show.
Unfortunately, for now the show is available only on a Region 2 DVD. I guess it will receive a Region 1 treatment, as the series resulted with a cult following on the old continent. The IMDB page for the series shows around 600 votes with an average rating of 9.4/10 which is at least three times bigger than the ratings of horror movies that usually enter my DVD player.
I can't stress out how strangely addictive "Garth Marenghi's Darkplace" was. As there are just six 30 minute long episodes, I watched one per day and was eager to do re-runs with friends that are usually taking part in our Sci-Fi Channel or Nu Image movie marathons.
When you finally get a change to watch Darkplace you will find out how the authors managed to take out all the trashy moments from a whole decade and melt it into a delightful, funny and extremely entertaining TV series.
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After failing the first time to end the world of good by destroying an all powerful amulet, Dracula returns 100 years later to try again with the help of the evil creepies The Wolfman, Frankenstein's Monster, The Gillman, and The Mummy. The only chance for the survival of the human race rests in the hands of a group of outcasted monster movie loving kids called The Monster Squad. Will they find the amulet in time to stop Dracula and his horde of monsters or will all mankind fall into darkness? Only time will tell.
Monster Squad has to be Fred Dekker's most notorious movie, and in my opinion his best. I dont know how he does it but Fred has a good way of making original movies with original stories, and this one is too damn funny.
For some strange reason Dracula ends up in a plane with Frankenstein's monster *in a pine box mind you* and after one of the pilots pulls the release lever in the plane the monster's body falls down to earth landing in a swamp with Dracula not far behind driving his badass black hearse. Anyways out of left field he's accompanied by The Mummy, who just escaped from a exhibit in a museum, the Wolfman, who just escaped a trip to the morgue after being shot by a couple pissed off cops, and Gilman who just happens to be in the swamp where the monster lands, and after bringing the monster back to life they all go off and try to find ways to end the world.
 
Now the group of junior high school kids known as The Monster Squad, consisting of Sean, the leader, Patrick, Sean's skeptical best friend, Phoebe, Sean's baby sister, Rudy, the billy badass of the group, Horace, better known as "Fat Kid", and Eugene, the little dude with the lovable dog Pete, and with the help of a scary German guy set out to find the amulet that Dracula is searching for in hopes to shatter it to end the world. Does he find it? Does the Monster Squad stop him? Don't ask me, watch the damn movie and find out for yourself. Just know this movie isn't your typical kid oriented horror movie, it has a lot of adult oriented aspects but in all this is an all around great movie. All the characters were well put together, all the actors and actresses did a great job and the special FX were outstanding. I highly recommend this Cult Classic for all horror lovers, and even if your not a big horror fan you'll totally enjoy the comedy this movie provides.
Sadly Monster Squad isn't on DVD yet but 2007 marks the 20 year anniversary of it's release and I'm told that it's being released in a special edition collector's set but it might just be a rumor. Regardless, once it does be sure to get this one, it'll definately be a great part of your collection.
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While a bunch of struggling stage preformers try to get prepared for the opening night of their new show a actor gone killer wreaks havoc upon everyone in the theatre.
During rehersal of an upcoming play our leading lady of the movie Alicia hurts her ankle and leaves set to try to get a doctor to help her out so she doesn't get kicked off set because she's hurting for cash and this is her only chance. Well, she ends up at a psyche ward type of clinic and as she's getting help from a doctor, an actor gone killer named Irving Wallace breaks out of his barred room and jumps in the back of Alicia's friends car.
So after being helped out a little Alicia and her friend go back to the theatre not realising that Irving is in the back of their car. So Alicia goes back in to try to get back on stage and her friend is on the way back in when she realises she forgot to turn her headlights off. So she goes back to turn them off and as she's coming back in she gets a pickaxe to the face by none other than Irving. Inside the asshole director Peter decides he has no use for Alicia so he decides to let her go, so she packs her stuff up and as she leaves she finds her friend's dead body in the parking lot next to her car.
 
Next we see the paramedics taking the body off and cops and reporters and the like and the head cop saying he'll put a squad car outside the studio while they search for Irving, the killer. You think that'd make everyone want to go home but no, the show must go on so a small group of performers go back inside with Peter the director and he breaks the news that he's trying to push the date up for the show due to more publicity after the murder. Well the asshole decides he'll lock everyone in and have one of his little biznatches hide the key, well she gets offed and doens't tell anyone where the key is so there's no way out and Irving is inside the building killing people left and right while wearing this strange owl's head mask.
Anyways, as this movie goes it's kinda strange, especially since it's based around a dance rehersal. Kinda freaked me out at first but once the movie kicked in the kill scenes were AWESOME and this movie turns into a great slasher flick. I do have to say that the ending pissed me off a little, it kinda drug out a bit in my book but hey, I guess that's just an italian thing. Michele Saovi directed this gem of a movie and I have to say that everything I've seen of his I've liked. Also by the names Deliria, Bloody Bird and Sound Stage Massacre this movie is a definate classic for all you slasher flick fans.
I recommend this movie to all of you Italian horror film fans, it doesn't fall short from what makes Italian films so great, the soundtrack was pretty good, the acting was pretty damn good and the kill scenes were great once they kicked in. A great flick.
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After getting a "Dear John" letter by his highschool sweetheart a WWII veteran comes back and kills a couple during a dance with a pitchfork. With the killer still at large the school quits holding the dances until 35 years later, which brings the killer back to kill again.
The Prowler starts out in the year 1945 with the "Dear John" letter that this WWII vet takes seriously enough to come back and kill. Now from what I understand he kills the girl that wrote the letter and the dude she was at the dance with but I'm not for sure, either way they get stabbed together with a pitchfork, and that damn pitchfork becomes notorious throughout the movie. My question is what the hell does a GI need with a pitchfork? I mean. He's got guns and knives right? Well, he does use a bayonett which is pretty sweet, especially during this scene where he cuts a girl's neck in a swimming pool but other than that he's pretty pitchfork crazy.
 
So after killing the kids at the dance we go forward to the year 1980 in which the school is having their first dance since the murders 35 years prior, and everyone's all about it except the guy Major Chatham who's daughter was the one killed at the beginning of the movie. Needless to say the idiot kids still hold the dance and for some reason the killer comes back, like maybe he was looking in the newspaper and saw that they were having the dance or something, there's no telling how he knew. So anyways he goes on his relentless killing spree, but no one really knows why, and personally I don't care because there's nothing better in slasher flicks more than teenagers getting slashed, especially in the shower. This movie does impress with the kills.
Anyways, I must say though that this movie is a very inspirational flick in the way that Tom Savini really did a great job in the FX and really made the kill scenes something special for the time it came out. He put alot of detail to each kill scene and they all came out just incredible, which gives reason for his popularity. This movie is on the list of my top 10 favorite movies of all time, if that says anything.
Now considering this movie isn't very well known most people haven't had a chance to check out this awesome flick, and if you personally haven't, get off your lazy ass and get it, don't rent it, buy it, you wont be disappointed!
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A small town is attacked by a horde of flesh eating vampires while one of the only survivors goes in search of more survivors to help him fight against the crazy blood sucking freaks and their leader Liven, the head vampire.
I had the pleasure of watching Darkness: The Vampire Version when it was first put on VHS on the shelves of the movie store I worked at in 1998 and it blew me away, so much that I looked for years for a copy, but it was so underground. At that time there wasn't any way to just jump on the internet and look it up, so I suffered for so many years until it finally came out on DVD recently, and by that time I actually found Leif Jonker, the gifted writer, director, producer, editor, effects artist, cinematographer, and soundtrack composer of this great movie. I mean damn do you know ANYONE that would put so much dedication into a film? That's a lot of stones to cast into such a big pond and Leif makes a movie that is so inspiring it's insane.
Anyways Leif and I had a few talks and he's a great guy, really down to earth, easy to talk to, and by talking to this guy you'd never think he was so twisted and sick minded, haha.
First of all let me tell you what I don't like in this movie because the list is very small.
I have to admit I'm not too happy with the acting job of the majority of the characters, although I think there's only two or three people in the entire movie that are older than 21, seriously, so I suppose for as young as the actors were and the fact that it was most of their first roles they did alright. Secondly, in some of the scenes the wind blowing around distorts the sound though if you consider a lot of the movie *so I'm told* was done on camcorder then that's understandable. Lastly I really didn't like that the majority of the movie was teenage vampires running after their victims but hey, I'm sure most of them weren't old enough to drive and I guess that's ok, haha. And with that let me reiterate, Vampires CAN run, Zombie's CANT. And that's it for what I didn't like much.. Now onto what I liked.
 
This movie was gore PACKED. Quentin Tarantino should have taken some lessons from the effects crew in Darkness, I mean blood spray everywhere! And for such a low budgeted movie this does impress with the kinda gore and guts that are inspiring to many. This movie has such a high kill count that it's uncanny. I mean dead bodies everywhere, lots of Vampire killings and what not, this movie is PACKED full of kill scenes. My personal favorite is a kill scene at a carwash, it was the main scene that stood out in my mind all these years since I watched the movie on VHS other than the insanely cool ending, and that my friends, the ending, WOW. The ending of this movie is splattacular! Of course I don't want to ruin it for all of you so I wont say what happens, you'll just have to watch for yourself but trust me, you'll be pleased if you're a true horror fan. The thing I liked most of all was the soundtrack, personally. Lots of metal music to go along with all the frantic running and killing, it really worked well. Great job Leif!
For Gore and Splatter fans this movie is right up your alley, I can not stress the fact that this movie is blood packed and impressive, especially for what was spent on making it. Can you believe they sold blood to plasma centers to fund part of this movie? That's true dedication.
Now for you movie watchers that always analyze everything you watch, this movie might not be for you because it is lowly budgeted, but for the rest of the world rejoice! Leif Jonker's Darkness: The Vampire Version is an inspiration to all budding independent horror movie directors.
For true indie horror film fans this movie is truly badass and is pretty damn impressive, I recommend this movie no matter what people might think. I thought it was badass in 1998 as much as I do today, and considering it's in better quality now, I'm all about it.
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After she kicked Freddy's ass in the previous installment of "Nightmare on Elm Street" series, Alice and her boyfriend are graduating high school and planning a summer trip to Europe. Everything would be just fine, but the nightmares are once again entering her everyday life. While at the start, Freddy is present just as one of the maniacs in the insane asylum, but as the nightmares progress things start to change. Alice is shocked to see a nun giving a birth to a demonic baby, which is actually symbolizing the rebirth of Freddy Krueger. The nightmares are back and her friends start dying.
Out of all the horror movies I watched in my early days, I remember Freddy being my first true boogeyman. I was around 10 years old when I sneaked in a couple of Elm titles from the video store and after watching them my dreams were not the same. The idea of a monster like Freddy Krueger was something truly special. With his modus operandi of using peoples dreams as an ultimate battlefield, the authors directly targeted almost every movie lover and therefore Freddy became THE movie monster.
From the sequel point of view, "A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child" uses a rather new twist. Until now we had Freddy working through a poor soul or using other people as a filter to get their friends into his dream zone. Now we have something that really is, let's say, rather stupid. We are introduced to Amanda Krueger, a nun who was raped by a dozen of demented patients and the result is ol' Freddy who is now certifiable evil from his day one.
The whole premise would sound shabby, but the screenwriters elevated it to a new dimension of strangeness - Alice is pregnant and Freddy is haunting the dreams of her unborn baby and therefore he is able to attack her and her friend. This rather pale concept doesn't deliver anything special and "The Dream Child" is not by far as entertaining as any of the previous "Nightmare on Elm Street" movies.
 
We are used to a certain degree of (black) humor in the Elm series, but in the opening graduation scene some things are so distorted that it looked like they are trying to create a parody out of this movie. I really wasn't appealed with the goofiness shown by some parents and a football coach in their initial in front of camera experience. The good thing is that this kind of "humor" was present just at the beginning, as afterwards we just have some typical Freddy remarks.
We all know that one of the true strengths of the "Nightmare on Elm Street" movies was always the way Freddy takes care of his victims. Just remember the way Johnny Depp went "out of the bed" in the original, or the girl that "always wanted to be on TV". With the previous sequels, I've seen the murder ideas either developing in a more gross fashion (which naturally I like), or in the worst case scenario Freddy would just use his glove. In "The Dream Child" we just have a couple of kills and the majority of them were pretty decent. We have situations from "becoming one with a motorcycle" to entering the Freddy universe as an action comic character. The effects in these kills were a bit over the top, but I would always chose them over the CGI stuff all new filmmakers tend to use.
Throughout the movie, combination of bleak scripting and the cast that wasn't delivering anything special resulted in that the movie didn't do anything special for me. Hour and a half just passed by and I wasn't even mildly entertained.
I would just like to do a special mention of the kid who played Jacob. His performance in some scenes was top notch - the little guy really looked creepy.
I am a buff for horror movies from 1980s and slasher is my favorite genre, but "A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child" just didn't do it. Although the visual aspect of the movie, as well as directing was solid, the screenplay really complicated things and made this movie look like something that was done without any passion. In comparison with some of the other sequels, this one is surely on a lower bottom of the scale.
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A professor awakens a horde of zombies from crypts near a castle near Rome which poses a threat to a group of people having a party nearby. The battle between the living and the dead moves forward as the living struggle to survive the zombie attack.
Alright, here we have one of the biggest zombie movies to hit standard times for zombie movies in the 1980's. Titled "Le Notti del Terrore" or better known as "Burial Ground: The Nights of Terror" was shot in a small town less than 15 minutes from Rome and only lasted one fateful night. Of course it was shot in 4 weeks which is a very short period of time in a castle that had not been inhabited for almost a century.
This movie has alot of characteristics of Lucio Fulci's Zombi 2, better known to Americans as Zombie. Zombies coming up out of the ground and covered in maggots and worms I kept feeling like it might have been trying to be a spinoff of the Fulci hit but I was wrong, there's lots of other things about this movie that set it at a higher bar.
As the doctor goes down into the.... Crypts.... sort of speak, we see that he's confronted by a few clay faced zombies. The funny thing is what he says before he's attacked. "STOP! STAY BACK! I'M YOUR FRIEND!". What person, rather a doctor or anyone of a less degree, would talk to a zombie, knowing that they were set on kill mode, and say "I'M YOUR FRIEND!" that was a bit goofy but it was a warm welcome to the movie's beginning.
After that, honestly for like 15 or 20 minutes I thought I was watching a 70's porno, people making out and fondling on the grass in the yard all over the place as zombies come out of the tombs just kinda threw me off. The zombies just happened to pop out of bushes, from behind potted plants and what not, it was like the castle was a resort for the dead.
 
I find it creative that Rosario Prestopino had made so many masks for the zombies, every one different though equally underdeveloped in the face, some having protruding eyes or the actor's nose poking out the holes covered in black. Either way it was very creative. And the best part is when the living start killing the zombies, smashing their heads with rocks like clay pots, beautiful!
Now aside from that I'd like to point out 3 important things about this movie and the first being that the zombie's in this movie are very smart, in fact in one scene we see the zombies going to a gardening shed and arming themselves with axes, shovels and pickaxes, and in another when the living take refuge in a neighbor's castle the proprietor sends his maid off to check the back side of the castle for intruders. Well needless to say as she tries to shut the shudders on one of the windows a zombie tosses what appears to be a railroad spike at her and it pins her hand to one of the shudders. As she tries to break free two of the zombies lift a scythe up from below and slice her head off, catching her head and devouring it. And lastly one of the zombies actually climbs up a pillar to the second story of the castle, like a zombie monkey. WOW!
Second thing I'd like to note is that the soundtrack made me feel like I was in a mixture of a porno, a Charley Brown cartoon, and some sort of lower budget sci-fi flick. Was a great mix though!
Lastly I have to say that I felt the character Evelyn's relationship with her son Michael was quite strange but intriguing. Evelyn was played by the beautiful and boobiful Mariangela Giordano who has been in countless Italian movies and tv shows. Anyways her son Michael, played by this guy Peter Bark seems like a mother and her 10 year old son are really close. Well first of all Michael has a lust for his mother and in one scene he's caught fondling her. At first I'm like "What the hell?" but later after the movie being over, I find that Peter Bark is actually a 25 to 30 year old dwarf which explains why he seems older than he appears and even his voice, Italian AND dubbed in English are that of an older man. Even still Peter Bark as Michael shows us what happens when a zombie boys' love for his mother turns "titillating" in a scene that would make even men's chesticles tinge with fear.
In all I'd have to come to two conclusions. The first, never, under any circumstance ask "WHO ARE YOU?" to a zombie and secondly, zombies are flammable. This movie definately has a good feel to it, mixing Fulci's Zombi 2 with an ending reminiscent of George Romero's Night of the Living Dead, this movie is a definate watch.
This movie is beyond badass, I recommend this to anyone, especially the mild horror fans, it'll make you cry like a girl, which will make me smile. Burial Ground is tops! Go get it!
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Obsession turns into murder when misunderstood Roman falls for a girl without a name. After an altercation the nameless girl is faced with obsession after death while Roman tries to find who he is in his mixed up world.
At first I have to say I wasn't to into ROMAN, the whole movie is pretty slow and there's not too much going on, but later I came to realise that this movie is pretty much an adaptation of this man's life, and the twisted part is, he could possibly live right down the street from any of us. Why is that twisted you might ask? Let me tell you.
Roman is a outcasted welder with no life out of work and spends most of his free time smoking cigarettes and drinking his beer while sitting in a chair looking out his window, waiting for his blonde haired hottie to check her mail so he can get his daily fix. He's so into this girl he knows almost exactly what time she leaves her apartment every day and as shy as he is he finally catches a break when he ends up talking to her up on the roof of their apartment, and after sharing a beer, they decide to hang out and what not. So after a few times it's pretty obvious she's kinda into him and they end up kissing, of course her morals kick in and she tries to leave but he stops her and accidentally kills her. For some reason he doesn't seem to phased by it. Anyways his obsession kicks in and he decides instead of turning himself in, he'll keep her body in his bathtub. The sick part is in his mind is that she's still ok, she's just sticking around. A little later he's approached by this hippie like girl Eva who ends up falling for Roman. To Roman he thinks he's got two girlfriends, but in reality he's still alone. What happens next is so shocking that it boggles the human mind.
 
Roman was written by and stars Lucky McKee, the director of May starring Angela Bettis. Strangely enough Lucky puts Angela in the director's chair and she doesn't do a bad job at all. I gotta say though this movie really plays out alot like May but there's a difference that's noticable. In May our leading lady goes from being a strange quiet girl to being mentally damaged by her feelings that the world is rejecting her and ignoring her desire to be loved, and in Roman our main man is just a strange mixed up guy trying to find his place in the world and trying to deal with his obsession for a girl he can't have. Both movies are alot of like but have their differences that make each movie unique. Honestly, I'm a bigger fan of May but Roman is not a movie to miss if you're curious about how fucked up the human mind can be without realising anything's even wrong.
I kinda felt like I understood where Roman was coming from, and the movie really doesn't leave out any aspect of his daily routine which gives you a chance to get to know his character in full detail and learn why he's so obsessive. I was impressed how well Lucky pulled off the character and made real life seem so taboo. Lucky definately does a great job as Roman and pushes every limitation of the mind's ability to understand right and wrong.
If your expecting blood and guts and lots of T&A then you'll be disappointed, but if you want a great psychological mind fuck definitely get Roman and understand that the character Lucky portrays could be a real person living in your neighborhood.
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This anthology starts with a setting that closely resembles popular TV series "Desperate Housewives". A woman is driving back to her perfect little home and starts up preparations for a dinner party that she is hosting. As she just came back from the supermarket, the bags are full of different ingredients for the dinner, but the main course is somewhat still fresh. She opens a secret door and we see a little boy that is to become a dish in this modern day adaptation of Brother Grimm's "Hansel and Gretel". Trying to buy himself some time, the boy starts reading a couple of stories from a book titled "Tales from the Darkside".
After the success of George A. Romero's "Creepshow", producers tried to create a spin off series that would look like a bit darker version of "The Twilight Zone", or even better a clone of EC Comics "Tales from the Crypt". Because of some ownership rights, it wasn't possible to use the name "Creepshow", so they went with the Darkside title. The show resulted in four seasons with more than 90 episodes.
Two years after the show got cancelled it was decided to shoot and release "Tales from the Darkside: The Movie". Besides the mentioned wraparound intro/outro, we are presented with three different stories.
"Lot 249" is an episode based on a short story penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Scottish writer that gave us the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes. The story focuses on Bellingham, smart scholar that just lost the grant as a result of being in direct competition with a wealthy jock and his sneaky girlfriend. She sent an anonymous mail saying he stole an important artifact, so Bellingham directly lost the opportunity of getting the grant. The jock was planning to spend the grant on a new Maserati, but Bellingham has other plans for him.
Delivery guys just brought him a wooden crate that hosts a mummy with a secret scroll that can bring it to life. As always with this kind of short horror stories, things don't end up like they were supposed to.
 
"Lot 249" is packed full with stars such as Steve Buschemi who plays lead character Bellingham, Christian Slater and Julianne Moore. Out of the three episodes, this one offers the most visual horror, as the mummy has its own inventive ideas on getting rid of people that cross Bellingham's way.
The next episode "Cat From Hell", doesn't host an ensemble of famous actors, but two horror masterminds were directly connected with the story. The original short story was written by Stephen King and the screenplay adaptation was done by George A. Romero.
We are introduced with a contract killer that was just hired by an old wealthy man to kill... ehm... a cat. While the killer smiles and thinks this was one of his easiest assignments, we see that the cat is much more than a cuddly little pet. After watching 90% of this episode I wasn't satisfied a bit, but when it finished, it made me think.
The cat is really just a cat, it doesn't transform into a monster, but it is so powerful and evil that it kills everyone on sight. This premise looked too basic, but just imagine - all the monster horrors we get are based on some huge, disgusting out-of-this world creatures - why, for once, shouldn't the real monster be something as plain as a little cat?
The closing episode "Lover's Vow" is penned by Michael McDowell, whose writing credits include "Beetlejuice" and the screenplay for Stephen King's "Thinner". This segment starts around a character that is a bit similar to Tim Roth's in "Tales from the Crypt" season 3 episode "Easel Kill Ya". Preston is a unsuccessful painter that cannot even pay his rent. After spending yet another drunk evening at a local bar, he becomes a witness of a gargoyle attack on the bar's owner. The gargoyle gives Preston a chance to survive - 'don't tell anyone about me or what happened here and I will let you live. As soon as you even give someone a sneak peak, I will be back to take your life.'
Soon after the incident, Preston meets Carola, a young lady he soon falls in love with. His life is becoming ideal, but the thing from the past is here to change that.
While the episode was a bit slow, its final sequence really delivered. To some the "finale" could be a bit predictive, but nevertheless "Lover's Vow" is giving us another perspective on what would be a typical love story.
I have been waiting to get a hold of "Tales from the Darkside: The Movie" for some time. As I never had the chance to watch any of the episodes, I was a bit interested in what is the usual scope of a "Darkside" series and what are the similarities between the more famous "Tales From the Crypt". Judging by the movie, the stories are pretty much the same - some of them good some of the bad, but the main difference is that "Tales from the Darkside" don't have the comical part.
Although the episodes in this movie were mediocre, the good thing was that each of them held something special to it. We got the visual horror, potential every day terror and even a sad, but creepy, love story.
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A group of teenagers bring an old movie theatre back to life for an all night movie marathon while a twisted flesh mask wearing psycho tries to put them out of business.
At times this movie makes me laugh, at times it annoys me, but overall this is a movie that really should be seen by genre lovers because it gives a good feel to what horror is about. It also gives some insight on movies that were put out back in the 50's in such forms as "Aroma-Rama", "Shock-O-Vision" and 3D and what not. Usually they changed up the names with the movies but overall it was a chance to put the viewers into the movie which would be awesome if they practiced today in modern theatres.
Now being that this movie was made a little after the turn of the decade you figure that it wouldn't have much of a difference between most 90's movies and most 80's flicks... Well that's how it is.
 
Other than the 90's style clothing and the 90's style hairstyles *not so poofy hair*, this movie has an 80's feel to it which I really love. It was like watching a Nightmare on Elm Street movie without the Fred Krueger, ALTHOUGH our killer looks alot like him, in fact you'd be suprised to find that he was burned severely in a fire much like Fred Krueger. This movie really has a good horroresque vibe to it, and although it's extremely cheesy you'd be suprised to see how detailed they turn the Dreamland Theatre. Popcorn had to have at least some sort of budget for some of the sets and what not, and if it was a small budget, these guys are masters of the craft.
There was only a few things I didn't like in this movie, the first being the dream sequences Maggie has of "The Posessor", the fact that she walks around with a stupid voice recorder to document her thoughts and lastly the TERRIBLE MUSIC. Popcorn had the worst soundtrack ever, including a terrible Reggae band that comes on close to the end and sings some sort of love song. Other than that this movie is definately one to keep next to movies like 976-EVIL, Fright Night and Vampire's Kiss.... Classic Cheese.
Classic cheesy 80's horror fans will like this movie, not love it but like it, others might find it kind of pointless, overall I thought it was worth seeing.
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A tortured killer is hunting coeds in a college campus for body parts to create a human puzzle. Who is he? What has sparked this sick obsession? Will the killings ever end?
For many years I looked for PIECES after hearing how bloody and gory it was and it was many years later that I actually came across it and finally had a chance to see how awesome this movie really truly is, and boy is it!
Now on the down side of this movie I do have to say that a student's bad attempt to skateboard on a banana board into a huge mirror turned out to be a sweet concept, there should have been some blood, but hey, that's only the intro to the credits right?
This movie starts out with a deranged little boy putting a puzzle together of a nude model as his mother walks in and discovers him doing so. She freaks out and starts tearing his room apart as he goes and gets the ax which he uses to hack his mother up. Almost instantaniously the police show up and break in to find blood EVERYWHERE, the mother's head sitting alone on a dresser in one of the closets, and the destraught son. The cops don't catch onto the boy so they send him to live with an Aunt and that's that.
Forward 40 years later at a college in Boston as young supple small chested hottie college girls keep getting mysteriously hacked up by an unknown killer, and the only known suspect being the yard guy Willard, played by the great Paul L. Smith who was Bludo in the old Popeye Movie with Robbin Williams and Falkon in Red Sonja, who proves innocent less the fact of his obsession with his huge yellow chainsaw, the police are perplexed. So what do they do? They hire an agent by the name of Mary Riggs, played by TV star Lynda Day George, to pose as a tennis coach, a very bad playing tennis coach, to try to get on the inside to help find the killer. Stupid idea. Ends up a young student Kendall gets a crush on her and never leaves her side during the whole "investigation". Anyways, to make a long story short they do find the killer, and if you pay CLOSE attention to a couple of the scenes AFTER the murders, you'll be able to catch who it is.
 
For the fact that you can pretty easily tell who the killer is I think it's a shame, but the movie makes up for that with the fact that the kill scenes are some of the bloodiest most gruesome kill scenes in American horror history. Girls getting cut in half while they are still alive, decapitated and even a girl that gets her arms cut off in an elevator after thinking she was in the elevator with someone she could trust make this movie a definate fun jaunt into the chainsaw murderer's world.
On the other hand there's one scene, one scene in this movie that totally threw me off. It's a scene where Mary is walking around campus at dark "investigating" when a strange Asian man pops out of the bushes and starts doing these kung fu kicks at her like Bruce Lee, then suddenly hits the floor. Out of nowhere Kendall comes up on his motorcycle and claims the Asian guy is his Kung-Fu Instructor. The man gets up off the floor and says "I was out jogging, next thing I know I'm on ground. Must have been some bad chop-suey, So Long!"......... I mean...... What the HELL was that about? Regardless, it put a humerous addition to the movie which might or might not be appreciated.
In all this movie had some of the sickest corpses, hacked up bodies and bloody naked torsos, this movie was great. I'd definately recommend it to avid horror movie watchers. It's a great watch. But be warned, this movie can either be addicting or appalling, either way give it a shot.
And also be warned, the ending is great but may make men cringe. Good luck!
This movie isn't hard to find, it's in quite a few multi movie sets, but definately give it a watch, if you like gore you'll love this flick!
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A young man with a cannibalistic obsession since childhood desperately combs the internet in search of his first victim. After some time he finally gets a reply from a guy that's a willing participant in the young man's sick desire to eat human flesh. Said to be based on a true story.
Let me first go on the record and state that this movie was almost hard for me to watch, and saying that means alot. I'd put it around the ranks of Nekromantik 1 and 2 which tells you how jacked up this movie is. Secondly I've never seen gay porn before so watching this movie kinda reassured me that I'll NEVER go that route.
Anyways so the movie starts out with a young boy being read to by his mother. The story is Hansel and Gretel, and for some strange reason the part about the witch wanting to eat Hansel and Gretel sticks with him throughout his life until the present time of the movie when we come to find that he's got extensive books on cannibalism and everything to do with eating flesh. His obsession becomes something realistic when he puts an ad online for a victim and after many people backing down and running off he finally comes across a willing participant.
 
After alot of heavy petting we come to find that the two guys are both pretty gay, which I dont mind, it was the playing out in the grass naked and the buttsex that got to me, and I could feel my pants shrinking to the sight of it. So anyways after the buttsex the victim decides he wants his dong bitten off so our young cannibal in training goes to bite it off and only bites enough to make it bleed. Well the victim is outraged, feeling like he's wasting his time and that the young man is too scared to go through with eating him so he asks to go home.
Well needless to say the movie didn't end there, after some conviencing they go back to the young man's house and pick up where they left off, and I'll stop it at that because obviously by the name of this movie something DOES happen, let me just be the first to say, HOLY SHIT! This movie got to me, got to me in a way that most movies don't, see with all the movies I've seen many are just totally made up movies that could never happen but this movie just tells me that this really does happen. In fact, it's said this movie is evidence in the trial of a real cannibal, but of course we can tell it isn't by all the different secondary cameras used in the movie, kinda like a Blair Witch of cannibalism.
Anyways, all the buttsex and flesh eating aside this movie was gripping, it starts out extremely slow, then goes to the extremely dirty, then to the "HOLY SHIT IS THAT REALLY HAPPENING" stage. Blood, guts, intestines, fecal matter, nothing is held back and let me tell you watching this movie just one time will leave such an impression on the mind that you'll be stuck with it forever, burned into it's own little spot in your mind. This movie is NOT for the faint hearted.
All you shock watchers will love this movie, it's vile, personally I'd have to say I'd definately gone out and ordered this movie just for curiosity sake but I think I'll only need to watch it again if I'm showing friends how shocking it is. With that said I loved it! Does that make me sick? Probably, but damn it, this movie is by far one of the sickest I've seen to date.
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A city is consumed by flesh eating worms that dig into the brain of the victim and turn them into hungry, menacing zombies. An elderly man named Fred, along with his trusty talking walker comb the city in search of a new pair of slippers and a bite to eat while trying to survive a zombie overthrow in the City of Rott.
Writer, Director, Producer, Editor, Composer and Actor Frank Sudol put alot of time and effort into making this movie entirely by himself doing all the voices of the living, and although this movie drags on for a little over an hour it's pretty damn cool. The animation isn't that shabby and the action scenes are pretty sweet.
Fred, a senile old man on the hunt for a new pair of slippers finds that he's one of the only survivors in a zombie uprising due to mind consuming worms that zombify anyone that they come in contact with. Armed only with his walker, who he has constant argumentative conversation with, he kicks all the zombie ass that gets inbetween him and his new slippers. Along the way he runs into a freshly bitten Nurse looking for help, a fat guy named Jon, who's only looking out for himself, an old man with a bottle of prune juice, and a buttload of zombies. Will he find a new pair of slippers to put on his aching dogs? Will the zombies consume him and turn him into a flesh eating fogy? Will his walker ever shut up? Watch to find out.
 
Saying anything else would give alot away so if your into twisted horror cartoons give it a shot. Personally, I'd like watching this with a bit of Cannibal Corpse in the background, especially during the good action scenes.
This movie is definately worth watching being that there's not many horror cartoons on the shelves that arent anime or edited. I suggest this movie for all zombie movie fans.
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While a small group faces conflicts in getting started on a new serial killer movie, a real killer is randomly killing everyone involved on the outside of the meeting room where the movie conflict takes place in this film within a film.
Cutting Room is aimed at being a serial killer comedy but kinda ends up just being a horror movie with a few one liners and a little stupidity on the side. Honestly, this movie has potential but it fell short on alot of points that could have made this film alot more watchable. The characters really don't have much personality and the killer only shows up in little spurts to give simple, unimaginative kills.
I did however find the janitor Manuel in the movie quite intriguing though the movie didn't really put him in enough parts to have a better understanding of why he was so creepy, or how he knew so much about what was going on, or so he thought. That and seeing Jon Polito in the movie was kinda cool, I remember liking his character in the movie The Crow as Gideon the pawn shop owner.
 
Anyways this movie seems to me to be a horror movie made by a guy that probably never involved enough of his time to be inspired by other horror movies. I think a little more creepiness to the movie would have set a better tone, but to me it just ended up being kinda boring and uneffective.
For mild watchers this might be an ok movie but for fans of horror I wouldn't suggest putting too much faith in this movie, you'll be disappointed.
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Spain 1939, during the end of the Spanish Civil War and young Carlos is dropped off at a remote boarding school where he encounters the spirit of a murdered boy, Santi. The other children at the school refers to the ghost as "the one who sighs" and Carlos soon finds himself fighting for survival, surrounded by ongoing war, cruelty, greed and a ghost.
The Devil's Backbone is a very subtle film that has a horror/supernatural theme to it but that has its focus on telling a good and poignant story, rather than delivering tons of scares. So while the film is not a scary one per say, it is chilling, not to mention atmospheric and has this very realistic feel to it that sometimes makes you forget that you're just watching a movie; the tale the film tells of is quite gripping and it doesn't take long before one is caught up in the fantasy and horror it lays upon you. All the characters are very much real and pretty much all of them has a lot of depth, something that makes you care more about what happens to them and also shows you exactly who is to root for and who's not.
Set in rural Spain at a remote boarding school that is really an orphanage, we're introduced to young Carlos who's one day dropped off at the place unknowingly of that his father is dead and that the school is to be his new home. He soon find out that he will be a permanent resident and if things weren't going bad enough for poor Carlos, a ghost soon appears and scares the living crap outta him. Some of the other boys, especially an older one, are giving him a hard time but somehow Carlos manages to keep his spirit up and eventually things get better.. at least for Carlos.
 
It is in fact a bit hard writing about The Devil's Backbone without giving too much away. What I can tell you though is that it's so not your typical horror movie, but more like a drama set in a harsh reality with a few fantasy and horror elements added to it. And it works so well, at least if you give it the chance to.
Throughout the entire film, the feeling of hopelessness is pretty much hanging like a big cloud above it, but every now and then we're treated to a little sunshine and thank god for that because it's heavy enough as it is. Taking place at an orphanage, there are of course quite a few child actors to be found within the film and you just gotta give them some kudos for their performances. Not once does it feel like they're out of place and they all play their parts tremendously well. The "older" actors are also doing a fine job portraying their characters and some extra kudos goes to the film's "bad guy" who is so bad one just can't get enough of him.
Do yourself a favor and watch The Devil's Backbone. It's quite chilling and tells a story that is pretty much impossible not to get all caught up in. The whole film is like a mix between a very harsh drama with a great fairy-tale like feel to it, and a truly atmospheric horror film indeed.
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A group of people land in the jungle due to having some problems with their plane, but the plane is actually the least they have to worry about since the jungle is swarming with hungry cannibals.
It's quite sad that those glorious days of gory Cannibal films are long gone and nowadays, well, all you can do is just to watch them again and again to re-live that great 70's feel they bring, the excitment and the very terror itself! I don't know how many times I've watched all these old Italian films but the fact is that I can never seem to get enough of it as they're just too darn wonderful. Ruggero Deodato's Jungle Holocaust or Ultimo Mondo Cannibale, which is the film's original title, is one fine cannibal mother indeed, based on true events-- something that makes it even better. Like in so many other of these nasty films we're taken deep into the jungle where those evil cannibals are lurking around, looking for human flesh and doing very gross things in general.
We're introduced to Robert Harper and his crew who are stranded in the middle of a massive jungle due to some problems with their plane. While the pilot is trying to fix it, Robert and Rolf heads out in the jungle to do some exploring and are almost immediately lost. When they find their way back to the plane, the pilot says it's too dark to be flying so they'll have to wait till morning. Fine they say, we'll sleep in the plane, but a girl who's with them needs to use the "bathroom" and when she does, she's abducted by something or someone that we don't know of.. yet. The next day arrives and the three men heads out in the jungle to look for the missing girl, but things soon takes a turn for the worst when the pilot dies (oh man what a sweet scene it is) and Robert and Rolf shortly after loses each other out there in the big jungle when going on a raft.
 
Well Robert doesn't give up that easy, but when trying to find his way back to the plane, he runs into some nasty cannibals (loads of them) that takes him prisoner, and from there on end, things does not look too bright for him. What is great about this flick is that it pretty much takes off at full speed right away, it's a bit intense and you're actually a bit worried about the characters (even though you know they're gonna run into a whole lotta trouble.) Talking about being worried about the characters, later on in the movie you will be worried for Robert's sake because his situation as a prisoner drags a lot and it's a bit hard to know what to expect. When are they gonna eat him, or are they not? Well, watch the movie and you'll find out.
Jungle Holocaust is a nasty flick and fans of gore will of course be fully satisfied, but it's never over-the-top and what you get is a lot but never way too much. But for the sake of gore alone is not the reason why to see this film, the first thing that makes Jungle Holocaust a good film is the suspense it delivers, and trust me, it is quite suspenseful. Other than that you get the usual slaughtering of animals and of course you get to see some naked people too, even though those scenes will not make you jump with joy. It also has some funny bits in it like for instance when Robert rapes a tribe girl and the next day she brings him breakfast, that's just so screwed up it's funny as hell... or is it just me?
If you like those old cannibal flicks you'll definitely like this one too. Ruggero Deodato made this one before he got his big break with the master of all cannibal movies: Cannibal Holocaust.
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The Government was secretly funding a company that was developing the ultimate war machine - a deadly duo containing an intelligent golden retriever and his monster counter part called "the outsider". The plan was to make the dog track humans and through a psychic link the monster would follow the dog and terminate the targets. As usually, things go wrong and the monster attacks laboratory staffers and runs away in search of the dog.
"Watchers Reborn" is the fourth installment in the "Watchers" movie series. The original was based upon a book by famous horror writer Dean Koontz. After that he had seen the first "Watchers" movie, Koontz said he wouldn't be directly involved in any of the movies based on his works, although I thought it was a pretty decent 80s flick. The movie hosted a very clever dog (not just in the script, but his screen performance was totally realistic), a murderous killing machine and genre favs such as Michael Ironside and 50% of the "Corey gang" - Corey Haim.
As it looks like the producer (legendary Roger Corman) was satisfied with the result and he sequentially financed three sequels. The second one starring "Beastmaster" Mark Singer was shoddy and I even won't go into detail with "Watchers III" which was basically a Predator rip-off.
"Watchers Reborn" introduces a pair of detectives that are taking care of the crime scene generated by the monster escaping the laboratory and following the dog into a zoo. Some good gore was shown, but the scene was stolen by the appearance of one of the detectives, which was in fact legendary Luke Skywalker - Mark Hamill. I really don't remember watching him in anything other than the good ol' Star Wars. It looks like this was good, because Hamill turned out to be a mediocre performer at best. Besides the acting, his character was helmed by someone that watched too many cheap detective movies and liked all the stereotypes they hosted. His female counterpart Lisa Wilcox, who I recently watched as Alice in "A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child" was also rather mild in her role of, yet another typical character, a smart good looking scientist.
 
One of the best things in the original "Watchers" was the actual monster. The ape like creature didn't have any feelings, he was just your regular killing machine with a manic passion of tracking and destroying the dog. The sequels modified him and one of them made it into a Frankenstein type of a monster, while the other gave him an alien look. "Watchers Reborn" transform him into something much more similar to the original creature, but overall he now looked like a werewolf. I guess he would look like a mummy if they made a fifth movie...
The monster action was good, the gore elements were just fine, but I didn't like his transformation that even made him a good guy at the end. I just remembered one thing that I really need to mention. I don't like giving information about some actual scenes from the movie, but one of them can clearly show you what was the biggest problem about the script. The monster takes the female scientist and they both jump into a truck carrying oranges. While they are driving to the city, from now and then she throws oranges through the backside of the van and this way our fine detective follows the trail and comes to the rescue. C'mon, they could do better than that. Or could they?
While the movie is still better than the previous installment, I wasn't a bit impressed with it. The story in some parts of the movie was developing into something moderately interesting, but the flaws of the uninventive script writers turned it into something really bad.
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It's the Christmas season and Brooke decides to invite over a few guests for dinner. Little do her guests know there's an uninvited guest coming in posing as Brooke's boyfriend. Will her family and friends catch on to the impostor or will what they don't know hurt them?
Alright so this movie starts out in the bathroom of the girl that the story is based around, Brooke, and she's getting threatened with her life while sitting in her bathtub. A man is talking to her, degrading her and making her feel like dirt then tells her to close her eyes and as she does he grabs her by the hair and slams her head against the bathroom wall busting her head open and knocking her out.
Moments later we're at the gathering of Brooke's guests which consist of her jerk of a brother Roger, his gold digging fiance Gwen, Roger's ex-girlfriend Kate and Roger and Brooke's close friend Charles who has a huge thing for Brooke. So anyways they are all calling around trying to find Brooke then as they arrive to her place all hell breaks loose in the wonderful world of emotions. If I got it straight Roger is engaged to Gwen who only wants him for money he doesn't have, Kate used to date Roger and is jealous as hell of Gwen, Roger himself is just some dirtbag who needs anger management and Charles is just the guy that was seeing Brooke but was too scared to tell her brother Roger because they were good friends and he didn't want to get his ass kicked.
 
So they end up going into Brooke's place to look for her and out of the blue comes this guy Marcus who no one has a clue who he is or what he's doing at Brooke's place without her being there. He assures the group that Brooke is on the way but she was in a minor fender bender so she got a friend to bring her back home, which of course they all believe so they wait around worried as hell.
Come to find out Marcus is this sicko psycho that's obsessed with Brooke, or so it seems, but later it starts to seem he's obsessed with Brooke's guests, who are all arguing and bickering and bitching at each other which makes him happy enough to take pictures of the arguing group. Anyways this psycho Marcus has Brooke tied up in her bathroom and goes in to talk to her from time to time just to fuck with her.
Basically the plot of the movie is the question of whether the guests will catch onto the fact that Marcus is a liar and a twisted meatwad of a man, which is a pretty cool plot but to me it needed a little more. Granted there was a very minor clothed sex scene before the terror kicked in but it just didn't do enough to make me too interested. The film itself was great, seemed pretty professionally filmed and the ending will make you wonder what the hell was going on in the first place, which I liked, but it still didn't interest me too much. I know fans of slower less intense movies would enjoy this but me personally, not really.
For me Marcus fell only a little short of what I would expect from a movie of its caliber but I do feel that people that are ok with the tamer killer movies would enjoy this. If you like slow half-thrillers go ahead and give this a shot, other than that, I leave the decision to the viewer.
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The Hamiltons seem to be an ordinary family but underneath the surface there's something very disturbing going on. Having recently lost both their parents, oldest son David Hamilton tries to take care of the rest and is the one in charge, and while the twins Wendell and Darlene are leaning towards the darker side, Francis who's the youngest one documents the family with a video camera while trying to keep it together.
The Hamiltons is a strange but very unique horror film indeed as it has some of those ingredients that horror fans crave, be it incest, kidnapped tortured girls or violence, it's there, but if you would take that out it would leave you with a good and interesting family drama. At first I was hoping for more creepiness and definitely more shock value and while I didn't really get as much as I wanted of that, I got something else that in the end proved to be much better and that is a very solid story with fantastic character development. During the course of the film you get to know The Hamiltons and you get to know them really, and I mean really well.
Be it that the family is deeply disturbed or whatever, I still ended up rooting for them and even though they did despicable things it never really mattered because they had this kinda charm to them which made them very likable, no matter what they did. It's hard to explain and in the end you just gotta see it for yourself, but trust me on this, The Butcher Brothers really did things right this time around. The Hamiltons is not a flick that relies on heavy gore or extreme violence a la Hostel or whatever and I was really thankful for that, because while that may be great indeed, a good story that really makes you feel something is always worth more in the end and that exactly what you get here.
 
With both parents dead, three brothers and one sister are trying to move on with their lives with David, the oldest one, somewhat being in charge. Then there's Wendell and Darlene who are twins and pretty much show their dark sides at all times, and last but not least there's the youngest one, Francis, whos eyes we're seeing the family through. The film starts out in a basement with hotty Brittany Daniel waking up and is trying to make her way out but obviously that won't happen. When we're introduced to the family members they seem pretty much like your normal kinda family but we're soon to realise that they're so not. Only one who seems to be "normal" is Francis who's not too happy with what the rest of his family is up to and suffers pretty much throughout the whole film. Well I belive it's better to just leave it right there and let you find out the rest on your own.
The best thing about The Hamiltons is that the movie plays out like a drama with strong character development and a story that makes you care about what happens. At the same time there's suspense and truly horrific things to find within and it's this whole combination of it all that makes it play out so darn well. Another thing I really liked is that the family pretty much always seems nice and is not your typical wicked TCM kinda family that just do crazy shit for no good reason (except entertain the hell outta the audience of course). No, it's like I said before, whenever these people do nasty things, you still kinda forgive them because they just don't seem like a bunch of crazed killer but more like an "ordinary" family.
The Hamiltons is a very rewarding film to watch, not for the actual horror it has to it but for the fact that it makes one think and makes one feel satisfied with the very outcome itself. Dealing with a crazed family of killers, don't expect this to be a TCM kinda film but instead a very solid drama that can be horrific as well.
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Angelica and Emily go out to the middle of nowhere to have a good time at a rave but don't have any Ecstacy to have any fun with, so they approach the feeble minded Swan who takes the girls back to a house where his convict father and his partners in crime are waiting to have a little fun of their own.
Would you believe that the name of this movie, Chaos, is also the name of the sickest guy in the movie? Well I guess I wasn't paying much attention until half way into the movie because I didn't know until then.
Chaos starts out with two guys pulling over to the side of the road to pick up a ratty looking woman named Daisy, who seems to need a lift. The guys get a little frisky with her and try to carry her off when two other guys jump out and beat the ever loving shit out of them, trash their car and rob them, those two guys being a guy named Frankie and our leading freako himself, Chaos. After that scene we jump to Angela's car while she's listening to some terrible rapish music on her way to her friend Emily's house to pick her up for a rave they are planning on hitting. Well I guess she didn't want to seem too ghetto so she puts on some industrial metal on the way to the rave which they arrive at a little early, or just at the worst rave in the world being that theres only like a dozen people there in the middle of the woods doing a bit of nothing. Anyways the girls decide they want to have a little fun so they trot off to find some Ecstacy and come across this stoned looking young shaggy haired dude Swan and after making fun of his name, he offers to take them to get some drugs if they follow him to the "house where they are keeping it". Well as feeble minded teenage girls do they follow him only to find that the house he was talking about doesn't have any drugs at all. Instead they come in to find that they've been betrayed by Swan, who's father Chaos is waiting inside for a little fun. So they tie the girls up and bring them to the middle of nowhere within the middle of nowhere, if that's even possible, and start to have a little screaming match with the girls.
 
Moments later the girls break free and run off, only to seperate and go their own ways. The first to get caught is Angelica, the hot blonde, and after a little stabbing *edited, which sucks* Chaos has a little necrophelia fun with her dead body, followed by Frankie. Damn peer pressure. Now during this time we go back and fourth to Emily's house who's parents are so worried about her that they overact, terribly. So they call the cops to check out the scene, which they do, then come back saying that the kids are too far out to check on them, which real cops would never do. Anyways back at the fun hut in the middle of nowhere Emily gets caught and what happens to her is just jacked up. Then back again to her parents who decide they are going to take matters in their on hands to find their daughter so they go to the scene of the rave, which apparently never happened, to find that she left her cellphone and that her best friend somehow got herself killed. Oh the irony. Now even more ironic is that the parents go back home to call the cops when who comes to their door claming that he's having car problems but Mr Chaos himself, and his pals.
What happens next is just a big bundle of "holy shit". I found myself double taking a few of the scenes towards the end, to me it just didn't settle.
In all this movie was pretty cool but it edited out the best parts which I felt could have saved it from the bashing it got from horror fanatics, yet again the MPAA fuck up a fairly decent flick. Aside from that I think the parents pushed too much of an After School Special vibe pushing racism in too much being that they were mixed raced and all.
Definately not the most brutal movie ever made as claimed but not too bad of a flick, just not as great as it could be.
Kevin Gage did a great role as Chaos, I think he's been pretty good in most movies he has been in in the past but it didn't save this flick, I think a little more brutality and an NC-17 rating would have pushed the bar on the expectations made for this film. Overall I'm on the fence with this flick, rent it if you want to, tell me what you think, otherwise I don't see myself paying full price for it.
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10 years after a young physically scared boy is murdered by his fellow schoolmates he returns to plot his revenge and get retaliation for the torture that ultimately killed him.
The movie starts out with a group of red sweater wearing school kids chasing after the hidiously burned Jack Marshall through a stretch of woods near a creek. One of the kids, Randy, takes things too far and pulls a bag out of his back pocket, puts it on Jack's face while he's down then drowns him in the creek, pisses on his dead body and floats him off downstream. Right then and there Randy forces his fellow classmates to make a pact that no one will say a word about the murder which they all agree to out of fear of being pushed out of the group.
Jump forward 10 years later and the one girl that was on Jack's side, Sue, is having problems with her boyfriend so she decides to pack up and go home. Well for some odd reason her friends decide to throw an all night horror watching party so they come to her house dressed like the bagman, scare her so bad she faints, kidnap her and take her to the house where the party is. At the same time The Bagman makes his appearance for his first victim, and the fun starts.
 
Now during the movie Sue keeps getting calls from some unknown caller that just sits there quietly on the phone. Well this shit was way overdone, they drew it out for enough time to make it extremely annoying. Aside from that this movie seemed like a huge ripoff of the Friday the 13th movies, pretty much every minute of the movie seemed like a ripoff of something else, like Scream or Urban Legend. It wasn't very well thought up. Say you and a few friends are hanging out telling your favorite horror stories and you decide to wrap them all up and make a movie, well that's The Bagman. In all the only thing great about this movie was Sue's tits, the rest is crap.
If your into crappy cheese horror flicks you might like this but for horror fans I feel you'll see this as another lame ripoff. I personally didn't like it.
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Director Christopher P. Garetano travels around america to the sets and homes of a handfull of independent film makers, digging into their sick minds to show the pleasures and pains of indie horror film making and what they feel their ideas represent.
I remember talking to Christopher a while back and he told me about Horror Business but I guess I didn't really understand how great of a documentary he was working his ass off for. This movie is a true labor of love for horror movies. He goes to the sets of many unknown indie film directors to give an insight on how exactly everything is done on set, the hardships of working almost 20 hour shifts and to show the love that the directors have for their art and the determination they have to get their vision on film. He talks to such indie directors as Mark Borchardt, John Goras, Dave Parker, David Stargnari, Brian Singleton, Dave Gebroe, and others as well as a few actors, producers and the legendary horror icons Joe Bob Briggs, Herschell Gordon Lewis, Sid Haig, and Lloyd Kaufman among others. He even talks to Fangoria editor Tony Timpone and Rue Morgue editor Rod Gudino.
 
The directors, producers, editors give insight to their feelings on matters like selling out to make movies without vision, shitty remakes, their opinion on violence and the mainstream media in relation to the supposed "negative effects" on kids growing up around horror movies and touch on things like Drive-Ins and horror conventions. This documentary has a little bit of everything related to horror movies, it really touches on alot of things that budding indie film makers and aspiring film makers should see. Some people say a low budget movie can be made in no time with no effort but this documentary proves that that theory is complete bullshit.
I really enjoyed Joe Bob Briggs' "3 Lessons in Guerilla Horror Filmmaking", Sid Haig's words of wisdom for aspiring film makers and Hershcell Gordon Lewis's view on making movies for the viewer, not just for one's self.
If you're thinking about making a low budget horror film and don't know what it takes to get it done watch this documentary, then do your studying because you'll need it.
Definitely a must for anyone that's into horror films, this documentary gives an insight to everything involved within the confines of the indie movie sets and the minds of the people that direct the films that creep us out and make us vomit in our mouth. Horror Business is HIGHLY recommended.
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Penny's parents were killed in a horrible car accident and young Penny who was with them had to lay injured while watching her mother die. Since then Penny has been getting therapy and one day her doctor suggest that to overcome her fear or cars, they should go on a trip to the scene where it all happened in order to help Penny come full circle. But on the way there they accidentally hit a hitchhiker with the car and while things at first seems to be all right, it later proves that things are not only bad, but absolutely terrible.
First off, this film has way more footage in it than what was ever needed and while things at first look totally all right, it later feels like the film's somewhat repeating itself over and over again. There are actually tons of moments throughout the course of the film where you're definitely expecting something to happen; we get quick flashy shots, suspenseful music and then it just stops.. to later repeat all over again. This happens so many times, or better put, too many times. Since I've already started complaining right from the start I may as well continue to do so and get it outta the way.
The character Penny herself (Rachel Miner) is a whiny teenager and if you decide to watch this flick, you'll be aware of that almost right away. She's crying, complaining, shouting, screaming, whining, crying some more and takes pills like 600-something times. Ok so I'm being a bit too cold here and should really start to feel some sympathy for the poor girl, but it's hard because she is irritating like hell, despite of what she is put through. Penny's parents got killed in a car accident when she was young and since then she has had a phobia for cars, and that's of course totally understandable. Her shrink/doctor suggest that they should go on a road trip to the place where the horrific accident took place to heal Penny and make her come full circle with what happened. All this happened right at the beginning but Penny just complains, whines and cries so much I found myself pressing the mute button several times throughout the film just because I couldn't stand listening to her.
 
So while on the road the doctor explains that Penny has nothing to be afraid of and at the same time Penny seems to be afraid of pretty much everything. If things didn't suck enough for Penny, the good doctor does not pay attention to the road and run the car right into a hitchhiker. Luckily the hitchhiker wasn't hurt and is offered a ride, and during that time, the hitchhiker just sits in the back and acts very creepy, not saying a word. Obviously you expect something to happen but it doesn't and after a while of awkwardness, they let the hitchhiker out. But soon they find out that one of the tires has blown and when the doctor goes to look for a phone, things really start to go downhill.
The fact that not too much happens for two thirds of the movie was a pain sitting through but when the horror kicked in, the horror also delivered quite a bit. Most of the film takes place with Penny being trapped inside the car which of course delivers quite a claustrophobic feel, but at the same time it keeps building scares that never come. While I was complaining about the character that is Penny before, I must admit that Miner is doing an awesome job portraying her. For most of the time it's just Penny alone out there in them dark woods and Miner do a great job catching the very fear a character in that situation must feel.
In the end I believe that Penny Dreaful is probably worth to take look at but at the same time I can't really recommend it. It's a bit slow and drags too much but still it has a few things that made one feel somewhat ok with the time spent watching it.
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A brother and sister, both suffering from Agoraphobia, do their best to survive their own minds and each others company while both contemplating leaving to see the world outside their front door.
The movie starts out with our star Irvin wrapping a present for his sister Ida and checking his mail. He then puts on a very nice suit and takes his sister to what we're to believe is an opera but in all a actuality it's their living room, which is where we find out that they are both Agoraphobic and refuse to leave. Anyways after sitting on the couch together dressed up to the gills listening to an opera on a record Irving walks his sister Ida to her door, gives her a kiss good night and we all gross out a little wondering what else they do in that strange little house.
Irvin ends up in his room hearing the voice of a small boy from his closet which he visualises in his mind just to find that he's not even there, that the kid is a fixation of himself as a child. He realises something important is seriously guarded from him, that being his mother's room, which is locked with Ida having the only key. Well Irvin is one of those extreme mama's boys and freaks out on Ida starting the first of many seriously messed up arguments during which he tries to walk outside the door which freaks Irvin out enough for him to run into another room and break a mirror. I mean the dude has issues!
 
Throughout the rest of the movie we see how extremely twisted Irvin and his sister Ida are, Irving being a suicidal alcoholic and Ida being a real bitch that just wants to leave though her illness prevents it. Everything has to be so perfect for her, both of them have to dress up for every holiday and celebrate it, though most of the time Irvin protests, everything has to be the way she wants it. I can see why Irvin cracks! But that's later on in the movie.
Within the confines of the movie we really get a view of how twisted the brother and sister really are. So twisted that they commit incest and all that good stuff.
Regardless of all this the movie kinda fell a little short for me, I mean the story was pretty solid and the ending flipped me the hell out but I think there should have been more to the inner psyche to Irvin. With that said I'll still give this a good review because the ending kinda flipped me in a different direction which saved it. I was on the fence leaning towards a low rating until then. If you wanna see a good mind bending flick give this one a shot anyways, it's not terrible, just not spectacular.
This movie really messed with my head, so it wasn't too bad just wasn't really kickass. Not bad for a psychological thriller. I'm on the fence, it's worth a rent but other than that it's up to the viewer.
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A trio of bloodthirsty strippers go on a killing spree in LA. At the same time three college students move into the house that used to be inhabited by one of the vampires' victims.
Alright this movie starts out in a room that LOOKS like a strip joint, though poorly put together, where this college guy, Greg Sterling, is celebrating his birthday by watching three strippers do their thing. Well we find right away that the strippers don't strip on stage, which is kinda lame, but anyways Greg gets himself ripped apart by the strippers who we see are obviously bloodthirsty large fanged vampire biznatches. So that's the end of Greg.
Next were taken to Irvine State College where our main characters Ken and Sammy are having a conversation about Greg's murder after seeing an ad about it in the newspaper. As college students do, Ken suggests that the two guys move into Greg's house that he was renting, well because he's a little dead. So they move into the house and notice under the couch that there's a flyer for this Fetish Jam place where the strippers are. Right then the guys realise they are late to meet up with their third roomate Martin so they run back to campus to meet up with him. He ends up being a strange, nerdy, mama's boy virgin but the guys tell him to move in anyways and suggest that he let them find him a woman, to take his nerdy virginity. So the guys go to the Fetish Jam place but not before we are briefly greeted by a dory trench coat wearing, too cool for his own shades, obviously miscasted Vampire Hunter Robert who spent 10 years tracking down the girls because they killed his brother. Well they off his ass too and he's out of the picture and damn it I haven't been so glad to see such a shortly casted actor in my life.
 
Anyways the guys get to the Fetish Jam place and Ken has sex with the boss stripper vampire named Treasure but she doesn't bite him for some stupid reason. So the guys go back home and a little later decide to throw a party to invite the girls back. This time the other two dudes get laid too but Martin, the nerd, gets his ass chewed up by one of the vampires and the rest is history. For the remaining part of the movie Ken and Sammy do what they can to get revenge for the roomate they just met and have no real devoted friendship with.
Now this movie was just crap. Poorly casted, poorly acted and the strippers didn't even have great juggs, this movie was just lacking in every form. The CGI was really bad, the girls appear in a puff of computerised smoke that looks really dumb and the sets are just terrible, not very thought out. Most movies I'd say there would be a possibility to save the flick somehow but this one, no chance. Pretty much one of the worst vampire movies ever made right around the John Carpenters Vampires movie and Dracula 3000, this movie is on the low end of the shit hill of vampire movies.
There was nothing saving this shit bomb, I found myself fast forwarding through alot of the scenes just to rush to the end, and when the movie was finally over I went and puked blood and had a rum and coke. You'd have to be a total newcomer to the genre to like this at all. It SUCKED!
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A group of people hide in an abandoned movie theatre to escape blood thirsty zombies on the outside of the walls that keep them safe, or maybe not. A battle of survival ensues as these young people try to not to be eaten by the zombies.
I go by one strict rule. If your going to make a Z grade movie you need to focus more on your story than the FX because the only thing that really sells a movie with a high budget is the FX, so if you can't tell a good story with your low budget you're going to make a shitty film. This movie is an example. Now I'm all for a Z budget movie that has some kind of flickering style somewhere in the movie but not once does this movie produce even the most minor twinkle of hope.
Throughout the entire movie a group of young people are hiding in a movie theatre, most of the time two guys look for a circut breaker which they finally find almost half way through the movie. Well a few zombies pop in here and there to kill off the group but for some reason there's plastic on the floors. OH WAIT, I know why, because the movie was filmed in a theatre that is actually still in operations outside of this movie.
 
Look guys even Herschell Gordon Lewis found a way to make it not so noticable putting plastic sheets down to keep from having blood on carpet but you guys made it obvious that you wanted to make a quick clean up so no one got pissed after shooting. I mean if you can get it off counters, sinks, and doors you can DEFINATELY get fake blood out of tiles, trust me, I know these things. It's not like there was any blood on carpet, that would be the ONLY reason I'd see putting down the plastic. Anyways with a little more acting talent and ALOT more to the story this movie might have been salvaged but I found myself bored of the movie really fast. There was no character development, all we know is that a group of young people are trying to survive while zombies in and around the theatre are trying to get to them.
In all I'd say that this movie probably won't make shit on the market, which is ok because that's about how much was put into making it. The good thing is that for the director he'll have a chance to put this movie behind him and possibly try to work on something less offensive to the genre, or maybe he'll read this review and get so pissed off he goes to making dramas, I dont know, just know that this movie isn't worth the time.
All you indie film makers need to take note, DEVELOP THE STORY, without that you're going to piss alot of people off that are going to buy your movie and be sadly disappointed.
Not worth the time to watch it but not bad of a first start. Hopefully on the next round these kids will learn a few lessons about acting and producing and do it right. Until then stay clear of this abomination of film.
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An American film producer named Marie returns to her homeland, Russia, where her mother’s dead body has been found under bizarre circumstances. She never knew her, having been adopted and brought to America as a baby. The only clue to what might have happened is an isolated, abandoned farm in the mountains that supposedly belonged to her natural parents.
Nacho Cerdà's The Abandoned dives into spooky waters right at frame one, splashes it on its viewers and eventually pretty much drowns them in spookiness. This is a flick that starts out being eerie and stays eerie all the way through the course of the film, and every now and then it shifts to another gear where full-on horror completely takes over. In other words, The Abandoned is never ever boring and is truly being a horror film that really sticks to the concept of horror from start to finish. But it's also a tad bit confusing, it messes with the viewer and in the end you're most likely to question the plot and if you really understood ALL that was going on and the very outcome itself. Still though, it's a pretty sweet film and at least it let's you exercise your brain.
Except for the horrific content it has to it, the film is also visually stunning in the true meaning of the word. The scenery is fantastic and the visuals are gloomy as hell, yet full of life (and death). What makes it even more horrific is that it takes place in cold raw-looking Russia in what happens to be a very spooky rundown old house surrounded by a dark forest, and close by is a lake that has dread hanging over it. Accompanied by awesome cinematography, The Abandoned is truly a feast for the eyes and it's seldom that horror looks this good.
 
The character development in the film is very good and little by little do we get to know the lead, Marie, and by getting to know her as well as we do, we're easily affected by the very scares that hit every once in a while. Taking place in a haunted house, it's far from as stupid or cliché as it may sound since the scares are never really that predictable and for most of the time comes out of the blue when you least except them to. But the hard-hitting scares are not what puts this movie on a pedestal, it's the very atmosphere it carries which is simply amazing. Right from the start it grabs hold of you and leaves you stuck in that position until the credits roll.
Best thing though gotta be that The Abandoned is a very serious horror film for adults only and does not mess around with poor dialogue, fillers or clueless teenagers that are in need of a good ass whopping. No, there are just a few character involved in the whole film and they're all over 40 years old, something that gives it a more serious tone right from the start which I felt was a well-deserved break from all the teen-packed shit-flicks that are flooding the market.
The atmosphere Cerdá creates is unsettling too say the least and he relies heavily on telling a good story, shown with beautiful yet haunting imagery instead relying on gore and cheap scares. It may leave gorehounds disappointed but other than that there are only things to look forward to since this movie pretty much has it all when it comes to horror while staying more intelligent than most flicks out there. On the other hand, you will definitely see some blood flowing even though that's not the focus of the film. Last but not least, the special effects are extremely well-done and melts into the whole look of the film and never feels out of place.
While Hollywood keep spitting out one shitty remake after another, it's guys like Cerdà that makes one still have faith in the genre. Excellent horror, `nuff said.
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Nicole's boyfriend has just asked her to marry him and things couldn't be any better. But shortly after the proposal Nicole's dad gets himself in trouble with Nicole having to carry half the burden as well, and if that wasn't bad enough, her boyfriend Lee gave her a cursed wedding ring and she soon discovers that a ghostly bride from hell is stalking her and her loved ones.
British films are for most of the time a pleasure to watch, at least when they have humor attached to them and Hellbride is no exception. Well at least that goes for the humorous parts and while some of the horror is all right, some of it is also questionable. The intro itself sets the movie up in a very good way with a narrator giving us some background while we're shown cool drawings in B&W, and this little segment provides a great feeling of what is to come.
We're soon introduced to Lee Parker who's buying a ring and immediately sees exactly what he wants. So he picks the ring up, proposes to his girlfriend Nicole and from that moment on everything seems nice and dandy. Too bad for Lee and his bride-to-be the ring is cursed and it doesn't take long before poor Nicole starts to suffer from horrible visions. If things weren't bad enough, she catches her dad right after he has just killed a guy, but since she really cares for him and wants nothing to ruin her future wedding she helps her dad out and so is willing to live with this dark secret. As the visions becomes worse, Nicole and her best friend pays a visit to a cousin in London who is more than knowledgeable when it comes to black magic and supernatural elements. He explains that the ring belongs to an ancient bride that was stood up at her wedding, who then snapped and has since then haunted those poor souls who have come upon the ring. Luckily this smart cousin has a "cure" for their problem but as we all know, big problems never go away very easily.
 
Hellbride is a pretty fun ride mixing comedy and horror with characters that for most of the time are very down to earth and so it makes it easier for the viewer to follow them and relate to some of what they're doing. All the main characters provide the viewer with a good feel because of the fact that they seem very natural. In other words, we're not dealing with any clueless moronic teens here so thank you Pat Higgins for that. As for the comedy, you find it here and there, popping up every now and then the film throughout and provides the viewer with a good laugh to keep things going. The humor is truly an important element here and is in the end what saves this film.
As for the story, while it didn't make me go whoa! it played out just fine and the overall film was very easy to sit through. Now since we're dealing with an indie feature here some of the effects tend to be a bit tacky and the bad is sometimes too noticeable, but this is all a minor issue though and is nothing that couldn't be fixed with a higher budget, and if you're used to watching indie flicks you'll see that this one is above average, at least when it comes down to what it looks like. My only real problem was that the whole wedding scene towards the very end was a bit too long and was lacking the humor the film carried earlier which left one with some uninteresting horror scenes. Still though, the overall film has a whole bunch of cool things to offer including believable acting and a few good laughs.
Pat Higgins' Hellbride is a well-working indie film with a story that is easy to get into and characters that do deliver the goods. Best of all is the humor and whenever its present, Hellbride is a joy to watch. On the horror front it doesn't work wonders and while it's a humorous film that's not supposed to scare the crap out of you some of the horror scenes could use some improvement. I think it's safe to say to that we should keep an eye out for Higgins in the future.
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The story of a sexual serial killer unfolds on camera as the killer films his encounter with one of his victims.
Written by, Directed by and starring Shane Ryan, this movie is the story of a young sexual deviant as he films his encounter with one of his impressionable teenage victims. After filming himself taking a leak our killer heads out to find his victim played by 18 year old Michiko Jimenez who co-wrote the script. During the whole movie pretty much in the lower left hand corner of the screen we see the killer having relations with a blonde girl who he never really shows himself hurting on the film. Anyways back to the story. The two head to a hotel then after a little convincing the girl gains enough trust in him to strip down and next thing you know they are getting it on. Pretty much the whole time she doesn't look like she's too into it but she's going along with it, probably out of boredom. She seems kinda embarrased but I think it's beausse in real life she knows she's being filmed naked, that's how most teenage girls are, very shy. Or so I'm told. ANYWAYS after a little sex it's time for our killer to go so he slaps her around a little, grabs a pillow and suffocates her, then beats her to death.
 
Supposedly it's based on a true story about a guy that filmed his murders over 85 rented movies from different towns but was never caught. The creepy thing about this movie is it very well could be about a real guy, and this movie is definitely a good representation of Snuff Films today. Of course there's an interview with Michiko Jimenez so we know she lived through the film which will help with any lawsuits that might come forward.
In all I thought this movie was creepy as hell, these people really are out there, and in the end they almost always get caught but having the chance to watch them while they are in action really gives us a great little journey into the mind of sexual predators. It's not really safe outside these days, and this movie will show you one of the many types of psychotic twisted fucks are out there. So lock your doors, turn on all the lights in the house and pop this movie on the tube, it'll creep you out for days.
This movie is simple but sick, it really did give me the impression that this could be a real snuff film. Although a bit slow at times the end gave me chills thinking that this movie is a representation of a true type of killer. Definitely worth watching.
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In the second feature of Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's Grindhouse, the slasher flick joins with the racing picture of the 60s and 70s to truly comment on the mixed genres of Death Proof.
In Death Proof, Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) is the slasher flick villain who stalks young females to kill with his stunt car, which is 100% death proof. Whether they are in the passenger seat or part of a game of involuntary chicken, no one can escape the cold demise of this tuff as nails Chevy Nova. The film starts off in an interesting way as Tarantino finally admits to his usurping of the celluloid past: Jungle Julie (Sydney Tamiia Poitier) walks into the frame and lies on the couch with an oversized photograph of Brigitte Bardot sitting in the same pose as Jungle Julie. Through this image, Tarantino is admitting off the bat that he lifts from other movies (something he should have done a long time ago). The irony comes in when he moves forward in making a film that really isn't overboard with Tarantinoesque dialogue and pop cultural explosions. Sure, characters discuss Vanishing Point, but pop dialogue doesn't become the center of the film. In other Tarantino films, his characters and the trail of violence they follow are caricatures of the genres Tarantino loves so much. His cartoon-like version of Westerns, Kung Fu flicks, and Gangster films may turn people off as cheap, but it his extrapolation of these genres that matter. In his article "La Fiction Du Pulp: Tarantino's Trail of Bread Crumbs Leads to the French New Wave," Mick Sleeper discusses the similarities of the French New Wave auteurs and Quentin Tarantino's work: "Throughout Reservoir Dogs and especially Pulp Fiction, Tarantino experimented with genre conventions just as Godard and Truffaut had in their earliest films. Unexpected plot twists, unusual dialogue, cinematic in-jokes, and unconventional characters galore became Tarantino trademarks; however, they were trademarks for which he didn't own the copyrights" ( http://www.imagesjournal.com/search.htm, par. 3).
 
It is in Death Proof that Tarantino absolutely makes a film that shows his commentary on the films that inspired him; therefore, he is no longer ripping them off—I guess the hate mail worked. Tarantino is making a version that comments and bends the genres. In Death Proof, the slasher film merges with the racing film by making the women strong and turning the formidable knife into a muscle car. In the end, the nefarious killer of the picture shows his true colors by being a complete coward with no strength to show; this figuratively displays the death proof car as a weapon, which has been a portentous weapon that should have given away the true cowardice in the slasher's archetypes. But this slasher has finally been forced into his comeuppance by fortuitously seeking women who represent the Russ Meyer films of the 60s—bad ass chicks that are not frazzled by violence and ready to rip shit up when necessary. With that said, the women in this film are tuff, and Zoë Bell's stunt work is incredible. There are moments during the speedy car chase that are not manipulated through editing but presented through tracking shots (not to say there were no cuts, but the longer tracking shots did make the scene extremely intense).
Many audience members have stated that they found the beginning of Death Proof as boring because of all the mundane dialogue, but I commend Tarantino for this, because if the dialogue was about Madonna or some social rant that comes off as just trying to be clever, people would have been glued to the scene. In the past, Tarantino's use of pop culture is an excellent device used to pull the audience into the film; in short, there index of nostalgia is subconsciously involving them in the film. Although, in the beginning of Death Proof, the dialogue is mainly about the things people discuss on their way out: guys, sex, weed, and other boring junk. My point is that Tarantino has finally figured out a nice balance between his caricatures and adding to genre cinema, so maybe we can start to take him seriously.
I know the film did badly in the theatres, but it really needs to be experienced on the big screen. Even if you are a fan of hating Tarantino (I don't want to have lunch with him either), go out and see Grindhouse, because the whole experience is worth every penny.
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We are introduced with a typical prison work camp located in American backwoods. One of the prisoners overheard a discussion between the Warden and the chief security guy, where they talked about the usage of formaldehyde for some strange purposes. After they move away, the prisoner crawls to the tent and finds some barrels with formaldehyde fumes. As he doesn't have anything to do, he starts sniffing the fumes and invites his fellow inmates to do the same. As it turns out, formaldehyde has some kind of a drug effect on them. The same night, the guys try to break away.
To cut the story short, the prison guards quickly catch them and in a very boring shootout´, kill all the escapees and decide to bury them in unmarked graves. The same night, dead prisoners come to life and start attacking the work camp.
For more than twenty days I am in a strange mood that results in watching the most obscure movies from my rather vast collection. "Garden of the Dead" was one of the stranger titles I came across and I decided to check it out.
From the first scene I knew this would be something completely different - I really don't remember seeing a horror movie which had the whole opening credits roll over just one static image from the work camp. After the first set of exchanged sentences, it was clear that this would be another cheap zombiethon with lousy actors, non existent effects and boring plot.
 
The zombies themselves are not something of a stereotype. They want to kill, but use shovels and different "weapons" that can be found in any ordinary tool shed. They don't eat human body parts, but they were ecstatic to break in the work camp to sniff some more formaldehyde. Zombie junkies that adore chemicals used for embalming or disinfecting human remains? Rock on doods...
The movie hosts a typical soundtrack of the 70s B movies, while majority of wannabe eerie scenes are extra powered by special effects that resemble those used in fighting scenes of the good old Adam West powered Batman TV series. You know, just remember the music surrounding all those KAPOWWs and KABANGGs. This kind of a music is present through every second of the movie, without any consideration if it is appropriate. For a couple of times, the combination of the music and stupid scenes made me laugh, and laughing is bad in a when it comes to "serious" horror movies...
The good thing about the movie was its length - just below one hour mark. I really couldn't see myself watching more of this uninspiring and dull movie. The only reason I am not giving this a straight F (or 1/10) is that the zombies in some of the scenes don't look so bad. I must emphasize in some of the scenes, as their looks totally differ in the first and second part of the movie.
If you are a die hard zombie fan, you should probably pick this up, just so you can brag that you actually watched this kind of an obscurity.
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Two full length feature horror movies written by Quentin Tarantino (DEATH PROOF) & Robert Rodriguez (PLANET TERROR) put together as a two film feature. Including fake movie trailers in between both movies.
Let's dive right into it shall we? Grindhouse starts off with the trailer for MACHETE and that sweet trailer alone, starring a vengeful Danny Trejo, set the mood right away. The story to the trailer is simple but oh-so-fun and I seriously hope to see this one as a full-length feature because I'm a 110 percent sure it would be a blast! Trejo looks as mean as ever and there are explosions, violence, hot chicks and so much cool action one really didn't want this thing to end.
After getting the blood pumpin´ it's time for the first feature which is Robert Rodriguez' PLANET TERROR and man does this flick have a lot to offer. Lots of regonizable actors here and they're delivering awesome performances. It was a true pleasure seeing Michael Biehn kick some ass again, but the true star of the film is gunslinger Freddy Rodriguez himself who kills so many folks in such cool ways and is the one who really makes the body count go through the roof. Rodriguez really captures the 70's/80's exploitation feel from start to finish and if it's action you want you'll get more than enough to go around.
As for the horror, PLANET TERROR has a lot of that to offer too even though it's action first and horror second mind you. An infection is spread and people start turning into zombies and even though the film has subplots that's really all you need to know for now. These horrible zombies are eating their way through Texas and we get to follow a bunch of survivors who has to fight for their lives in order not be turned in into such nasty monsters themselves. Rose McGowan plays the character Cherry Darling, Freddy's character's old flame, and she does it really well, whether it's just looking smoking hot or smoking zombies with her machine gun leg (very stylish indeed).
 
The pacing is pretty much perfect for most of the time and while it may slow down a bit towards the middle, it's really nothing that makes the film turn out less great. The score is brilliant and adds a lot of character to the film as well, kinda in the same vein as with some John Carpenter films if you know what I mean. Some kudos also goes to Josh Brolin as Dr. Block for a great performance indeed, very cold and mean, and a pleasure to watch on screen. All in all, PLANET TERROR is da bomb if you're looking for explosive entertainment.
After have been treated to such a film feast so far things do go down-hill a bit when it's time for Rob Zombie's WEREWOLF WOMEN OF THE SS. It's funny since this is the trailer I was looking forward to see the most and we've kept hearing about it for what has felt like ages, then when actually getting to see it, it turns out to be the least enjoyable trailer that Grindhouse has to offer. Problem with this one is that it feels like it's all over the place and then it just ends. He should've definitely kept things way more simple like all the other trailers did.
Moving on to Edgar Wright's DON'T which was a riot. We've all seen tons of horror movies where people go where they're not supposed to and something bad happens, and we've sat there thinking 'don't go there' and such things. Well DON'T makes fun of all that with a narrators voice saying 'don't' every time the people on screen are about to do something stupid. The trailer's really short but still felt a bit too long since you can only drag one joke so far. Still, it's a brilliant idea.
The last trailer is for Eli Roth's THANKSGIVING which is a faux trailer for this campy slasher flick that I wouldn't mind seeing as a full-length feature. There's a voice over in the film which is really fun and all in all, this was just great stuff.
Time for the second feature that is DEATH PROOF from Quentin Tarantino, but since our man Brad Guillory already did an exclusive review for that film I won't be reviewing it again. You can read his full review here.
One gotta admire the concept of Grindhouse; a double feature with really cool faux trailers... awesome stuff for sure. Even though it was a pleasure watching all that was Grindhouse I can understand those who felt that the whole thing was just too darn long. The thing is that Tarantino's flick which is the last thing we see (when people are already starting to loose their attention span) is a bit too slow for too long which doesn't help things up. Either way, both full-length features and all the trailer do have something to offer and if you love film, you just gotta see this one.
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Two thousand years ago, there was a place in Gomeda valley where local women, who became pregnant in non marital relationships, were thrown to die with their unwanted children. According to the legend a curse, fed through the umbilical cord consisting of Devil's words, was born.
Following strange dreams, a group of youngsters drives through Turkish back roads in search of Gomeda valley. After a close encounter with something resembling to a ghost, their car crashes and they carry on by foot.
I have a daily routine where I try to watch a horror movie just before going to bed. This is not primary because horror movies are best seen when it's dark outside, but it is a bit tough to find some spare time throughout the day. When I was a kid feeding on Freddy and Jason, those kind of movies would almost always generate nightmares, but in these days there is no such thing. That's a shame, because I really like complex dreams with a creepy overtone. "Gomeda" is something pretty much what I would describe as a perfect nightmare.
For the past couple of weeks I watched movies ranging from bad to mediocre, so I was really up for watching something interesting tonight. A small airmail package from Turkey saved the day - the people behind "Gomeda" sent us a DVD screener to which they had just burned English subtitles. From the first couple of scenes of the movie, I knew I was going to enjoy it - pretty original idea for the introduction, some great photography, creepy looking set and all wrapped up with a terrific music background.
After the car crash, things start rolling pretty fast with a bunch of different onscreen happenings that will surely make you think a bit and try to follow the story. The youngsters do the old "Evil Dead" routine when they read from an unknown book and by doing this destroy the borders between reality and nightmares.
 
Until modern J-Horror movies, I really wasn't into movies that had non-linear storylines, but now I find them much more interesting than the "normal" ones. Although confusing in some parts, "Gomeda" is not boring for a moment and the series of events backed by some pretty interesting visual escapades will occupy your attention until the end credits.
I like visual perversions in horror movies. Sick details, strange happenings, a bit twisted scenes - these are the things I really dig. The second Hellraiser was to me the best of the series, because the whole "hell" experience provided a perfect atmosphere for a horror movie. It was like living a nightmare and "Gomeda" reminded me of that feeling. How can you not like the scenes with a man crucified on a cross with a telephone near his chests simulating a phone booth? A young mother hand-sewing with cotton and condoms while feeding her doll baby with nails? These are just some of the cool examples.
Some people reading the previous paragraph could criticize me saying that sick or depraved scenes are not what makes a good horror movie. I absolutely agree, but all those scenes are there for a purpose, as the writer/director Tan Tolga Demirci admirably creates a nightmare that is from the "content" perspective 100% absurd, but at the same time from a technical standpoint very realistic. Just think about it, the majority of different happenings in your dreams (or nightmares if you prefer) are usually influenced with some little detail that happened the same day or the day before. If you have imagination, you will enjoy putting the pieces of the puzzle together.
The actors should have been a bit better in some of the scenes, but as the movie is levitating in the world of nightmares, you can go by this and "blame" it on the perception of how someone would react in the situation that's maybe real or not. The end of the movie, the only thing that could ruin my whole experience with "Gomeda", went just fine and in the line of my understanding of the movie. Maybe it was not one of a kind ending as it had some touching points with a couple of flicks I watched, but it really made me think about its conclusion.
As you can see I really enjoyed in "Gomeda". While it doesn't carry on too many frights, the movie is really powerful on the visual perspective with a good idea backing it and overall provides a respectable entry to the growing list of quality international horror movies.
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A porno remake of the popular William Friedkin 1973 classic gross out religious horror flick The Exorcist.
Alright now Doug Sakmann brings us this beautiful little erotic adaptation of the biggest scene from the Exorcist when Father "Merkin" must perform the exorcism on helpless little Regan "MacFeel" to dispell the spirit of a demon that has taken over her body. Wait did I say helpless? FUCK THAT! Lets back that up. Blah blah Father "Merkin" must perform a exorcism on the sexy slutty little bad girl Regan "MacFeel", played by Burning Angels head model Joanna Angel. Now after tying her up to do his exorcism Regan wakes up, throws a fit and throws up on.... well... damn near everything in the room. Then after a little "Fuck Me Jesus!" screams from Regan, Father "Merkin" decides that he has no other choice but to "SEXORCISE" the demon out of Regan. And then out pops the 70's style porno music and one of the best sex scenes I've ever seen in a porno.
Now Regan pulls out The Father's junk and starts to do her "slurp-and-glurp" routine on him, the whole time The Father is acting all disgusted though we know he's getting into it with each thrust in her mouth. Then out of left field she THROWS UP ON HIS DONG THEN KEEPS ON SUCKIN'! I kid you not people that was a sight to see, I don't know what that shit was made of but I hope it was water soliable because she barfed all over it and kept going to town. Then they get down to business licky licky, sticky sticky then SPLASH! Her vag shoots green junk out of it and knocks The Father against the friggin wall knocking him out! By this time Regan's mom gets a bit curious and walks in the room to find Regan naked covered in green crap and Father "Merkin" against the wall out cold. Then out pops the crucifix and the two girls are fighting over the crucifix which ultimately leads to a pretty damn hot lesbian scene.
 
Well Father "Merkin" finally wakes up in the middle of their incestuous little crotch diving session and decides he's going to get in the middle of it. In the middle of the threesome Regan's mom gets posessed by the demon and starts barfing too so Father "Merkin" shoves the bitch off him and goes back to Regan. Well then there's a little buttsex and then BAM! Money shot. But he's not through, so he goes and gets his cross dildo and plugs up her vag, then green shit starts coming from her brown eye so he gets some sort of sister mary butt plug and cornholes her with it. THEN the shit starts coming out her mouth again so he plugs up that hole too so she can't vagassmouth barf on anything anymore.
Now depending on which ending you chose three different things happen after that, so if you want to know the ending go get the movie. I know I went through just about the entire damn movie but it's a sight to see, if you're into porn and tattooed sex get this movie, I had to cross my legs for hours.
Considering this movie isn't too long don't be discouraged there's extras like additional content that you can have fun with as well.
Oh yeah if you're a horn dog like me that watches alot of porno but are tired of all the stupid ditzy blonds taking it from over endowed midgets get XXXorcist, especially if you loved the Exorcist, you'll get a kick out of it! BOING!
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While I am not your resident fan of heavy metal music of the 80s, I am sure that once before I came across Jon Mikl Thor, blond hairy bodybuilder who in 1978 founded a band with a pretty non original name - "Thor". His music career was accompanied by efforts in professional body building, where he was the first guy to win both Mr. America and Mr. Canada titles. Besides music and body building he even had time to star in a couple of movies. In "Rock'n'Roll Nightmare" he plays John Triton, leader of a heavy metal group that visits a farm to record a new album. The farm has some history and we are introduced with an incident which happened 20 years ago where a family was killed by demon intervention.
Soon after arriving to the farm, members of the band start having sex with their girlfriends and in between they even have some time to play their new songs. I was eager to see something happening, because it was rather boring to see all those lengthy scenes with closeups on the farm with some wannabe eerie music. People, c'mon, give me something already...
Out of the sudden, in the middle of the movie, something actually starts happening. One of the girls goes wild, turns into a demon with a hefty rubbery makeup with extremely cheap plastic teeth. In a typical extra cheesy B horror moment, "rubber face" starts chewing the group manager's neck and things finally start to get dynamic. People that get attacked, also become demons, you know the usual...
Why are they turning into demons? We don't know but we get a goofy answer to this some ten minutes before the movie ends. The storyline is pretty simple - some boob shots, lots of sex, a bit of music and the "glorious" ending arrives.
 
Triton is in his room trying to write some lyrics for a new song. A light wind is making his blond metal hair float and his muscles just want to get out of his extra small stupid looking red shirt. Out of the sudden we don't have any more demons, but little Ghoulies-like creatures take their turn. Bad humor in combination with their cheapness really makes this a truly wonderful 80s horror moment. After they start attacking Triton (attacking = someone just throwing the puppets at him) his girlfriend enters the room and in the Vampirella way (remember the transformation from Vampirella to a bat?) changes to Lucifer himself.
Lucifer attacks Triton, but Triton unexpectedly confronts him and says that he is not just a plain metal singer - he is Intercessor, archangel that quickly transforms from a regular tough bloke into an even more heavy metal looking fighting powerhouse. The way they fight? They watch each other for a minute or two and then they wrestle with an occasional moment where Lucifer throws green sea stars?! Priceless...
This movie is a "spectacular" (pun intended) collection of lousy B horror effects, stupid story and a huge ego trip by our singer body builder Thor. While it is really a bad movie, the movie's 80s feeling will definitely be of interest to some die hard horror fans that enjoy the golden decade.
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After a bad accident with chemicals Rich is left blind and at the hands of a devious eye surgeon who implants him with a werewolves eyes. All hell breaks loose when Rich turns into a werewolf and raises a little hell but who can stop him?
The movie starts in the woods where a group of hunters are on the prowl trying to kill a werewolf that is somehow running around in the daylight, in the woods. Anyways they catch up with him after losing a couple fellow hunters and gun him down and take his head. Well next thing you know credits are rolling and the eyes of the werewolf are in these tubes of bubbling water ready to be put to use.
Now back at the lab of Rich Stevens, there’s an accident when he mixes the wrong chemicals which leaves him eyeless, so he ends up in a hospital bed covered in bandages recovering from an overnight eye transplant which he thinks is successful. Well in walks his nurse, Sondra, and after a little talking and flirting they end up having a 2 minute sex scene. Not bad. Afterwards he confesses that in fact, he’s married. Apparently this doesn’t stop Sondra so much because we see her a lot in the rest of the movie, but after he’s released from the hospital he goes home to his bitch of a wife, who dogs him about his eyes.
 
When she goes off you’d think everything was fine, but he ends up driving out to his buddy Craig’s house, only to find out his wife Rita has been sleeping with him. Well as all pissed off husbands do he grabs for her and Craig, whips the shit out of him and then goes home and watches some TV. So out comes the full moon turning Rich into a blood thirsty werewolf and he’s off for his first kill and who else does he choose but his good old pal Craig, who’s at the beach drunk and oblivious to the fact that he’s about to get totally fucked up. So Rich kills him and moves on. The next morning he wakes up in the woods, naked, near the home of a very strange midget named Androse. Anyways Androse informs Rich of who he is then he leaves only to be stopped by a detective that shows up at his door asking questions about Craig’s murder. Out of left field his pal Siodmak pops in claiming that he recognized him the night before, as a werewolf, though for some reason instead of fearing him he goes to confront him about it. Rita comes home and confronts Rich about Craig’s murder then he offs her “wolfie style” too.
After another kill scene and a little more sex from his nurse Sondra, in a 4 minute sex scene, Rich goes off to find the answers to what’s wrong with him and why he wakes up naked in a field every morning next to a midget’s house. For the most part the ending is alright but this movie is definitely lacking a lot.
Now don’t mistake the Tim Sullivan that wrote this movie with the great Tim Sullivan that did movies like 2001 Maniacs and Driftwood. This guy can’t write for shit, well the Tim that wrote this garbage. The movie really shows no differentiation between night and day and who’s ever heard of a werewolf that comes out in the day? With that who’s ever seen a werewolf with red lights for eyes, I mean BRIGHT lights? This movie is the kinda crap you burn a copy of to jack with someone you don’t like into making them think it’s good porn. At no point did this movie hold any logical understanding of it’s story, it was hard to follow and the sex scenes, though not bad, were way too long, which kinda goes to show they were trying to dig for more content so they tossed in some sex.
This movie sucks! Although there’s a great set of boobs in the movie it’s on someone that really has no significance in the movie. The acting isn’t great, the werewolf is poorly made up looking like something a elementary school kid would draw instead of learning how to count to 10. Not worth the time. Hit it and quit it.
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Montgomery Goth is a calm, friendly pizza delivery boy with a habit for letting people walk all over him. Slowly he descends into a realm of barbaric hatred and murder sparked by his jolted past and his even more jolted life in the present.
So our story starts on a dark rainy night as a delivery boy approaches his customer’s doorstep, a man comes out dressed like some frilly little pirate and tries to slam the door in the delivery boy’s face claiming that he won't accept the food because it’s wet. Before he can do so the delivery boy pulls out a knife and slits his frilly throat.
Next we're in a pizza parlor where our lead, Montgomery “Monty” Goth is working on his day off. Of course as Murphy’s Law proclaims he has an insane amount of deliveries, and although it’s his day off, he as to set out to deliver the pizzas. Along the way he comes across all kinds of customers that belittle him and treat him like shit, although one of his stops is at a house full of topless women, two of which ask him to judge which one is sexier, which kinda throws you off guard but hey, we gotta have nudity in our horror movies right? His last stop is at the house where he meets his love interest Bibi and her little asshole brother who belittles him like everyone else.
 
Anyways after the deliveries he heads home, eats a pizza and daydreams about Bibi, followed by some very vivid jacked up visuals of his parents which kinda gives you an understanding of what is to come later in the movie. So the next day he goes to work and gets his ass chewed out by his boss because of a complaint one of his customers left. He decides later that his life sucks and that he wants to change it so after his car is jacked, his job is gone and he has a few more jacked up dreams about his parents, he finally gets to sleep with Bibi. Now her OTHER brother, this wishy washy gay guy, decides he’s going to talk shit about Monty and says all these jacked up things about him, saying he’s insane and that he has an STD, so she freaks out and dumps him. And then he snaps!
The rest of the movie is Monty’s little hay day with everyone that did him wrong, filled with guts, gore and lots of death and mayhem. I have to say that Matthew Nelson, who plays Monty, did a great job, you can really notice how he goes from being pretty cool and collected to a fucked up, deranged psychopath. Now normally I’d say that a killer delivery boy would be stupid, but this movie has more positive aspects than I would have given it credit if I hadn’t seen it. It’s really not all that bad. The kill scenes are decent, there’s enough boobs in one room to last the entire movie, and it ends on a good note, or at least in my opinion. This movie won a couple awards at Screamfest 06 for Best Picture and Best Actor *Matthew Nelson* and I can see why, for an indie film this movie will catch you off guard with the fact that it’s really not as stupid as the cover might make you think.
Indie horror film fans will have an appreciation for this movie being that Matthew Nelson did a GREAT job, being that it was his first acting role, he has this creepy vibe about him that you really don’t catch until he’s at his breaking point, which I thought was cool as hell. Definitely give it a watch, I don’t expect many people to keep it on the top shelve but it’s a good watch otherwise.
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An american author is stalked by a killer that murders people in the fashions printed in his latest hit novel, Tenebre, while he visits Rome for signings and interviews.
The late Anthony Franciosa plays author Peter Neil, who’s newest book Tenebre is driving people crazy with popularity in Rome where he’s on his way to do signings and press releases. But before he leaves the airport his bag is sabotaged by some scarf wearing woman who he later believes was in cahoots with his ex Jane. Anyways so he makes it to Rome alright, just in time to find out about a killer that’s copying the kill scenes in his book! Leaving the police baffled they have no choice but to ask Peter for his help in catching the killer since he’s copying the chapters in the book that he wrote. With the help of a detective and two of his assistants he goes on the hunt for the killer.
So anyways back to the killer. He kills his victims in the same fashion as the sections of the Tenebre book then takes a picture of his victims then goes back to Peter’s hotel room and leaves a newspaper clipped note under his door with words from his book that explain why he killed each victim. Really gets you to thinking. Anyways the entire movie is a whodunit like no other with an ending that had my jaw dropped and locked.
 
Tenebre is more of a murder mystery than anything but definitely a good film from the confines of the Argento library. Do I ever want to see it remade? No. Would I watch it again? Oh hell yeah! There’s a part in the movie where this Doberman pincher chases after this girl and she jumps over a chain length fence and next thing you now SWOOP! The damn dog climbs up and over the fence too! I swear you never know if those bastards can climb a fence until they bury their teeth in you faster than you can shit your pants from the sight of them coming at you.
This isn’t his best but definitely in the top five greats from Dario Argento give this movie a watch and see what I’m talking about.
Not really too horrific but a definate classic, some good kill scenes and a twisted ending, definitely watch Tenebre, you won't be disappointed if your a fan of Italian cinema.
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A young american travels to Europe to join a dance school to find that it's run by a coven of witches.
Without a doubt my favorite of all of Dario Argento’s movies, Suspiria is a definite classic that will never fall short of it’s great image it’s put forth since it’s release. Though the movie is a year older than I am I gotta say it’s definitely on my top 5 favorite movies of all time.
Jessica Harper plays the American Suzy Bannion who flies out to Europe to start school at a prestigious dance school to perfect her ballet studies. She arrives on a dark and stormy night at the school and tries to get in but gets turned down for the night, but not until after one of the students, a girl named Pat Hingle, screams out something into the building then runs off. Drenched and tired Suzy decides to go find place to crash so she gets back in her cab and rides off, but when she looks out the side window she notices Pat running through the woods. Well poor frightened Pat ends up at her friend’s place in this nice immaculate building where she asks to stay the night, but threatens to leave in the morning because she’s tired of the school, or something to that note. Anyways she goes to the restroom to dry off and gets pulled out the window and pulled on the roof of the building then stabbed repeatedly, tossed through a stained glass window in the roof of the building and hung by a cord, the glass and molding crashing down to the floor below and ironically enough, onto the friend that was putting her up for the night, killing her as well. The vibrant red blood drips from both bodies and the scene closes out.
 
The next morning back at the school Suzy is finally let in and introduces herself to the main instructor Miss Tanner and the famous, or so in the movie, Madame Blanc who ironically enough remembers Suzy’s aunt from her past. Anyways all the formalities aside, she goes to the locker room and makes a few friends with a few pretty but immature fellow students and tries to make herself at home. She, at some point, has a flashback of what Pat was saying before she runs off to die which sticks in her head throughout the rest of the movie as she puts the pieces together to find out exactly what scared her off, and to find out what’s so intriguing behind the walls of the dance school. With lots of twists and turns Suzy searches for the answers that may or may not have an effect on her very life. Nothing seems normal in the dance school and Suzy is the only hope of finding out what the hell is going on.
Vibrant blood, great colorful lighting, great atmospheric sets and a great cast of colorful actresses pushes this movie in the high end of the great horror genre. I mean they even put good use to maggots and razor wire in Suspiria, which is definitely not easy to do. But I guess for me what sets this movie aside from the rest of Argento’s movies is the soundtrack, though the band Goblin did the soundtracks to quite a few of his films. For some reason the soundtrack in this movie stuck out more than all of the others, it really pushed forth this feeling of fear and torment that I haven’t been able to hear in any other soundtrack to date. I think that it really sets the mood for the entire movie and along with the excellent colored lighting, the reds, blues, purples, and greens, This movie just pushes itself out a window outside the movies before and after it’s release and for that I give this movie much credit and praise. If you haven’t yet seen Suspiria go out and buy it, renting this movie would be an insult to horror itself, this movie is top shelf material, period.
As I said before definitely a movie to put on the top shelf of your collection, everything about this movie is great. Don't rent this movie, OWN IT!
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A group of teenagers are preyed upon by the spirit of a deranged killer in this movie that is set to the formula of 80’s slasher films.
Alright now at first I was kinda weirded by the title being that to me it seemed like this movie was going to be pretty hoaxy, but when I got into the movie it was actually pretty hillarious. It's really obvious that this movie really doesn't take itself too seriously and if it was meant to, it fell short.
So there’s a group of teenagers, a Normal innocent girl with a token black guy boyfriend with a bad attitude, a couple of lipstick lesbians, a sexy blonde, a tough as nails greaser pothead, a goth wanna be witch and a total nerd with a hard-on for the sexy blonde. Anyways they go to the house of a deranged killer named Murder McGee and have a séance to try to bring his spirit out for a little chat by pulling out an Ouija board and tossing out a few words to the spirit world. Well all hell breaks loose and the movie goes of on a blood and guts body possession game for the spirit of Murder McGee himself.
 
Alright now by the credits this movie is set in the 80’s which is pretty obvious by the way the characters are dressed and all and they pretty much play homage to the 80’s horror movies we grew up to love, of course this movie is pretty cheesy and the cast seems like a lot of drama majors overacting to try to make it into film and the makeup jobs on the ghouls sucked but I gotta say the kill scenes weren’t bad, lots of blood, guts and gore, which was inviting as hell. Put in a lesbian sex scene and a bunch of boob shots and you have your pretty typical slasher flick. I found myself paying more attention to the character Tiffany played by the lovely Lindsay Gareth, mainly because the rest of the characters didn’t seem to act quite as well as she did.
This movie shouldn’t be taken too seriously as it is definitely a cheeseball film but if your looking for a good laugh give this movie a shot, it’s not short on hilarity.
A little corny but I had a good laugh. A definate try at bringing 80's slashers back to life and not too bad, if it had a higher budget this movie would have totally sold me. Watch it anyways though, it's not bad.
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On Halloween night, 1993, Adam Morgan killed his girlfriend then went to the Hollows End Motel where he killed himself in room 313. Within the 14 years after his suicide 13 people have died within the walls of the motel room. Will poor Mary Amanda Day be number 14?
You know from time to time I see movies that I really don't like and post reviews on them plus my words of advice to the directors so that they don't make such a stinkbomb the next run. Well with this movie I put myself in a real spot, because my only advice for director Robert Noel Gifford is to just not put this movie out. This is the first of his movies that I've seen and if the others are anything like this, it'll stay the only one.
I'm going to be fair and try not to be such a asshole, though I just wasted an hour and a half on yet ANOTHER movie that I thought shouldn't have been sent to my desk.
 
Ok so on to what I didn't like so bear with me. I guess for one the killer Adam Morgen is CGI, meaning computerised, which also means he was cheesy as hell and looked like shit. Secondly while watching the movie, especially during her phone conversation scenes, Robert felt it necessary to show her talking on the phone....from three different angles. And with that each one had a different pitched hum that just irritated me. Speaking of sounds, every sound effect sounded like they were stolen off a Halloween CD that you play in the front room of your house to scare off trick-or-treat'ers, not to mention each sound effect was alot louder than the rest of the movie. Lastly about the sound, the soundtrack for the most part was the same stupid song looped over and over again, sounding like it's also taken from a Halloween CD.
Now onto the film itself, for some reason Robert decided he'd fill alot of time with what we like to call "fillers" which are long, drawn out scenes that really don't have any importance, in fact it's mostly a long pause or just a driving scene. Well this movie is FULL of them, enough to drive a man fucking MAD!
Anyways this movie, I would say, in my humble opinion, is slapdash, which means it was hurried and sloppy. It's the hard part of my job giving such a low rating on a movie that would otherwise, possibly hold my interest, and I hate to do it to such a pretty actress like Suzi Lorraine, but this movie sucks. Suzi if you're reading this I still want to watch some of your other stuff, as long as the movies aren't done like this.
For a director with a few movies under his belt I don't see why he hasn't learned more than it appears he has. Either he doesn't care that he has little talent or the world around him lies to him to assure him he's something he's not. Don't waste your time on Strange Wings.
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A woman is dragged back and forth between two rooms. The occupants of the rooms are two men placing a wager on which room the woman will die in.
Now looking at the cover for The Bet you'd think that it's something that it's totally not. I have to say I was quite intrigued by this short film that's a little shy of 20 minutes. It starts out with a bound woman drug into a hall as a door closes behind her. Suddenly the door of the opposing room opens up and a man pulls the bound woman into his room. It's kinda hard to say what happens in the room being that it's such a short film and I don't want to give anything away but needless to say I feelt this movie had a definate eerie vibe.
 
Now I'm not one for short films but this one got me pretty well. I found it twisted and at the same time simple and effective. It kinda digs in a little into the psyche of the two men placing the bet and the woman that's drug between two rooms awaiting her fate.
Reading further about this short it's said that it's based on a dream his wife had back in the 80's. Pretty cool huh?
Anyways give it a watch, it's a trip.
Would be pointless to make it longer than 20 minutes seeing as it's just basically one scene but it got it's point across. I liked it.
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As posted on imdb.com - The gruesome tapestry of psychological manifestations of a nineteen year old bulimic runaway stripper-turned prostitute as she descends into a hellish pit of satanic nightmares and hallucinations.
Now first of all so you know I posted a story outline from IMDB.com because holy hell, it's hard to know what the movie is really about. Secondly there's one thing in horror movies that I'm not a huge fan of and that's vomit. Well holy shit Lucifer Valentine really knows how to define the name he pasted on this sick fucked up little flick.
I know for a fact that Lucifer Valentine is going to read this so for him I say "Dude your one sick sick fucker, and you're a GENIOUS!" It's rare that a movie grosses me out in the least but this movie had me kinda squeamish, mainly because of the vomit.
Now in the movie this stripper prostitue druggie Angela Aberdeen goes through alot of fucked up situations. Needless to say she does what any stripper prostitute druggie does, gets naked, does drugs and throws up on stuff.
This movie really plays out like a sick killer's personal video files before he kills his victims more than the story of the girl, regardless it's definitely an artsy film.
 
The best part in the movie is when this girl gets her eyes gouged out and placed on a glass table in which the eyeless girl finds the eyes on the table.........then throws up on them.
Shit, it's really hard to do a review on this movie because I'm still to this day asking "What the hell?" Regardless if your a sick flick fan you'll love this film, I personally liked it because the gore scenes looked BEAUTIFUL and so life like. Seriously I almost thought that this dude really did this shit to these girls then played it off like a movie so he could brag about his kills.
Later in the movie this guy takes a cranial cut head and eats its brains, then throws up into the cranial cavity and into a mug, then drinks his own vomit... then vomits again...in this endless cycle of vomit drinking and vomiting. I bet the dude's stomach is totally fucked up.
Anyways like I said this movie is hard to describe so if you have the stomach for anything give it a watch, it'll gross you out.
Only a Canadian can be this sick, which I admire, Lucifer Valentine is a true visionary. Though it's pretty impossible to follow the story without him RIGHT THERE telling you what's going on, this movie is pretty sick. Get it.
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Sexually deprived James takes a trip to the desert to spend the summer with his religious sex crazed father Hezekiah only to find that there's a killer loose nearby, but who's the killer?
Porn Star Mary Carey and her 36DD's grace the screen in this off beat sexploitation romp.
The film starts out, funny enough, with a rating screen, claiming that the movie is Rated H-14 for "Huge Boobs, Sex, Blood and a Snake". Right at that I knew it was off to a good start, as movies like this are definitely the types to just say "fuck it" and let it all slide.
Anyways on to the movie itself. After a great little boobiful credit roll we find our buddy James driving through the desert on his way to see his dear old pappy Hezekiah when out of the blue a really hot hitchiker catches his eye so he stops to offer her a ride. Now back at Hezekiah's house we find the dear old guy having a little fun with Cheryl, our busty star. A little arguing and a little ass slapping and were back to the road with James. Wanting a smoke the hitchhiker opens his glovebox hoping for some matches but finds some porn and a sex toy. Grossed out she jumps out of the car and he drives off. Now flip flop BACK at the house, yeah it does alot of bouncing around, and I don't only mean Mary's boobs, James shows up at his dad's house where he meets Cheryl and her big beautiful boobs.
A little corn cob sucking, a little freaky old guy sex and some preserve fingering, it's pretty obvious it's not going to be a normal summer for James, or his hormones. It seems Cheryl's got a hankering for James now and won't take no for an answer. So she makes a little picnic for him out in the desert when she notices a bee hive out in a tree, so what does she do? What any red blooded big boobed babe would do, she takes the hive down, and her top, and proceeds to cover her boobs in honey. The irony kicks when James goes in for the boob kill, only to get stung by a shitload of bees, haha. Anyways next day Hezekiah takes James out to his "studio" to introduce him to his art, fucked up sculptures shaped like women. You figure that'd be the most fucked up part of the movie by seeing it but no, it gets better.
 
So James goes into town to the local body shop and meets up with a skinhead who acts like a "gangsta" and his son who offers to take a look at his car, leaving James without a ride home. So he goes to walking and out of the blue Cheryl comes up and picks him up, in more way than one. So they're sexin in the truck on the way home doing donuts in the desert and it starts. Lots of prancing and sexin ensues, or at least until Hezekiah finds out!
Think your in a softcore porn yet? I sure did, until what happened next.
The night after Hezekiah finds them out there's a big fight and all of a sudden Cheryl comes up missing. Is she dead? Did she run off and find her way back to the strip joing she came from? The only person that seems to know that answer seems to be Hezekiah who's hacking up some fresh meat for his latest sculpture. The next day, wouldn't you believe it, papa's got a new set of boobs and a new girl is introduced into the happy fucked up little home who's damn near as slutty as Cheryl.
What comes next is beyond all understanding, but it's when the horror kicks in and we find out that James too has a secret.
This movie, holy shit! This movie is outstanding, extremely far fetched and funny. Pervert! is a top shelf Sexploitation flick. With an ending funnier than damn near any movie out there you definitly won't feel "dicked" by seeing it.
All puns and boobs aside this movie was origional and funny as hell. It's worth owning, worth watching many times over and I'm sure it's good friday night singles watching, you know, that "hands on experience". Enjoy!
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The movie focuses around a band of serial killers, incarcerated in a specialized institution for extremely criminally insane. They wake up one morning to see that all the cell doors are unlocked, while the interior of the building looks destroyed by age. Leaving the premises is not an option, as their "home" is surrounded by a white chilling mist. They roundup to try to figure out the situation, while one of them falls dead. There is someone or something killing the killers.
After I got a hold of a screen copy I browsed a bit through genre sites and saw some quite good reviews of KillerKiller. It is not too often that I come across good independent euro horror movies, so I was excited to check it out. Unfortunately I wasn't at all impressed by what I saw.
The movie starts out great - with a mock up of a typical slasher scenario. A masked killer stalks a blond babysitter and when he wants to do a "Psycho" shower slashing, she turns around with bloody eyes and cuts him into pieces. We soon find out that all of the serial killers will soon meet their fates, with their final moments looking like a straight copy of their own modus operandi. This idea was really great and as a slasher fanatic, I'm always eager to see movies which complemented by fav horror sub-genre. "April Fool's Day" killed the 80s slasher, "Behind the Mask: Rise of Leslie Vernon" gave a great different point of view from the killer's perspective and KillerKiller started up with a refreshing way of exchanging the roles between slasher killers and their victims.
 
The problem is that while the movie last for just over 70 minutes, it is very slow paced and it often gets boring. The characters interact with each other a lot, we get some backgrounds on their "bloody" lives, but overall you are just waiting for the short sequences where a mystery woman deals with their faiths.
Kills are relatively mild, but accompanied by some heavy blood splatter. These kill sequences should have been at least a bit longer and done in a more interesting way.
Regarding the cast, the two leading male characters' performance was rather good. Some of the other killers were a bit overacting, but you can live with it.
Although this is a DVD screener, I should comment the audio quality. As this is a British movie, with some more or less heavy English accents, the audio transfer is not good at all, so I often missed pieces of discussion which becomes a bit frustrating after some time. You don't pass by any important facts, but it was irritating. I hope the transfer is better on the DVD release.
The movie sports a very good idea that should have been realized in a much better way.
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Don't go to the Starlight Hotel cos you'll be Eaten Alive!
Me (and probably you) consider Tobe Hooper a great director when it comes to horror flicks, and Eaten Alive is most definitely his second finest film to date, with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre of course being at the top of the list. Now this movie throws this great feeling right at you at frame one where we're introduced to Robert Englund who plays Buck, a yokel with a thing for prostitutes. The film starts out with him wanting to get nasty with this girl in a brothel but she starts screaming and in comes the hostess of the brothel offering Buck TWO ladies to make it up to him, which of course puts a smile on his face, and then the hostess tells the unwilling girl off. Maybe it's just me but it's a sweet start and it just keeps getting better as we go along.
The girl quickly quits the job she was not meant for and heads for the Starlight Hotel that's located close by. Once there she's greeted by this man who's semi-weird at first but quickly becomes super weird, or rather psychotic for real. Not gonna tell you how it goes but this old timer named Judd has a big croc in a pond next to the hotel and this croc is always hungry and Judd always seem willing to feed it with whatever, or rather WHOEVER passes by.
 
Neville Brand stars as weird dude Judd and he pulls off one helluva good performance with his character. The cool thing about Judd is that even though he's one messed up Inn keeper indeed who do terrible things to people, it's very hard to hate the guy and at times you almost feel sorry for him. He's mumbling a lot throughout the flick and says a lot of weird things but that's just part of the charm that this savage little piece of cinema has to it.
I first saw this movie back when I was a kid. I got it as a worn-out copy on VHS but didn't appreciate the movie half as much back then as I did now when I re-watched the whole thing. But back then you wanted zombies and all kinds of monsters and ghouls, not a simple gator... I mean hell, I could go to the zoo if I wanted to see a gator. Watching it now though it had a different feel to it and while it may be simple (and even a tad bit stupid to some), I believe it's a horror film done right. I love movies from the 70's, the very look they all have and the raw tone a lot of them have compared to films that came out later on during the 80's and what not.
Not to be confused with Umberto Lenzi's Eaten Alive (Eaten Alive by the Cannibals). Also, the film carries some great tunes, not that I'm a fan of country music normally but here it sure fits just fine. In some corners of the world the exact same film is entitled Death Trap and not Eaten Alive if that should ring a bell.
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A young woman's attempt at changing her life leads her to deciding she'd be better off as a nun. In her quest for enlightenment she discovers that the road to being closer to the Lord is a long painful one.
The movie starts out with our star Sarah, played by the lovely Tiffany Shepis, who's arrived at a convent on a rainy night in hopes to take her vows to be an ordained nun. She's greeted with harshness and strict rules, then is told to get naked to change into her robes, while the other nuns watch. One of the sisters notices a tattoo of a pair of dice on her hip and freaks out, going on a rant about being only one with God.
The next day she's brought down to a disgustingly dirty room and told to strip, again, then is slightly examined and cut inside her ears, placing her almost deaf. Well that doesn't taint her faith, she prays and prays when all of a sudden she has a vision of two men fighting over an orchard. Zip zoom, a couple cuts and we see an old man reading scripture while Sarah writes on a wall in coal. Now mind you it's in a vision she's having but all of a sudden a piece of the coal she's using in her vision falls out of her hand and lands next to her in reality. The vision freaks her out, so badly that she throws up... milk? We find that it's her first test, to "hear" the Lord, which she does, I think.
 
She keeps having strange visions about a woman having a baby in which the girl's father has a bag of flour on his table, turns around for a second then turns back to see the bag has fallen and the name Ninfa written in the flour on the ground, to which the guy claims he'll name his child just that. Anyways while in labor the man notices the walls bleeding and freaks out, bringing in his scriptures and reading them to his daughter, I guess purifying her. The baby is born and the man takes the baby into the room in which he saw blood dripping from the door prior to the birth, then goes back into the birthing room to find that his daughter is dead. The guy shrugs it off like it's no big deal then drags his wife into the same room and goes on with his business. A couple shots later and the guy's talking back in the orchard with the guy that's trying to claim his side of the property, only to find himself knocked the hell out by the man's hoe and shoved into a shed. When the man comes to he follows a luring stench into a room where the old man's daughter and tons of dead animals are, then realising he's trapped. So reading his scriptures and going all crazy he keeps the beaten man in the room that dripped blood, feeding him raw meat and claiming that the Lord needs him. We soon realise that the man does have some special purpose, a really jacked up one.
Throughout the rest of the movie Sarah has to go through more tests like the one I just posted. All together she must "hear" the Lord, "see" the Lord, "touch" the Lord, and "speak" to the Lord. Throughout each test she's pushed to the extreme in many ways being physically hurt to the ability for her to pass each test, the entire time having messed up visions.
If I go any further I'll give away too much. Put in a lesbian sex scene, torture and bloody crackling doors and you have a pretty damn good movie in my opinion. At first I thought it was going to be a remake of Sacred Flesh but it turned out to be a pretty damn good movie with a good story and a great ending. I'd say minus the lesbian scene this movie is pretty sharp and effective. The question that kept ringing in my head was "How does any of this have to do with being closer to the Lord?" but it all works out in the end with an ending that shocked me quite a bit, though it should have been predicted. Though confusing as hell it's a great watch with great visuals and Tiffany friggin Shepis, who did a great job as Sarah.
The road to enlightenment is a really messed up little dirt pile, glad I've chosen darkness.
Not personally my favorite type of movie, being of religious nature, but not a bad movie, leaves you to wonder what exactly is happening inside the convent in the process of Sarah's initiation into sisterhood. The only question I have is why it's called Nympha on the cover but the girl's name is Ninfa in the movie, strange. Anyways it's definitely worth a watch, at least once.
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A young boy on house arrest is convienced that his neighbor is a kidnapper and a killer. Convinced he does his own private investigating to find out the truth. Will he uncover what's really going on next door or will he ultimately die... of boredom?
So the movie starts out with young Kale fishing with his dad, having some father son bonding time. It seems Kale's not much of an outdoorsman but his father reassures him that they are better off fishing than working. So they pack up and they are on the way home and Kale decides to call home to his mom to tell him about all the fish they caught, that old chestnut. So while being distracted by his dad and a road hog on the way home they get in a really bad wreck, flipping their suv into the middle of the road, when suddenly another vehicle slams into the passenger side of the vehicle killing his dad...and the credits roll.
We forward a year later with Kale at school where we find that his life went downhill. Sleeping in Spanish class, a class where he apparently doesn't study because he can't speak a lick of Spanish. Anyways his Spanish teacher gets in his face promising to fail him asking him what his father would think. BAM! Kale knocks her ass out, which I can understand, being that his dad died a year prior and he was still touchy about the subject. He gets house arrest for three months for the sucker punch, you know, the little black box on the ancle. Lucky kid stays home all day, playing Xbox 360, watching tv and eating junk food, making me wish I was on house arrest. Anyways his mom comes in and cuts off the Xbox live, iTunes and cuts the cord to his tv so he's got no choice but to clean and think about what he's done. Needless to say he cleans, but he sucks at it, and he spends his time alone in his house with nothing fun to do.
 
The next day he sees that he's got new neighbors when all of a sudden he hears the doorbell and goes to investigate finding a good old bag of flaming crap. So the kids that planted the crap bag start riding off on their bikes, Kale fast on their ass when he realises he's past the zone where he can leave. Cops come out of NOWHERE and toss him on the ground making him look like a fool in front of the new neighbors and their pretty young daughter.
At this point in the movie it seems like Kale's life pretty much sucks because he can't get out of the house or do...well...anything! So one night he's watching the neighbor girl in her window while she's doing yoga or something and he passes out. When he wakes up he goes to his room and jacks around when he realises there's a car backing up into the garage of his other neighbor, noticing that the car fits the description of a car reported to have been involved in a kidnapping. Well this sparks young Kale's interest and soon he's hot on the case trying to see if his neighbor is the kidnapper.
Convinced that his neighbor Robert Turner is the kidnapper and a cold blooded killer he, his buddy Ronnie and the neighbor girl Ashley all investigate him to see if he's really what he appears or if they are just assuming things without any evidence.
Now for the first half hour I could swear this movie is more of a love story but it turns into a pretty decent story. Of course it's really slow to go anywhere and it's not as extreme as I'd like it, it was alright. Shia LaBeouf, though posessing a really crappy name, was in a couple great flicks like Holes and Transformers so I was expecting him to do good again in this film, which he did. Of course he doesn't come across as a thriller kinda actor but hey, if Paris Hilton's ugly ass can be in a horror/thriller film then why the hell can't a kid from a Disney movie like Holes? Anyways toss in some cameos by David Morse and Trinity herself, Carrie-Anne Moss and your good to go.
Dramatic, clever and stylish this movie pushes out what the mainstream audiences want, and I'm ok with that. Not as much blood and guts as us horror fans want but the story makes up for the lack of guts.
A pretty decent flick, I normally would bash a movie like this but for some reason I wanted to keep watching it hoping to see some death and resolution. I got both.
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A couple is deserted at a hotel where the employees attack the guests and make snuff films to sell to anyone interested in a cheap thrill. With only themselves to help them escape the hunt is on to see if they will survive or be the next victims.
The movie starts out with David and Amy Fox driving down a deserted road when David, while half awake, nearly runs over a raccoon and swerves to miss it. Exhausted and realizing that they won’t find a main road any time soon the couple stop at the first gas station they come up to and run into a gas station attendant that checks out their engine to make sure the car is in running form and tells them how to get to the town they are heading to. So off they are again, back on the deserted road when suddenly the car breaks down, and here’s the dilemma. Should they stay with the car in hopes that someone, anyone on the deserted road will find them, or should David and Amy walk back to the gas station and shack up in the Hotel right next door? Well of course we know what they decide.
Now along the walk back to the gas station and hotel we hear the name Charlie, which we find is their dead son. Apparently Amy is having a hard time letting his memory die and she really seems to blame David for a lot.
 
So they end up back at the gas station to find that no one’s there. Their only option, the motel next door, like I said before. So they get their room with standard cockroaches and chocolate water. So in mid conversation the phone rings and someone knocks on the door, so David goes to investigate and no one’s there. So he closes the door and again the phone rings and there’s a knocking at the door, but this time they realize it’s from the room next door and not their front door. So David opens their side door, the door to the room next door still closed, rattling and banging away when Amy has enough and slams their door shut. Fed up Amy calls for the manager and David goes next door to kick some ass of the people that are slamming around on the door. No one answers so he walks up to the manager’s office to complain only to find out that they are the only guests in the hotel and in reality no one is in the room next door. So David goes back to get a little rest and decides to turn on the tv but nothing’s on. He notices a stack of VHS tapes on the VCR so he puts it in to find that they are snuff tapes and strangely enough, filmed in the same room they are in. Freaked out David notices a air vent and looks closer to find there’s a camera behind the vent. Suddenly the power starts flickering, the door starts shaking and banging and out pops a masked figure, then he disappears. The couple investigates and soon decide they need to make a run for their life to get to their car. Of course if they would have made it to their car the movie would almost be over right? Well luckily that doesn’t’ happen and they are confronted by the same masked figure who chases them back into the deadly motel room.
Faced with a life and death situation within the confines of a hotel room the couple fight to save their life and make sure they aren’t in the next snuff film. Will they survive or will they be the next couple in line to fall prey to the masked figures that are filming their kills within the 4th room of the Pinewood Motel. Watch and see.
Now Kate Beckinsale did an excellent job, in my opinion, though to me she looked quite different than her days in the Underworld movies. As for Luke Wilson I personally don’t really care for him much as an actor and he was a total asshole in this movie but he did alright himself. This movie, to me, seemed inspired by the Psycho and Halloween movies with a twist of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I don’t mind it as much because they are all fairly exceptional movies but I find it has it’s own flavor intertwined. Now they don’t talk too much about Charlie and the story drags on forever, so don’t expect this movie to be action packed.
The ending on the other hand... eh... could have been better. I’d say this movie is ok to watch if your not expecting too much. For me it lacked a lot though I admit the masked characters were ALMOST a nice touch. For true fans I’d say don’t watch this movie because you'll be disappointed, for others you might like this, I’m on the fence myself.
Good to some, personally I’d go on the other side saying it could have been a lot more than it was, it really mocked a lot of famous horror movies and I think that’s what it was striving to do, which I’m not really appreciative of. If you're bored with nothing else to watch in the house and you just so happened to come across this movie at your local video store, why the hell not, it won't hurt you, otherwise don’t seek this one out.
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Lab experiments on a dog turn man’s best friend into his biggest fear when a nosey news reporter lets him out of his cage and into society where no one is safe, man or beast.
Man's Best Friend starts with news reporter Lori Tanner getting a call by a lab tech at a place called Emax, a place where they do sick experiments on animals. Judy, the lab tech offers Lori a way to get into the lab to do a story on the experiments on the animals within and goes on with her daily work to find her end when one of the animals gets out of her cage and when she goes to investigate, gets attacked by the animal that belongs to the cage.
That night Lori and her partner go to Emax and when she can’t get ahold of Judy she decides she’s going to sneak in. So they break in, recording all the injured experimented animals. In the middle of their romp in the lab the doctor that runs the lab, Dr. Jarret, makes his way to the lab. Lori comes across Max the dog, who seems so innocent and likable, so Lori opens his cage to get some video for her intro to the newscast she’s trying to create, and he gets loose. Suddenly Dr. Jarret comes in and breaks up the party, the two women running for their lives, Max on their trail jumping in the back of their car. Little does Lori know that Max isn’t an ordinary dog. On the way home the girls are mugged and Max breaks out and chases after the mugger and brings Lori’s purse back to her. So she brings him home in hopes to domesticate him as her own pet and everything seems to be fine, he minds well, does what’s commanded of him and he seems to be a normal dog, on the outside. But as we find, inside the confines of the lab Max has been experimented on an engineered into a ruthless predator. Mixed with DNA from animals like chameleons, snakes, owls, jaguars, bears and tigers, Max is a genetically engineered killer just waiting to blow up. Only Dr. Jarret knows exactly how dangerous Max is. Will he get to him in time or will Max kill everything in sight?
 
Personally this movie, I thought was cheesy when I watched it about 10 years ago. But after time it kinda grew on me. Mind you it seems very far fetched but it’s got an original plot and Max really seems like a nice dog until he hits his breaking point. Adding Ally Sheedy and Lance Henriksen in the mix as the main stars and you're good to go. Both Lance and Ally did great in the movie, putting a great light on their careers I’m sure.
I’d say watch this movie if you want to watch a lick that wouldn’t need much edited out for TV, of course remember that the guy that directed this movie, John Lafia, went on to direct Childs Play 2, that lame piece of shit of a movie, and even had hand in writing the screenplay for the original Childs Play. With that said I dock him on that because I HATE the Childs Play movies, but this movie isn’t as terrible.
If you liked Monkey Shines you might like this, I'd say that's the only movie I'd compare it to, if not don't really go out and SEARCH for this flick, I wouldn't personally own it, just rent it if I was bored.
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The other day I was reading a book I recently ordered via Lulu, a web shop that offers everyone the possibility to publish their own writing. Author Tim Gross released two issues of Gross Movie Reviews, books covering horror genre with a special focus on a bit obscure movies. One of the movies listed was "Berserker", a slasher starring a murderous viking that I already had in my collection. I never watched it so I decided to change that.
The movie sports a classic slasher story of that time - a bunch of teenagers go camping to enjoy their sexuality, drink some booze and smoke some weed. Everything would be just fine, but they chose a camping site that over ten centuries ago was used by vikings to imprison their most homicidal members. Called Berserkers, these violent vikings were famous for eating humans and according to the legend their spirits can possess their descendants.
The teenagers are welcomed to the camp by Pappy, a bearded Norwegian with a very fake accent. He gives them directions to the camp site, but in the middle of the night Pappy becomes worried for the teens and calls the local sheriff to help him find them. The sheriff is his close relative, so now we have two potential descendants of the maniacal Berserker viking. At the same time, the teens start playing around the woods and soon become targets of a violent murders.
 
The special thing about "Berserker" is something that slasher fanatics such as myself would never expect of this kind of a movie. The thing is, that until the finishing 20 minutes of the movie you don't know if you are watching a typical slasher or an animal attack movie. Yes, I know that this sounds weird, but the murders look like they were committed by a bear, all the closeups in the "action" scenes contain bear paws and teeth and as a summary of every killing you have a nice zoom on a roaring bear. This was all planned to confuse us rare weirdos who actually watched the movie, but I can say that the movie really contains a killing Berserker. Rock on!
Any sane being would say that this movie is a complete waste of time, but I must mention a couple of good points - while the script was lousy, the characters weren't so bad at all. Besides this, every time that the Berserker appears, especially in the opening and ending scenes, he looks really creepy and generates a rather eerie howl.
I need to mention one specific scene that totally reminded me of the legendary Fulci's zombie vs shark action sequence. Here we have a "They Live" type of a lengthy scene where Berserker fights a huge bear. There some good ass kicking in that scene.
"Berserker" should be recommended *only* to real slasher fans. With this I am not thinking about the people who started their slasher fascination with Craven's "Scream", but those who are fascinated when they come across a new "gem" from the 80s.
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A man condemned by the Spanish Inquisition is sent to a dungeon where he is faced with a life or death situation.
It starts with a man, bound, blindfolded and judged before a jury that condems him to living in a cell with an iron mask. Needless to say the man doesn't take it so easy and he does all he can to remove the mask, finally succeeding. When he takes the mask off he looks up to find that he's in a room with a pit that seems to have no bottom and gives off the smell of death and decay. The man looks to the exit to see that someone pushed a goblet into his room and famished he takes a drink. Suddenly he falls over and passes out to wake up on a table bound, with a pendulum swaying above him coming closer. He breaks free and jumps off the table when suddenly the walls in the room close in on him and push him toward the pit. Holding onto the edge of the pit the man loses his grip and starts to fall in when a soldier grabs him by the hand and pulls him up leading his escape.
This is a great adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's story, it's just a shame it was so short. When you watch the short and realise the contributions that Marc Lougee has given to the wonderful world of modern cinema you start to wonder why he hadn't done this sooner. If you look at his resume you can find that he's got a big hand in animation, even if it's been for only a hand full of movies, that said they were all great movies. I tell you people look him up, you'll be suprised.
 
Now back to the short. As I said before it's a shame it was so short, I would have really liked to see a full length film in this fashion. Stop-Animation is so rare that this movie was a breath of fresh air, me being a huge fan of the form of animation that Marc obviously knows alot about.
The movie is presented by the amazing Ray Harryhausen who we all know but don't let that sway you away from what's important here, and that's Marc. I look forward to his future films, whether they be animated or not, this movie was a tease in that direction and makes me curious to see how far he goes with it.
This short was just that, short, being under 8 minutes. With that said I am very impressed and seriously hope that Marc Lougee puts together a feature film in stop-motion, this movie proves he knows what to do. This is very highly recommended viewing and is definitely a dark joyride into the darkest pits of the mind through the eyes of a condemned man that appears to not be deserving half what he recieves.
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Mike Enslin is a writer who specializes in debunking paranormal occurrences and is always everything but scared. One day he gets a card saying that he should check in to room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel which he does and in that very room he's confronted with something... something of true horror.
While I really dug Mikael Håfströms flick Evil (Ondskan), I wasn't a fan of his Drowning Ghost (Strandvaskaren). I did however like the very basic idea but didn't like how it was executed (neither did I like the slasher part) so I was a bit sceptical when I heard he was gonna direct 1408.. actually, for a bunch of different reasons. First off, it was gonna star John Cusack, an actor I admire but nevertheless, I couldn't really picture him in a supposedly scary film. Secondly, it was gonna be based on a novel by Stephen King and we all know what those flicks often turn out like, with a few exceptions of course. And third, it was gonna be a Hollywood movie and that's oftentimes pretty much everything but impressive since they have a way to mess horror movies up.
So with a few doubts hanging thick in the air I parked my behind infront of the tv and just like that I was extremely drawn into what turned out to be one helluva horror film indeed. 1408 got me intrigued right at the start and kept on delivering for quite some time. I gotta admit that about one hour into the movie I had lost a bit of interest but got into the film again shortly after and found the very outcome to be quite a good piece of horror cinema, something I would never have expected from the start.
 
What was really cool about the film was that it took off right away and built a whole lotta suspense around room number 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel, so when Cusack later on entered the actual room an eerie feel sat in right then and there... very cool indeed! The film kept on rolling and a doubtfull Cusack kept investigating the room, believing that it was all a load of crock and nonsense. But then the scares started raining down and some of them were just ace. I really don't wanna say too much about what actually happens, what was scary and what was not because that'll just ruin it for potential viewers. But I can say this, and that is that if you enjoy a scary film with a clever story then you should most definitely check out 1408. Trust me, it's worth it.
As for pacing and all, the movie moves at a good rate and while it does infact slow down somewhere in the middle parts, it gets going again relatively fast. Cusack himself is impressive and believable all the way through, but all people involved delivers and Samuel L. Jackson was very cool as the hotel manager, warning Cusack about the room in a way that makes one feel scared of it before even seen it. It's a slick film and a great King adaptation, definitely worth watching.
In the end 1408 proved to be a really good chiller, actually much better than expected. Not only does it look very slick but has a story that unfolds in a cool way and good actors that adds a genuine feel to the overall movie. Recommended.
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Wedding photographer Max Parry seems like an averge mild mannered guy, but underneath the surface there's a brutal killer who takes us along on a disturbing journey.
I've been meaning to check out The Last Horror Movie for quite some time but somehow never gotten around to do it until now, and it wasn't a day too soon. After having heard stuff every now and then for years regarding this movie my interest for it kept growing and it turned out that finally sitting down to watch the flick really did pay off. Not only is it worth the time for the sake of being entertained but it's also a trip for the mind since a lot of interesting questions are being asked all the way the flick throughout.
We get to follow Max who's a psychopatic killer who shows us, on film, who he really is and what drives him to commit these horrible acts. Now Max is one charismatic fellow indeed and it's impossible not to like the guy, despite of his actions. He's the kind of person that grows on you and the best thing is that he interacts with the viewer as well, asking a lot of questions aimed directly at you, and some of them will make you think for sure. An example of this is for instance when he stabs two persons to death, both of them tied up to a chair, and aims the camera away from the bloody action. When he has killed them both, without you having seen nothing of what was happening he asks you directly if you feel that you've missed out and why you'd wanna see people getting stabbed on screen in the first place. Then you get to see it all over again, this time the actual murders while being commited and afterwards Max leaves you with another question of how it all felt. The films plays around a lot like that which makes you part of it which is a really cool thing.
 
Kevin Howarth is one charming fellow and like I said before, it's hard not to like him. People around him turn a bit grey so to speak because they are pretty much just what you see and that about it while Max has loads of layers, and the further the movie goes, the more is revealed. He has an assistant with him, filming him at all times, even when he's over at his sister's place goofing around with her kids and acts like the nicest guy in the world. The assistant is a wannabe-killer who learns from the masters as we go along but in the end also proves that killing is not as simple as one first would've tought.
This is definitely a movie for horror fans and even though it's a bit bloody, it's not blood that's interesting here, it's the psychology. The film is interesting all the way through and in the end it might be quite disturbing to some... why, you'll have to find out for yourself and you really should because The Last Horror Movie is a rewarding film indeed. Last but not least we have the title which has a cool background story to it and that's simply because Max took a film called The Last Horror Movie at a video store, taped it over with his own story and snuff content and put later put it back on the shelve for YOU to see. Just watch the movie and you'll see what I mean.
Now this little gem plays out like a documentary which makes it a lot more interesting to begin with. It also has a very real feeling to it and is infact quite a disturbing piece of cinema, that is if you really get into it. Watch it alone in the evening and you're in for a treat.
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After having killed a man in a bar fight, photographer John Bradley takes off on a Thai river and is abducted by natives.
Umberto Lenzi's Man from Deep River from 1972 is the film that started the cannibal craze and is of course therefore considered a classic. But just because it started the trend which spawned many fantastic cannibal films doesn't mean that it's any good. While it's not a bad movie per say it's not a cannibal flick like Ferox, Holocaust and such films at all. No, Man from Deep River practically has no cannibals in it, just a few and for a very short (and unsatisfying) period of time and if you want brutal savages, blood and torture, this should not be your first choise.
 
What it has to offer though is a pretty good story about a man named John Bradley (Ivan Rassimov) who kills another man in a bar fight in Bangkok and shortly after hires a guide and hits the river to get away from the heat. After floating around for some time Bradley wakes up to find his guide floating dead in the water. He's soon captured by a tribe and brought to their village. The natives believe he's a fish-man the cheif's daughter Maraya (Me Me Lai) says he's just a normal man and should be put to work. When later trying to escape the village, Bradley kills one of the tribal folks, is captured and taken back to the village where he's put through some torture to become part of the tribe. He falls for Maraya and the whole thing turns into a dramatic love story that's spiked with a lot of animal cruelty all the way through.
Again, it's not a bad film but it isn't a cannibal film as we know them either. It's somewhat slow and focuses on story and character development, which it does well but where the heck is there gore? It's just not that type of film, simple as that. Still, I do recommend this to fans of 70's films and Italian cannibal films because it is what started it all and might therefore be worth taking a look at. Just don't expect much violence, blood or gore. On the other hand there's a helluva lot of animal cruelty; a monkey getting the top of his head cut off and such disgusting things, and also you get to see a lot of tribal women naked, (which is actually not that great at all).
Not a horror movie, low on blood and very little cannibalism. It does have things to offer like a decent story but if that's what you're after, I dunno.
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A young girl watches her parents getting killed and is then captured by headhunters in the Amazon. She lives with the tribe in their village and finds love there too, but at the same time she seeks revenge for her parents death.
Cannibal Holocaust 2, yeah right, the only thing similar is the very intro which is kind of a rip-off of Cannibal Holocaust with music imitating Riz Ortolani's famous score (and we keep hearing it ever once in a while the film throughout just like in CH.) That the film calls itself Cannibal Holocaust 2 is only a bad thing so don't let that fool ya, because this one doesn't have anything to offer that even comes remotely close to the mother of ALL cannibal films. While Cannibal Holocaust was raw and brutal and had actual cannibals in it, we hardly get to see any cannibals at all in Amazonia: The Catherine Miles Story, and those that we actually get to see are tame... very tame. In other words, cannibal action went out the window when they did this one but it still has some good things to offer, like plenty of gore and a lot of nudity.
 
On the other hand, the nudity won't make you go whoa! unless you've been spending the last decade of your life in a convent or so. Still, it's quite fun watching Catherine Miles (Elvire Audray) running around naked in the forest for a while. Basically, 18 year old Catherine takes a trip with her parents on a boat on the Amazon river and they end up getting killed and she's brought by a tribe to their village where she's sold to the richest guy, (he pays one goose, one "waterdog" and one turtle for her.) She adjusts to life in the village but at the same time wants revenge for her parents getting killed. Eventually she gets that but that's a little twist to that which I obviously won't reveal to you.
This is a B-grade movie (actually C), keep that in mind if you're planning to watch it. I'm a huge fan of all these Italian cannibal flicks and that is reason enough for me to sit through a film like this, but I wouldn't really recommend it to people. Also, Amazonia: The Catherine Miles Story has tons of errors and some mistakes in it, the editing is not the greatest, the dialogue sucks really bad at times and the director, well you'll notice when you see it. What you get here is a sleazy B-flick that actually provides some entertainment, is easy to watch and kinda fun to laugh at. Enjoy!
Amazonia: The Catherine Miles Story is one of those so-bad-it's-good flicks and even though it's quite the shitty kinda movie, I never felt cheated for having spent time sitting through it. The actors suck, gruesome cannibal action is non-existant, the dialogue is BS and those involved in the making of this flick may have been drunk from start to finish. Still, it provides some decent entertainment, is sleazy enough to put a smile on your face and does have some semi-cool gore to offer. Oh, I almost forgot, it's supposedly based on a true story.
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After having put up with abuse for some time a group of catholic school girls drown Sister Ursula and dumps her body in a poll of holy water. 18 years later the nun comes back from the dead and wants revenge.
If you don't like to read about movies getting thrashed then you should stop reading right about now. I've walked passed a film called The Nun in a video store a few times and one day finally decided to give it a shot. BIG MISTAKE. This was one of those movies that feels like you've seen a thousand times before and that are so darn obvious that it physically hurts to watch them. There were quotes on the nice cover from both Slasherpool and HorrorTalk claiming how visually stunning and haunting this movie was and there was also another text on the back saying that it was directed by Luis de la Madrid who also was involved in the making of Brad Anderson's The Machinist. I felt I just had to see it for myself... but what a mess of a movie it was.
First off the title blows, it reveals just about everything not to mention that it is unimaginative. Right from the very start you know exactly where all is headed and 50 minutes into the film when the backstory is revealed (that you figured out 3 minutes after the film got started) you're just so sick of sitting infront of this crap-fest that you wish a piano would fall down on your head and end it all right then and there. Towards the end I was feeling sick for real and when it was over I wanted to throw the film out the window but realised I had to return it.
 
Basically, it starts off with a scene in a catholic school where pretty much all is revealed. After that Eva's mom gets killed and she travels to Spain with a girl and a boy from her class where they also meet this guy who wants to become a priest and starts helping the kids out (guess he just has a lot of free time on his hands.) Then more of her mom's friends gets killed and Eva keeps seeing this "liquified" nun, but no one believes her... at first that is. They head back to where it all started, at a catholic school that closed down years ago where they also meet the remaining parts of Eva's mom's class mates. Together they try to stop the killer nun before she slaughters them all.
I can't even begin to tell how boring this film was and just how freaking obvious every darn thing was either. Let's just say that if you've seen a number of horror flicks, you've seen this before and trust me, you don't wanna see it again. Most of the horror is in CGI form which is just so god damn boring. The visuals are really good but that's also the only positive thing that this flick has to offer. The teens are dull as hell, most of the killings are tired and non-effective, except for one taking place in an elevator which was kinda cool... on the other hand, it looks like something outta Final Destination. The story is dull and you know what's gonna happen before it actually happens, all the time! The ending scene was way too long, I thought that it was never gonna end, and when it finally did it was just as rewarding as getting hit over the face with a frying pan.
The Nun is definitely one of the worst flicks I've seen in a long time and if you're smart you'll avoid it at all cost. If you're looking for supernatural horror there are way better and more clever flicks out there so don't bother with this one.
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A small town is attacked by murderous ravens. Why are they attacking humans and how can they be stopped?
Since I really enjoyed Sheldon Wilson's Shallow Ground, which was quite an original and scary flick, I obviously felt the need to check out his new film Kaw, even though it sure sounded a lot like Hitchcock's The Birds. And even though it has obvious things in common with The Birds it's far from a rip-off of any kind so don't let that put you off. On the other hand, what may put you off a bit is that Kaw is not a great film but saying that doesn't mean that it's bad as it is actually about just good enough. What is a great thing though is that they've actually used some real birds here to limit the use of CGI and that's always appreciated and makes films more watchable, problem with the birds though is that they're just not mean enough.
Kaw takes place in a small rural town which makes it cool because the town itself delivers some good atmosphere. Police Chief Wayne Hayborne, (Sean Patrick Flanery), is on his last day of work and wants to move away from the place with his wife when finished on the job. Unlucky for him, bus driver Clyde MacKenzie has a run in with a flock of murderous ravens and when some other victims turn up, Wayne realises that his last day on the force is not gonna end when it was supposed to. There's of course more to the story but I'll leave that for you to find out.
 
What's kinda funny here is that Sean Patrick Flanery is basically playing the exact same character as a small town sheriff as he did in Tobe Hooper's The Damned Thing, the first episode of the 2nd season of Masters of Horror. I gotta admit that I somewhat dig Flanery, he's simply a pretty cool actor but who oftentimes end up starring in just decent type of flicks. He pulls it off here though and most of the actors in Kaw are pretty likable even though there are some that should be sent back to acting school, but hey, we're watching a small budget horror here so it's something you should be used to anyway.
As for blood and gore there are not too much going on here even though some scenes are kinda worth their time. It's in fact the overall film, in its whole that is ok and worth watching; the story's all right, the ravens and kinda fun to watch, Flanery's performance is good and the small town and its folks living there adds a lot of cool atmosphere to the overall picture. Don't expect too much though, but if you got nothing better to do you could definitely do worse than Kaw.
Kaw is a decent horror flick but that actually has little genuine horror to offer, it also reminds a bit of the type of movies that airs on the Sci-Fi Channel but that is slightly better (thank God). Still, it's never boring and even though the storyline won't make you go whoa! it's not completely worthless. Like said before, on todays horror market you could definitely do worse than this. Sheldon Wilson though need to step things up a bit and deliver us another Shallow Ground.
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Rebecca is brought back from the brink of death by top secret agency 'Project 571'. She is trained as a lethal assassin and sent on missions to kill that which she has become, a vampire.
When Project 571 is destroyed by a gang of vampires, Rebecca is thrown into a quest for an ancient book powerful enough to raise the dead. Rebecca joins two priests on a journey to kill the master vampire Hugo Renoir before he can unleash the grotesque souls of the damned into our dimension. If Hugo is allowed to perform the ancient ceremony the earth shall forever pass into the realm of darkness.
Along the way Rebecca must utilise her training to face Vampires, Demons and Witches all vying for the book and its awesome power.
Yours truly knew she’d be far from impartial as soon as Stephanie Beacham’s name was flashed on the credit crawl. Beacham, a torrid presence in the Hammer and Amicus films (DRACULA A.D. 1972, AND NOW THE SCREAMING STARTS), was also a staple in modern Grand Guignol helmed by Brit director Pete Walker (HOUSE OF MORTAL SIN, SCHIZO, et al). Though she’s a fine actress, Beacham’s bosom effortlessly stole scenes in period pieces that insisted upon decollage. I remember a TV miniseries, NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE: A LOVE STORY, where Beacham’s cleavage was positively epidemic–I thought it was going burst our of her bodice and crash into my living room. And her nudity in THE NIGHTCOMERS fueled the horror film’s hard sell (critics pounded the film’s incestuous bond between two juveniles). Beacham is a bombshell but, unlike today’s dime-a-dozen bimbos, she is talented.
Gauging her appearance in THE WITCHES HAMMER, the 60-year-old Beacham is still sexy though her "goodies" are spared even a cameo appearance. She opts to deadpan her lines in a demeanor that invokes Henry Daniell and the fun is infectious. As Madeline, she hangs around vampires whose porcelain, fanged smiles suggest they pig-out on Orbitz during the daytime. This U.K. import extrapolates the carnage of the Hammer era; vampires blow-up real good (we’re talkin’ chest cavities the size of Bill Clinton’s ass) and there’s a surplus of martial arts action (indispensable, it would seem, to kickin’ undead ass. I recently screened Yorgos Noussias’ TO KAKO [EVIL] where a cabbie, a jaded girlfriend and other survivors of a zombie plague inexplicably develop chop-socky skills. Go figure).
 
Not unlike RAZOR BLADE SMILE, the central character is an apprenticing (genetically engineered) vamp who functions as an assassin and indulges herself with butchy girl power. Though saddled with a shoestring budget, WITCHES HAMMER cuts through the cheese with a tongue-in-cheek drollery (as evinced by the dialogue: "We are about to get wiped-out and all you can say is ‘Oh!’"). The film’s expenditures are sagely invested in the sets and props that recount the history of a surrogate Necronomicon. Happily, the film compromises its camp with scenes that are poignant (vampiric Claudia Coulter, presumed dead, watches her family mourn at her grave) or gags that invoke EC comics (a corpulent chick watches a fight while sipping blood through two straws, both lodged within a victim’s throat).
While films like UNDERWORLD lean on an intoxicant surplus of CGI, THE WITCHES HAMMER opts for story. I only wish that director/screenwriter James Eaves would have afforded more exploration into the myth of the female vampire (nothing to date has matched the intense rage and melancholy of THE GIRL WITH THE HUNGRY EYES [1995], Jon Jacobs’ lament of the dead). Eaves’ film may not be cutting edge but, unlike Eli Roth’s hemorrhaging vision, it has a heart; his milieu orbits somewhere between a comic book and Luc Besson fantasy (the film evokes LEON in its conclusion, what with a midget vampire, grieving his crispy lover, expiring in the daylight).
Stephanie Beacham, please come home to the genre. The Hammer women (Beacham, Caroline Munro, Veronica Carlson) may be older but they’re still beautiful and they still deport themselves with dignity. Time has validated that their successors are pale and already forgotten imitations.
By Alexxus Young
When a group of psychiatric hospital nurses invoke the spirit of Bloody Mary—a supposed urban myth—the slaughter begins. First, a young nursing assistant disappears, her body never found. Now, patients are turning up dead—battered beyond recognition, soaked in blood, their eyes ripped out. Mary's wrath has begun. Freed from her eternal prison behind the mirror's reflection, she unleashes a murderous, maniacal fury upon the asylum. Moving at will through mirrors, she strikes when her victims are unsuspecting, defenseless, and alone. Bloody Mary's legend is real, her vengeance is fatal, and to free her, all you have to do is say her name.
This movie starts out with a bang! We’re talkin’ about a diminutive, naked college hotty (big boobs) who, adhering to a sorority ritual, drifts through a labyrinth until she’s wasted by the title character! Before she’s brutally dispatched, the babe–compliant with tradition–faces a mirror that’s lodged in the darkened quarters of an old mental ward; reciting the "I believe in Bloody Mary" refrain, she resurrects the bitch and pays the consequences. The victim was coaxed into beckoning Blood Mary as a result of an initiation game, instigated by her sadistic and/or cowardly fellow nurses.
 
Okay, there’s admittedly a concession to CANDYMAN but this is the first film, in years, to develop a "monster" that actually unnerved me; Bloody Mary is freakin’ scary as hell! I mean I wouldn’t wanna f*** wit’ her, that’s for damn sure! Fast jittery movements, evoking the HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL remake, make me ball up in a fetal position and suck my thumb! And the audio track was creepy enough to influence a couple of nightmares (for real!). I’m speculating that Bloody Mary has OCD! We’re talking about a ghost that plucks-out the eyes of her victims and deposits the orbs within labeled jars.
Basically, the story introduces a girl named Mary who was a tenant in the mental ward. Disappearing and dying in the tunnel corridors, her ghost carries on and can travel through mirrors. She also has a few people working for her...even a sexy British doctor! BLOODY MARY, a genuine sleeper, is governed by a pissed-off spirit that should be a candidate for a franchise. This film is a credit to the independent industry.
By Alexxus Young
A highly atmospheric adaptation of the classic Bram Stoker novel, directed with panache by auteur Jess Franco Venus in Furs, The Diabolical Dr. Z). Screen icon Christopher Lee Horror of Dracula, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings) portrays the titular Count Dracula, who flees the cold confines of his Carpathian castle for the shores of England, where he must feed on the blood of beautiful Lucy Soledad Miranda, Vampyros Lesbos) and Mina Maria Rohm, 99 Women) in order to grow youthful and stay alive.
Jess Franco must have been running with the bulls when he made this Spanish release. The good news: Christopher Lee plays the title role in a screenplay that adheres to Bram Stoker’s novel. If you can look past the bad cinematography, perhaps you’ll develop a tolerance for Franco’s mise-en-scene. I hate to admit this (forgive me Mr. Lee, I love you) but the film had me laughing on many occasions. Shall I go down the list? First, trying to pass Rin Tin Tin as a wolf really doesn’t work. Second, the coach driver in the beginning looked like Bela Lugosi’s double in PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE. Third, fake spiders and bats on a string look like leftovers from Mayberry’s annual Halloween pageant. Fourth, Klaus Kinski pretty much plays himself, throwing food on the wall and finger-painting while eating bugs (sample his autobiography. This is the guy who ascertained, "I’d have been better than Adolf Hitler. I could’ve delivered his speeches a lot better." As evinced by his performance in this Franco saga, he could have engaged Der Fuhrer in some mugging competitions).
I also thought it was quite convenient that Dracula sells his castle and moves right next door to Van Helsing’s clinic! Then there’s the stuffed animals that are reanimated; it’s more about taxidermy than terror (honestly, the sock puppets on the ‘ole Soupy Sales show were more convincing). The only "squirm" scene is the abduction of a baby who is fed to the undead, a taboo that was scotched in other adaptations of Dracula. They only decent FX technology was invested in a scene when female vamps rise out of their coffins. Maria Rohm and the late Soledad Miranda, cast as Mina and Lucy, are absolutely gorgeous (a pity these hot horror vets are ignored in the States).
Of course, I tip my hat to Christopher Lee and Herbert Lom, both of whom could survive a Bowery Boys movie with their dignity intact. I give it a 7 out of 10 for effort and if it wasn’t for Messrs. Lee and Lom, my rating would have declined to a 5.
By Alexxus Young
College students, Mindy (Rachel Miner, The Black Dahlia, Penny Dreadful), Cassandra (Taryn Manning, Hustle & Flow, Cold Mountain, 8 Mile) and Alex (Joel Michaely, Wonderland, The Rules of Attraction, Ghost World) are researching an old local cult for a class project. Their investigation uncovers the source of the cult’s power came from a magical jade amulet of ancient Chinese origin. The local leader of the sect unsuccessfully attempted to harness its energy with the mass sacrifice of his all-female followers. Now the classmates have uncovered the amulet, and unleashed supernatural powers that may take their lives...and their souls!
Definitely a cool li'l indie film! Special bonus: hot chicks play significant roles, i.e. Rachel Miner (PENNY DREADFUL) and Taryn Manning. Gist of the film revolves around a legend: an Asian woman was murdered by her father for becoming pregnant out of wedlock. He impaled her eyes and cut her stomach but, before expiring, she saved her soul by reciting a prayer and embracing an amulet. The amulet was subsequently purloined by a madman who plundered her tomb; performing ritual sacrifices, he exploited the talisman for evil purposes. A girl who circumvented a near-apocalypse was among the sacrifices though she, at the last minute, refused to relinquish her soul. She was pregnant during the time and her offspring became next in line. Mindy (played by Miner) grows up, is enlightened to her heritage and does everything to stop this madman. After friends are slain, she’s the victor in a good vs. evil showdown.
Inventive f/x and a pretty good soundtrack lift this film above average "direct-to-video" filler. Best part of the film is the alliance between a hot British teacher and a sexy college babe; unfortunately, they both let me down by not even doing a "make-out" scene!...damn!
By Alexxus Young
AIRPLANE meets GODZILLA on an Ed Wood budget as a giant three-eyed alien lizard threatens civilization. Crusty monster fighter Kenneth Tobey (THE THING) teams with a sultry scientist (cult scream queen Brinke Stevens) to battle the dreaded Creaturesaurus Erectus. There's eye-poppingly bad special effects, sight gags, and an all-star cast of B-movie sci fi legends.
"I never flirt with second leads--they get killed-off in the fourth reel."
Allow me a flashback: when I originally screened ED WOOD, the film's historical distortions turned me off (a despondent Wood was pumped by an accidental encounter with Orson Welles? The debut of PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE was applauded by a packed house of juveniles?). Upon second and third viewings, I fell in love with the movie; I warmed-up to its sweet sentimentality, its love story (Wood and Bela Lugosi) and its deference to Hollywood's Grade-C denizens. The conclusion of the film, an epilogue that discloses the fate of its principal players, still evokes the same reaction: I simultaneously laugh and cry. Literally. I laugh because, in spite of the futility of their inflexible, poverty-row environment, the bravura of Wood's cronies survive (they've already forfeited dignity and have nothing else to lose). I cry because, somehow, their lack of achievement appears to turn triumphant (it's not that they didn't try, you gotta admire their chutzpah). Jump cut to the present--
NAKED MONSTER, one of the genre's equally poignant movies, is ostensibly an AIRPLANE-type farce. The film affectionately skewers 1950's "monster movie" cliches but cameo appearances--by actors who routinely fraternized with cheesy aliens and oversized critters--sometimes subvert the farcical milieu. Yeah, the jokes are funny (even the hoary chestnuts, e.g. "Erectus? He nearly killed us!") but there's an emotional core to the film. Did I laugh/cry at the conclusion? You bet your ass I did! The movie chronicles the final hurrah of veteran B-movie icons, many of whom have passed away since wrapping NAKED MONSTER: Robert Clarke (THE HIDEOUS SUN DEMON). John Agar (THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS), Robert Shayne (INVADERS FROM MARS), Kenneth Tobey and Robert Cornthwaite (both incongruously best remembered for an A-film, THE THING), Gloria Talbott (I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE), Les Tremayne (ANGRY RED PLANET), Paul Marco (reprising his PLAN 9 role as Kelton the Cop), et al. And it appears the actors loved delivering the groan-inducing puns and punch lines. Co-director/writer Ted Newsom, who assembled the talent, has created something precious: a shrine whose inhabitants have been warmly eulogized because they yield to their drive-in turf.
 
Mr. Newsom devoted over ten years of his life into this low-budget production and the investment is more lucrative-and a hell of a lot more significant-than the extravagance wasted in corporate Hollywood's commerce. Newsom spoofs the staples of another generation's sci-fi (including the surplus of "disaster" stock footage which padded the likes of INVISIBLE INVADERS, one of Mr. Agar's films): but it's Newsom's love of these films, and especially the actors, that's especially infectious. It's likely that Newson made NAKED MONSTER as an uncompromising confection of '50 nostalgia, entirely resistant to the Jason/Freddy camp. It's obvious from the overture--a parody of William Castle's hucksterism (think MACABRE and THE TINGLER)--that Newsom focused on patronage appreciative of the 50s legacy (apparently, gorehounds haven't developed much of a tolerance for black and white film). One of his very few concessions to the venue is a cameo by '90s horror hotty Michelle Bauer (a wonderful, underrated comedienne. I only wish she would have had the opportunity to mix it up with Tobey or Agar).
NAKED MONSTER may be translated into a sort of SCARY MOVIE but this description underestimates the passion that kindled its decade-long production. The Tarantino films recount the '70s by facetiously flashing some sort of minor icon as an in-joke; Newson wears his heart on his sleeve, deflecting the "wink" for an embrace. It's my privilege to acknowledge his work as one of the most consequential movies of the new millennium; while today's splatter films compete for the continental marketing, the soul of THE NAKED MONSTER is comfortably lodged somewhere in Bronson Canyon (you gotta love a film with a SLIME PEOPLE gag; "I know how to stop your monster," insists Les Tremayne who starred in the '63 release, "--Poke sticks at it!").
Footnote: The DVD includes a TV interview with the late Kenneth Tobey; I wish he would have decked the geeky moderator but Tobey manages to recount behind-the-scenes vignettes that are worthy of preservation.
By Alexxus Young
In the near future, society’s thirst for reality TV has pushed the envelope to the edge, creating a sadistic kind of entertainment... SURVIVAL ISLAND 2020. The concept is simple...Stay Alive!
Ten contestants are divided into five teams on a remote desert island. They must reach the other side of the island in three days, where for the winner, a boat and the $50 million cash prize awaits. While scavenging for food, supplies, and weapons, the players realize that they are not alone on the island. They are being hunted by an army unit of cold-blooded zombies. The demented super soldiers were left behind on the island, when it once housed a military base conducting secret, but failed, human experiments. Each team must find their strengths, gather their wits and try to outsmart the savage death squad that stalks them. If not, they are all DOOMED!
Ever watch THE DATING GAME? I’ve occasionally reflected on the consequences of uniting a couple for some sort of cozy vacation. I mean, supposed they wound-up in a "romantic" backwoods region only to be savaged and eaten by Bigfoot? What, exactly, would be the repercussions for the network? It’s all open to speculation in a medium where Anna Nicole Smith–who could only find her way out of a trailer with a can opener–is venerated weeks after her demise. Smith’s fame is rooted in the league of Jesse Jackson p.r. parasites; exempting tabloid headlines, what did she accomplish? The media mourned the passing of John Kennedy, Jr. who twice flunked a bar exam, founded a failing magazine and wasn’t sufficiently trained to operate a vehicle that was the catalyst for his own death (Barbara Walters eulogized Kennedy with a vignette about keeping his cool in a studio when a camera light malfunctioned. Wow, what a gutsy guy–give that man a posthumous Purple Heart).
DOOMED should have explored the polemics of reality TV: contestants compete for a $50 million prize but have to survive a rustic existence on an island already occupied by flesh-eating zombies. Nice premise for a bit of burlesquing but the film lives down to its title. The intentional humor is squeezed out of a lame in-joke (yowza, the island is identified as Isola de Romero): okay, I wasn’t expecting Paddy Chayefsky but there’s no kvetching about an amoral dilemma (hell, the zombies should have been dethroned network stooges or a mindless public, sick of staring down plasma televisions, who drifted out of the DAWN OF THE DEAD mall). There’s plenty of punching, kicking climbing and running around but there’s nothing more poignant than a geeky hologram that drops platitudes about the players’ options. Forfeiting satire, you’d think the filmmakers would have tailored DOOMED for exploitation addicts; but the movie is bereft of graphic violence and there’s absolutely zip T&A (I would have bet the farm that pretty Sarah Diaz loses her shirt; instead, she’s literally carried away by zombies in a scene that looks like an outtake from HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL).
The filmmakers, one assumes, opted for an all-action venue but it’s pretty anemic; everything appears to be improvised. Cribbing THE RUNNING MAN, the rivals are all convicted felons whose survival insures their freedom. But there’s not much point to this subplot; they’re no more choleric than a Tupperware fraternity conspiring to walk out of a David Lynch movie. A political subtext may not be necessary (the lack of subtlety turned LAND OF THE DEAD into a pretentious diatribe) but even a "zombie" film needs a compass.
On the bright side, DOOMED isn’t as bad as HOUSE OF THE DEAD. And there’s a "twist" ending, already telegraphed by the shameless finale of TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING, that serves-up some homage to Lucio Fulci’s ZOMBIE (debate among yourselves whether or not it was intentional).
By Alexxus Young
Claire Parker is going to die. At the hands of a sadistic and depraved killer, she will endure a terrifying, unimaginably brutal death—and it will all happen again. After being beaten, dragged, sliced, and stabbed, Claire awakens at work—where it all began—untouched and unharmed. But the hellish ordeal is far from over. The madman is back and he's ready for more blood…
Lauded by attendants of last year’s Sundance Film Festival, this film has divided horror fans. Adding up the assets and demerits, I’m somewhere in between. The film opens with our heroine jumping in a truck with her boyfriend’s bud (you see a tarp-wrapped body in the truck’s flatbed, prompting the suspicion that the corpse is her betrothed). She’s dropped-off at her house but the guy declines to leave the scene: he pounds on the door, volunteering to return an earring that she left in the truck. The girl refuses to open the door so the creepy dude obligingly deposits the earring on the doormat. After retrieving the bauble, she notices that the back door is unlocked. The guy jumps in, strikes the girl, drags her to the basement and–kills her?
This is where the weird shit starts. She wakes up and is back at work before any of this action actually transpires. This time, her boyfriend–in lieu of the killer–is at the wheel of the truck. They retreat to her home but the girl’s mother is acting pretty strange. Oh, and I loved the "boyfriend hitting on mom" scene...very nice. Later that night, the young woman flashbacks/flash forwards (?) to her own death while bathing. Her mother is audibly whispering within the darkened basement. The next day, after her boyfriend tries to persuade her and a girlfriend to have a threesum’, she showers and experiences more flashbacks. It appears that compulsive cleanliness is a cue for jump cutting. This time, she "sees" the killer scrambling through the woods in an effort to elude the police. After exiting the shower, she sees herself as the killer in her mirror. Returning to work, the girl (apparently) spots the familiar predator. As she’s assaulted, the cops show-up and the woman learns–thanks to security cameras–that she was fighting with herself (no one else was in the store). You follow? Me neither.
 
Cops drive the poor li'l mixed-up girl home and then she has visions of her boyfriend getting hacked up; she wakes up in a truck that’s parked in a open field. The "killer" walks up, seats himself, punches her in the face and drives to her house. He cryptically informs her, "What is real is what you feel...when I cut your head off!" He drags her into the basement but there is still a background presence walking around the house. Then comes the money shot: the maniac literally rips-off her face in a scene that is decidedly more disturbing, but less graphic, than the makeshift surgery performed in the TEXAS CHAINSAW remakes. It’s not about the f/x. The guy (realistically) struggles with the incision and removal of the face (the sound effects add a gritty realism). I felt my own skin crawl. Then (more confusing shit) she wakes up in the store again..before her murder...this time, she hides behind a bush rather than conceding to a ride with her boyfriend...but the truck’s driver is revealed to be the psychopath.
After a bunch of bullshit, our heroine finds out the "killer" is named Duke and was shot by the cops for a string of murders....then the film proceeds to jump around through more flashbacks and you can’t even tell what is real anymore!
This movie just goes on and on with confusing nonsense until the climactic disclosure (the girl is enlightened that is she is Duke?). Still bitching about HIGH TENSION and its ambiguous diddling truck driver/severed head shot? Try this movie on for size (very similar punch line to its French counterpart). I give this film a 4 and a big fat "WHAT THE F***?!"
By Alexxus Young
A young man, on a night on the town, finds himself getting a little too friendly with a vampire cowgirl who brings him into a life that he didn’t ask for. Caught in the lifestyle of a vampire by night the young man strives to get his old life back, the life where he’s alive.
Near Dark is a classic redneck vampire film directed by the sexy Kathryn Bigelow, who later went on to direct the classic action flick Point Break and the excellent sci-fi flick Strange Days.
Now as the story starts out we are introduced to our main character Caleb on his way into town to get a beer with his buds, which takes damn near forever, enough to run the credits during his drive which tells you how backwoods he is. Anyways when he gets to the bar he’s fucked with a little by two guys outside the bar then one of them turns him around just in glancing distance of the sexy little redneck Mae, played by Jenny Wright. She’s standing there looking over at Caleb eating an ice cream and just like most teenage boys do Caleb gets some nuts and walks over to see if he can lick her cone. So after a little flirting Mae asks Caleb for a ride home which, of course, he’s all about.
On the road a couple miles from where Mae is staying Caleb decides it’s now or never so he stops his pickup, turns it off and shoves the keys down his shirt pocket and refuses to move until Mae gives him a kiss, though the whole time before that she’s getting upset and telling him to hurry because the sun is coming up, which SHOULD have made him stop dead in his tracks right there, but you know kids and their hormones, so Mae jumps him and they start making out and then it happens. She gets a little nibble of him and freaks out, runs off leaving Caleb in the dust. Blue balled and upset Caleb tries to start his truck but what do you know, it won't start. So he gets out of his truck and starts walking home when suddenly the sun comes up and he is faced with a bigger problem. Seems he’s starting to sizzle a little, yeah, cooking in the sun. He’s a good 100 feet from his house, in fact his sister even sees him and calls his name out, and he’s SO damn close when out of the blue a RV comes rushing down the dirt road and pulls him in, and then we meet the group of misfit vampires that end up being Caleb’s biggest conflict in the movie. At first they threaten to kill him but after Mae jumps to his defense claming he’s “fangly” they decide to give him one chance to prove he’s worth keeping around.
 
Anyways from there they do a lot of driving, a lot of killing and a lot of arguing but in all the rest of the story primarily focuses on Caleb’s desire NOT to be a creature of the night and Mae’s obsession with feeding him from the wrist being that he’s too scared to dine on the real cuisine, humans.
Now considering I’m not a huge fan of rednecks, being that I’m from Texas and most people think we're all rednecks, which is bullshit, and that very few vampire movies really impress me, I’d have to say I really liked this movie. I think that some things about the movie didn’t make sense like the fact that a transfusion won’t change your fate and that it takes very little time for a vamp to fry, I still loved the story and the cast was excellent! Look for horror veteran Lance Henriksen in one of his best roles he did before going on to star in the Pumpkinhead movies.
Near Dark, if not a top shelf horror movie, deserves to be right on the next shelf, seeming to be the inspiration for many vampire movies in the future, though you might find it hard to tell. This movie is definitely worth owning.
It’s about what I’d expect from redneck vampires but I loved the story and the kill scenes were pretty damn cool, especially in the bar. I recommend this flick!
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A couple with a recently born child arrive at their new home. It is a wonderful old house that has been completely renovated and the ideal place to start life as a family. The couple go to bed after a tiring day. Before going to bed, the couple go and check the child monitor that has been installed in the baby's bedroom. It is the very latest model. Not only does it allow you to listen in while the baby is sleeping, it lets you watch the baby as well.... They will soon discover that there is someone else living in this house, someone whose presence can be felt every night, right beside their baby's cradle....
In recent years Spain has become one of the bigger players on the horror market, something that is really cool because first off the films oftentimes seem to know what they're doing and secondly, it simply provides some variation. Like many of you reading this, I have this problem that I've been watching way too much horror for too many years which makes a lot of films seem predicatable, but what's even worse, it's almost impossible getting really scared anymore. So when this little Spanish gem, The Baby's Room, came along I was pleasantly surprised because this one truly has some quality scares to offer.
Álex de la Iglesia's film tells the story of a young couple with a baby that moves in to a new big house. Some friends come to visit and gives the couple a baby monitor so they'll be able to hear if the baby starts crying or whatever. But the first night when using it, it sounds like there's someone else that is also present in the baby's room. The father needs to figure this one out and buys a wireless TV with night-vision to be able to see the baby (and if there's really someone else in the room too.) Well, there is someone else in the room too and it all turns pretty chaotic to say the least. Since I don't want to give any spoilers I'm just gonna stop right here and now, but trust me, this flick is definitely worth the time.
 
Not even five minutes into the movie the first scare is delivered upon the viewer and my oh my, this one almost made me fall off the couch. From there on it keeps building, an eerie feeling that is impossible to shake off sets in and pretty much never lets go until the very end of the film. Also, while a lot of horror flicks can succeed delivering one or two good scares throughout the course of their run, for most of the time they have a tendency to not make it at the end, (meaning that the outcome oftentimes suck.) But The Baby's Room is in fact one of those movies that do deliver at the end which makes it really worth watching.
The Baby's Room has a really good structure and it's well-explained as well so you'll never feel cheated for not being able to figure out the actual ending. Moreover, it's quite a disturbing flick and even though it deals with the supernatural, don't just expect yet another typical ghost flick as this one actually stepped up a notch. It looks slick, the acting is good and best of all, it is all horror all the way.
The Baby's Room is the first one in a series of Spanish movies called 6 Films to Keep You Awake and even though I can't recommend the series, I can definitely recommend this flick. The horror is more of the psychological kind and chances that it'll get under your skin is pretty damn high, so do yourself a favor and check this one out.
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Concord flight 239 to Paris is in for a surprise. It seems there’s a scientist onboard sneakily transporting the body of a woman infected with a genetically enhanced disease in hopes to dodge the CIA and arrive at a facility where they can do more tests on the woman, but before they get there something goes terribly wrong and everyone on the flight is in for a bumpy ride.
After some excellent CGI credits we jump into the beginning of the story where were in the fuselage of Concord flight 239 from Los Angeles to Paris. Right away were introduced to the important characters in the story which I think is cool, gets right to it without leaving question of who’s who, for the most part. Anyways nothing seems out of the usual as the plane heads right into a terrible storm. After hearing a few stewardesses talk about what they can’t wait to do in Paris were dead in the cockpit with the pilot and co-pilot who are talking about their concerns with a mysterious piece of freight in the cargo hold that is guarded by an armed guard in a hazmat suit.
Back in first class we meet our group of scientists headed by Dr. Leo Bennett, played by movie veteran Erick Avari. It appears that Dr Bennett’s cargo is in fact the wife of another one of the scientists on the plane, Dr Lucas Thorp, who’s played by Dale Midkiff, who was Gage’s dad in Stephen King’s Pet Sematary. Anyways Lucas’s wife Kelly has a mutated mosquito virus that apparently will kill a person then bring them back. Of course leave it to our mad scientist, Dr. Bennett, to be the one man that takes the disease and makes it something good for mankind, kind of like the fountain of youth, only disgusting and infectious.
So along the flight as the weather gets worse and worse our problem begins as Kelly released from her cryogenic slumber after a few crates fall in the cargo bay and release her. Anyways she jumps out of the chamber, not sure where she is or why she’s on the plane, and comes face to face with the armed guard, who without hesitation, knowing the situation, pumps her full of machinegun lead, which ultimately hits a few gadgets and gizmos on the wall of the cargo bay, creating some circuitry problems. So Kelly, now zombified and pissed off, jumps at the wounded guard and commences in eating him like a stuffed pig.
 
After that things get a bit crazy as the scientists and co-pilot go to investigate the situation. One by one Kelly turns other passengers on the plane into zombies, which in turn bite someone else and turn them into zombies as well. The last handful of survivors are left on the plane fending for their lives, trying to keep from becoming a hearty snack for some crazy zombie on the flight.
Now I gotta tell you, I prefer zombies over snakes but I had a few things that just perplexed me. Number One, why would anyone feel it’s necessary, knowing the danger, to shoot a loaded weapon on a plane. For that matter a multitude of times? One hole in the side of the plane and everything would have been over. Secondly, where the hell did all the zombies come from? I have to tell you folks out of the like 250 seats on this plane there was like 500 zombies taking over the plane, which I didn’t mind much, just didn’t find logical. Aside from those two factors I kind of liked this movie. I didn’t like that the zombies had yellow eyes like the vampires in The Lost Boys, and that they hissed, but otherwise they were some ass kicking, meat eating zombies and that’s what we love right?
When you break the movie down everything you look for in a zombie flick is here. You don’t really want too much meat on your story, which is evident in the movie though it doesn’t have a bad story to begin with. The zombies are ruthless and the kill scenes are pretty damn cool, especially the scene with the nun, who during the whole movie you just KNOW something’s going to happen to her. I think they did a pretty good job introducing the key characters in the movie and didn’t turn them into anything we would think is too cheesy in the end and the ending wasn’t that bad in my opinion.
I’d say definitely give Flight of the Living Dead: Outbreak on a Plane a shot, it’s a different outlook on zombie films that hasn’t been tapped until now. Action, comedy, blood and guts, you can’t beat that in a zombie flick. Go check it out!
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Down at Camp Blackfoot a seemingly harmless teenage prank on the resident groundskeeper turns almost deadly when he’s burned severely. Five years later the groundskeeper gets out of the hospital and plots his revenge.
In a time when slasher films were good and didn’t depend on CGI to get them screams and gasps The Burning is one of the underrated flicks that finally resurrected from the video graveyard that so many still lay decomposing in.
The movie starts out at Camp Blackfoot where a group of teens decide they want to play a prank on the camp’s groundskeeper Cropsy, yeah ironic isn’t it? Anyways I won't spoil the good fun they have tormenting poor Cropsy but their little prank turns damn near deadly when he’s set on fire. He’s one step away from being a crispy critter when he runs out his door and jumps in the lake near the camp.
A week later at St Catherine’s Hospital a doctor follows an orderly into the burn unit for a little look at the badly burned Cropsy and after a little smartass talking the orderly gets grabbed by Cropsy’s charred hand. DUN DUN DUN!
 
Then off to five years later in the early 80’s Cropsy is let out of the hospital with a clean but melted bill of health, so what does do? He plots his revenge, but not before ordering a hooker then killing her before he even gets to the good part, which is cool with me because the hooker was´ugly with a capital UGH! She’s the manliest looking hooker I’ve ever seen in my life, though I can’t say I know many.
Anyways off to a new camp, Camp Starkweather, we find a group of kids having fun playing softball and having a good time. Little do the kids know that dear old Cropsy is on his way to liven up their camp experience with a little violence and murder.
For the most part the killing really doesn’t kick in until the kids go on a canoe trip down the river by the camp but once it does kick in holy hell it doesn’t hold back. This movie gives the 10 good ways to kill with gardening sheers and gives us our first opportunity to see Holly Hunter topless and Jason Alexander’s bare ass, which I recommend you turn away from, I was caught off guard and almost blinded by his huge nasty ass.
Though this movie is a lot like the Friday the 13th movies it does have it’s own originality, though not by much. With that said I loved this movie, it had exactly what I love in slashers, nudity, fights, sex, and bloody kill scenes headed by none other than the FX king Tom Savini.
The Burning gets a high rating for me as this is the kind of movie that I’ve grown to love and wish there were more of. This movie is highly recommended by yours truly.
Now that The Burning has finally been released on DVD it’s easy to get your hands on a copy instead of paying some dude to do a data transfer disk from VHS. If you don’t get this movie your missing out on a great flick.
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The psychological thriller The Number 23 stars Jim Carrey as a man whose life unravels after he comes into contact with an obscure book titled The Number 23. As he reads the book, he becomes increasingly convinced that it is based on his own life. His obsession with the number 23 starts to consume him, and he begins to realize the book forecasts far graver consequences for his life than he could have ever imagined.
With a well thought out plot and a storyline that is intriguing and makes the mystery unravel little by little, I sure got more out of watching The Number 23 than I first had thought. Since Jim Carrey did such a wonderful job in Eternal Sunshine on the Spotless Mind I was more than sure that he would manage to pull off some true seriousness here as well, which he did. What I was worried about concerning the overall movie though was how it was all gonna come together in the end, the very outcome where filmmakers often try hard but oftentimes fail at delivering. But this flick did actually come together in a very good way in the end and managed to pull off some twist and turns which made it a very interesting piece to watch. For a while there, before 23 was released, it seemed like it was being promoted a little too much as a "scary" flick and that is something it was not. False marketing leads, for most of the time, to downfall... just take M. Night Shyamalan's The Village for instance.
 
The film tells the story of an animal control officer named Walter Sparrow who gets a book entitled The Number 23 from his wife on his birthday. He starts to read it and finds a lot of similarities between the main characters life and his own. As he keeps reading the similarities just grows stronger and it seems like the book's fictional character, a detective named Fingerling, is actually, somehow, Walter himself. Fingerling soon becomes obsessed with the number 23 and so does Walter, and it doesn't take long before the number starts to control his life. He suffers from horrible nightmares, just like Fingerling and as every day grows more dark, Walter needs to start digging to solve the mystery of the book; who wrote it and was it written only for him to read, and how can he unlock the secrets behind the number 23?
There are many interesting things to be found within the film itself. Visually it is absolutely stunning at times but luckily this one delivers more than just good looks. It's easy to feel for the main character Walter Sparrow (Carrey) and it's not hard at all, or unrealistic, to see him becoming more and more obsessed with the number that is 23. I think this is one of those the less you know the better type of flicks, but since it's a commercial film people tend to talk about it and might share their negative thought with you. What it comes down to is that this is a film you need to see for yourself, you might not like it but it deserves to be given a shot for sure.
I gotta admit that this movie had me at the start and all the way through. While it was not fantastic it sure was worth the time and just got better as it kept going. While it may not be scary in the sense of the word, The Number 23 is a very dark flick that has a good feel to it and if you're looking for a good thriller to satisfy your appetite, The Number 23 is more then enough.
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Would you sleep with your lover if she had come back from the Other Side?
The cover art of Spectre makes a promise of a very good looking film and while the cinematography truly was awesome and everything looked absolutely beautiful, the film itself proved to be one pretty dull mother. Having recently just seen, and enjoyed, another Spanish horror film called The Baby's Room that was also, just like Spectre, part of "6 Films to Keep You Awake" maybe I was just too excited since the last one delivered way past my expectations. Spectre on the other hand was not really horror in the true meaning of the word, it was more like a drama and with that I must admit that as a drama film it worked well, but since I was expecting (and was promised) horror it didn't quite do it for me. Even though I wasn't too pleased with this Spanish little flick, when thinking about it later on it did actually have a few things to offer... but as a horror flick, no siree!
 
As for the plot, it's very hard explaining it without giving too much away but basically it's about this 16 years old dude named Tomás who's living in a small village in Spain, where people are very religious may I add. A lady named Moira (that has a sweeeet butt) lives in an old house and since she hasn't been seen in the village (or in church for that matter) since she moved in, the people in the village naturally think there's something wrong with her. Actually, they're all pretty much sure she's a witch and that the Devil himself visit her at night for some good ol´ porkin´ activity. Tomás and his friends are of course curious to whether any of these rumors are true so one day they decide to sneak around the house to maybe get a glimpse of the witch. But clumsy Tomás falls flat on his ass right outside her house and his friends takes off leaving him laying on the ground. He later wakes up in a bed inside the house and sees that Moira's no ugly old witch but infact a very pretty young lady. He falls in love with her and starts visiting her on a regulary basis but maybe some of the rumors regarding the witch and the Devil were true after all... or were they?
What was explained above was the plot of like half of the movie as it, all the way through, mixes past with present and so jumps back and forth, a lot, between showing Tomás as a teenager to showing him as a grown old man visiting his childhood home because of a mysterious letter he got sent his way. Spectre has a story that is quite interesting and for most parts makes it worth watching, but like with so many other films it just doesn't have that spark to it in the end. I was pretty disappointed when the credits started rolling and was thinking something like was this the best ending they could come up with. 3/4's of the movie was somewhat impressive but the last fourth went down the drain. Another thing is that if you have a problem with slow-paced flicks, this is not a good pick at all because this has slow written all over it. Still, it has some quality stuff to offer (except for that it's a stunning film), but if you're looking for scares, blood or clever twists, look elsewhere.
Spain might be the new Japan or Korea, they produce some awesome stuff and then when the wheels are in motion you get more rocks than gold in the long run. But if you search every rock real close I'm sure that there will be glimpses of, if not pure, gold every once in a while.
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A group of college friends gather together at an island mansion during April Fool's day to celebrate their final year of school. But soon secrets from their past come to life and it doesn't take long before they start showing up dead one by one. Who is killing them off and why?
When it comes to slasher films from the good ol´ 80's we often tend to enjoy them in this day and age (if not for nostalgia alone) for such reasons that they're oftentimes B-films with questionable acting, lots of T&A and provides mindless entertainment along with a often quite silly plot. Not to mention teens with weird hair styles and clothes that no one would wear today, if not for the sake of goofing around. There are heaps of old slasher flicks out there and while a lot of them pretty much seem like the same film over and over again there are also those that stand out quite a bit for different reasons, and April Fool's Day sure is one of those films. It has all that you expect from a typical slasher but the acting is actually really good and, the best part, it's quite a clever little film.
Ok so it might not be scary or super bloody for that matter but it has more than a few things up its sleeve, and the cool double ending is one of those things. The story of the film is about this rich chick named Muffy who invites a bunch of her friends to spend the weekend in her mansion on a remote island over the April Fool's day weekend. But one by one the friends start showing up dead and when they killer is not who they first thought it was, then who could it be? It may sounds very simple and straight forward and while it actually is for a while there's a lot of cool stuff going on and in the end it's something that you'd probably not expect.
 
I must say that for a slasher film the acting is really good which is kinda unusual. Another good thing is that the teens do not seem as stereotyphical as so often is the case when it comes to movies like this and it's easy to root for them as well. For those of you who are only interested in these kinda flicks for the sake of seeing boobs and buckets of blood, this may not be your cup of tea, I'd say that April Fool's Day is more intelligent than that.
The location of the film, the island to be specific, makes for some great environment that actually has some dread to it. And for the fact that there's no stupid killer showing up here and there killing everyone of in uncreative ways just makes this flick even more worth watching. And instead of delivering boring softcore scenes and dialogue that makes one feel more dumb by the minute, it actually has well constructed dialogue and a very realistic tone to it, meaning that you truly understand why the characters are being scared and they show it in a way that just works wonders.
Enough praise already. If you like slashers from the 80's and haven't seen this gem yet do yourself a favor and go rent it right now!
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Louisiana bayou folklore becomes reality when a group of tourists end up face to face with one of the most powerfully sinister creatures ever imagined.
As the story goes deep within the swamps of Louisiana a man with the last name Crowley lived with his disfigured son Victor, far away from any civilization. At times Mr. Crowley needed to go into town to buy supplies and food and he brought Victor with him. The kids in town would torment and tease Victor and ultimately they found where he lived and tried to scare him to death by throwing fireworks at his door, and lets just say wooden houses catch fire easily. So as Victor’s trapped inside his house Mr. Crowley comes home to find that his son is trapped inside trying to get out. He picks up his hatchet from his cutting block and tries to break in to save him but in the end becomes the murderer to his only son.
Many many years later we meet our star, Ben, who just can’t find any fun in staring at bare breasted women while partying at Marti Gras so he decides he wants to take a haunted swamp tour. Anyways his friends think he’s stupid so they all go off back to partying, minus one guy, Marcus, who decides he’d better stay with Ben, just to know he’s alright and make sure he’s having a good time regardless.
So off they go to find a tour guide which they do. Come to find out that the tour guide doesn’t want their business though so they end up at another place where a little Asian kid jumps out claiming that he’d take them on the haunted tour. So off they go with a small group of perverts, babes, old folks and one girl that seems like something’s terribly wrong.
Off to the swamps they go taking the tour of what’s said to be the swamps where Victor and his father once lived. Now not too long into the tour the boat gets snagged, leaving the group stranded in the swamp lands far away from New Orleans. Little do they realize that they are right at the front door of the Crowley home and apparently Victor never died and is in fact fully grown, built to kill and hungry for blood. The ultimate battle for life ensues and the group goes toe to toe with one of the most twisted creatures of our time.
 
Now first of all let me tell you that this movie is not all blood and guts, but also quite comedic. In fact two of the main characters of the movie, Ben and Marcus, are a couple usually casted in comedy flicks. Ben, played by Joel More, is better known for his roles in Grandma’s Boy and Dodgeball while Marcus, played by Deon Richmond, is better known for his role as The Token Black Guy Malik in the movie Not Another Teen Movie, so they bring a lot of comedy to the table. With that said this movie is damn twisted when it comes to the sick special FX during the gore scenes, and people I have to tell you, I was THRILLED to see that they actually got their hands dirty, or bloody, without using CGI.
The script is solid, the characters really play out perfectly and this movie just wraps up in one tight little bundle of flesh to produce a movie that ultimately is opening the door that was left closed at the end of the 80’s when horror movies weren’t corporately made or butchered remakes. You can see that Adam Green was inspired by a lot of the older classics, factoring in movies like Pumpkinhead, Friday the 13th, Nightmare On Elm Street and many others and the funny thing is Robert Englund has a cameo in the movie and Kane Hodder plays Victor’s father PLUS Victor himself in present time plus Tony "Candyman" Todd as Clive Washington. Also if you watch in the beginning of the movie, Adam himself does a cameo as one of the friends that decides to stay and party at Mardi Gras, he's the one that talks.
If you get the chance to see Hatchet in theatres do so, though it’s in limited release around the US. When it does come out on DVD however, get your ass to the store and snatch up this movie because it’s so damn good it shouldn’t be on your top shelf, it should be displayed so all your friends know you have one of the best movies of modern times.
Definitely going up as one of my top 5 movies of all time now, Hatchet pulls excellent horror out of the pit it’s been in for the last 20 years. Own it, watch it, love it and most of all give praise where it’s due, in the lap of one Adam Green, the genre’s savior.
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See below.
This piece has somewhat been marketed as a horror film so I just want to make things clear at the start that what we're dealing with here is a thriller; some would say a mystery thriller and some would say a Hitchcockian thriller. They're both right, but a pure horror it is not. But don't let that put you off because The Killing Floor actually had a few things in store for the viewer. When it comes to thrillers of this kind it's all about figuring out who the killer is among a bunch of character, and obviously it's never who it first seems to be. Problem with a lot of these thrillers though is that you can quite often figure out who it is before it has been "officially" revealed and while you may be able to do that with this flick as well, it is still totally worth taking a look at.
 
We get to follow literary agent David Lamont who represents horror authors and that moves into a penthouse apartment that is freakin huuuuge. Soon after getting settled in his new place David receives photographs of a murder which looks like it took place inside his apartment. If that wasn't bad enough there's some strange guy hanging outside the building claiming that David's new place belongs to him. He gets in touch with a detective who unsuccessfully tries to help him out. Soon David receives a series of stalker videotapes which shows himself being filmed, unknowingly, by someone in his apartment at night. As the movie rolls on David's situation gets more worse for each day that goes by and soon he finds himself in a whole heap of trouble.
Best thing about The Killing Floor is that it is a really easy film to watch. Some thrillers just try too hard to make the plot way more complicated with stupid twists and turns than it have to be, but this one did that just right. I gotta admit that at the start I had no expectations whatsoever and was somewhat convinced that I wouldn't like it. But in the end it was actually a totally ok flick that had some good suspense to it and most of all, it had great pacing. The actors all pretty much did all right, Marc Blucas (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) did totally ok as David and even though he first came off as a real jerk, his character kinda grew on you and eventually you ended up liking him, or at least felt a bit sorry for the guy.
All right, so do I recommend this flick or not? Well actually I do, if you enjoy thrillers that is but if you're into horror only, look elsewhere.
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A dark force preys upon the Reddle family, leaving question as to where the force came from and to what degree of revenge is it seeking. Based on the short story by Ambrose Bearce.
The movie starts out in 1981 in a small town in Texas where the Reddle family sits down for dinner, or supper as the Texans like to claim it. Everything seems normal, the family sits down for a plate of ribs and talks about how people in their town are going crazy and whatnot. After “supper” young Kevin Reddle and his mom go to the kitchen to light the candles on Mr. Reddel’s birthday cake. Suddenly a black tar drips down from the ceiling onto Kevin’s hand, creeping his mother out. Next thing you know Mr. Reddle walks in the kitchen to spoil the surprise, shotgun in hand. After a fierce statement or two he lifts the shotgun and gently places it’s pellets in his wife’s chest, killing her. Freaked out Kevin runs out in the yard away from his gun happy dad and jumps up in a tree. His dad finds him and draws his gun to be met by some force that tosses him into his truck and disembowels him like he’s a Thanksgiving turkey.
Shoot 24 years later and Kevin is all grown up, the sheriff in his town, with a kid and a lovely soon to be ex-wife, and a bad limp. Anyways he goes to see his son and ends up talking to his ex about how people in town are going crazy. Next thing you know out pops good ol’ Ted Rami as the town preacher, who informs him that he’s at the age that his father and grandfather had died and that he needs to repent and start going to church.
Back in town one of the town residents, while building a wooden ladder, goes a little nuts and kills himself by pounding his head in with the hammer and using the claw on the back to cut his face open. Next were back with Kevin as he goes home, does a little thinking then next thing he knows his surveillance cameras all go black. He walks outside to investigate to find that the cameras have been ripped off and tossed in his yard. He looks out into the yard screaming then hears a car peel out and drive off. Determined to stop his torment Kevin jumps in his car and chases after the vehicle but stops when he comes across a car where a girl has been in an accident. He runs up and tells her everything will be alright but that he needs to lift her up. Upon lifting the girl up she basically rips at the hips, as in the top half of her body are lifted and the bottom half is still under the car…yeah. So Kevin takes the body to the hospital where a doctor informs him that the people had killed themselves in manors not humanly feasible.
Slowly Kevin descends into a darkness that could destroy him as well as everyone in his town. Will the darkness take over him and kill him or will he escape in time, watch and see.
Personally I think Sean Patrick Flannery is a great actor, I’m a big Boonddock Saints fan so coming into this movie I was expecting a great role, which he plays off. I’m also a fan of Ted Rami and his brother Sam, which is pretty obvious, so I was cool with that. Now the episode is directed by Tobe Hooper who really turned me off with his recent films, but he redeemed himself here. Although the story was written by someone else I think that he orchestrated the story pretty well. Personally I’d say this is one of my favorite submissions for the Masters of Horror series. There’s lots of good gore and a well told story, so go check this one out...
A really good episode, normally would seem as if it was boring but really worth seeing, especially as the story develops. Definately worth seeing.
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The Bullion family is not your average family, it seems they have a craving for flesh, inbread sex and chaos. In the few days before Beeftina Bullion's birthday we find ourselves watching as the family lives as only the Bullion family can, with cannibalism, incest and bloody good fun.
Director and star Alan Rowe Kelly, a drag queen who appears to be the next Harris "Divine" Milstead, takes on the role of Beeftina Bullion, the twisted daughter of Papa Elvis Bullion, a perverted redneck with a hankering for family fornication and human flesh. Along with her two stupid brothers Hubcap and Butternut, the trio of redneck miscreants wreak havoc in their small New Jersey town in the days before Beeftina’s 12th birthday, well for like the 20th time. Anyways as the family prepares for the party more and more towns people come up missing, especially the children. Come to find out the only people in town that know where the missing children are happen to be the twisted Bullion kids and their cousin Sno Cakes, a bug eyed ditz.
As the days progress the towns people suspect the Bullions for the missing towns folks and as we all know curiosity kills the cat, those being the nosey towns people, so one by one they are picked off. By the time the party starts the Bullions are welcoming guests that would have rather stayed at home then showed up at the cannibal family's dinner table.
 
Now most of the time I go into more detail with the stories of the movies I do reviews on but I think I summed it up enough above without ruining anything. For the most part this movie is another typical re-vamp of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, only this time with a little twist, and I do mean little. The family personally annoyed me minus one of the brothers, Hubcap, who made me laugh quite a bit with his stupidity. Now you ask how is his stupidity that funny? Guess you'll have to see yourself, just know that he's not your typical moron. Aside from that this movie had a fairly formulaic story that didn't offer too much.
With that said you might think I hated this movie right? Wrong. Bits and pieces of the movie were pretty good, particularly the scene with the town cop which is a must see scene, it'll make your balls hurt.
A thing to note is that almost half the cast of Alan's earlier film, I'LL BURY YOU TOMORROW, have roles in this movie, taking up almost all the roles. Hey why not recycle actors and actresses that you obviously did ok with in a past movie right?
Anyways the special FX are alright, the dark comedy is a little more than average and the characters, though annoying, are kinda fun to watch. If this movie had a bigger budget I think…well personally I think it would have stayed the same. Sad isn't it?
I think my only question is are their really backwoods rednecks in Jersey? How sad if it's true!
I'm on the fence on this one folks, the way I see it if you end up seeing this at a friends house in the middle of the night when you're stoned and drunk you'll have a good time, which might be a reason to buy it. Otherwise don't bend over backwards to search for this movie, it's half good half terrible.
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The baby croc has grown up and is now a mean old croc that starts terrorizing a small town.
Honestly, LAKE PLACID 2 may be one of the worst movies I've ever seen, and believe you me, I've seen plenty of horrible flicks in my life. I can tell you right now at the start of this review that you should not come anywhere near this vile piece of trash. Yes, it is that bad and no, it has absolutely no redeeming qualites whatsoever. Ten minutes into the film I was feeling sick, I mean what the hell it should be illegal to make movies as bad as this one, and the further it went the more it sucked, and at the end... Jesus freakin Christ, let's just say it's so not worth the time. I did enjoy the original LAKE PLACID, it was entertaining, a bit campy and had some all right gore and action to offer. This sequel had none of that, and nothing else for that matter. The folks that wrote this movies should have all their fingers broken so they could never write anything again. No, I'm not kidding.
What bothers me the most is that films like this one are actually being released upon the world and as a horror fan you're bound to feel ashamed. People that normally do not watch horror flicks and stumble upon a flick like this may think that this is standard horror, and as a fan of horror, it makes you look like you have your taste up your arse. Anyway, this movie is filled with stupid and tired old clichés and you've seen everything that's in it about six hundred times before... at least. It starts off in such a obvious way; two bad actors sit in a boat, one is pulled down into the lake and we see some body parts floating around. Well that's just great, very creative, very inventive... I salute you screen-play writers, what a treat!
 
Ok so we have a big ugly croc in the lake, just like in the first film, nothing new there except only this time the croc really looks shitty to the max. Bill Pullman is nowhere to be found and is replaced by John Schneider. Why the hell would you wanna star in a film like this? He gives a crappy performance but on the other hand he doesn't have much to work with considering that the script and the dialogue in it is pure shit. All the other actors are terrible, some are easy to ignore but some of them just makes you wanna start breaking things. The idiots that wrote this film also tried to add a bit of slapstick into the pile of garbage they were puking up together but the comedy is just so bad it's actually hard watching it go down on screen without feeling sick and violated.
As for gore, just forget about it. There are so many flicks out there that has more to offer. You could actually stand in front of the horror section in your local video store, put a blindfold on, spin around ten times and then pick a movie at random and that film would kick this one's ass to the moon and back. That's how disgustingly shitty this little "film" is.
I hope I'll never have to sit through anything like this ever again. Thing is that most movies that are bad usually often have some little thing that could be considered positive but this one has absolutely nothing. Everyone involved in the making of this shitty film should never be allowed to work with movies ever again. Don't waste your time on this one folks.
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Saw duo James Wan and Leigh Whannell re-team for this chilling tale of a widower who returns to his hometown to unearth clues about his recently departed wife's untimely death. In the quiet town of Ravens Fair, children taunt one another with spooky stories about a ventriloquist whose mind was ravaged by insanity. Mary Shaw was a popular entertainer until she was accused of murdering a young boy. Subsequently hunted and captured by the vengeful townspeople, Mary's tongue was cut out before she was mercilessly killed and committed to the earth in the company of her handmade collection of vaudeville dolls. In the years that followed, the town seemed to be haunted by those ghastly puppets. After mysteriously disappearing from Mary's grave, the menacing figurines would sometimes be glimpsed by the damned in the dead of night -- their appearance consistently foreshadowing the death of whoever laid eyes upon them. Entire families were found slaughtered, their tongues brutally torn from their mouths in a sickening scene that eerily recalled the execution of the elderly ventriloquist. Newlyweds Jamie and Lisa Ashen both grew up in Ravens Fair. Now, following Lisa's inexplicable death, Paul has returned to the pair's hometown in order to say his final goodbyes and find out the truth about his wife's enigmatic demise. After being reunited with his ailing father and the aging man's pretty young bride, the grieving widower will finally uncover the shocking truth behind the curse that has plagued Ravens Fair for as far back as he can remember.
From SAW director James Wan comes DEAD SILENCE, written by Leigh Whannell and that is a movie that truly has a nightmarish tone to it. Filled with creepy imagery, horrific dolls and a ghostly atmophere, DEAD SILENCE is a movie made by horror fans for horror fans. Having heard a lot about the film beforehand I was afraid it was gonna be a bit too commercial for my taste, and even though it was kinda commercial it still has a lot to offer hardcore horror fans as well. While it may not scare you, you're definitely in for a really good time. Sure, the film delivers quite a few horror clichés but looking at the overall movie, it's not as tired as some may think.
A great thing about DEAD SILENCE is that it does not rely on cheap scares, it does not make you jump out of your seat or stuff like that but instead it delivers lots of haunting imagery all the way through and it's the overall creepy atmosphere that makes it worth while. While it may not be half a creative as SAW was, I don't even think it makes sense to compare the two films since they're both very different from each other. DEAD SILENCE is sorta traditional ghost story that pretty much has all that you're looking for when it comes to the genre with a story that is relatively simple, yet intriguing.
 
As for actors and character, I must say that I really did enjoy Donnie Wahlberg's performance as the detective since his character added some good humor to the overall film without making it feel tacky. Mary Shaw is creepy enough when clips from the past are shown to us and the old crazy lady that spouted omens added to the overall weird and creepy feel. Don't expect too much gore though, it's just not that kinda film but even so, it did actually have some to offer which is cool because most films like this often shy away from it since it may not fit the overall concept. Anyway, I'm glad the filmmakers didn't do that completely.
Another very cool thing is that whenever something scary is about to happen all ambient noise disappears for a while... providing dead silence, very awesome indeed. The pacing is good and never does the film move slow and I must say that it was a very easy to film to sit through, and even though it didn't really provide those scares that I'm constantly seeking, I still had a very good time watching DEAD SILENCE.
If you want a film that have tons of horror elements DEAD SILENCE is an excellent pick; A cemetary scene at night, thunder and rain, folk tales, a small superstitious town, singing children, haunting imagery, aged film, a creepy white haired lady, nursery rhymes and loads of creepy dolls... this is DEAD SILENCE in a nutshell.
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Welcome to Camp New Horizons, where an autumn retreat brings together a group of obnoxious rich kids and surly city thugs for an ‘experiment in sharing.’ But when notorious transsexual psychopath Angela Baker joins the horny teens, she shares a lesson in butchery with axes, trucks, firecrackers, lawnmowers and more.
Well Angela's back, with a bloodlust of course, and it's time yet again for her to slaughter some unknowing teenage campers and it's basically just as fun as it has always been when it comes to the SLEEPAWAY CAMP films. Michael A. Simpson and writer Fritz Gordon that did the second film, UNHAPPY CAMPERS, are back and do just as good with this one as before. Obviously opinions may vary but if you're a fan of the first and second film you need to check this one out too. The DVD version contain how the killings really were intended to be since most of the gore was cut from the original released version in order for it to get an R rating. Anyway, the film is packed with inventive killings, is super easy to watch and if you're a fan of slashers from the 80's, all the SLEEPAWAY CAMP films are a must see.
This time the flick starts off in a pretty brutal kinda way where a teen named Maria Nicastro is chased down and killed by a truck(!) that Angela of course is driving. She then steals Maria's identity and goes to camp where she will kill, kill and kill some more. This time the setting is called Camp New Horizons and the kids there are from two different "groups"; some from the wrong side of the track, and the rest are rich kids and that's basically all there's to it. All the campers are divided into three teams and are supposed to head out and camp in the forest for three days, but will they survive three days in the woods with a tranny psychopath among them? Well, you take a guess...
 
This third film is a bit more serious than the second one was but it is still a bit goofy every here and there. The pacing is good and there's plenty of nudity, lots of boobs and even more murders if those kinds of things makes you happy. The film is very straight forward and you can pretty much tell exactly what's gonna happen next. On the other hand I don't really see that as a problem, it's just part of the fun, it makes things easy and the film is really super easy to watch.
The music in the film is somewhat annoying, especially with one of the campers from Detroit playing his crappy music until your ears almost bleed, but it's not that big of a deal really. As for the acting it is what you would expect when it comes to films like this; some of the actors are plain terrible and some are just not good, but that's also something that makes this a lotta fun so no worries really, at least as long as you know what you're getting yourself into.
I believe that if you've been around for a while and have not yet had the chance to see SLEEPAWAY CAMP 3: TEENAGE WASTELAND, it is pretty much what you would expect it to be when it comes to these types of genre flicks. It's not great but if you've enjoyed the previous two films you're gonna enjoy this one too, no doubt.
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For 20 years a man named Luther Baxter posed as Gordy The Clown, better known to the public as the Teardrop Killer. Two news reporters, looking for a front page article to write, go into investigating the Teardrop Killer, only to find themselves face to face with a serial killer.
So as we start we role credits over a man putting on what appears to be clown makeup, in a room full of porcelain clown dolls. In the same room is a girl bound, trying to break free, as she does we see the clown’s brains getting blown out by his own hand.
Next we jump back to the week before all of this happened where we meet news reporters Jennifer and Mark, who are in a big discussion about what kind of story they can write up to get on the front page of the newspaper they work at. So Jennifer suggests doing an article on serial killers, which Mark denies at first, but finally agrees to do. So they go off to investigate things while we head to a halfway house where it appears that our killer pal Gordy the Clown shows up, with an enormous clever in hand, to have a little fun with the residents, killing 9 and kidnapping a couple more to later torture and dispose of.
The next morning Jen and Mark show up at the crime scene and go inside to look for clues but in turn find a terrified girl claiming to have seen a killer clown in the building. And then the investigation continues. As they get closer to finding Gordy, he himself tracks down an important family member to join him in his bloody spree. Will Jen and Mark get any closer to The Teardrop Killer or will his killing continue? Watch and see.
 
Now I gotta say I really like these boys at Pop Gun Pictures, Joe over there was so kind to send me the screener and on top of that a small bag of my favorite, candy corn. THANKS JOE!
Back to the movie. I gotta be honest, the way the story unfolds doesn’t grasp me really tight, but I really gotta say Jen and Mark’s characters really helped move the story into place and although it really put a lot of down time on the killing spree, they did a damn good job putting things together.
As for Gordy, my friends here we have one twisted son of a bitch, he carries around this enormous clever, running around decapitating people and severing their limbs before brutally disemboweling them. Come on, how does it get any better than that? The kill scenes were outstanding and considering this movie isn’t a high budget movie, the FX for this movie showed that Marcus’s team could hold their own and produce some truly twisted visuals.
In my personal opinion as far as the story goes it’s not the easiest to keep up with but it’s not bad, though if your expecting a compelling story this won't take you to the moon. With that said this is one brutal movie. Blood, guts and gore flying left and right in every scene Gordy’s a part of and let me tell you, it’s extremely entertaining. The majority of the kills bring me back to the 80’s before CGI destroyed the realism of a murder. This movie is perfect for extreme gore hounds and I myself loved it. 100 Tears is an 80’s slasher for modern times, dusted off and resurrected in the form of one pretty gruesome film.
Pop Gun Pictures fed my two most serious cravings, candy and carnage. 100 Tears is definitely recommended for genre fans, and all you wussies go and check it out too, the gore scenes are excellent!
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Two college students decide that their lives are boring enough to exact some revenge on some Ivy school kids in town.
Alright now the story starts with Nathan and Justin, two gay playtoys, in a discussion about how their lives have no meaning and that they need to spice things up. Nathan, extremely obsessed with horror movies and serial killers, suggests drugging a straight guy from their class, then raping him. So they do, yet find that what they used to knock him out with was far too strong, which makes him puke then crap himself and die. The two guys stuff him in an old couch and have it picked up and that’s the end of that, or is it?
Still feeling the rush from killing the boys decide they want to do it again, only this time they want to rape some Ivy boys instead. One by one each of four snooty Ivy kids is taken away to find their eternal fate. Will anyone catch on to the killings and go after Nathan and Justin or will they continue to kill?
 
Now let me tell you all, I’ve been writing reviews for a long time now and every now and then I watch movies that qualify for what I like to call “The Chopping Block” which is a wood stump that I take shitty movies to be cut to shreds by a hatchet. The last movie that made it there was The Grand Horror, the terrible zombie film where nothing happened and I fell asleep. Anyways this movie qualifies to go on the block. In other words this movie was TERRIBLE!
Not only was the acting terrible but it was repetitive, drawing the same conclusion to all four boys, though varied at the very end. The special FX were minimal and amateurish and all around I just found myself bored and fast forwarding. I mean come on, doing voodoo to make a sex zombie slave?
Now here’s where I’m supposed to insert a line that justifies the type of sexual humor that this movie presented, but personally it’s not going to help this review.
In all I think it’s great that the gay community puts effort into producing horror films, I just don’t think T.S. Slaughter has any talent, or his actors. It’s played out like some fucked up horror comedy but it just wasn’t funny.
I personally don’t see how it got the good reviews it has so far but in my opinion I feel I lost time in my life watching this film that I’ll never get back. If someone gives you this movie as a gift they must really hate you.
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Atheist Katherine Winter do a great job proving miracles wrong with scientific facts but when she's called to the small town of Haven where a river has turned blood red it only the beginning of ten biblical plagues to come.
Let me start this review off by saying that my expectations for THE REAPING were kinda low from the beginning, I'm not a fan of Hilary Swank and was somewhat convinced that this would be yet another commercial semi-horror flick a la Hollywood with way too much CGI in it. Well, I was both wrong and right I guess. While the film may be commercial and feature a helluva lot of CGI it was not as bad (or boring) as it first seemed to be, and when it comes to Swank her performance was definitely solid so no complaints there. But I guess what I was most afraid of was that the film were gonna contain too much religious nonsense and angle everything from a very christian point of view, but luckily the viewer is pretty much spared some that as well, even though it deals with biblical happenings. A cool thing though is that we got all these scientific explanations to the ten plagues and what else which worked as "fun facts" and pretty cool to hear about. Anyway, atheists really have nothing to worry about here because while the film may be religion-oriented, it's not what makes it tick.
 
The predictable plot goes something like this: Swank plays Katherine Winter, an atheist woman who lost her fate in God long ago (there's a backstory to that of course) and now has a scientific explanation for every miracle. Basically she sent to a small town called Haven where a river has turned blood red which the people in town believes is the first of ten plagues to come. While investigating, dead frogs starts falling from the sky (well from trees) and when sending the red water to a lab she later gets the test result back stating that the red water is really human blood. The plagues continue to hit, one by one, and the residents in town blame a young girl for causing it all, but could a little girl really be the cause of what's happening?
THE REAPING kinda reminded me in a way about SILENT HILL but even more of THE OMEN but in small ways only so don't draw any big conclusions. Also, it was much more enjoyable than what I first had thought it would be; it had very good pacing, it was stylish and very easy to follow and the CGI that I had feared for actually fit into the film in a very good way. Biggest problems with the film to was that it was too easy to figure out and you could see the little twist in the end coming from miles away and knew pretty much exactly what to expect which brought everything down a notch or two. But I gotta say that up until the end I found THE REAPING to be enjoyable enough.
Despite all the bad reviews on the net, if I were you I'd give it a shot, don't expect miracles but I'm quite sure you'll be entertained. The ending could've been better but at least the film works as a whole. The also could've focused on giving some of the cool plagues more time and build-up instead of rushing through ten plagues in 90 minutes, but what the heck, it's not the end of the world.
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Sean Crawley is your avergae guy who works different jobs to make end's meet and one day on a job he meets a man named Duke who gives Sean a proposal and hooks him up with his boss Ray. He's at first hired to spy on a man and so he does, but it doesn't take look before Ray ask him to commit a crime for a sum of money, and when Sean agrees to do the job his life changes drastically.
KING OF THE ANTS is a movie that is very much different from what we are used to when it comes to Stuart Gordon, who's of course most famous for RE-ANIMATOR. First off it's not really a horror film per say but more like a thriller, or rather, a revenge flick. It's brutal, violent and extremely disturbing and hard to watch at times due to all the very realistic scenes of violence that the film's packed with. It's pretty much humorless as well and it's easy to forget that it is a film you're watching as it is not flashy or anything, just very basic and looks very real due to the somewhat shaky handheld camera.
 
Chris McKenna delivers one helluva performance as Sean Crawley, a drifter in life who meets Duke Wayne (George Wendt) and who hooks him up with his boss Ray Mathews (Daniel Baldwin) and is offered a job to spy on a guy. Sean takes the job and starts following the guy around and some days go by until one night when Ray asks Sean to kill the guy for the sum of $13 000. Sean agrees to do the job but when he comes to collect all hell breaks loose. The "bad guys" do not want to pay him what they agreed on and when Sean mention he's hiding a file that he stole from the victim that'll link Ray and his crew to the murder they take him out to a ranch in the desert and beat him senseless... for days. That's pretty much all I can tell you right now but do watch the film because it's so definitely worth it.
The story couldn't be any more simple but that's just it, it doesn't have to be complicated to deliver, it just have to be able to get your attention and keep you interested and that is exactly what KING OF THE ANTS does. From start to finish this film is pretty much ace and it's pretty much impossible not to be affected by it as there are definitely some scenes that are not for the squeamish. What is really interesting is that the film doesn't have many things at all that would make you connect it to Gordon, still it's a Gordon film and if you've seen his other films and take a look at this one too you'll know exactly what I mean. It doesn't make it a bit bad though, on the contrary, when you have a great story to work with you go with it despite of what you may have done before.
KINGS OF THE ANTS is a revenge flick that may be simple but that have something about it that just makes it work so darn well and therefore it is definitely worth a rent. A word of warning though, the film has some very strong scenes of violence so if you have a weak stomach you may wanna stay away.
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After the death of their parents young Meg and Susan go to stay with their aunt Ruth who turns out to be a sinister woman bent on torturing the poor girls while her sons and their friend join in. Based on a true story.
When it comes down to it I watch a lot of twisted bloody movies that really don't phase me in the least because I know they aren't feasible but this movie stood out and really grabbed me by the throat and squeezed. Why you ask? Because it's definitely possible, and child abuse is one thing that really disgusts me and makes me sick at my stomach so watching this movie really pissed me off and showed me that physical abuse doesn't always go from parents to their kids but sometimes in different regions of the family.
The movie is about a guy named David who's having a hard time coping with his every day life and when a homeless man gets hit by a car, right as he passes him on a street corner, he reflects on how his life changed since one summer of his childhood.
The movie takes us back to the summer of 1958 when young David's doing a little playing down by a creek when he is introduced to our poor little Meg. Seems Meg and her sister Susan moved in next door with their aunt Ruth and her kids because her parents were killed in a horrible wreck that ended up crippling her sister Susan and leaving her scarred. As David asks to see her scars she just laughs it off and runs away.
Back at Aunt Ruth's house her son Ralphie, AKA Woofer, is torturing a nightcrawler by tossing in into an ant bed. Anyways David walks up and asks for his brother Donnie, who's inside, so he goes in to find him. So after a little creepy basement snooping Donnie jumps out and scares David and they leave for the carnival in town where David runs into Meg. So they get on a ferris wheel and do a little cutesy flirting, as young kids do, and things seem great.
 
Next day everyone's over at Aunt Ruth's house, only this time the kids are drinking beers as Ruth talks about some pretty crass things and being rude to the girls. That's when things start to pick up. Come to find out Ruth doesn't feed the girls for days at a time and tortures Meg when she's bad, ultimately punishing Susan as well for Meg's “wrong doings”. Time goes on and she ends up getting her boys in on the torture, letting them strip her down naked and tying her up by her wrists overnight, raping her, burning and cutting her, a lot of really wicked stuff.
David is conflicted, he doesn't want them to hurt her but at the same time he's being threatened if he says anything so he keeps his mouth shut but comes in to assure her that everything will be ok and that he'll take care of her. The question is can he save her in time before something truly bad happens or is he way outnumbered and outfoxed by the family of twisted torture freaks?
When it comes down to it, in a movie about abuse nothing good comes out of it, so let me assure you there's no happy ending in this movie. Now if I tell you what happens that would spoil the ending but know that it's an ending you won't forget.
This movie is compelling, it really opens your eyes to the reality of abuse that goes unheard and unstopped. At times during the movie I found myself clinching a fist in disgust as the torture continued on Meg.
When you first turn the movie on you think your in a sappy drama movie but the pace changes in a totally opposite direction that will put you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next.
The cast was solid, even the kids were great actors and actresses, though it kinda tripped me out seeing them staring at Meg's naked body and doing the sick things they end up doing to her but in the end I think everything ties together.
The Girl Next Door is definitely a movie that will make you turn your head in disgust but at the same time delivers a solid story that keeps your interest. This movie delivers a side of horror less touched, realism of a sick society. It's sad to think people can be this sick, not "horror movie loving" sick, "making life a horror movie" sick.
Not only do I recommend this movie I suggest you all watch it, I put it along side the serial killer inspired movies that twist the mind into the reality that is abuse on a child. If your not disgusted by the end of the movie and have total sympathy for poor Meg and her sister Susan then you need to open your eyes. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
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Three female American college students are on their way from Rome to Prague when they get a tip of visiting hot springs in Slovakia by this European woman who hooks up with them. But when in Slovakia things doesn't stay nice for long and it's one of those trips that are bound to end in bloodshed.
Frankly, even though I had no expectations whatsoever I'm still disappointed of what was HOSTEL: PART II. I mean c´mon, this was supposed to be extremely bloody, gruesome as hell, violent and feature all kinds of horrible things but all I could think of when the credit started to roll was: "is this it"? All right, so the first movie wasn't great but at least the second half of it was good and had a bunch of things going for it but all this sequel does is to repeat itself and has really nothing new that we haven't seen before... be it in the first HOSTEL or in other movies for that matter. One thing it should get some cred for is that it didn't feature all the nonsense that the first film had in in through the first half of it. No, when this one starts it has pretty good pacing that lasts all the way through. But the real problem is that HOSTEL: PART II is a super shallow movie with some in-your-face-gore and pretty much nothing else. And even the very gore itself isn't really that fascinating so in the end you're really not left with too much to cheer about.
 
If you have great connections within the movie biz you don't really have to come up with a great story to get to make a movie and this is HOSTEL: PART II in a nutshell. All right, so Eli Roth obviously has visions but if you're gonna go for gore and violence then go for it all the way and don't stop halfway through. Personally, I appreciate psychological horror with a creepy story over gore any day but that doesn't mean that I'm not into gore as well, I just think that when you do something you should aim for a 110 percent and not give it a sissy-ass try, and that pretty much goes for anything. Another thing with this movie is that it felt a little too short, it starts off and really does nothing you didn't expect it to do and works its way through the simple story, throws some blood splatter at you here and there and just ends in an abrupt kinda way. It just felt like there should've been more...
Well, all is not bad; HOSTEL: PART II may end way too fast and may be way too predictable and unoriginal but it is easy to watch and it will keep you entertained, so watching the film is not a total waste of time. I'd say it's actually worth to take a look at and then decide for yourself, just don't expect too much cos that'll leave you disappointed for sure. This time we get to follow three American girls in Rome that plans on taking a trip to Prague. But in Rome they meet this girl who later shows up on the train to Prague who tells the group about this fantastic spa with awesome springs located in Slovakia. Needless to say, the girls decide to visit the spa instead of following their original plan which of course is a big mistake and leads to disaster deluxe.
As for the gore, it sure has its moment even though it wasn't nearly as massive as I had expected (and wanted it to be.) There was one scene that was pretty awesome and in an instance made you think of Elizabeth Bathory, The Blood Countess, and the movie also had a bunch of other scenes that delivered when it comes to blood. On the other hand, there were also a bunch of scenes that felt like they were just there for pure shock value and felt rather meaningless since I believe that everything needs to be backed up with something else, otherwise to hell with it. But like I said before, if you enjoyed HOSTEL you should take a look at the sequel because even if it's not a very good film it still has a little of this and a little of that to offer.
While this wasn't really that bad, let's just hope there won't be a third film because that will just seem too tacky. I'd like to see Roth go back to doing something in the same vein as he did with CABIN FEVER, the combo of gore and comedy because he really seem to have something to offer in that field. HOSTEL: PART II is worth a rent but it's not a movie you'll remember long after it's over.
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Jannicke, Morten Tobias, Eirik, Mikael and Ingunn travel to Jotunheimen to go snowboarding but when Morten Tobias breaks his leg, the group seeks shelter in an abandoned hotel. They soon discover that there's someone else living in the hotel as well and it doesn't take long before the quiet turns into screams.
I'm a big sucker for Danish flicks, they got it all together and have created amazing films. Sweden also spit out movies every now and then but their neighbor Norway has been trippin behind with just a few, not very good flicks coming out at a very slow rate. So therefore I felt that it was really cool to hear about that Norwegian director Roar Uthaug was making not just a film, but a horror/slasher film. My thoughts before I had even seen the film was pretty much that even if the film would suck, it would still be something different that I was about to watch. But to my big surprise it was not just an ok movie, it was actually pretty darn good so now I'm more than looking forward to the sequel that'll hit the market next year.
Now the setting/location of the film does a helluva lot of work for the movie on its own; It takes place in Jotunheimen which is basically just mountains covered with snow and makes for a very cold, isolated and grim landscape, in other words, it's the perfect place for horror to take place. As COLD PREY starts we're introduced to five guys and girls who are heading to Jotunheimen to do some snowboarding but as soon as they get there one of the guys breaks his leg and the group need to seek shelter. Soon they find an abandoned hotel and since their car is located too far away they decide to spend the night there. With nothing else to do they go on a search in the big old hotel which leads them to find out that the place was closed down in 1975 due to the disappearance of the managers' son. Not too long after they realize that someone else is in the hotel and it looks like it's gonna be a long bloody night ahead.
 
A lot of slasher flicks are stupid and even touches on retarded sometimes so it was really refreshing to see a film where T&A and stupid dialogue didn't get much room at all. First off, COLD PREY deal with a normal group of people that actually behave like regular folks do and this helps a lot not making the movie look stupid or not serious enough. There are no bimbos, no jocks, no nerds and what not, and than God for that. The kills may not be extreme but they're well done even though blood is not the main thing that the film has to offer. No, the main thing that COLD PREY delivers is suspense and it sure delivers a lot of that.
While COLD PREY may not be the most original of films out there it still makes for an excellent film when it comes to the slasher genre. It gets going rather fast and keeps that good pace all the way through. And more importantly, it doesn't disappoint in the end which is so often the case otherwise.
With genuine suspense and a location that is just ace, COLD PREY truly delivers as a slasher flick. Serious horror fans may have pretty much seen it all before but I'd say it's still worth taking a look at. If you're into horror, well slashers, COLD PREY won't disappoint.
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Set against Sin City, Las Vegas, MURDER-SET-PIECES tells the story of a fashion photographer whose vocation is murder.
I would like to start this review off by saying thank you to Nick Palumbo for making a movie that is not just semi-gory trash nonsense, but a movie that takes gore and gruesomeness to the top... but more importantly, not over the top. A lot of films claim to be the bloodiest thing around, utterly disturbing and what not but for most of the time it's just empty words and when you sit down to watch those films, you often come out disappointed in the end. MURDER-SET-PIECES pretty much has everything you want when it comes to gore, twisted and sick stuff but if it would be shallow and only feature those things the outcome wouldn't be that great. Luckily this film has a good story attached to it with a lead who manages to carry the weight of the film all the way through. Think AMERICAN PSYCHO x 100 and that would equal MURDER-SET-PIECES... in gruesomeness on film that is.
Set in Las Vegas, we get to follow a German photographer, (Sven Garrett), who basically shoots chicks for a living and pretty much end up killing everyone around him that is of female nature... even kids. It doesn't sound like much but trust me, it is. The pacing is absolutely awesome and the film moves at a rapid rate, harvesting victims that at the end make for a pretty darn sweet body count. As the film begins, we see this German guy sitting in a car with his girlfriend's little sister; he's way too serious around a young kid and the dialogue felt somewhat forced and out of place at first. A couple of scenes later you come to realize that this is the guy in a nutshell, something that made his character extremely interesting. The film features some very black humour which was just totally brilliant; For example, the guy's having dinner with his girlfriend and her kid sister and the kid ask him why his steak is so bloody, if he likes blood. The guy responds something like; "Women should eat more blood, it contains iron. Every day woman suck the blood out of men but in the end of the month they leak it out." Ok, sorry if that wasn't absolutely correct but it was a little while ago since I saw the film but basically the movie's filled with all these little quotes and things that makes it both hilarious and scary, depending on how you look at it.
 
There's also this great scene where the kid finds a framed photograph of Hitler and some other German men on in the guy's house and ask the guy why he has that photo. He picks up the photo, looks at it and says something like; "That was my grandfather. He was a hero, he fought a war against the bad guys." And the kid says; "But wasn't he German," and the guy just looks at her like she was retarded. As for T&A and blood, you get a helluva lot more than you could've possibly been bargaining for. As for nudity and sex, the movie's pretty much packed with naked chicks and plenty of sex scenes that are not just fillers but that works in the movie's advantage. As for blood and gore, all I can say is watch it since there's no way it could possibly disappoint when it comes to stuff like that.
Edwin Neal (TCM) has cameo in the film, Gunnar (Leatherface) Hansen plays a Nazi Mechanic, Tony Todd makes an appearance as a clerk at an adult book store, and beautiful Cerina Vincent shows up on a bus at the end of the film and just looks amazing as usual. Now how can you go wrong with that? I'd say that MURDER-SET-PIECES is the total opposite to what is referred to as a chick flick as this movie pretty much thrives on the hatred of women. That doesn't mean that girls should stay away from it, just saying that you have to be extremely open-minded in order to enjoy it. But that goes for guys too, not just girls. Only thing I'd wanna complain on is that the music felt a little out of place at times and I would've preferred instrumental music at all times instead of throwing in rock and metal songs every here and there. It's not a big deal though and doesn't make the movie less worth watching.
Frankly, I don't understand some of the negative reviews since what pisses me of most of the time when watching some "utterly disturbing" movie is that most of those films aren't, for most of the time, not the least bit disturbing. Palumbo dares to go all the way without going totally overboard, and he should be given cred for that. If you're a sicko, you need to watch this. Highly recommended.
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To tell you the truth, I am not very familiar with South American horror movies. Of course I watched a couple of Santo flicks, read about Coffin Joe and recently enjoyed two different movies from "down there" - vampire piece "Eternal Blood" and a gothic Mexico classic "The Curse of the Crying Woman". As this is pretty much it, I was very interested in getting a screener copy of this Argentinean fright flick called "The Last Gateway".
As you can see from my introduction, the idea surrounding "The Last Gateway" sounds very interesting. Accompanied by his better half Marianne, Michael just moves into a new house. The first night he begins getting seizures and unbearable pain makes him drop a late visit to his doctor neighbour. Very soon we find out that Michael became a gateway from hell and within moments strange creatures start appearing from his inside. I adored the monsters in the movie as they looked so old school - nowadays all indie horrors deploy cheapo prosthetics in 5% of cases and all the rest have shoddy CGI effects. The crew behind "The Last Gateway" definitely had some good ideas and with a really small budget, (I will talk about this later), managed to create slimy abstract monsters. While they looked great, in my opinion they should have been a bit more aggressive. Majority of them, not including the main ghoul and an "Evil Dead" inspired old hag, were just there to build atmosphere (successfully), but they weren't a real threat.
 
The movie centers around Michael and his escape from his assailants, a mysterious bunch including the doctor, a priest and some random weirdos. After running away for some time, he stops at Pleasentville and there we get a series of conflicts. The story started out pretty good and everything was just perfect until the middle part of the movie which was rather slow paced and didn't do justice to the movie. In this period we get introduced to some new characters which are clearly soon to be cannon fodder. The running time is around 105 minutes, so maybe 10 minutes could have been cut from this middle part which would ensure a better overall dynamics of the movie. As expected, approximately half an hour before the end, things start moving up and we are once again filled with some good action while Michael and the love of his life try to survive in this rather gloomy situation.
Regarding the budget, Demian Rugna, the mastermind (director/writer/editor) behind the movie mentioned in an e-mail communication that the budget of the movie was just $50,000 and that they had 25 days for shooting it. If I didn't know this piece of information, after finishing watching the movie I would never say that the budget was so low. I was really impressed by the visual look of the movie, everything looked perfect - from camera work, direction, special effects and even the physical locations smelled of true horror. Majority of actors were also very good and I just had some smaller problems with some dubbing (the movie runs an English audio track).
"The Last Gateway" is a very refreshing indie horror movie which clearly shows that even with a really low budget, people with ideas, skills and enthusiasm can forge a very good horror flick. Surely, the movie isn't perfect, it has its downsides, but it was very enjoyable, with a good cast and great overall look.
I am rating the movie with 6/10, but I need to mention if I would just rate it in the pool of indie horror movies I've seen in the past couple of years, it would be among the cream of the crop.
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When her sister goes away on holiday, leaving Carol alone in the big apartment she begins her descension into madness.
REPULSION was Polanski's first film in English and is a classic that takes its time but is worth the wait. Much of the time in the movie is spent in silence which sometimes makes it seem slow but the use of silence is also very rewarding as it creates this certain feel and atmosphere which is essential to get a better picture of our the lovely lead Carol's slow descension into madness. Filmed in black & white, REPULSION takes place in 60's London where we get to follow this young Belgian girl living with her sister. Carol pretty much has no social skills whatsoever and when her sister goes on vacation, leaving Carol on her own in the apartment, she gradually goes completely mad.
 
Basically it's a drama with lots of surrealism baked into it but that flirts with horror quite a lot through the course of the film. Even though REPULSION may not be a scary film that'll make you have to go to sleep with your lights on, it's somewhat unsettling, eerie and pretty much breathes isolation and emptiness. First 30 minutes of the flick takes a lot of time get through due to the fact that nothing really happens but still happens if you know what I mean. It kinda establishes the character of Carol which is necessary to later on in the film give the viewer that uneasy feel that the film delivers so well. Meaning that you gotta get to know her to feel for her and Polanski do make you know her, that is as long as you're willing to.
Saying that REPULSION is a great film does not mean that it is for everyone as it will definitely bore some due to its sometimes extremely slow pacing. Like I said before, it sure takes its time and it's easy to doze off while it does but personally I feel that it is interesting all the way, much of that thanks to the lead actress Catherine Deneuve striking performance. Pretty much all time during the last hour or so is spent inside the apartment, a decaying apartment that both feels like a prison as well as a fortress against the outside world. In there we get to see Carol suffer from horrible dreams to sexual repression and once in a while a visitor comes knocking which only makes her life even worse. All of the rest of cast and their character are all very interesting and all makes every scene work even though Catherine Deneuve carries the weight on her shoulders.
REPULSION is a great eerie classic but that requires its viewer to be a bit patient with it. It is slow, no question about it and to some it won't be worth the wait and the payoff won't be that remarkable. Still, with all shit coming out these days I'd say that REPULSION is more than well worth watching.
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In the heart of Romania, vampire king Vladislav is taking serious steps against his son Radu. As the son is not following the peaceful way of cohabiting with humans, King tries to imprison Radu, but he quickly frees himself and kills his pop. He is off for some blood and in the same time a couple of US female students are visiting a nearby castle.
Subspecies is one of those films I always wanted to watch, but never had a chance. Almost 8 years ago I downloaded a low quality trailer from the Internet and I remember it looked quite different from the average vampire flick I was watching in those days. Recently I got myself all of the Subspecies movies (oh yes, there are 3 more sequels and one spin-off) and tried my luck.
The first thing anyone can see about the flick is that the filming locations are perfect for this kind of a movie. 15 years before Nu Image and similar companies started mass producing horror movies in Bulgaria and Romania, Full Moon was actually the first US company to shoot a movie in the Romanian capital Bucharest. Of course it was cheaper, but the surroundings looked really good and definitely give an extra point in the overall movie rating for the atmosphere. You'll get the old school eastern European trains, castles, local people and you can even see our heroins driving one of the worst cars of all time - Trabant. The horror...
 
The story of the movie is really simple. Radu wants blood, students are his prime target and his good vampire brother Stefan comes to save the day. The brother is pissed at Radu for killing their father played by legendary "tall man" Angus Scrimm with a particularly cheap Amadeus Mozart wig. Stefan quickly falls in love with one of the students and by the end of the film she is not just a "final girl", but her character will lead the way in all the sequels.
If you watched some older Full Moon movies, you know that their special effects people often used animated sequences. While some modern horror viewers don't like this, I would always take them over CGI effects. A couple of scenes where Radu breaks his own fingers and they transform into his little minions really have that special feel of late 80 horror. Besides this, there are a couple of really solid effects, especially the ones related to dismemberment.
The character of Radu is rather effective, he has a distinct vampire look that makes him look like an 700 year old heavy metal band singer (which is a good thing of course). His physical look, especially the hands are inspired by the Murnau's Nosferatu, but in this case he fingers are even longer and often look hard to control in some scenes. His voice is sometimes rather creepy.
Overall the movie has some good atmosphere, but from the entertainment perspective it doesn't offer anything special. The story is too simple and the running time is often just stock filled with extra long scenes of things such as local customs, boring talks and lousy fights.
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All hell breaks loose when a man name Frank comes back from the dead after escaping an alternate existence inhabited by demonic creatures known as cenobites.
Known as the movie that jump started Clive Barker and Doug Bradley's careers Hellraiser is the tale of a man named Frank who purchases a sacred puzzle box that he ultimately solves, only to open a portal to a hell-like dimension which shoots out chains attached to hooks that dig into Frank’s skin and tear him apart.
Some time later a man named Larry comes to the same house that Frank was in when he opened the puzzle box, along with his unfaithful wife Julia, who we find actually had an affair with Frank, who we find is Larry’s brother, days before their wedding. So as they are moving in the phone rings and Larry goes to answer it where we're introduced to Kirsty, played by the beautiful Ashley Laurence. As they are on the phone Julia goes through some of Frank’s things that he left behind before being torn apart, which brings out a flashback of their affair.
A little bit later, while pulling a bed up the house staircase Larry cuts his hand open on a nail, then rushing to find Julia they both end up in the room where Frank was last and the blood dripping from Larry’s hand brings life back to dear old Frank in one of the most incredible reverse decomposition scenes of all time. Now Frank, barely tissue and bone, comes to Julia asking her to bring new flesh to him so he can be whole again and they can continue their affair, which she does, bringing men home from bars, only to be met with their death in Frank’s hands.
 
Later on Kirsty runs into Frank who has just killed a man and freaks out running into the room and coming in contact with the puzzle box that took Frank away in the first place. Barely escaping Frank, Kirsty runs away with the puzzle box and somehow solves the puzzle herself, bringing the inhabitants of the parallel dimension, the cenobites, into her world. Lead by the legendary Pinhead the cenobites threaten to take Kirsty to their world but she convinces them otherwise, offering to take them to Frank, who they had no idea escaped. Will Kirsty get to Frank in time or will the cenobites go back on the offer and take her instead? Watch and see.
Honestly it’s a no brainer to know that this movie is one of my ultimate favorite movies of all time; Doug Bradley and Ashley Laurence give a great performance and the movie flows well, offering a great story and a lot of blood and guts. Family quarrels have never been so sinister.
Now with the 20th Anniversary Edition there’s lots of extras like still galleries, trailers, tv spots, interviews with Ashley Laurence, Andrew Robinson, Clive Barker, Doug Bradley and even musical composer Christopher Young. Another cool thing about this edition is you can put the disk in your computer and get a copy of the movie script, which I think is awesome. In all this is a great reissue of an incredibly good movie.
Ultimately one of the best horror movies that the genre has to offer, this movie has produced many sequels, only a few which are worth watching but this movie stands alone in the series as one of the best horror movies of all time. Highly Recommended.
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In the first part of the Subspecies tetralogy we witnessed powerful vampire Radu attacking a couple of students in the castle located in the heart of Romania. By the end of the movie, he was successfully killed by one of the female students and his good ol' brother which started a love connection with her. Part two is here, and Radu is back.
Subspecies sequel follows up to the storyline of the first movie in the exact moment the first one ended. What was once a happy end - combined coffin sleeping by a final girl-turned vampire and her new man, now becomes a revenge scene. As a result of a rather nice special effects job, veins from his severed head get connected to the rest of the body and his body parts combine back to a full-fledged vampire. He is once again trying to get the Bloodstone (hence the title), but the girl manages to take it and departs his kingdom. She dosn't go very far, just takes the train and visits the Bucharest. Radu follows her and we are off to enjoy a cat and mouse game between them.
The overall atmosphere and the look and feel of the movie follows the first movie, as well as the whole Full Moon "template" for the movies from that period. In case you are not familiar with Full Moon, this is a good thing, as they always had the ability to create rather good horrorish feeling from low budgets. Besides the total overhall of the Bloodstone, which now looks much better, we also get a new actress playing the female lead. The new one (Denice Duff) was very solid as Michelle - girl turning into a vamp, so the producers also got her for the next two sequels. Yes, she was probably also cheap to hire...
 
As the story just concerning Radu and Michelle would be tiresome, we get a couple of new figures - Michelle's sister coming from the States to check out what is happening, vampire's mother which deserves and gets a whole paragraph later and a wannabe Van Helsing type of a guy who tries to off Radu. The performance of these actors was bleak, while I need to note that Anders Hove as Radu was once again a perfect choice.
Unfortunately the whole shebang relating to owning the Bloodstone doesn't do any good for the movie, as besides some mediocre atmospheric scenes, Subspecies II didn't had anything special to offer. To tell you the truth, very fast the things become quite dull. Switching majority of action from a spooky countryside to the large town didn't result with anything positive. The creepy feeling from the first movie was lost and it was replaced with some generic scenes such as Michelle catching her first victim in a heavy metal club. This scene ended up truly hilarious, as I never saw faker headbanging in my life.
When you definitely think Radu cannot win, we get introduced to his mother, painfully old sorceress that looks like Crypt Keepers grandmother's grandmother. She looks really funny, as it appears that the parts of her makeup are just plastered across her head in a random way. Mommy knows the best and tries to help Radu in finally getting a victory, but you know, bad guys almost never win...
I watched the first two parts of the series back to back, so throughout the movie I was trying to realize what the movie did better or worse than the original. The result was that overall this sequel was a step back. It wasn't entertaining enough and lost all the (rare) good things the first movie had. My main problem with it was that the storyline was boring and didn't even try to provide some creepiness or excitement to the viewers.
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A few small town girls die from poisoned milk only to be reborn as almost sexy zombie bitches from hell.
An underground zombie classic Revenge of the Living Dead Girls has been known as the first gore film ever to be made in France and kinda fizzled out after the mid 90's until it was recently re-released in a special uncut edition with a Warning label on the back warning the viewer that the movie might be offensive to others, and with that alone I had to see this flick. I turned on, tuned in and burned out to some of the best 80's gore I've seen in some time. Now keep in mind that this movie was made on a relatively small budget and it rolls out to be more of a drama flick but there's still zombies in there, along with sex, killing, scandal, greed, revenge, all the good stuff that makes horror movies so creepy.
The movie starts out with a hooker looking for a ride who's picked up by a trucker hauling milk to a nearby town. The trucker pulls off the road to an abandoned silo and brings the girl inside for a little hanky panky while a guy on a motorcycle jumps up to the top of the truck and pours some chemicals into the milk supply.
Next scene were at a cottage where two women are talking, one in see through undies, her name is Catherine and she's about to be married. Anyway, Catherine takes a drink from her milk with her breakfast and falls over and dies from the poison in the milk. Next were at a bar where two girls named Jocylin and Florence are playing pinball when the dude on the motorcycle comes in and sits at the bar. The two girls play pinball a little too hard and get parched, then head to the bar for a drink of strawberry milk. Well just like with Catherine the two girls fall over dead. The biker guy sees the girls fall dead and freaks out, then runs out and finds the chick he's working with that decided it was a good idea to mix the chemicals In the milk. Well upon confronting her he must have got some wild hair up his ass because he immediately attacks her and they make out.
 
After the funerals we find that all three girls worked at the same factory which rises suspicion in the town so they put the big boss under investigation. Anyways there's a lot of conflict with the company but I wont go into that because it'd spoil the movie.
So one of the guys at the plant is told by the boss guy to dump a lot of chemicals by the cemetery where the three girls just so happen to be buried. So he does and whip, bam, BOOM, the girls rise from the grave and start to terrorize the town killing anyone associated with the company.
This movie is twisted and strange at the same time. Never before have I seen zombies that can swim, drive cars, play an organ or run a confessional, it was quite a treat, that and the vaginal impalement. There's also a great scene where a pregnant woman dissolves from chemicals on her skin and dissolves her baby inside, its' quite disturbing but great FX regardless.
Now I got really pissed off at the end of this movie but turns out they ended up cutting the end off for some stupid reason so if you have a chance to see this movie watch the deleted ending, it turns everything around and makes sense of everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. Otherwise you'll be left asking a lot of questions about the story.
With the growing amount of crappy zombie movies out there it's nice to have a chance to see classic zombie films like this one to balance out all the bullshit, definitely give this one a shot, it's got a great story and the entire movie works.
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All hell literally breaks loose when young Hoax runs across a "horrorscope" number that changes his miserable existence in the worst way.
Before going to a life of gay porn Stephen Geoffreys committed himself to two of the 80's greatest gems, those being Fright Night and this little beauty of a monster flick, 976-EVIL. Now in this movie Stephen plays an outcast whiny little mama's boy, Hoax Wilmoth. Seems Hoax doesn't have a friend in the world but that doesn't get him down, his overly religious mother Lucy loves him dearly and takes very good care of him, as long as he's living for the lord and not eating anything on the couch, and his cousin Spike lives in his back yard and provides him with what all perfect role models should give to their followers, bikes, broads and beer. Hoax is completely obsessed with Spike's life, so much that he tries to be just like him, like when he puts holes in the muffler of his scooter so it sounds like Spike's motorcycle, trying to act tough to the guys that flush his head in the school toilets when Spike comes around and saves the day, Hoax just wants to fit in with Spike.
As the story goes, one night as Spike is relaxing in his room, after losing a assload of money in a poker game with his friends, reading a magazine an ad pops out for a Horrorscope Hotline. Well Spike's curiosity gets to the best of him and he calls the number. A voice comes on the phone and gives him his fortune, convincing him that he'll soon not have any money problems, which persuades him to steal some of his inheritance from Hoax's mother's cabinet but he gets caught in the act by Lucy who runs him outside with her mighty god powers when out of nowhere it starts raining fish! Well she takes it as a sign from god to show Spike away from his evil ways and yadda yadda.
 
So the next day a cop named Marty Palmer comes around claiming he works for some religious magazine and questions Lucy about the raining fish incident which spikes his curiosity into following Spike. Well good thing he did because Spike goes to the auto shop for a part for his bike when he decides to call the hotline again, this time it tells him to steal a pair of expensive leather gloves from the shop which he starts to do then changes his mind and goes outside to his bike. Then the phone rings. He picks it up and the same voice that tells him that he should take what he wants repeats himself. Well Spike gets pissed and hangs up then walks off. Well next thing you know a car down the street starts on its own with no driver and heads right at him but his ass is saved by the nosey Marty.
The next day back at school Hoax is introduced to Suzie, Spike's "flavor of the week" , which he takes a real shining to. Anyways later that night Suzie and Spike are having sex in Spike's place when they end up running off to the movies after Hoax ruins the mood with his spying through Spike's window. Anyways they run off and Hoax goes to investigate finding Suzie's panties and the ad for the hotline, so he calls it up thinking its some joke and it too tells him what he wants to hear, that his dream girl awaits him at a late movie, which is where Spike and Suzie are. So after a big argument Spike and Suzie have at the theatre when Spike goes off to gamble with his pals, Suzie decides to leave and is confronted by Hoax, who ends up going to have pizza with her. Well the hit it off fine until a spider comes across the table and scares the shit out of Suzie. Hoax takes the spider to the door to let it go but Spike's pals show up, stomp the spider and ruin their little pizza party. After tossing Hoax on the floor one of Spike's pals finds Suzie's panties in his back pocket which pisses her off and she runs away.
Back home a pissed off Hoax decides he'll call the hotline again, this time telling him to do a ritual to teach her a lesson which he does, ultimately killing her in a really badass way. From then on Hoax goes into this transformation, turning into a sick, twisted demon bent on getting his revenge on the people that made him look like a chump. The rest of the movie you'll just have to see for yourself but just know that it doesn't disappoint.
976-EVIL is definitely a movie to define it's time at the closing of the 1980's, the styles, the hair, the clothes, all of it. The only thing I found annoying about the movie is the constant phone ringing in most of the scenes, it kinda got tiring after a while but what can you do right? Anyways the entire cast was pretty damn good, there were really no "hang-ups" to the movie and the ending was pretty kickass. I really like how Robert Englund puts a big emphasis on the religious aspect of the movie, that being mainly through the Aunt Lucy character played extremely well by Oscar award winning Sandy Dennis.
If your big into 80's horror flicks for their novelty and humor definitely give 976-EVIL a run, it's a great flick. You'll love the quirky little one liners and just about everything in this movie.
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Young wannabe journalist Kim stumbles across a potentially interesting story about a suicide where a girl jumped from the roof of the building while getting herself on fire. What follows is a story about a twisted cult that targets Kim.
The first "Silent Night, Deadly Night" released in 1984 was back then a truly shocking movie that gave the usual good ol' Santa Clause his Mr Hyde persona. Traumatized boy Billy saw a man in a Santa suit killing his parents and years after that he dresses the same costume and goes on a killing spree. If you are not familiar with the movie or the series, my recommendation is to check the first one out. The movie was a success, generated hundreds or thousands of protest letters to the distributors, but the bad publicity didn't hurt the movie at all. The sequel was special only because it hosted at least 30 minutes from the original in a copy/paste way and the third one was just plain bad.
Every Christmas I engage in a X-mas horror movie marathon and this is one of the movies that were in my queue for these holidays. The major thing about this sequel is that it is in no way connected with the previous three parts of the series. Actually it is the first bastard child in the franchise, as the final part "Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker" also doesn't have anything to do with the original storyline. To majority of the people this sounds good, as the quality after the original went rapidly down, but these "off topic" sequels are quite disappointing.
 
The movie focuses around young office worker Kim, who really cannot make a jump start in her journalism career as the chief editor and his entourage see her just as a sex object. Her love connection with the journalist hunk really doesn't help in changing this fact. On her own, she starts to pursue the story about the mentioned suicide and within 10 minutes she becomes a target of a female cult. Unknowingly, she eats some "candy" and out of the sudden starts seeing large snake like cockroaches around the apartment. Soon, we find out that this is just her channelizing her fears (!?) and that the girls from the cult want to see her get initiated, as well as killing a man in the process.
While the movie is uninspiring it had a really cool horror clique working on it. It was written and directed by Brian Yuzna, which comes very apparent since the first special effect jumps on the screen. If you know his movies you are familiar with the distinct visual feeling his films empower. Besides him we have Evilspeak's Clint Howard, genre legend Reggie Bannister and even that girl that played the female lead in James Bond's movie "Octopussy."
The title "stinks" of a Christmas movie, but while the story is happening on this holy day, there isn't any special impact surrounding it. The X-mas part of the movie looked really silly as it focused on a typical family getogether where we witnessed some boring and stupid discussions. Besides this you can find a couple of Christmas trees in some scenes and that is it. Too bad, looks like I need to re watch "Jack Frost" (not the Michael Keaton movie, the "other" one) to get in a Christmas horror spirit.
The movie really isn't anything special. It is one of those sequels that after three or four predecessors stray into something completely different. It tries to refresh the series, but it fails. The only good aspect of the movie are the effects which in a couple of scenes made the movie at least a bit entertaining.
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Your favorite mutant killer snowman is back. After being offed by antifreeze, evil scientists (are there any positive scientists nowadays?) dug his liquid remains and accidentally brought him back to life. If you thing you can apprehend a movie about a killer snowman on a tropical island carry on reading.
I wasn't a fan of the first Jack Frost movie because of a lot of things that could, without any problems, occupy 10 pages of text. While the idea was absolutely hilarious, I wasn't at all satisfied with the execution accompanied by rather poor effects. There were some fun moments every now and then, but besides the obscure movie topic and a sexual intercourse between Shannon Elizabeth's character and a snowman, the movie was plain dull.
The Christmas is over, I am overstuffed with food and the best thing to carry on the holiday experience is too watch something seasonal. As I already watched almost every X-mas or New Year related horror movie, sequel to Jack Frost was topping the potential viewing materials. I chose it, took a bowl of homemade cookies and started watching it.
Strangely, the movie didn't end up as a horrible disappointment I expected it to be. The story went even beyond the first part and this time Jack Frost manages to take revenge against his assailants (cop and a government agent) on a tropical island full of bikini wearing chicks. So let's think about this once again - bikini chicks + mutant killer snowman - how not to like this combination? The perfect sunny resort run by a military Colonel that acts like he was in the British army back in the 1950s soon becomes a killing ground as Jack starts disposing the island of tourists.
 
The cop is extremely paranoid since the last Christmas "celebration" with Jack Frost and while no one believes that snowman is back in the game, people start dying on rather silly ways. I will mention a bikini model licking a cube of ice powered by Mr. Snowman himself and getting her head blown off, miscellaneous people getting their limbs cut off by snowball bonanza and so on. Overall the situations surrounding Jack's action moments were often quite funny. If it just weren't for those extra cheap one liners he is saying all the time, the overall feeling of the movie would be much better. On this way, you can get even frustrated with the amount of "coolness" he provides.
When you think that the flick will finish in a simple and strange way, the writer gives an extra push of epical proportions and present us with Jack Frost's little babies - killing snowballs. They are little murderous bastards, built for approximately $1.50 each and look like mega cheap crossovers between simple snowballs, Gremlins, Critters and those pesky killer tomatoes from the strange movie series which even had George Clooney in it.
Over the top scenes go even further when you find out that the "snowmonsters" are allergic to bananas. Just imagine my shock when I found out that Michael Cooney, the guy who wrote and directed this sequel is the same guy that wrote the screenplay for an awesome thriller Identity from year 2003. On the other hand, Peter Jackson jumped from Bad Taste to LOTR, so - go, go Michael Cooney!
Wow, this was a strange flick. If you want to watch something absurd this surely is the movie for you. The whole movie looks cheap, but overall I kinda enjoyed it. I expected a boring sequel to a rather below average indie offering, but this movie has its moments and can be a good flick to watch with your pals with a large supply of cold beer.
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Young Michael Myers has a rough life, his situation at home, in school, and just about anywhere is shitty. Eventually it all becomes too much and he lets it all out. Because of that, he's sent to the loony bin where he spends 15 years to thereafter escape. Now Michael is out, and he has only one thing on his mind.
For me and for tons of other folks out there Carpenter's HALLOWEEN was a film seen at an early age and was a horror film to remember... a classic as some definitely would say. There had been way too many remakes already before the announcement of Zombie's take on Carpenters classic horror film, and frankly, it had long ago started to get boring hearing about people not being able to write new inventive scripts but instead re-write old films that should've been left alone. But since Rob Zombie was set to write and direct the film, it felt like the project still had a lot of potential, being a fan of his previous feature films HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES and THE DEVIL'S REJECT'S, there were many factors pointing that this could end up a great thing after all. Znyder had done it with DAWN OF THE DEAD, Aja with THE HILLS HAVE EYES and now Zombie was gonna do it with HALLOWEEN, or at least that was what one was hoping for.
Despite of and no matter how good you think Zombie's film was, is or is gonna be, Carpenter's HALLOWEEN will forever remain a classic to all horror fanatics out there, no matter what. But personally I have to say that Zombie's take was far better than expected, and even though I didn't find the film to be outstanding, at least I had a very good time watching it. I'd also like to add that this film is not a complete remake in the sense of the word, rather it's a (at times quite) different take on something that had already been done before. Best thing may be that the film starts off with Zombie doing his own thing and thus the viewer does not start comparing him to Carpenter right away, but is given some time to sink into what is what.
 
As the film starts, we're introduced to young Michael, played by Daeg Faerch, and we soon realize that the kid has some bad habits killing small animals that, just like Loomis later says, may eventually turn into something else, and obviously it does. It turns into what defines Michael Myers and that is killing just about everything in its way. Sheri Moon Zombie plays the mom who lives with William Forsythe, who is a bastard and basically little Mike have a shitty family situation. It felt a bit cliché this whole thing, showing the family and Mike's shitty life at the start and that would make us understand that, well, this guy could've had it much better. But cliché or no cliché, it works, it builds into something and that's all that really counts. Eventually Mike can't control his urge to kill and soon ends up at the loony bin.
While locked up, Mike becomes more and more distant -- he has sessions with Doctor Loomis that at the beginning go rather well but later turns into long session where Michael, as a human kid, is no longer present. He had a thing with masks before and develops this thing where he makes masks and wears them pretty much at all times, and the more he does, the more distant and inhuman he becomes. 15 years later he escapes the loony bin and if you've seen the original you pretty much know what happens next. HALLOWEEN is dark, somewhat raw and has many sides to it; most of them being rather good but some that truly failed to impress.
One of my problems when I watched HALLOWEEN was that there were too many well known actors involved in the production. It's just fun some would say and I actually thought so at first too but the longer it kept on rolling and the more faces I recognized, the more tired of it I got. One thing that I love about good movies is when the film's so good that it draws you in and you forget that you're only watching a movie, it's bigger than that and it consumes all your impressions and focus during its running time. Problem with too many well known actors here was that you could never shake the feeling of that it was just a movie that you were watching, as familiar faces from Zombie's previous films kept popping up on screen. I would've preferred more unknown actors which would've given the film a more realistic feel rather than the feel it gave: trying to recognize as many actors as possible.
Laurie and the two other girls didn't impress either as they were truly annoying and had dumb dialogue constantly coming out from their mouths. Malcolm McDowell on the other hand did great and I truly enjoyed his performance. But Brad Dourif, Udo Kier, Clint Howard, Bill Moseley and a whole pack of others, did they all really had to be in the film? Just so you don't misunderstand me, I do like all those actors mentioned, but at the same time, with lots of them having non-significant parts that could've easily been played by John Doe, it just felt like too many chefs in the kitchen.
HALLOWEEN was pretty much what I had expected and hoped for, a remake that was still much better than most remakes and definitely a film worth watching. Zombie's a talented man, no doubt, but I sure hope he makes his own films in the future... they tend to be much better.
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David and Amy Fox checks into a motel after their car breaks down only to find that there are videotapes that contains snuff films in the room. Not only that but the room that they're in is actually the same as are on the tapes and soon the couple find themselves fighting for their lives.
Jayson already beat me to the punch with this review but I finally saw the film, and I did like it, so I figured one more review couldn't hurt. Let's start with some trivia shall we? Sarah Jessica Parker was originally selected to be in this movie instead of Kate Beckinsale, and I must say it was an excellent idea casting Beckinsale instead of Parker because I can't stand that whiny broad at all, she's absolutely terrible. Beckinsale does not only look freakin´ great as usual but she really gets the job done and delivers an excellent performance. I must say that Luke Wilson was a bit of a weird casting choice and the guy did somewhat come off as an a-hole, but still did all right. It's just very weird having seen the guy in a number of comedies and what else and then suddenly see him in a "scary" flick, if you know what I mean. He did all right though and the further the film went, the more one started to appreciate him, or at least not seeing him as a misplaced character.
The plot of VACANCY is based on a very good idea. Basically this couple, David & Amy, are out driving, can't find their way and are experiencing some problems with their car. They stop at a gas station to get the car fixed and then hit the road again. It doesn't take long though before their car totally breaks down and the couple decides to walk back to the gas station again to get some help. Once there the attendant is gone for the night and after some more problems they decide to spend the night at the motel next door. Inside the room David finds some videotapes but when he starts to watch them he sees that they're snuff films, filmed in the very room that they're in. He then notices that there are hidden cams inside the room recording their every move. It doesn't take long before all hell breaks loose and the couple has to make it out of the motel, alive.
 
VACANCY offers a lot of tension and even though not too much stuff really happens, I never found the film to be the least bit boring. At times, you can actually feel the couple's panic and for some not to experienced horror viewers, this one could be a real nail biter. It's hard to say what was really good but first and most I did really dig the tension the film delivers. Also, the pacing was good and the very length was prefect too. But it's not packed with horror and scares, and the ending leans way more towards happy then the way it should've gone. The ending makes for a film that can be enjoyed for sure, but with no chance to be remembered. But on the other hand, it's Hollywood so what can you expect right?
One thing that VACANCY has going for it when it comes to the main characters is that as the film starts, David & Amy are not getting along at all. They have a dark past with a dead son and they don't seem to work as a couple at all anymore. But as they're attacked, and keep getting attacked all throughout the film, the couple have only each other to rely on in order to survive, and by that whole from foes to friends actually delivers a really good effect. Even though the film involves snuff, it's not a very gruesome film at all; it touches on horror every once in a while but what it really is, is in fact a thriller with lots and lots of suspense from start to finish.
I never though I'd like this film as much as I did, not that I thought it was great but it had more than I had expected. For fans of gore and such things this may not work wonders but if you need a good thrill on the suspense train, I suggest you buy yourself a ticket for the ride.
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After the death of his parents young Michael can't seem to let his brother Jody go anywhere without following him. One day, at the funeral of one of Jody's friends, Michael witnesses the funeral home's not-so-human undertaker do something no human man can do, which makes him suspicious, and for good reason.
The movie starts out in a cemetery one night as this guy Tommy is getting some action from a hot blonde. Well one thing leads to another, during the sexual act, and as he finishes she finishes him off, knife to the gut. A little time later were at Tommy’s funeral and are introduced to Jody and Reggie, two of our stars, who happen to be friends of Tommy. So during the funeral Jody’s brother Michael shows up and hides in a bush, watching the funeral from afar. After the funeral everyone leaves and Tommy’s casket is laying on the ground outside his burial plot as an undertaker known only as “The Tall Man” comes up and single handedly lifts the full casket with Tommy’s body and places it in the back of his hearse and drives off. This raises some suspicion to Michael but he runs off and goes about his business.
We find out earlier that Jody and Michael’s parents were dead and about this time we find out that Michael is really concerned that Jody will leave him, which explains why he’s following him to places like Tommy’s funeral and whatnot. So one night Michael follows Jody to a local bar where he picks up a girl, ironically enough the same girl that stabbed Tommy, and they go off to the cemetery to get it on, with Michael hot on their tracks.
In the cemetery Jody and the hot blonde are starting to do their thing, while Michael watches, when out of the woods a strange little Jawa looking midget in a cloak jumps out at Michael, who freaks out and starts running past Jody, who notices and chases after him. Jody stops Michael a little ways away and after Michael explains about the creature Jody tosses him his keys and tells him to go home, obviously not believing his story.
 
So Michael goes home and periodically the little Jawa midgets show up a couple times, nearly crushing him with his brother’s car. So Jody walks in on Michael right after the accident and yet again Michael explains and Jody just brushes it off. So later that night Michael breaks into the funeral home to get some hard evidence when he’s attacked by the caretaker after dodging a metallic orb, which turns around and goes at him again, only to protrude a couple blades that bury into the skull of the caretaker after Michel breaks free of his grasp. The orb then pulls out a drill that buries itself in the forehead of the caretaker and sucks out brains and guts which shoots out the other side of the orb. Freaked out Michael starts to run but is confronted by The Tall Man. He narrowly escapes, after chopping off a few of The Tall Man’s digits and runs back home, this time winning Jody over when he shows him one of the fingers he had cut off.
Now it’s up to Jody, Michael, and their pal the guitar strumming, no shit taking, badass ice cream man Reggie, to save the day and find out what The Tall Man is up to.
Now it goes without saying that this movie is a timeless classic that has lived past all the bullshit that the mainstream media had presented since it’s release. With a solid cast, an eerie score and a more than perfect story, this movie delivers. Rarely is there any downtime in the story which I personally liked and in all the FX were excellent for being filmed at the end of the 1970’s. The only thing I wasn’t too happy about was the fact that Reggie Bannister didn’t have enough screen time, being that he was my all time favorite character, even over the excellently spooky Angus Scrimm as The Tall Man. Luckily Reggie came back into the series and became the star that we all know and love as the wild, perverted, rocker ice cream man, Reggie.
Phantasm spawned off three more movies and it’s rumored that Phantasm V will be in production shortly so look forward to that. In the mean time check out this classic flick and enjoy it like I did. Highly Recommended!
Phantasm is one of the greatest horror flicks to hit the shelves in the entire history of the genre, definitely watch and own this movie, it's top shelf material.
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A group of high school girls decide to throw a graduation party as a killer known as “Chef Death” roams the streets killing them off one by one.
The movie opens up to a newscast about a killer on the loose in a small town by the name of Chef Death. The newscast wakes up topless Jenny, who gets up and goes to her closet putting on a robe with the movie title on the back, which was very clever in my opinion.
After a few credits were at Jenny's highs chool where she's in gym playing volleyball, terribly, with a few of her sexy classmates. Then off to the showers where the group of girls decide to have a party at Jenny’s house because her parents are gone for the weekend and it’s their last chance to spend time together before they graduate. Anyways on their way out the door their obviously girl crazy coach Miss Johnson, played by horror icon Debbie Rochon, but as teenage girls they don’t listen and go on with their party plans anyways.
After running into a bunch of out of shape football players, I know this because it says “football player” on their plain white t-shirts, they head over to Jenny’s to party down, but not before a great little shopping montage. After getting to Jenny’s house there’s a party preparation montage and then it’s time to party!
 
While the girls have their party the football players have a party of their own, having their metrosexual twister and poker games. Yeah so anyways I don’t really want to explain that one any more, it was kind of creepy to watch. NEXT!
So back at the girl’s party were hit with a dance montage, a changing into my bikini montage and then it’s off to the hot tub where the girls talk about the size of guys units and all things teenage snobs talk about, until they are interrupted by the only two strait football players that get smart and go looking for what young men want, women.
Now after this it kinda goes between the metrosexual football players party and the hot tub, and that’s when Chef Death dishes out his wrath. Now by this time there’s only two deaths so it’s about time for the slaughterfest to begin and sure enough he tosses his butcher knives like they are going out of style.
One after one the teenagers are slaughtered off until only a couple remain. Now I wont finish the movie and give anything away but know that there’s two last montages in the movie, the gathering weapons to fight off the deranged bloodthirsty chef montage and the fight till the death montage. So in all there’s 6 montages and if you love them about as much as I do then you’ll hate this movie.
This movie is extremely cheesy, which is obviously the intent by the guys that directed this little gem. As you can tell I’m extremely sarcastic because I want to say something good about this movie to encourage you all to see the next two Bikini Bloodbath movies but the only thing I can come up with is that the T&A scenes are pretty sweet and abundant, that and almost all the girls are smoking hot. Aside from that this movie was kinda boring and disappointing, especially being that Debbie Rochon is involved and I personally think she’s a great actress. Cheesy FX, cheesy story line and a lot of homosexual humor just kinda got old after a while.
If you like Troma flicks you’ll probably get a kick out of this movie but otherwise you might find yourself getting annoyed really quick.
The girls in the movie were the only thing that kept my interest, aside from that I found myself fast forwarding through some of the dumber scenes. Watch at your own risk, and only for the skin.
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Six months after the rage virus was inflicted on the population of Great Britain, the US Army helps to secure a small area of London for the survivors to repopulate and start again. But not everything goes to plan.
When I first heard about that there was gonna be a sequel to Danny Boyle's 28 DAYS LATER, I was honestly not that excited. Not because of that Danny Boyle wasn't gonna helm what was to be this film, 28 WEEKS LATER, but for the sole reason that I wasn't a big fan of the first flick. Luckily, and even though it's a sequel, this film felt so fresh and was truly an excellent zombie feature -- bringing what the original once brought, only ten times stronger. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo did an excellent job directing this film; I've read reviews complaining about a too shaky cam and what not, but this is all so well done. The film's more psychotic than its precursor and shows that pretty much right from the start where a house full of people are attacked by chaotic and fast moving zombies. It's such an excellent scene you just gotta see it for yourself. Having seen most zombie flicks out there you're used to a certain formula, and that's where the beauty lies here - it does things its own way, providing shock and horror to the brim, and a ton of seriousness for that matter while it manages to stray away from what we know, and deliver us something fresh and shocking instead.
 
Watching 28 WEEKS LATER kinda brought on the same feel as I got when I first saw Zack Snyder's DAWN OF THE DEAD remake; you recognized certain elements of course but it was something new, more chaotic, violent, and just had a great feel to it. But not only is this a film full of nasty zombies, blood, gore, and guts - it is in fact delivering a cool story and a good drama as well, and is not just full on horror all the way through (even though the action pretty much never stops). But believe you me, the horror scenes are pretty darn intense, and the whole film is just loaded with high quality tension.
The theme of the film of course follows in 28 DAYS' footsteps but the good thing in this flick is that there's practically no down time whatsoever. The pacing is fast and excellent all the way throughout the film and there's really not much breathing room to be had, which is of course awesome. Just like in Snyder's DAWN... the zombies here moves fast as hell and so manages to inflict a helluva lot more "damage" on people than say zombies a la George Romero and what not. Another thing that lifts this movie even a little higher is the score that the film has which for most of the time goes perfectly hand in hand with what's happening on screen, and so adds to the atmosphere and the overall feel. I figured I leave the very story alone for you to know instead when you watch the flick. If you've seen the first one you should know what it is about and what to expect, only this time you can expect more, well much more, from the overall film.
Probably one of the best zombie flicks I've ever seen and I've seen everything I've been able to get my hands on for a good number of years. 28 WEEKS LATER is highly recommended but if you haven't seen the first film you should of course start with that one. If there'll ever be a 28 MONTHS LATER, I'll definitely check it out.
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In the near future, Jason Voorhees has been captured and detained and due to the fact that no-one has any idea how to kill him, he's cryogenically frozen instead (albeit after a nice opening massacre). Fast forward a few hundred years and he's unwittingly released and brought onto a research spaceship full of disposable teens. Cue bloody havoc and a nice little upgrade for Jason...
The storyline of this one intrigued me and the posters were kick-ass, and in the hope of something different to the usual Friday sequels, I excitedly watched this tenth instalment. Was I disappointed? NO. I really enjoyed this version of the Friday the 13th franchise as it brought new ideas to the table, as well as bringing old ones back (loved the sleeping bag part).
The set up was good, with a nice cameo from David Cronenberg, and as the events panned out I never once felt myself looking at my watch. Some people may find it too stupid, but by now the Friday the 13th films had come to a stage were you knew exactly what to expect from each one, with this one being no more far-fetched than the others but also adding a little humour and a few unorthodox ideas.
 
Which brings me to the so-called "Über-Jason", well, I suppose this is a love-it-or-hate-it aspect of the film, but set within the tongue-in-cheek tone set by the rest of the film, I believe it fit perfectly. As a result, it was a blast to see Jason slashing his way through the cast looking like a cross between Robocop, Mr Freeze and our good-old fashioned Jason. It's also good to see everybody's favourite Jason, Kane Hodder, clearly having a blast in this film, especially once he's had his upgrade.
The gore in this film was ample enough to satisfy me with some really ingenious kills (the frozen face being my favourite) and the part with the marines being sent out to destroy Jason gave some good suspense when set within the tiny confines of the spaceship. Some of the kills seemed to be aimed at making the viewer laugh, rather than be shocked or disgusted, however, this only added to the already present humour in the film and allowed for the kills to be completely over-the-top. However, there were some which were a let down and could have been elaborated on, but this is a minor flaw I believe.
The characters were also almost certainly clichéd, but this worked to the film's advantage as it played on the humorous aspects of the situations to great effect, as it's easily the funniest entry in the series with a large amount of gags and stupid situations being thrown into the mix. However, if there's anything wrong with the film, it's that sometimes the jokes go slightly too far, or come across as what I can only describe as “goofy”, which sometimes detracts from the fact that it's supposed to be a horror film, and not a comedy.
The action coupled with the humour and sly nods to the previous films' narrative devices (Jason first waking up in the spaceship to the sounds of two lovers getting jiggy next door was hilarious) combined to make what I believe is one of the better entries into the Friday the 13th franchise, as it delivered on all the required gore, sex, and laughs while utilising a fresh break-from-the-norm storyline.
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A group of college kids who took some experimental LSD suffer the side effects ten years later. One by one, their hair falls out and they go into a homicidal psychotic state of mind.
Jeff Lieberman's BLUE SUNSHINE is an excellent 70s flick that has this Cronenberg vibe to it. I'm a big fan of Lieberman because of such films as the awesome SQUIRM, and the cool slasher JUST BEFORE DAWN and what else, but this one is definitely my fave as it is such an original and interesting film to watch. The very 70s feel it has to it is just perfect, and while I dig horror films from the 80s, flicks from the 70s just has this look, feel and vibe to them which is for most of the time unbeatable when it comes to film... not just horror but film in general. And for the fact that this flick practically oozes Cronenberg, (without ripping anything off), it's all good in my book.
BLUE SUNSHINE starts out at a party where a bald man goes insane and kills a bunch of girls. He then start to chase Jerry Zipkin, one of the party attendees, until he's accidentally hit by a truck, and Jerry flees the crime scenes which makes him the prime suspect. Now Jerry is on the run and has to find some way to prove that he's innocent, and while he does, other bald people start to go insane around town and kill people to left and right. As Jerry keep digging to clear his name, he find out that a group of people who attended Stanford University 10 years ago experimented with some type of acid called Blue Sunshine which has, by now, much much later, caused them to lose their hair and turn to murder.
 
There are plenty of reasons to check this film out but most for its creativity and originality... movies like this are simply not made these days, so treasure the "old." Zalman King who plays Jerry Zipkin couldn't be more easy to root for while he's searching to clear his name -- he's just a very nice and likable guy but all characters in the film have something different to add to the overall experience, and do all pull it off in excellent manner. Even though the film is basically about this drug called Blue Sunshine, it it's not a drug type of film, even though it comments on the social climate of the 60s and 70s. There are no junkies, no users that you get to see, or even much talk about drugs for that matter. Only thing is that Blue Sunshine caused people to lose hair and turn into homicidal maniacs, other than that, drugs are not the main thing here. What I mean is, just don't expect some psychedelic kind of film because that is so not the case here. If you're after some "groovy" shit looks elsewhere, this one's got a anti-drug message written all over it.
For most of the film, while Jerry is trying to clear his name, it plays out a bit like some Hitchcockian thriller, and even though we get some nice horror elements thrown in here and there, it's first and most a thriller. Don't let that put you off though because BLUE SUNSHINE is so worth watching. Not much gore involved but the suspense is there pretty much at all times and the film moves forward at a rapid rate; something that never makes it the least bit slow, dull, or boring to watch.
What's the point of watching new shitty Hollywood horror flicks when you can watch films like this; films that are original, has suspense and actual meaning. I'm glad you can always go back to the 70s to enjoy some fine ass filmmaking and have yourself an excellent time, and with BLUE SUNSHINE, you truly will. If you haven't had the chance to see this film yet I suggest you fix that at your first convenience. Highly recommended.
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A tale of love, jealousy and revenge is brought to film, based on a famous Broadway musical, set in the pits of London's underbelly.
As the story goes a very talented barber by the name of Benjamin Barker was living the good life with his wife and daughter in London, but a powerful judge was jealous of Benjamin and wanted his wife all to himself. So he had Benjamin arrested and sent away for the better part of 15 years as the movie, itself, starts. So here we are 15 years later and Benjamin is a bitter man pent on revenge, so much that he changed his name to Sweeny Todd and worked diligently to make sure that everyone he came in contact didn't know him by Benjamin Barker, the man he once was.
So by now his wife is gone, said to have poisoned herself and died, and at the same time his daughter, Johanna is under the care of the judge that ruined his life. A total kick to the face right? Well now "Sweeney" goes back to his old home to find it abandoned and above a meat pie shop inhabited by a really bitter yet passive Mrs. Lovett, who we soon find actually had a thing for Sweeny in his Benjamin Barker days. So with her help he plots his revenge and recrafting his skills of shaving and barbering. Now you might say to yourself that that seems kind of boring, but it gets better. Seems that Sweeny is practicing his vengeful neck slicing that he has planned for the good old judge, on patrons. It also seems that Mrs. Lovett is low on good meat for her meat pies and is in dire need of something "special". Are you catching what I'm throwing? Good. It all boils down to an hour and a half long movie of slicing, dicing and meat pie scarfing.
 
Now I have to tell you I was kinda weary coming into this movie, being a huge Tim Burton fan and an even huger Johnny Depp fan, goes against what you all thought of me huh? Anyway, I figured a musical by Tim Burton wouldn't be bad being that Corpse Bride and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory were excellent and dark in their own rights. So what I didn't really take into consideration was that the music was already set in stone being that it was based on a Broadway play, and I have to tell you friends, the songs were quite... annoying. With that said I really liked this movie, of course hearing Alan Rickman and Timothy Spall singing kinda flipped me out, being that I always picture them as Professor Snape and Wormtail from Harry Potter. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, however, stole the show. It's always good to see them acting together because they have such great chemistry. In all this movie sucked music wise but really packed a punch, or a slice, when it came to the good old blood and guts.
Think of it this way, it was a lot like Sleepy Hollow, only a musical.
Now if you go into the theatre thinking “Alright! Johnny Depp in another musical!” your going to be freaked the hell out, I myself flinched a lot at how strange the songs were. Now if your coming in for a good story and some damn good FX your in for a treat because Burton, as always, delivers.Definitely Recommended!
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A group of punks steal some irrelevant groceries from a local supermarket and get chased by police. While trying to run away, their van enters a strange road near the graveyard and kids soon find out a mysterious inn run by a strange looking man. Inside the inn there's a passage in which you need to spend the night and if you come out alive you get a prize...
A couple of weeks ago I upgraded my book collection on horror movies with some nice additions. One of them is a sequel to a mini fan book on slashers (Slash Hits) and the other one is Jim Harper's rather interesting overview of Italian horrors from 1979 to 1994 ("Italian Horror" is the name). I read the book in one take and instantly got some good mantra going on for watching old school italo horrors.
Although I found some fabulous flicks in there, one of the Harper's reviews reminded me of a 20 year old movie that I watched ages ago while VHS cassettes were the only thing in the rental stores. I don't like to read or share any kind of spoilers, but there is one huge thing about this flick that I just need to share. If you are not interested, just skip to the next paragraph. So the thing is - I remember this movie vividly because of one "special" thing - this is a full fledged horror movie, but it doesn't have any casualties. Yes, you heard me right - the kids go in, get scared out of their shoes and come out alive and kicking. The thing was that the movie was shot for the TV and it seems that it had to be very very mild on the killing part.
 
"Graveyard Disturbance" focuses on a group of teens that enter a hidden passage that guides them through different stages of something that looks like Hell. They get attacked by vampire zombies and all kind of different monsters, but their only problem is not survival from the clutches of evil, but finding the exit. For help they consult the dumb blond one who in their words will "definitely pick the wrong exit and in this nightmare wrong is right". Such brilliant writing...
The movie was directed by the famous Italian horror director/writer/producer Lamberto Bava and the movie doesn't at all resemble some of his better movies such as wonderfully trashy "Demons" 1/2. Having the "made for TV" stamp in mind, the movie often looks like it is an exercise in slow pacing. In the non-horror scenes the only thing that makes the viewer go on is the hilarious bad acting, cheap dubbing and some great music score by composer Simon Boswell mixed together with some hard rock hits of those days.
Because of its many flaws the movie will not be the best viewing solution for the most of you, but if you are into original mid 80s trashy Italian horror atmosphere you will enjoy this one. The special makeup effects are in some cases a bit over the top, but of course, in a good way. The zombies and the demented family that gets scared by humans (looks like we are ugly and frightening to some "species") are examples of good makeup effects.
"Graveyard Disturbance" is a like it or hate it type of a movie. Its slow pacing will surely turn away some people, but you should still check it out - it is Italian, comes from Bava junior and has this special thing that I mentioned in the spoiler above.
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Ritchie (Dorff) is a professional thief who is sent to Russia to steal an antique cross which is locked up in a skyscraper. However, things go terribly wrong when Ritchie and a load of hostages get trapped on the mysterious thirteenth floor and realise that something is hunting them...
This starts off very averagely, with quite a few dodgy accents and acting and unfortunately as a result, this doesn't give the film a positive outlook from the beginning. However, the turn-around is intensely surprising and the film just keeps getting better and better as it carries on.
It starts with a little back-story and introduction to Dorff's character which is all very standard stuff, it's once the characters get stuck on the thirteenth floor that the film really picks up the pace. The situations that everybody gets into make for many humorous and exciting events to pan out and once the film gets going, the pace doesn't let up.
This is because what may seem like a very simple premise is handled with such a different outlook by writers Derek Boyle, Raymond Friel and Eamon Friel, and is presented with such manic energy and verve by director Kit Ryan that it all seems so fresh and original. It really is a totally thrilling mix of real belly-laughs, suspense, action and all-out gore, it's just impossible to be bored throughout the movie.
 
What is also interesting is that as far as I know, most of the actors playing Russians are English, which makes for great fun spotting all the actors and actresses from other non-horror films and television. Easily the most surprising and ingenious casting decision is that of Geoff Bell, who plays Boris. For in two of his most well-known roles in Green Street and The Business he plays a cockney thug, but in this he plays a bungling Russian soldier. Whenever he's not on screen, you find yourself waiting for him to appear to see what he does next, because he's absolutely hilarious. It's also nice to see Stephen Dorff in something good for a change after Alone in the Dark, which was not a good decision on his part. However he lends some star power to the film and as a result, hopefully this film will reach a larger audience.
As for the gore, this film is chock full of gory decapitations, skinnings and other things that I won't ruin here. It's all played for laughs and it certainly delivers, with some of the funniest parts of the film being the gore gags. It's worth mentioning also that the main killer is a bit of a campy disappointment when he first appears, but he definitely grows on you as the film progresses and the film's treatment of him certainly fits with the tone of the rest of the film.
This film really is a strange one, with a simple plot but a giant handful of new ideas, that provides some of the biggest laughs I've had in a horror film for a while. It's also a blast from start to finish and never slows once it starts going. The one down point with the film is that it didn't have a bigger budget, as a result the set design is not too effective but it still looks a lot more expensive than I guess it cost to make. This doesn't effect the quality of the film to any extent to make it noticeable however, and it shows that you don't need millions of dollars to make a great, original horror film like this, compared with the expensive looking but stale, rehashing of most modern studio horror.
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Two packs of warring werewolves are awaiting a coming red moon, and the transformation of an oblivious thirteen year old boy. The boy is a half-blood, and as a result holds the key to either stop the curse of the werewolf, or to carry it on. One side aims to protect the boy, and the other side needs him in order to survive. On the coming of the moon, an all out werewolf war begins...
Firstly I'm a fan of werewolf movies, from good ones (Dog Soldiers), to bad ones (An American Werewolf in Paris). So I suppose I'm already biased towards this kind of movie, and as a result I was quite looking forward to this one. However, the first disappointment came when I found out it was a PG-13/15 which is never a good sign for a horror movie, however the trailers promised lots of action, so I relied on this to deliver a good movie.
Well, it sort of succeeded, the action scenes are well done, with the sight of werewolves flying all over the place smashing everything in sight proving quite exciting. The scenes between the two werewolves fighting at the end are particularly well choreographed and thus the action scenes worked for me in that they kept me excited throughout.
Where the film falls flat is in-between the action as to be honest, it's pretty boring and you find yourself waiting for the next transformation or action scene. I'm not entirely sure why this is, it just seems slightly uninteresting and derivative even with loads of other stuff going on. It might have been that it just reminded me of the recent gamut of these kind of horror-lite movies, such as Underworld and The Covenant where it seems that the film focuses more on looking slick, cool and flashy, rather than on anything of much substance.
 
That's not saying that Skinwalkers isn't good, it's just average in that it's been done loads of times before and doesn't bring anything new to the table. Saying that however, the werewolf designs are actually really good, with them looking like a cross between the Lost Boys and huge wolves, which coupled with some good transformation scenes give the film a better edge than some low-budget efforts.
As I previously mentioned, the film is rated PG-13/15 which means that it doesn't offer much on the gore front, there's the usual bites and fights etc, nothing too special, apart from one scene at the start which is quite nasty. I saw the unrated version but again this wasn't anything that you can't see in a PG-13 movie, I suppose the film is either classing itself as more of an action film or just letting all the teenagers in to rake in the cash. It's clearly aimed at the teenage market with all the great-looking people on display, guys get Rhona Mitra wearing tight tops and the gals get any number of men all with washboard stomachs. It's all very much like a fashion magazine with the odd werewolf thrown in the mix.
The acting is fine throughout also, with really no bad points that I can think of, as well as the direction by James Isaac. Isaac makes good use of washed out colours and films action scenes with genuine aplomb, which brings me to mention as a side note that I'm a huge fan of James Isaac's previous films Jason X and The Horror Show, both which show that he is capable of making better stuff than this.
It's nothing new, but Skinwalkers delivered enough excitement to fill an hour and a half, with good fight scenes and good effects it's hard to dislike the movie too much, as it does have a relative amount on offer. Plus, in my book, you can't go wrong with werewolves.
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A group of teens go camping near a lake inhabited by the spirit of a demon brought to life by a Cherokee elder during the Trail of Tears.
So as the story goes, a Cherokee elder dabbled a little with black magic during the Trail of Tears and brought a demon that can only be released when someone touches a rock with a picture of a man on it and other demons mimicking certain animals if they touch the stones with the drawing of that animal on it. Well our lead actress, Mikki, and her friends go to the lakeside where the Cherokee elder did his dark deeds and before you know it someone touches of the stones and is possessed by one of the creatures, and as a chain of events, people start getting bitten, ripped apart, and turned into creatures themselves.
Now that was the short run of the story and I purposely did that so we can focus on the movie as a whole. I'll break it down so you all have an understanding of what I honestly thought of the movie.
First of all the acting was less than perfect, in fact lets go as far to say that everyone really couldn't act that well at all. With that said lets also understand that this was the first picture of everyone involved including director Eric Stanze so you have to give them all credit for improvising on their first acting job.
 
Secondly lets shoot for the story, which really wasn't that bad, in fact it was pretty damn creative how Stanze came up with a story based around a really bad event surrounding the Cherokee culture. It could possibly be almost believable that one of the tribesmen screwed up a few incantations and brought his tribes crops to stone and totally screwed them, I thought that was actually pretty cool and original.
Lastly lets rock out with what I really loved with this movie, the gore. My friends, this movie had some excellent gore scenes, some decapitations, disembowelments, lots of flesh chewing and even a puss spitting tongue spike, haha. Savage Harvest had guts, and lots of it, which made up for the lack of great acting and a better budget. I've seen movies on greater budgets that haven't come close to a few of the gore scenes in this movie and for that I give a lot of credit where it's due, not since Vampire: The Vampire Version have I seen such badass blood splatting FX.
In all, this movie is probably best watched by true horror fans for historical reasons, being that it was filmed in a time when indie horror films were starting to really lose what made them more in demand with the underground horror fans, after the 80's glory days were gone and lost forever and a new era of independent horror started to plague the 90's. I recommend you watch this at least once, it's not going to shock you or make you toss your cookies but it's definitely going to show you a side of indie horror that's rarely mimicked.
Personally I liked Savage Harvest, like I said even though the story isn't bad and the acting is, this movie has got some really badass FX scenes for it's time and I'm all for it. Give it a shot.
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A group of teens go to the same farm where the gruesome murders occurred in the first Savage Harvest.
A double bang of events occur at the beginning of SH2 starting with Ashley, who's sister Mikki survived the first movie, receiving a video with Mikki in front of the camera, covered in blood, crying for her sisters help before committing suicide. Next were outside a movie set where we meet Tyge, who's just had a terrible accident on set, claiming the lives of one of his actors. With the death weighing on his mind, and the suicide of Mikki on Ashley's mind, they both end up back in the same town where the murders took place and ironically they run into each other at a restaurant in town. That's when we come to find that they were high school sweethearts and haven't talked in a decade, since their graduation. Tyge says something that kinda freaks Ashley out so she leaves as his friend Deke comes out and explains what happened to Mikki, and a bunch of other people from town, who ironically died around the same time.
Back at Deke's place he and Tyge go into Deke's roommates room and find a box with a few of the animal rocks and a folder explaining what they all mean. Come to find out, also ironically, that Zach's uncle owned the ranch where all the kids from the first movie died and that he grabbed a few of the rocks and the folders for his own personal curiosity on the whole murderous situation.
Tyge and Ashley end up going back to the entrance to the farm, and before they get too far down the main road, Ashley has a vision of her sister, covered in blood, which freaks her out and they leave.
 
Back at Ashley's place she's having visions of Mikki again, only this time in the TV. So Ashley, Tyge, Deke and Zach decide to go back to the farm house to investigate and that's when the fun starts as they find the man rock and all hell breaks loose.
This time around I have to say that this movie really focused more on the story from the first, almost mirroring it to try to explain everything as if the person watching this movie hadn't watched the first. It does however tell a little more about the story and although it takes a long time for anything awesome to happen it packs a punch, much like the first film. I would honestly say that the first film had better FX but this movie had some pretty cool kill scenes, which I always enjoy seeing. Toss in Eric Stanze as Zach, who tossed out a great acting job, and Scrapbook's Emily Haack who did a great job of her role as Ashley, and you got a better group of actors with a little more talent than the first.
Much like the first film this movie, in my opinion, is for true horror fans, all you main stream horror geeks probably won't see this movie or the original as anything special but for you gorehounds this move is pretty damn cool.
I don't think I could say I liked it as much as the original but this movie is pretty good as far as micro budget indie horror films go. Not a bad run for actor, producer, writer, editor, ect. ect. ect. Jason Christ who keeps to the story, which so few directors do in sequels.
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A haunted house takes it's toll on horror novel writer Roger Cobb, pushing him to the edge of his own sanity.
Our story starts out with a delivery boy bringing some groceries to the house of an elderly woman named Elizabeth. The delivery boy enters the house but Elizabeth isn't answering his calls, so he goes upstairs to investigate and look for her only to find her hanging from a noose in her bedroom.
At Elizabeth's funeral we meet our star Roger Cobb, played by that pretty boy in a red jumpsuit in The Greatest American Hero, William Katt, who's apparently Elizabeth's nephew and apparently a very famous writer who's last book, Blood Dance, has made him quite a fan base. At the same time we find that his son Jimmy has been missing for quite some time and that Roger took it so hard that his marriage failed and he loses his drive to write, which is starting to hurt his career.
One night Roger has a dream about Jimmy playing in a large wooded area as a skeleton hand breaks out from under him, which wakes Roger up in a sweat. He immediately packs his bags and heads to his Aunt Elizabeth's empty home and decides he wants to stay for a little while, to try to get his creative juices flowing.
Roger has quite a few visions of Jimmy, one of which was after he went missing where Aunt Elizabeth claims that he's not gone but that the house took him, which kinda confuses him.
One night, while trying to work, Roger hears a noise from upstairs so he goes to investigate only to find Aunt Elizabeth setting herself in the noose and with a quick warning about how the house tricked her and to beware, she jumps, hangs, and disappears.
 
The next day he meets his neighbour Harold Gordon, played by Cheers star George Wendt, who ironically enough, claims to be his biggest fan, but in turn ends up being an extremely nosey neighbour. After being freaked out a little by Harold, George goes back inside and writes a little on his novel, which is about his experience in the Vietnam War.
One night he hears another noise from his aunt's room so he goes upstairs and finds that the noise is coming from the closet, so he goes to open the door but changes his mind and walks out of the room. After a judgment call he decides to open the door anyways and goes into the room, opens the door, and there's nothing. As he walks away the door strikes midnight and he goes back to the door, opens it up, and is attacked by some evil clawed creature.
The next day he goes all camera commando buying cameras and donning his army gear, full metal jacket, in hopes to capture the creature on film, which much to his dismay, he doesn't….For the rest of the film the house plays with his mind, diving deep into the pits of his psyche, feeding on his desire to find his son and his love for his ex wife Sandy, among other things. The house attacks him mentally and physically trying to break him to the point of sanity and possibly death, so he fights for his life and the retrieval of what's most dear to him, Jimmy.
Honestly House is by far one of the best products of the late 80's, kinda putting a lid on some of the greats of our time. With an original story that doesn't cut short and a great cast as well as some excellent FX this movie is a definite classic that everyone should have a chance to enjoy, if not for the fact that it's a great flick, definitely for the fact that Richard "Bull Shannon" Moll is the bad guy of the movie. Yes Bull from Night Court, and yes he actually doesn't do a crappy job of being a bad guy.
All around this movie is great, I highly recommend this flick for all horror fans, even the youngsters, no nudity, and language isn't as bad as it could be, and not A LOT of blood, everyone can enjoy this flick and if you get a chance check out house 2, it isn't that bad.
House is a movie that holds it's own, even today. I totally recommend this movie for everyone as it's a flick that should not be missed. Highly Recommended!
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After an explosion in a mine shaft, the soul survivor becomes insane and kills the supervisors that neglected to wait for him and his crew, due to them leaving early for a Valentines Day Dance. Decades later the town decides to throw it's first Valentines Day Dance since the grizzly murders only to find that he's come back to break some hearts.
Many years prior to when our story starts a group of miners are down in a mine doing a little work on Valentines Day before heading into town for their annual Valentines Day Dance. Anyways the two supervisors that were supposed to wait for the final five remaining workers decide they want to head into town early for the dance and neglect to check the methane levels in the mine, ultimately leading to an explosion that kills all the workers but one, a man named Harry Warden, who goes crazy and institutionalized only to get out a year later and pickaxe the two supervisors that neglected to keep him and his crew safe. After killing the two supervisors he cut out their hearts and put them in heart shaped candy boxes which the town's people later found, to their horror. He left a warning declaring that if there's another Valentines Day Dance ever again that he'll be back to kill everyone he comes in contact with.
In the present, or at least at the time of the movie, the town decides to have it's first dance since the murders, with most of the town, especially the teenagers, in the dark about what happened. After a couple deaths in town with the same M.O. as Harry's killings the dance is cancelled but as we all know, stupid teenagers still want to party. So a group of the teens hold a party at a place near the mine shafts, which ultimately bring the killer in to have a little fun. Who will live? Who will survive?
 
Now the thing about this movie is that mostly it's a love story, which I personally didn't care too much about, at the same time it's also a Valentines movie so I guess it kinda fit in with the theme. Aside from that this movie wasn't really that bad, a couple of the kill scenes were pretty cool and the kill count was pretty high.
With that said this movie really reminds me of a movie I like a lot more, The Prowler. You know, first dance in years since these murders occurred, guy in a black work jumper and a gas mask goes on a killing spree. It seems like one mocked the other, question is which one? See the thing is they both came out the same year, 1981. Either way this movie is pretty cool, definitely a pleasurable watch for 80's horror fans and especially for those who drink Moosehead Beer, the crap is all over this movie, haha.
Get yourself down to the mines and have fun with this movie, it's got heart!
Although I prefer to watch The Prowler a lot more than this movie I still think this is a great flick that shouldn't be missed, especially if you're into pickaxe killing and crappy love stories.
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There's a huge Predalien on the loose on the Predator's ship, it crashes on earth, and the Predalien escapes. One big bad mutha of a Predator notices this, and decides he wants to stop this rogue Predalien and so travels to earth. Oh and there's loads of humans that keep getting in the way of his business.
As a huge fan of all the Alien and Predator movies, I was a tad disappointed with Paul W.S. Anderson's entry into the series back in 2004, but I still quite enjoyed it. So when the news came about that a sequel was on the cards, I got really excited again, especially with the rumours it was going to be gorier, with more emphasis on the two title characters. Then the early reviews came and it didn't look good for fans of the two icons. But why were there so many bad reviews?
Well the beginning didn't give me too much hope for the rest of the film, with a rushed opening sequence and introductions to cheesy, clichéd characters. However, as the film progressed I found myself wondering why there were so many bad reviews, because it's not actually that bad. Ok so the characters are clichéd, the acting is average and the set up is not to original, but the film more than delivers on what it promised.
Compared with Paul W.S. Anderson's version, we get a lot more time dedicated to both the Aliens and the Predator, which I must say both look really impressive, especially the Predator, which looks a lot more like the one in the first Predator, really sleek, but still imposing. The weaponry it uses is also really ingenious and makes for some really interesting fight scenes, the Aliens all look amazing also, with the sight of loads of them climbing across the walls being really exciting and frightening.
 
This brings me to the Predalien, which was one of the main things that excited all the fanboys before the film was released. Well, it looks great but it's criminally underused and comes across seeming quite pointless as a result. This was a major disappointment as it could have been used to much greater effect as it really is an awesome creation. The effects all around are good, this was expected however as the directors the Brothers Strause are experts in the field of special effects. The other promise of more gore is also fulfilled, with this film being gorier than the first one, not too much gorier, but still gorier. For instance we get some awesome acid effects and the scene in the store where the Predator, Aliens and humans all meet shows off some great gore.
However, the main attraction of the original Aliens Vs Predator idea, was of course getting to see the Aliens and Predator duke it out big time and was also one of the main reasons that the first AVP was so disappointing. There are a lot of showdowns in this movie, and most of the time they are quite exciting, however for some reasons the Brothers Strause decided to film pretty much all of them either in the dark or coated in rain. For this reason, it's really difficult to tell what's going on and as a result, some of the battles fail. These fights are the reason that people want to watch Alien Vs Predator movies, and I believe that in some ways this is half the reason this film has garnered a lot of negative reviews.
In the film's defence however, I think the decision to film everything cloaked in darkness was an attempt at suspense, or merely a stylistic move, which worked on one level, because the shadows and silhouettes of both monsters do look pretty cool, it's just a shame that once they start facing off you can't see what's going on. The other reason I believe that the film got bad reviews was for the simple storyline and two-dimensional characters, but I really couldn't care less about that, all I wanted to see was two sweet monsters in a huge smack down, and this is pretty much what I got, which is why I enjoyed the film.
I think people give films like this bad reviews because there are so many fans and when a film doesn't get made exactly to their specific ideas of how it should be made, they don't like it. It's really quite hard to satisfy everyone, and that should be taken into account when watching this film. The film for me was an exciting ride from start to finish and kept me interested throughout and so for that reason I'm not going to give it a bad review. It may be flawed but it's still a fun hour and a half, so ignore the bad reviews and go and see this film!
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Bodies start turning up in the dark streets, some with a strange equation carved into their skin. Two detectives take the case and are drawn further and further into a dangerous game and end up having to make the ultimate decision...
At first sight, I thought this was merely going to be another entry into the “torture porn” sub-genre along with the likes of Saw and Hostel, and this got me slightly worried as I believe that this particular sub-genre has run out of steam; take Captivity for example. However, the film surprised me on many levels when it turned out to be a far more involving and engrossing thriller than the one I was expecting.
Firstly, it stands out from the rest as it boasts a stellar cast in the likes of Stellen Skarsgård, Melissa George and Selma Blair amongst others. Each actor handles their role deftly, with no over-acting from anyone, even considering some of the extreme places and situations that the film takes them. I particularly enjoyed Ashley Walters performance, who English viewers will recognise as once being a part of UK Garage music act So Solid Crew, since then he has proved himself a very convincing actor, and the material that he had to deal with in this film was very challenging, however he handled it with a believable edge.
 
Even though this film is a horror film, it also works very well as a detective thriller with many clues and red-herrings coming at the audience left right and centre, the final outcome and ending is totally not to be expected and I was totally surprised by the direction the film went in the last quarter. The twists don't seem stuck on for the sake of it, unlike in some of the later Saw films, they all add to the intricate story without seeming pointless.
The reason that I related this film to the "torture porn" genre was because it does feature a great many ingenious torture scenes and the violence is unflinchingly realistic. It is by no means a gore-fest, but when the violence is on screen, it does its job in that it really is peek-through-your-fingers gruesome. This adds to the overall dirty, gritty feeling that the film projects. This world is a grimy and uncompromising mix of dark streets and darker characters, which is emphasised by the cinematography and hand-held direction, which really make use of a grainy, unclean filter to emphasise the gloomy aspects of the film.
There isn't much else I can say about the film without revealing plot points that would ruin the journey on which the film takes you, for the script is littered with so many interesting twists and turns that surprise the audience further while drawing them deeper into the world that Waz creates.
Waz was a pleasant surprise in that it takes what may seem a familiar premise in new directions and results as an intelligent, thought-provoking and brutal horror-thriller that keeps the audience on the edge of the seat until the gripping conclusion.
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Resident Evil: Extinction is set in the Nevada desert and filled with intense special effects and more zombie terror! Las Vegas means fun in the sun. Well, at least the sun is still there. Except for a few rusting landmarks, it looks pretty much like the rest of the desert - or the whole country, for that matter. The crowds are now flesh-eating zombies: the mass undead, the oozing, terrifying sludge of what remains. Here, the newly upgraded Alice, along with her crew will make a final stand against evil - with one goal: to turn the undead dead again.
To my big surprise the third instalment in the RESIDENT EVIL series wasn't anything like I had expected, it was way better, and the reasons for that may be many. Like for instance that it took place in the open desert instead of Raccoon City -- that it was horror during day, meaning that most of the action took place in the light instead of the dark which is such a common thing when it comes to horror. But the biggest reason to why I found this movie very enjoyable is probably because I had no real expectations to begin with, I just wanted to check it out and cross it of my list, and that was about it.
When the first RESIDENT EVIL movie came out I got really disappointed. Sure, it looked nice and so on and so forth but to me it didn't really capture the feeling of the games that I had been playing. With SILENT HILL I felt that it was pretty much right on the spot but RESIDENT EVIL just didn't do it, so when the second film came out I had completely lost interest. I did see it though but didn't think much of it. With that in hand I sat down to watch EXTINCTION, and even though I can't say it was a great film, I definitely felt it was the best entry in the RESIDENT EVIL saga so far and I was interested in what was going on from start to finish.
 
In this third film the world is pretty much f**ked as the infection has spread all over the globe and things just keep getting worse. There are a number of survivors left here and there and we get to follow a bunch of them (with the beautiful Ali Larter as their leader) as they are trying to make it out there in a world full of flesh-eating zombies. Alice (Jovovich) hooks up with the group and convinces them to head to Alaska where they will be safe from contamination. Problem though is that they must head for Las Vegas first to find fuel, and well you guessed it, things takes a turn for the worse.
Visually, EXTINCTION is truly interesting and has a lot to offer those who bow to beautiful imagery. The action scenes are pretty awesome at times, there's especially this one scene when like a millions of birds, that have been eating infected human flesh, attack a caravan of humans and you just can't help but to smile when the shit goes down.... it looks pretty darn amazing. There are of course more action scenes that are really good and we get to see heads roll and blood splatter all over the place which is of course always enjoyable.
Not fantastic in any way but much better than expected and that was way good enough for yours truly. It's a film with good pacing and loads of great action sequences taking place in very cool scenery. You should definitely give it a shot.
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A being known as "The Presence" brings the souls of some troubled teens to his feet to play a game of death with each one of them to see who has what it takes to win.
Holy hell, where do I start? Ok well rather than starting out with the story like I normally do let me go ahead and tell you this... The story is hard to follow, and that's not saying it's bad, its just hard to follow at times.
Now what is known is that "The Presence" is a being that's an enemy of both heaven and hell who likes to torment and kill for his own amusement. With that said he brings in a group of teenagers to his realm for a little game of survival, one at a time in different situations. As he has his fun tormenting and killing the teens were introduced to Alison, a suicide victim that the angels of heaven and hell recruit to track down and stop "The Presence”. As her journey draws her closer to stopping him he draws a higher body count. Only Alison can stop this wicked being from his murderous spree.
 
This movie is shot very much like a music video, yet shot on film, which gives it a great look and feel that a lot of independent horror films don't come close to. Each scene is another jump into Eric Stanze's warped reality, which I personally admire. Within the movie there's a group of rings hanging from what appears to be ribbon and with each death another ring is gone, which is great symbolism in it's own right. Now there's a few of the cast members from Savage Harvest in "Ice” but this time it appears that they have kicked it in high gear and do a lot better in their acting, which I liked being that it was one of my main issues with Savage Harvest. Toss in some good gore scenes and lighting effects and a pretty solid script and you have this surreal journey into the mind of a madman, that being Eric Stanze. You can tell that Stanze is growing as a director, producer, and writer with this film because it's quite a step up since he had directed Savage Harvest only 5 years prior. You can see that some of the shots he did in Savage Harvest are inspiration to his shots in Ice too which is cool.
For all you twisted horror film fans you'll love this movie, especially if your cool with it being low budget but greatly compromised. Stanze shows that it doesn't matter how low the budget can be, that you can still make a great movie that people will respect and want to watch more than once.
I definitely have to say out of all the movies I've seen by Eric Stanze this one is one of my favorites, it's so surreal and wicked yet at the same time so casual and almost heartwarming. Definitely check it out.
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Set in the 1950's the survivors of a zombie war have found a way to domesticate the undead by putting them in special collars that keep them from needing to feed.
After radiation particles from space rain down on the earth and reanimate the dead a battle between living and undead pursues. The result brings forth a company called Zomcon led by a man named Dr. Hrothgar Geiger who creates a domestication collar for the zombies that keeps them in line, thus making them the lapdogs and servants of the living.
Now in the town the story is centered around it seems that everyone's aware of what to do in case of a zombie attack, from the kids learning how to shoot a rifle in grammar school to the constant Zomcon commercials on TV, it seems everyone has centered their life around NOT becoming a zombie, well except the elderly, the second they die they come back, which is why they get arrested before that happens.
The story centers around a family called The Robinsons. There's Bill Robinson, the zombie fearing, suit and tie, terrible father, there's Helen Robinson, the beautiful charismatic and loving mother, and Timmy Robinson, the smart yet unaware 11 year old who can't seem to make a friend, that is until Helen gets a zombie to help around the house. At first Timmy and the zombie don't get along, being that Timmy doesn't really understand the zombie's mentality, but after saving his ass in a fight with two bullies from school, the two become inseparable friends, so much that Timmy names him like a pet, FIDO. So the two play fetch, of course FIDO being the retriever, and within that he fetches the ball only to be confronted by a cranky old woman who ultimately momentarily glitches his collar, making him a raging flesh eater and her his victim.
 
Timmy tries to hide the fact that FIDO's collar glitched by not telling a living soul but when an investigation pursues after the old lady bites someone else causing a chain reaction of zombifications, he's screwed. Does anyone know that it was FIDO that caused the outbreak of zombified park goers or is the secret safe forever? I guess we all know the answer to that one!
Anyway this movie, I'd have to say, is a cute little comedic approach at zombie movies. Like I said before it's set in like the 1950's so it ends up pushing out a mix of Pleasantville, Leave it to Beaver, and Day of the Dead. The entire time I kept feeling like I was watching a movie adaptation to the video game Stubbs the Zombie, which is one of my personal faves. I think they put a lot of really cool twists to the genre and made this movie something the entire family could enjoy. Not too gory, not too violent but definitely a movie a genre fan can enjoy. It's cool when you can put a good horror movie in front of a squeamish crowd and give them something they can enjoy.
Put in the beautiful Carrie-Anne Moss as Helen Robinson and the always funny Billy Connolly as FIDO and you got a really funny and easy to watch cult hit.
I'd recommend FIDO to anyone and everyone, this movie is by far the first movie I've seen in years that can be enjoyed by people that don't even like horror movies that much. Just tell them it's Pleasantville with bite and watch a smile come to their face. This movie is definitely highly recommended.
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Genetically altered sheep who develop a ravenous hunger for human flesh after an experimental fetus is accidentally unleashed on a sprawling ranch by a hapless environmentalist.
After having followed the progress of BLACK SHEEP and having heard about it for a long time, I was quite sure that I was in for a splatterrific fun time. But after having seen it I gotta admit that it was somewhat of a let-down. Sure, it delivers some splatter and gore but not nearly as much, and as massive, as one had expected, and when it comes to the humour, it just didn't quite cut it in my book. Don't get me wrong here, Jonathan King's BLACK SHEEP has its moments for sure and it's an easy film to sit back and enjoy, but in the end, it didn't live up to all the hype surrounding it.
The very plot of the movie is kinda exciting with genetically altered sheep that become murderous and starts feasting on New Zealand folk. But apart from the plot, I was kinda expecting something along the line of Peter Jackson's DEAD ALIVE, when talking gory fun, and even though BLACK SHEEP offered some of that, it still felt like the film held back a bit too much. We get to follow Henry Oldfield who returns to his family sheep farm, and who has been afraid of sheep for most of his life. Once there he meets his brother Angus who's only interested in making money in every way possible way instead of tending to the farm the way their father would have wanted. Angus has hooked up with some mad geneticist and has turned the farm, and the sheep, into something Mother Nature did not intend. Henry, who only came home to sell his share of the farm, suddenly finds himself, along with hippie activists Experience, in a whole heap of trouble in a land where the sheep are hungry for human flesh.
 
The cinematography is pretty darn amazing and New Zealand looks beautiful, (and slightly boring), and WETA Workshop has delivered a whole heap of cool effects for the film. Problem with it all though is that it is very straight-forward and once you've gotten some good "sheep action" you find yourself kinda bored with like another hour or so to go. It steers in a way where there are really no surprises, and even though it has moments of splatter and fun, it never really steps up to anything more massive but keeps dragging along until the final finale.
The character that is Henry Oldfield is a bit too whiny and gets boring really quick. His brother Angus, who's the villain here, does not come off half as evil as he could've been, and Henry's side kick, hippie activists Experience, doesn't really project the energy one would've wanted to live things up a bit. I'm kinda on the fence here to whether or not I like this flick but I guess it all ends with that I'm somewhere in between since it has pretty much just as many positive things as negative. Most of the characters are a bit lame and do not have the "go" in them that would lift things up in order to provide more excitement and faster tempo. But if you go in without expectations, I'm quite sure BLACK SHEEP will satisfy one way or another.
Don't expect another BRAINDEAD/DEAD ALIVE, or BAD TASTE for that matter, because BLACK SHEEP will not live up to that type of standard. And do not expect another SHAUN OF THE DEAD when it comes to comedy because the humour is not nearly as good this time around. In other words, don't expect too much and you might end up really liking it. Problem with having watched massive amounts of horror flicks all the way through life is that you always want more and sometimes, even if a film is good enough, it still feels like it could've been better.
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A vacationing family gets an unexpected visit from two deeply disturbed young men. Their idyllic holiday turns nightmarish as they are subjected to unimaginable terrors and struggle to stay alive.
Visitors to this site are presumably interested in some measured exposure to Evil. Would you also like to spend two hours in a continuous state of terrifying Dread? A good way to achieve this would be to see FUNNY GAMES U.S., set to open in the US mid-March, and the UK early April.
As the title pointedly reminds us, it's a remake. Of the 1997 Austrian film FUNNY GAMES. And it's by the same director. After the success of HIDDEN (CACHE), Michael Haneke has seized the opportunity to bring the experience of FUNNY GAMES to the originally intended audience, the American public.
Two overly polite young psychos use the flimsiest of excuses to wreak a prolonged and savage attack on a nice middle-class family, who are on vacation in a remote beauty spot by a boating lake. We're initially presented with a couple and their young son. They have an expensive car, their own boat, two sets of golf clubs, and a rather dull taste in opera CDs. The two cheeky psychotics on the other hand enjoy speed metal music. They are more likely to represent a typical movie audience - anti-establishment anti-heroes looking for new thrills. What they're interested in is violence, and almost unthinkingly, vicious psychological torture.
But this convincingly portrayed story is a stealthy set-up. A trap for fans of screen violence and mayhem. It's from the genre of violent films that are about violence, a traditionally tricky genre that can easily backfire. Witness the double-edged reaction to Kubrick's A CLOCKWORK ORANGE or Oliver Stone's NATURAL BORN KILLERS. FUNNY GAMES U.S. avoids the usual pitfalls and succeeds at making the audience react realistically to violent situations, without exploiting them. Turning death and torture around from being entertainment, back to being repellent.
When violence happens it's painful and prolonged, accompanied by screams of agony and the tortured reactions of loved ones. The effect is intensified by the reality of the situation - there's no background music, and the camera often holds a fixed gaze on the situation as we see it play out without cutaways, as it would for real. If pain and death are going to be used to sell tickets, let's be reminded of what it's actually like.
 
I don't disagree that we should get reality checks like this. LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT had a similar sobering effect on me, making me question exactly what it is I get out of horror films. It's timely that we should get some perspective on the current craze for 'torture porn'.
A few years ago, I didn't 'get' FUNNY GAMES. I tried watching it, but didn't get emotionally involved with the characters. With this new version, in a cinema, with a cast I really like, I got it. This time it was an experience. I was in a constant state of dread about what was going to happen next. The violence hurt. The screaming was unbearable.
This isn't to say that every technique the director used was successful. I didn't understand the film's most blatant communications with the audience, but I'm intrigued enough to see more of Haneke's films and what he's about.
The two wild jokers in the story taunt the audience that they are giving us what we want. We're teased with some facetious details about why they're like this, but it's irrelevant. The audience are more interested in the action than the motive. The bloody infantile games they play are why we're watching.
The hoodlums echo the amoral duos from ROPE and COMPULSION, both based on real-life murder cases. They're played by former teen heart-throbs Michael Pitt (DAWSON'S CREEK, THE DREAMERS) and Brady Corbet (MYSTERIOUS SKIN, THIRTEEN) who aren't totally successful in portraying the 'wily and dim' double act of the original. But Naomi Watts (MULHOLLAND DRIVE, THE RING) and Tim Roth (ironically from RESERVOIR DOGS and PULP FICTION) are intensely good in gruelling roles.
I've not seen many interviews with the director, or figured out his precise views. But he's obviously very keen that this story reaches a wide audience that thrives on movie violence for entertainment. Rather than pick on the omnipresent serial killer genre or slasher films, he's used the 'home invasion' scenario. This has previously been used to supposedly analyse violence in society, while crassly exploiting it - like in STRAW DOGS and DEATH WISH - though these films are now obscure targets.
Without referencing a specific genre, FUNNY GAMES ably rallies against the exploitation of pain, with a typical nightmare premise filmed in a very different way, questioning how we watch atrocities that have been presented as entertainment.
FUNNY GAMES U.S. is constructed to lure all of us naughty horror fans in and try and teach us a valuable lesson. Though a mainstream audience may not get the point.
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A group of people in the 20's head to the mountain town of Halcyon Ridge to do some camping. Once there they discover some gruesome slasher films, and it doesn't take long before they're all about to fall victims as well.
From the filmmakers behind THE 8TH PLAGUE comes CARVER, a movie so raw, violent and brutal it makes HOSTEL look like a silly cartoon. Yes, you read that right. Since I loved THE 8TH PLAGUE I've been excited about the release of CARVER for quite some time now, and I'm more than happy to say that not only was it a very good film, but the thing is that this flick delivered through the roof! We've entered the year of 2008 and the lack of originality, or creative greatness, when it comes to horror films these days is almost frightingly distant for most of the time. The 70's gave us some brutally good flicks and horror from the 80's is something very classic these days, and something we've all come to love. But these days' hardcore horror fans have seen most of everything when it comes to genre flicks, and when it comes to violence and gore, we're for most of the time almost numb to the fact of whatever violent scene is shown on-screen. We constantly need more in order to feed our sick cravings for all things brutal but we're more than often left in a disappointed state after having seen whatever new horror flick that has just hit the market. But luckily, once in a while, there are movies released that are so good they immediately put the faith back in our beloved genre, and makes us feel that it is worth sitting through all the crap because sooner or later something great is gonna come along. And let me tell ya, CARVER is one of these great films.
CARVER is a film that is truly unpleasant and if you have a weak stomach, you better stay the heck away. It starts off like any horror per say, and while the very plot may be simple, it makes for one gruesomely entertaining movie. We're introduced to a group of people, in their 20-something's, who are about to go camping in the mountain town of Halcyon Ridge. So they've come to Hicksville and the shit is gonna go down, but don't be fooled because this time it's so much worse, (in a good way that is), than what you're used to when it comes to horror flicks of this kind. The group stop at a local bar where they end up promising to help the owner out to move some stuff from his house. They set up camp and head on over to the house where they discover some old flicks that are supposedly low-budget slasher flicks. What they don't realise at first is that these movies are in fact real snuff films and that the shit is about to hit the fan. It's a simple setup but boy are you mistaken if you think this is just your average slasher film. Believe you me, you definitely gonna get more than you bargained for.
 
Lotsa horror films often claim to be the most violent thing around, or the goriest film you've ever seen etc., and as we all know, this is for most of the time just BS which leaves you even more disappointed when actually seeing these supposedly nasty films. But when it comes to CARVER, it's a film that doesn't hold back one bit; it sends chills down your spine and will definitely make you cringe a number of times before the film is over. The violence is well-made and looks realistic, which of course adds to the sickness & fright factor. Some scenes are actually so brutal it's hard to keep a focused eye on the violence appearing before you without having to look away for a split second and breathe. I'm pretty sure this movie will be way too much for those that like horror but are not really used to the extreme. But for fans of gore, blood and gruesomeness, this movie is honestly to die for.
Director Franklin Guerrero Jr. has a keen eye for detail and a vision that is utterly effective. It's a slick film and I did dig the way it was edited because it lets you take everything that happens in to the fullest. When gory and harsh things are about to go down the camera lets us see everything for what it is, which is actually sometimes a bit much due to the fact that some scenes are just extremely disturbing. The make-up is so well-done and the gore is even better. Cool thing here is that CARVER gives us brilliant old school horror and steers away from everything that is CGI which is something I'm utterly thankful for.
As for the acting, it is all good; the group of campers are normal people and not horror movie stereotypes, and thank God for that. I'm not sure if any of the actors really stand out but they're all good and deliver in my book. As for T&A, we get some of that too but thankfully not in a tacky way which is so often the case in many horror flicks. We get a bit of it and it's definitely satisfying enough but it's never T&A that is the main focus which is good because it gives the whole film a more serious tone. The pacing is just excellent and once the real horror kicks in it just keeps stepping up and stepping up again until the credits roll. When it comes to the very end it doesn't let you down there either, and all I can say about that is that don't expect your typical Hollywood kinda ending. CARVER is truly an intense and disturbing ride that should not be missed.
Hollywood has A LOT to learn here and with a bigger budget CARVER would be the ultimate horror high. You should most definitely add this film to your to-see-list because you will not be disappointed, well, unless you have really bad taste that is. Highly recommended.
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A group of gullible teens head down to a lake where the townspeople kill to take their victim's cars and a little off the top.
This fun little ditty of a crapfest, filmed in Grapevine Texas, where I was just a week ago for Texas Frightmare Weekend. Anyway, it starts out with a couple of big boobed teen girls going to a lake to suntan, under a group of trees mind you. They take their tops off to tan then are almost immediately grabbed off their towels, killed, and dragged off.
Next were introduced to the large group of spring breaking teens that are heading to the same lake that the dead boobed bodies lie. Now after saving the life of a little girl her mother warns the kids not to go to the lake, but do they listen? Hell no they don't! So they head off to the lake, and I can swear I've been to that lake, and all hell breaks loose as the teens are kidnapped and sent to a factory where the bodies are harvested and turned into...well, let's save that for the end. Apparently the idea for the town is kill the teens and take their cars, selling the parts to keep the town up and running, or something along those lines. Anyway, the last few remaining teens that survive try to escape, but as they find out it's not half as easy as it seems.
 
Now this movie really disappoints me, honestly I didn't think that, being from North Texas, that it'd be great but this movie really puts the stereotype back into slasher rip-offs. The acting is pretty bad and the FX are cheesy, in fact you can see the blood rig on the knife they use to slit a girl's throat, and sadly she's the best part of the movie, you know, eye candy. This is definitely not a serious slasher and I'm sad to say that it's from my region of the world.
You know you figure sometimes that you'll give a movie a chance based on the fact that a lot of people praise the movie, then you come to find that they only did it to get on the cover once it's distributed. As for me, the only words I have to say is "Don't Bother!"
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Jigsaw is dead, so how can he keep on killing? Well, the writers have found a way and I'm not gonna tell you how.
When I first watched "Saw", I had the distinct feeling that I was watching something innovative and groundbreaking, it really gave me something new that I believed horror needed. Then came "Saw II" which although I enjoyed, seemed to be much of the same thing, "Saw III" was exactly the same also. As a result I didn't want any more Saw films; Jigsaw was dead and I was happy that I wouldn't need to watch any more.
But then they announced "Saw IV" and I wasn't exactly excited, but I was intrigued. I wondered in what direction they could possibly take the franchise seeing that the titular protagonist was dead. However, they found a way and obviously me telling you would ruin the surprise.
The film begins with a pretty disgusting autopsy of Jigsaw in which a tape is found in his stomach, the tape is played and the tagline from the film is repeated, thus follows a few different storylines both involving Jigsaw and his legacy. The main one involves Officer Rigg (Lyriq Bent) as he follows the various clues in Jigsaw's game and has to decide whether to save people or let them die. So far, so same-old same-old, then interspersed we get other plotlines that follow things that I won't ruin here, but that definitely serve to confuse the audience rather than really giving them anything new.
 
This is by far the most complex Saw yet, and I don't see this as a good thing as by the time the final 10 minutes come, chances are you won't have a clue what's going on. The ending feels rushed and haphazardly put together, with elements of "Saw III" being thrown into the mix to tie things together, which all add to more of a sense of bewilderment, rather than of satisfaction. This combined with the fact that some of the actors decide to mumble their lines rather than speak them made it all the more frustrating. Some of you might understand it first time round, but I had to watch the end at least twice before I got it.
Anyway, onto the entire Saw franchise's tour-de-force, the traps. Well, although not as gory as the extreme ones seen in part III, they do offer some interesting demises, I particularly enjoyed the flashbacks to Jigsaw's earlier traps with their slap-dash, amateur feel. The film is definitely gory, more so than most mainstream horror, but it didn't follow the sequel mantra of giving you more of the same, just "bigger and better".
From a narrative point of view, it was very interesting to look back into the reasons why Jigsaw did what he did, and I felt that these were the strongest moments of the film, mainly for the reason that we get to see Tobin Bell again doing what he does best. However, during many of the films flashbacks or scene changes, Darren Lynn Bousman decided for some reason to try all manner of complicated scene transitions which didn't particularly add to the effect, but subtracted from it. This coupled with the HUGE amount of quick/repeat/jump cuts of people shouting and/or doing pretty much anything, made it feel more like a heavy metal video than a horror movie in some parts.
I will say that I did enjoy this film and up until the convoluted ending, I was gripped and excited to a greater extent than Saw III, but not more than the others. It was an interesting addition to the Saw franchise and many questions were answered, but it just seems that too many new ones were raised. Please end on a high(ish) note and stop making the Saw movies! That last comment was pointless however, as Saw V is already scheduled for release next Halloween anyway!
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Pregnant women seem to be disappearing in a small town in Texas as an author and his pregnant wife happen to make a pit stop in that same exact town. In turn his wife disappears and he's stuck in town looking for her and an explanation on what the hell exactly happened.
Now the movie starts with a girl on her way to her parents gabbing on the phone with a friend when suddenly police lights come on. Like all good friends do the girl on the phone tells her not to trust that it's a real cop because someone they know had been raped and left for dead prior by someone posing as a cop, so she calls the highway patrol to verify if it is in fact, a real cop. Instructed to pull over and lock her doors until the operator can verify the squad car she gets a moment of terror when she finds that there's no police in the area, so she tries to drive off but her car is mysteriously chained down and she goes nowhere! Now terrified she looks out into the lightning filled sky when a huge blue glowing light covers her and in one last scream everything goes black and the credits roll.
Next were introduced to Henry and Jill who are on their way to Florida to promote Henry's newly finished book, by the request of his agent, to get him a little coverage to try to sell the book. So half way between California and Florida they end up outside Waco Texas, an area where amazingly I'm personally from, which was a trip. Anyways we find that Jill is, in fact pregnant, and at a moment she needs a breather so Henry pulls over on the side of the road while Jill jumps out to get some fresh air. As Henry goes back to his car to get something he turns around and she's GONE, vanished, and being that they were pulled over by a field with no cover, it's just strange. So scared Henry goes to the closest town to a pub where he finds that the only cop in the area won't be in until the next day. After running into a couple of backwoods punks, Toby and Sweet Lilly, Henry heads over to a motel for the night.
 
That night Toby and Sweet Lilly, with the help of a couple other family members, rob a donut shop and have a little fun. In the midst of all the fun Sweet Lilly, covered in yellow and black paint, sees a blue light herself and vanishes without a trace. So now Henry and Toby have something in common, lost loved ones, so they go on a search for the girls that leads them into something INSANE and unnerving...
Honestly, I'm kinda on the wall with this movie, first of all the story jumps around too much and doesn't explain a lot, especially what the hell the blue light is or who was in the cop car at the beginning of the movie. Aside from that Toby breaks out in song and dance TWICE in the movie which really terrified me, being that the voice dubbed over his for the singing scenes was terrible. Aside from that there's a lot of originality in this move tossed off with annoying humour that really isn't all that funny.
Not really a movie for gore hounds or seasoned horror flick watchers, this is more for indie fans with a tolerance for stupidity.
A little good, a little bad and a little ugly; this movie tosses you around like a rag doll. In all this movie really needs a lot of work to be a hit, but it doesn't piss me off like most indie films so I'm fine with that.
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The movie focuses on a small family - mom, dad and their young son Alex. One day, dad comes home from a lab he works in and brings something with him. The next day a pretty strange thing occurs - their son becomes invisible.
I recently got a screener for this short psychological thriller. I was very surprised that the package came from Hungary, as I am not at all familiar with their movies. This was superb, as I am very interested in seeing new euro horrors - although this one was very loosely connected with our favorite genre. With just about 30 minutes in length, the movie originally titled "Most látszom, most nem látszom" acts as one of those lighter episodes of the "Twilight Zone".
 
The problem I had with this movie is that very very early into the movie, my horror viewing experience made me realise in which direction the movie is going. Because of this, I was nervously watching and just hoping that the finish will have a different twist than the one I was expecting. Unfortunately, that was it and I ended up being unpleasantly surprised. I won't make actual connections to the movies that played with this topic, as I am really not into spoiling your viewing experience. Putting this on side, this was overall a very good flick.
Everything else about it is absolutely positive. The directing was great and often we witness some stunning and beautiful shots. The music was also perfect for the tone of the movie and overall from the technical perspective "Now You See Me, Now You Don't" looked rather flawless. As this is a short movie and its theme is a bit special, I will have to close the review with my final comments.
As you can see, I was very disappointed with the main point the movie finishes with. I absolutely wanted it to end a bit differently, as it was almost perfect from every other perspective. Writer/director Attila Szász surely has potential and I would definitively want to see him directing a full length genre movie.
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The last feature in the series of "Three Mothers" films brings story to life of the last of the remaining mothers "The Mother of Tears".
During an excavation of a cemetery a tractor falls into a hole concealing a casket with an urn lying right on top. A local priest gets hold of the urn and, after seeing what's inside, seals it up with wax and sends it to a man named Michael at The Museum of Ancient Art in Rome. Upon arriving at the museum Michael is nowhere to be found so his assistants Sarah and Giselle decide to have a look inside where they find a dagger, three statues and a mysterious shroud, but not before Giselle cuts her finger on the scalpel used to cut the wax. Next Giselle reads the names on the statues which brings forth a group of demons which attack her, gut her and choke her with her own intestines in one of the greatest death scenes in modern cinema, in my opinion. Sarah, having been gone at the time, comes back to see the demons ripping Giselle a new one, and decides it's time to run and hide. Apparently demons travel with monkeys because these demons do and the damn thing chases after Sarah shrieking every time it sees where she's hiding, giving away her position, so she's running for quite some time until she comes to some locked doors which she doesn't think she can get through until a voice comes out of nowhere and tells her to run. That second the doors slam open and she runs out barely escaping her own demise then coming back later on to explain what happened to the cops.
Now in town strange things are happening. A lady takes her baby and tosses it off a bridge, people vandalize others, all chaos breaks loose. At about this time were introduced to Michael who has a son named Paul who ultimately gets kidnapped for reasons you wouldn't believe if I told you. Now Sarah gets together which Michael, who's her boss/lover apparently, and they go searching for Paul who is captive to "The Mother of Tears" a powerful witch set on bringing chaos to all of Rome.
 
Somewhere along the way all these strange Goth looking chicks fly in from all around the world to go to a celebration in which The Mother of Tears is the guest of honour. Anyways apparently the Goth chicks know who Michael and Sarah are because they chase them quite a bit through the rest of the movie, Sarah barely escaping them after going invisible in a book store and jumping on a train to escape their grasp. She runs into a woman named Marta who tells her that she has great powers being that her mother was a witch and was murdered by, guess who? Now it's up to Sarah, with her newly discovered powers, to put an end to the last witch's evil plot.
I have to say that this is a damn good movie, I'm glad that Dario went back and finished the trilogy he started with Suspiria, which is one of my all time favourites, and Inferno, another great film. I have to say I wasn't that impressed with his earlier submission The Card Player, so seeing that this movie came out to be great really brought me back to the light that Dario himself pulls us all into. Although the ending, much like the other endings of his movies, wasn't all that riveting, the story in Mother of Tears was pretty solid and kept your attention throughout. Add in great roles by both Asia Argento and the extremely talented and attractive Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni and your set on the right track with these two beautiful actresses. My only complaint was that Coralina didn't have enough screen time, I mean lets admit, she's pretty damn good and I think she could have lasted at least a little bit longer in the film. Either way her death scene is one for the books, it was friggin gross!
In all I'd have to say that this is half way around my list of favourite Dario Argento movies, not his best but definitely one of his better recent efforts, and that's good enough for me to definitely recommend this film to true Dario Argento fans as well as newcomers, you won't be upset, especially if you saw The Card Player.
Dario Argento does it again with this great new addition to his catalogue of great films. If you haven't seen Suspiria or Inferno before getting this one do so, it'll save a lot of confusion in the end. This movie is highly recommended.
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An aspiring porn crew and their stars head out into the middle of nowhere, Mexico heading to the beach to film their first flick but end up in an old deserted town where a masked madman waits to face-off with each one of them, literally.
The story starts out on the back roads in Mexico where a group of porno star wannabes head out to film their first skin flick down in Cabo San Lucas. After a little pit stop at a shack in the middle of nowhere they meet a stranger, played by the always creepy Irwin Keyes who heads them in the right direction but warns them not to stop in a town on the road they take called 'La Sangre De Dios' claiming that it's plagued by a masked luchadore named 'El Mascardo' played by wrestling great Rey Misterio. Well as all idiots do they head to the town anyways deciding that it'd be the perfect place to film their movie, well that and not having a choice being they wreck their van on a huge ass rock along the way and end up rolling right up to the front gate of the town.
Anyway, they all set up in a bar in town and that's when all the clothes hit the floor followed by one of the girls, who had a LITTLE too much to drink on the trip. So she runs off and ends up running head to head with the man himself, 'El Mascardo'. And that's the beginning of the carnage. One by one he picks them off ripping their faces off like he would in the wrestling ring. You see as the legend goes 'El Mascardo' was this psycho luchadore wrestler that ended up killing people on the mat so he was banished to the town never to fight again. In Mexican customs the only way to defeat an opponent and completely shame him is to take off his mask. Well old 'El Mascardo' takes it one step further and being that his victims don't wear masks he rips off what they do have in their head, their friggin FACE. Can anyone stop his faceless frenzy or are all the sex crazed weaklings doomed to have their face defaced?
 
Honestly this movie might sound dumb but it's far from it. First off Rey Misterio is a damn good creepy character and although his character seems a bit cheesy, he pulls off some creepy moves that would put most muscle heads to shame. Top it off with a fairly good cast and a small group of VERY sexy women and your good to go on this joy ride of ripping and wrestling. The story is pretty solid and original which gets points on my end and it's got just enough blood and gore to satisfy but not push itself over the limit.
If you get a chance to see Wrestlemaniac definitely do it, just don't come to the plate wearing your Hulkamaniac T-shirt, he might not like that much.
An original cast and a solid story puts this movie in a high class of a new breed of horror not unlike the great slashers of the 80's. I highly recommend this movie.
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A lonely, grieving waitress called Agnes living in a small Motel room is surprised to find an unlikely love interest in the mysterious drifter Peter. Meanwhile Agnes' abusive ex-husband seems insistent on ruining her life and to further add to the problems, Peter informs Agnes of the millions of bugs that infest her apartment... Or do they?
Adapted from a stage play, "Bug" plays out largely in one room, with nearly all of the action occurring there. It truly drips with claustrophobia and impending menace as paranoia and reality join hysterically, as what begins as a simple character drama descends eventually into frenzied madness. It is the journey into this madness however that is the most interesting part of the film, with the performances of Judd and Shannon shining through as exceptional.
As soon as Peter (Shannon) appears, you can tell that you are beholding a truly skilled actor, his performance evokes many questions about his sanity and reliability and never really answers any of them. Ashley Judd also excels as the innocent waitress who is drawn into Peter's conspiracy-fuelled paranoia and the slow disintegration of her sanity is well played out and convincing. Harry Connick Jr. also gives a genuinely menacing performance as Judd's violent ex-husband Jerry, and adds a terrifying sub-plot the main proceedings.
 
"Bug" is not your conventional horror movie either, it's not overly violent, and it plays out as more of a psychological thriller. The storyline is simple and not much happens, as it relies more on in-depth character study than shocks or gore. Saying that there are one or two very nasty moments that certainly induce enough winces for it to fall into the horror genre. I'll just mention one of them has to do with teeth, so take from that what you will!
There are some problems however, as although the first hour or so is involving, tense and held together with great performances, the last act really falls down due to over-hysterical performances from some of the actors, notably Judd. She comes across almost comical in her mannerisms and it really detracts from the slow-building tension of the rest of the film. This was a shame as it pulls the viewer out of the close-set world of the motel room and forces them into an objective viewpoint. Had the ending been toned down slightly, it would have been far more effective.
However, as a whole the film doesn't suffer too much from its rushed ending and as a result still comes across as an exceptionally claustrophobic, horrifically nerve-racking and thoroughly agitating (horror) thriller.
What begins as an almost flawless film, unfortunately loses steam in its final act and delivers subsequently a less poignant ending than it could have done. It still however delivers on its itchy premise and foreboding tension throughout. Friedkin has certainly made a marked return to the horror genre with this film. On a side note I found the film so effective that I couldn't sit still during it and found myself unnecessarily itching all over; it really does get under your skin!
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An archaeologist breaks into an abandoned plague hospital the day before it's set to be demolished to search for clues that ultimately lead her to the spirit of an homicidal 17th century plague doctor who comes back from the dead to bring in new flesh. About the same time, 4 reckless teens break into the same hospital and find that there's no way out, and the doctor is in!
In the beginning we meet our star Anna, played by Gina Philips, better known as Trish from Jeepers Creepers. Anna is an archaeologist and the grounds where she's excavating at the time, an abandoned 17th century plague house, is about to be demolished. Now she's determined to get in and get a little more time to look for artefacts that may lead her to what she believes is a doctor involved with what she calls "The Cult of Black Priests". She shows pretty substantial evidence to her superior who claims that the dig site is way too dangerous and that there are traces of the plague within the confines of the hospital.
Needless to say Anna isn't going to give in so she sets out to go it alone in the creepy old hospital, and at first she's pushed off by the site's security guard but lucky enough for her, he didn't lock the padlock to the chain keeping her out. So after the security guard heads off to patrol she breaks in and goes down to her dig sight and strangely enough, finds a set of handprints on one of the walls inside the hospital that looks like an X so she breaks on through and crawls down a tunnel and digs up a mysterious box. Now at about the same time this is happening, four reckless teens are cruising around in a stolen car and end up in front of the hospital just as Anna finds the body of a doll in the mysterious box she just happens to have the head for, ironically made out of a bird skull, so she puts the head on and puts it in place, and at the same time, the teens hit someone or something and the car gets demolished. Needless to say, the scared teens head to the hospital for one, to get away from the cops and two, because one of the boys is pretty badly hurt. So they stash the hurt kid in the reception area of the hospital and go in to hide from the police and patrolling security who come back to the entrance to find it's unlocked, and now the hunt is on as security is looking for the teens and unknowing Anna.
 
Fast forward a little and Anna runs into the teens but not until the hurt teen makes his way into the hospital and locks the padlock sealing everyone within the building, and then the fun starts as the spirit of the plague doctor that inhabited the hospital, comes back to life and possesses and ultimately kills his guests in ways prophesized on the hospital walls. As the kids and Anna hide from not only security, but the twisted bloodthirsty doctor, there's only a matter of time until the sun comes up and they are locked in their tomb to never see the light of day again.
Now where do I start with this little gem? First of all I think that the entire cast did a damn good job; they were all extremely well scripted and developed and everyone had their little part of the story to them, which you don't find in many movies these days. This movie, to me, is more psychological than anything which I totally love being that I'm all about mind games in my horror movies. The Plague Doctor himself is so creepy he gives you chills just looking at and I think he was nicely developed, and equally creepy and convincing. The story didn't have too many snags and although it kind of had moments where your totally lost it bundles itself in a nice little black bow at the end and sets up an interesting and twisted ending.
Another thing I want to note is that this is the first time I can remember that I've seen a naked pregnant girl in a mainstream film, which I thought was daring, considering that there's a lot of people that would go against it, and the boldness of that alone set me in high spirits for this movie. In all I'd have to say that The Sickhouse is a nice little jaunt into the depths of sinister spirituality and never lets up on the suspense and terror. If you're into ghost stories you'll be very happy with this film, I was thoroughly impressed, and that says a lot being that there's not enough good horror being made these days. Check this flick out, you got blood, guts, twists and turns and a pregnant girl giving birth to what looks like a million leaches! You gotta love it!
In a time where most horror is cliché this movie sets itself in a different mode and pace than most which is very comforting. I'd definitely suggest you all watch this movie, just be sure to put on the subtitles, the kids have strong English accents... yeah as in London England. This movie is definitely highly recommended!
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Bob is a man on the edge of sanity, ready to go on a killing spree at his work when someone beats him to the punch. Luckily he's there to save the day and the bad guy becomes the hero, but will his new found popularity last?
Christian Slater does an excellent role as Bob, the deranged businessman in this strangely great flick.
In the beginning Bob is at his cubical loading his revolver, putting a name on every bullet but before he can unleash his nerd fury one of his supervisors comes over and changes his mind so he unloads the gun, puts the bullets and gun in his drawer and heads home where he strangely talks to his pet goldfish who degrades him for not going through with his original plan. Next he has a microwave dinner in front of the tube and works on some microscopic art of some sort.
The next day back at work a couple guys he works with mess with him, ultimately shattering his favorite hula girl which sets him off, and it's back to loading the gun and naming who he's going to shoot with each bullet, only this time when he gets to the last bullet it slips from his grasp, lands on the ground and rolls under his cubical into the isle. Frantically Bob jumps on his knees and tries to grasp the bullet before anyone sees it but before he knows it a foot steps on the bullet and the man possessing said foot starts spreading lead himself, shooting and killing a few of his co-workers. Bob, stunned that someone beat him to the slaughter stands up to find it's another co-worker that was fed up with people picking on him. Luckily Bob's gun is still loaded and in hand as he opens fire through his cubical killing the maniac and ending what was HIS shining moment at the hand of another man, now dead on the ground.
 
So now Bob's the big hero, everyone thinks he's tops, he gets a promotion and a new car, which we later find out used to belong to one of the girls shot in the incident, who's ironically enough Bob's love interest. At the hospital he goes to see her because apparently she's been waiting for him and when he comes in he's spit on and cursed for not letting the killer finish the job as she's paralyzed now and wants to die. Later we find that she asks Bob to finish the job but can he do it? Can he end the pain of someone he's obsessed with or will he botch that up too and make things worse?
This movie really does have a good feel to it, like it could possibly happen, almost like an After School Special or something. Slater does an excellent role as balding super nerd Bob and sells his character in this movie so you gotta give him props for still having what it takes to have a diverse range like he does. I think the mentality of Bob's character is really cool and the little things like imagining he's blowing up his work building and talking to his fish, it's a great touch to show how crazy he really is.
This movie probably won't be a huge hit as it's not extremely well known as of yet but I do think that it's definitely worth watching just for a few good laughs and a movie that'll make you see that your own life isn't' really all that bad.
Consider He Was a Quiet Man your motivational guidebook to life in the work area. Yeah, I laugh at that idea too.
This movie really surprised me with the fact that it was pretty entertaining, not a great budget box office hit but definitely not bad at all. Go check this one out.
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The Military opens up a portal into another world and its inhabitants decide to break through into our world in a small town in Louisiana behind a big mist that covers the town and its unaware inhabitants that find refuge in a supermarket.
Now it's a well known fact that I'm not a huge fan of Stephen King inspired movies, that the books are ten times better and there's been very few instances that his books are shown on the silver screen in a way worthy of his talent, I'd say not since The Green Mile have I enjoyed a movie based on one of his stories. Yeah 1408 was good but it just didn't grasp me, until now. I have to say that The Mist is probably one of the best representations of a Stephen King book I've seen in a long time.
Let's get to the bulk of the story. A freak storm rolls into a small Louisiana town and puts the townsfolk in a panic when the storm knocks over trees and destroys property in it's aftermath. Our star David "Thomas Jane AKA The friggin´ Punisher" takes his son Billy and jerk neighbour into town to get supplies to fix a busted out window in their house that a tree smashed through. While at the store a series of strange events happen as a mysterious mist rolls into town and once the mist is set in it covers the entire town in half darkness like something out of Silent Hill. Anyway, all the townspeople that are at the store are now trapped inside the store being that there's strange creatures outside that can't be determined or seen with the naked eye, being that its' foggy as hell out there!
 
So David, Billy and a mess of the town's folk have to devise a plan to get out of the store and on their way to safety, in the process diverting the other people away from a bible thumping mongoloid religion nut that seems to have a way about proving her faith through cause and effect of the creatures. Although David is obviously leader material it takes a lot for the people in the store to trust him being they don't believe the monsters... Until they come face to face with them. It's a battle of man against super beast in this sci-fi horror flick.
What this movie has that other King based films don't is character. This movie has a deeper message to it than most, and although it's definitely more sci-fi than the others it still grabs your attention and makes you wonder the entire time "What the hell ARE those things?" When you finally get to see the creatures your in for a treat as they are all twisted and evil looking and have their own personal characteristics that make them deadly and cool at the same time. The CGI was cool, everything, especially the atmosphere, was incredibly dark and sinister. The only thing really uplifting about the movie is the ass kicking old folks who bring a lighter side to the movie but don't sell it short on terror. In all this movie will piss you off I think, mainly at the end. I couldn't believe after all that time something would happen at the end that just was a total buzzkill. I'm not saying I didn't like it; I was just shocked it ended the way it did, but that's Stephen King right?
For all sci-fi horror fans and people that are into the unusual and twisted give this movie a try.
The best in a long time of Stephen King based movies, I recommend this movie but be warned, the ending will throw you off. Good luck!
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The legend of Thomas Edison's Death Machine comes to the present as the director of antiquities at a museum comes across the machine right at the same time as the museum is being robbed by a group of art thieves who ultimately steal the machine to use it for their own gain, but with all good things comes a price.
So the story starts out with a silent film style footage of Thomas Edison as he's begged to bring a family's dead daughter back to life with a machine he supposedly has that resurrects the dead. At first he denies that the machine even exists but gives in and brings the girl back to life. The scene then cuts and comes back to Edison in his lab as his assistant runs into the room claiming that the resurrected girl apparently killed her entire family. The scene then cuts again and the credits roll.
When the credits finished we're at a bar where museum worker Henry runs into a beautiful young woman named Karen, and after a few drinks and Henry's explanation about his job and his boring work, she convinces him to bring her back to the museum to have a look around. So off they go to the museum to a secret room where the museum keeps the artefacts and antiques that they don't show the public, and after a little kissing and fumbling around they come across the supposed Edison Death Machine from earlier, though they just believed it was an old piece of junk before hand. So as Henry's explaining the legend of the machine he and Karen are held at gunpoint by a group of art thieves lead by a big bald guy named Renee. About the same time we find that Karen works for Renee and conned Henry into letting her in so the thieves could get in to steal some expensive art. Of course Karen convinces them that the machine is worth a lot more than any art so they take off with it to their hide-out, or a seedy hotel room. So after a little talking and history lessons Renee decides he wants to take the machine for a test run, so they go to the grave of an Elvis wannabe, Buddy Gilbert, and at first they try to use the machine just to talk to him but Renee decides to go one step further, turning the machine up a notch and bringing the corpse of Buddy back to life.
 
After getting back to the hide-out Renee comes up with a plan to bring back dead people to get "gifts" of significant worth to sell instead of having to steal them. I know it sounds confusing but stay with me here. So Renee and Henry bring back a group of dead historical figures and it seems to work until word gets around to mobster named Dominic that wants his hand in the little deal with the machine. What's to become of the machine and everyone involved? Will Renee's greed get him in a really hot spot? Watch and find out.
Now let me say that this movie isn't entirely too bad, a little bit of the story is pretty interesting and original but it really starts to get confusing about half way through the film. Toss in some middle aged wanna-be Chuck Norris, a really bad sword fight, the only set of boobs in the movie not being so great, cardboard haunted house style sets, bullet holes in cars being the sticker decals you can get at your local Auto Zone and some not so great acting by the main characters... and it doesn't have much to salvage the film.
Now I will give it credit for trying, it seems that they put a lot of effort into developing the story and I commend them for that, I just think it's a little short on everything else. With a LITTLE big bigger budget and some better actors topped with a less confusing story line this movie would have been pretty good. For the "Its so bad it's good" crowd you should definitely give this movie a shot, but for die hard horror fans this movie is more of a action flick than anything, just caked with zombies.
The Edison Death Machine has potential but I think it should have been better planned out; George Bonilla made a good effort but you figure with most of his cast having done many movies prior with him, they would have learned something along the way, maybe he should talk to Eric Stanze, that guy had constant cast and every time it got better. Check this movie out if you're bored but if your looking for something spectacular this isn't it.
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Snoop Dogg invites you to the "Hood Of Horror" in which you are treated to three tales of revenge, murder and double-crossing.
As a big fan of Snoop Dogg's music, I'm always interested to see his other work in the media and this film is one of the best films that I've seen with Snoop Dogg, excluding his smaller parts in films such as "Training Day" and "Starsky and Hutch". As a horror film independent of Snoop, it also succeeds as a competent anthology of three different tales. It's clearly taking its cues from films like “Creepshow” with its comic themed posters and intro but the stories are interesting enough to make the film stand on its own.
After a stylish animated intro which provides the back-story to Snoop's character, we enter the first tale. This opening segment deals with a woman living in the ghetto who is given the power to kill people merely by crossing their graffiti tags out with a red spray can. This story provides the most gore scenes, which are very well done and are quite ingenious in their execution, with one particular crowd-pleasing scene involving a bottle of beer that will have the audience laughing and looking between their fingers simultaneously. Of course with most of these anthology films, there appears a moral at the end of the tale and Snoop's character intervenes in order to usher the viewer into the second story.
 
The second story is the most successful of the film, with the most complete storyline and most adept acting; it's also the funniest. It involves the cruel son of a veteran that is trying to drive out the residents and friends of his late father from their home. Anson Mount really chews up the scenery with his depiction of the heartless rich redneck, but he is countered by a team of veterans including Ernie Hudson who provide the sane counterpoint to Mount's hysterics. There's still a bit of gore in this segment with two scenes standing out, but one scene involving a dog wasn't needed!
The final story is average and involves a rapper being visited by his dead ex-partner and a strange lady in the form of Lin Shaye (who's appearance is never explained which is stupid). This segment has a good soundtrack and good acting, but comes across feeling rushed due to lack of character development and reliance on the audiences' suspended disbelief. This segment, with a bit more work and effort would have worked better as a feature as its short running time is not enough to fully accept the characters and the story.
I enjoyed this film for pure entertainment value, as it's not scary in the slightest but it does provide enough gore, humour and excitement to garner a good rating. It's by no means a stellar horror flick or an anthology to rival “Creepshow” but with one very good story, two average ones and Snoop Dogg guiding you through it all it ends up becoming an enjoyable way to spend an hour and a half. Of course if you don't like Snoop Dogg or rap-music, then the film might not be your cup of tea, but I would still recommend it to any horror fan.
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A couple of travellers find themselves in the midst of a group of inbred hicks in the English countryside.
British horror needs more quality output these days, for every gem ("Lighthouse," "Shaun of the Dead") there are your duds ("Creep") and more often than not, the low budget attempts are in the latter category. So I didn't hold my hopes high for "Small Town Folk." It's a good job that I didn't because it unfortunately wasn't anything new or exciting. It's main mistake is that it bills itself as a horror comedy, but it's just not funny. The jokes are so cringe-worthy that you don't even laugh at how bad they are, and attempts at splat-stick also fail with the gore level only low to medium.
This was a shame because the set-up was promising with echoes of a "Wrong Turn" set in England, but whereas the bad guys in that film were genuinely frightening, the titular small town folk in this movie are laughably un-scary, and in some cases, quite annoying. There are however two interesting bad guys who wear Slipnot-esque masks and actually provide the best moments of the film. If the hicks had been limited to these two and the attempt at comedy left out, then the film would have had a better effect as a straight horror film.
 
The other characters in the film are also infuriatingly stupid, doing things such as standing still for inordinate amounts of time even when they know a bad guy is behind them, and trying to open car doors with sticks before trying the handle. I'm sure that most of this stupidity was meant for comic effect, but it really wasn't needed as the comic effect wasn't achieved, it just came across as annoying.
The other strange aspect to this film was the use of a green-screen effect for some of the back-drops and an over reliance on CGI for no reason. This really emphasised the lack of a big budget and when some of the locations were used for real, the use of an obvious green-screen effect wasn't needed. It worked in "Sin City" because that had a large budget, here it was needless.
There were some good points however, for example one character was actually quite funny, but he was killed off way too early in an admittedly funny scene. As I've said before, the two masked characters were also good, and as a whole the acting wasn't too bad for a low-budget production.
It's a shame that I didn't enjoy this film because I really wanted to, I always want to like British horror, but this film just didn't do it for me. Give it a try if you like British horror and maybe you'll find it funny, hopefully you will.
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Serial snuff killer Brandon is up to his old tricks again in this new footage from the camera of a killer.
It's said that this guy Brandon records his sexual deviance over movies from rental stores as hard evidence of his crimes, in the first film we got a glimpse of the twisted amateur porn killer and in this new footage we get yet another glimpse through the lens of a killer.
So Brandon hooks up with this girl and convinces her to ditch school the next day so they can hang out and of course she's game so they get a little to drink and go back to his place where she does a little teasing on film and he does a little grabbing and groping. Now at first it's all fun and games, she changes into something a little more slutty, shows off her tattoos and ultimately gives him what he ultimately wants, a little one on one action with a bit of hair pulling, minor choking and some face smacking. After a while she gets a little fed up of being degraded so she gets dressed and walks off. He runs outside after her and after convincing her that he was just playing the role she wanted, she goes back with him, and that's when it gets interesting. They get naked and go at it and then good old Brandon snaps and the rest, the rest isn't hard to guess considering the title.
 
Now there's so many glorious aspects of this movie, first of all, two cast, two crew, Brandon, played by writer, producer and director Shane Ryan, and the victim played by co writer Kai Lanette, so no worrying about anything but the action at hand. Consider that this film really didn't have many takes and they are almost all constant so it's very realistic. Another great aspect of this movie is the FULL PENETRATION! Yes my friends, Shane jumped the fence into a realm that most directors don't jump into, the "Fuck the MPAA, I'm doing what I want, and that involves me getting my dong wet!" this movie really plays with the sinister side of the imagination and although it's got a slow start, it has a fast and furious... climax.
Toss in a few clips from the first film, lots of purpose film flaws and a great finale and you have a better movie than its prequel.
Is there any chance for an Amateur Porn Star Killer 3 you say? Well it's said theres 76 more hours of footage so I guess you tell me!
Quick, cheaply but creatively filmed and twisted this movie will give you a boner even before the real sex. This movie is sooooo recommended. It's almost too realistic!
I loved the first film and this movie only gives me more faith in Shane Ryan's opinion of art. Definitely check this film out, especially if your a pervert like me. And by all means keep your pants up until the end, you don't want your mama to walk in and see your little peepee do you?
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When Donald (Pack) leaves his home to find funds to support his ill wife Nancy (Fahy), she is left alone in her house with their mentally challenged son, James (Bill). James prevents her from receiving any outside help as he effectively imprisons her in the house in an effort to look after her himself.
For a movie containing only three major characters, "The Living and the Dead" surprised me in its gripping effectiveness at holding my attention. What starts as what appears to resemble a drama tackling issues of mental illness gradually descends into a horrific, harrowing attack on the senses. The movie begins with an introduction to the three inhabitants of a large, almost decrepit mansion, and their individual problems; the wife's illness, the husband's lack of funds, and the central focus, the son’s mental illness. Said son is James, a grown man who acts like an infant and whose naive helplessness ultimately causes him to believe that he can look after his mother without any outside help.
It is once Donald leaves the mansion that the film really comes into its own, concerning the slow disintegration of the mind of James through his refusal to take his medicine. What follows is a traumatic, distressing and thoroughly depressing journey into the mind of a mentally ill person. The acting by all the players is accomplished and Fahy especially has to deal with truly upsetting material and thus garners a large amount of respect. Bill is impressive as James, putting forward a convincing and thoroughly stressful performance and Pack is as always impressive, even though he doesn't share as much screen time as the others.
 
The camerawork is suited to the slow-burn tension and utilises lingering shots without cuts from interesting angles that unsettle in their lengthy voyeurism. The music was also very good, jumping from slow atmospherics tones to frantic drum and bass-a-like madness. The frenetic music-based moments of the film accompanied by quick, speeded up shots of James running around the house were particularly effective in their disorientation.
The few problems would be that even though the film begins almost flawlessly, once it descends into madness, the film begins to lose a bit of clout and too many things happen at once. This coupled with a laughable, needless dream sequence causes the film to lose a bit of power; but once particularly the dream sequence is over, the film picks up the pace again and doesn’t falter. It is also of note to mention that the overall effect of the film is certainly confusing and to many mainstream horror fans will come across as maybe a bit pretentious and/or senseless. But underneath the interesting layout, the film does carry a strong resonance and provides the viewer with a truly poignant after-thought.
"The Living and the Dead" was an utterly compelling piece of film-making that lost steam near the end, but nevertheless tackled its subject matter with skill and verve. A definite recommendation for those who enjoy psychological thrillers rather than horror films, for this didn't come across as a horror. Probably not everyone's bag, but certainly worth a try as you could be pleasantly surprised.
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A business woman heading to her sister's house for the holidays finds herself locked within the confines of the parking garage at her work being preyed upon by the company's night watchman.
Rachel Nichols plays a business woman named Angela who's in the process of leaving work when something terrible happens. On route to exit the parking garage at her job she finds that her car won't start so she goes to get assistance from the company's night watch man Thomas. Right away you can tell there's something not right with the guy but in kind gesture he offers to share his Christmas meal with her, which she declines and they go back to her car and to her dismay, it can't be fixed. So she calls a cab and waits out in the lobby with all her Christmas crap and when the cab gets to the building she attempts to exit but the doors are locked and she's obviously screwed. So she goes BACK to Thomas's office but he's not there so she walks through the garage when all of a sudden all the lights go off. Blinded by darkness Angela takes out her cell to light her path only to be attacked by Thomas in the dark as she raises her phone for some source of light. And that's when the fun starts.
 
We find that Thomas has a very unhealthy obsession with Angela and he won't take no for an answer when it comes to her being his company for the holiday weekend. With no one else in the building to help she has to do everything she can to attempt to escape in fear that she may become the unhealthy victim of an unhealthy obsession.
Now this movie starts out a little slow but kicks in really well, though parts drag on for a little bit this movie is genuine and original which I completely appreciate. Simplistic but sharp this movie pulls some pretty sweet curveballs, especially the scene where Thomas runs down the office man-whore with his car, smashing him into a brick wall, ripping his stomach open, intestines spilling on the floor, then one more slam on his head and he's tomato paste on a windshield! That scene alone caught my attention and praise. In the spirit of actual realistic horror this movie does well enough to win my vote, I'd definitely give this a run again, at least to watch that bastard smashing scene in slow-mo! Check it out!
Though the title doesn't explain shit about the movie it's all cool, this movie isn't all that bad. I recommend this movie, not highly but it's definitely worth renting for a run.
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A brutal rape leads to brutal revenge at a bowling alley during a late night bowling night with a group of teens.
Well our movie starts late night at a bowling alley as a couple groups of teens come out to have a little fun during an late night bowling night. Seems one of the girls, Lisa, is a bit of a tramp. One of the guys at the alley happens to be a guy she was seeing at a time but we find out that she used him to get to his friend, not that nice of a thing to do is it? Well after she admits it all out loud Steve gets a little miffed and after a steamy argument Steve and his buddies attack Lisa's transvestite friend Sam. A pretty big fight breaks out between the two groups and it starts to get bloody until the alley Janitor breaks up the fight with his shotgun in hand.
So the two groups break up and leave the alley and just as it looks like the end of the night Lisa realises that she left her purse inside so she goes back inside to get it, only to be attacked by Steve and his friends who ultimately beat her and rape her repeatedly, the last time with an actual bowling pin. And I guess the rape brings on our killer for the night, BBK, which I'm guessing stands for Bowling Ball Killer.
The next night everyone comes back and it's obvious that none of Lisa's friends know what happened the night before. So it all starts out as the two teams at each other's throats but then BBK comes in and evens out the numbers by way of his bowling pin weapons. The rest of the movie is like a Scooby-Doo mystery in a bowling alley, except people die. Every time a bowler dies BBK gets a strike on the score board, and he racks them up like nothing.
 
Now this movie is creative in many respects. First of all it's a great homage to 80's style slasher flicks but with something that wasn't really in any 80's slashers, penetration. Yes my friends there's dong to mouth penetration and its in a great scene where two teens are 69'ing on a bathroom floor only to be attacked by BBK who pushes down the girl on the guys doodad, her ass on his face, suffocating them both. Have you EVER seen that in a movie? Hell no! And that's only the beginning.
One after one the bowlers start falling off to the hands of BBK with one question parading in the minds of the survivors and me myself. WHO THE HELL IS BBK? The ending will shock you but sums up what happens in the beginning a bit.
With great special effects and scenes that will make you cringe like the transvestite death scene *don't want to ruin that one*, the ball cleaner buff job, and so many other great death scenes.
This movie hits the 7 - 10 split in every respect for the genre. Blood, guts, sex and bowling, what else is better in this world?
This movie strikes me as a brilliant edition to cheese ball ideas gone way too right in horror cinema. If you get a chance to see this gem definitely do it, you'll laugh, you'll cringe, you'll get wood!
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After the tragic death of their mother when they were children, twin sisters Agata and Catalina Hameran developed a special skill, a way of communicating without speaking, a link between them. After a mysterious accident on Kilometer 31, Agata falls into a coma. Catalina, thanks to their link, feels the pain and tragedy that her sister is going through at the time of the accident. Following a series of supernatural events, Catalina realizes that their link is stronger than ever and that her sister Agata is screaming for help from her unconscious state. Catalina is now determined to find out what really happened to her sister in order to help her wake up. Nuño, Agata's long time friend, and Omar, Catalina's boyfriend, agree to help her. But they soon find out that not only is Agata in a coma, but she is also trapped between reality and an ancient legend, the legend of La Llorona.
Since I hadn't seen a really good (new) horror flick for quite some time and since the last bunch of Spanish horrors that I've seen proved to be pretty great my expectations for KM 31 were, well, not really high but definitely there and I figured I was in for an interesting watch. Well this Mexican/Spanish film started off in a very good way and had a build-up that was intriguing, not to mention unsettling enough. But like with most films it unfortunately did not last all the way; the last 20 minutes or so were packed with CGI and CGI these days just makes me feel bad, really bad, at least when we're talking horror flicks.
But despite the CGI KM 31 is definitely not all that bad, it actually has lots going for it and like I mentioned earlier, the very build-up is excellent. It's even a bit freaky at times and halfway through I loved what I had playing before me on the screen. It's just too darn bad it didn't last all the way. The horror's definitely there and the good story creates both fear and tension, at least bits of it.
 
The story is about Agata Hameran who hits a boy when driving through the kilometer 31 of a very lonely road. When she goes out to take a look at the boy she just hit, another car comes along and hits her leaving lying bleeding on the deserted road. Her sister Catalina senses that something has happened to her sister, (yeah I know it sounds dumb), and heads for the road to find that something did actually happen to her sister. Weird thing though is that the boy Agata hit is nowhere to be found. Together with her guy Nuno and Agata's boyfriend Omar, Catalina later returns to kilometer 31 to find out what really happened to her sister and what she finds is something supernatural...
Blood and gore fans beware, this is not one of those movies. But for people who appreciates a good dreadful story and unsettling psychology in their horror, this one may be of interest. I dug it for sure and the first hour or so was absolutely great. I hated the CGI at the end but overall I didn't hate the flick, but I'm not sure if I'd recommend it either. If you get into the story of the film it will probably deliver a couple of scares, at least it'll deliver a chill down your spine somewhere along the way, only problem though is that the fear won't stick. When it comes to acting it's all top-notch and I prefer movies like this over Hollywood flicks any day of the week. The cinematography is excellent and the very film itself looks bleak, yet hauntingly beautiful. But as we all know, looks can be deceiving...
Awesome build-up, great cast, good story (at least 75 percent of it), and great cinematography/photography. Too darn bad it didn't last all the way though. But maybe you should give it a try despite of what I say huh, because who knows, you may end up finding it an excellent piece of film.
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Alone in a Paris plagued by deadly race riots the young and beautiful Yasmine is looking for a way out. In her desperation she turns to her shady ex-boyfriend. Together with his two thug friends they pull off a bold heist and head for the border. With the police close behind they hide out in a seemingly peaceful inn. But the mysterious innkeeper is hiding a secret more terrifying than anything they could ever imagine. Trapped in an endless maze of tunnels crawling with hungry subhuman cannibals they must fight to survive their bloody initiation into the innkeeper's evil family cult.
Let me start by saying that if you're only gonna watch one horror film this year, (which you of course shouldn't), let that film be FRONTIER(S). Why you say? Well my friend, the reasons are many but they're all very good reasons indeed. While the story (like so many others before this one) borrows kinda heavily from TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, FRONTIER(S) still manages to stand out in its own extremely grisly way. First off it's a movie from France and only that lifts it up quite a lot since these foreign flicks oftentimes have a tendency to come off as way more realistic than any Hollywood flick out there. And while it has that going for it, it also has a gritty yet beautiful look, great actors, great drama, tons of gore and splatter, and scene after scene that delivers what you want a real horror movie to deliver.
 
Throughout the film, the gore is a number of times over-the-top but what separates it from many other flicks that also features over-the-top gore is that those gory scenes never comes off as tacky. They're just massive but never laughable and all has an eerie feel to them, which is just great. The story is simple but works wonders and is about a group of people who flee Paris during the violent aftermath of a political election. Split up in two different cars, the group is heading for Amsterdam but stop at a motel on the way there, located in the lonely French country side. That of course is a big mistake because the owners of the motel are a cannibalistic Nazi family(!) Obviously, after having arrived at the motel, the shit hits the fan pretty quick and makes for one major blood bath that every horror fan definitely should check out.
Now, while this film is packed with gore, dismemberment, cannibalism and horrific torture scenes, it also has some drama to offer and it's easy to get attached to the characters really quick. I can't say that they're truly likable but after seeing the shit they have to go through, you just can't help but to root for them. Unlike HOSTEL, one did not have to sit through bad acting, worthless dialogue, tacky T&A, and a pointless first 30-or-so-minutes before anything remotely interesting happened. FRONTIER(S) set the mood real fast and it didn't take too long before it got to the "good stuff", and after that it just kept getting more and more violent and never stopped until the credits started to roll. Excellent!
If you're a horror fan who appreciates when things are taken to the max, you'll love FRONTIER(S). This is one of those movies that mainstream horror fans will think is just way too much and that's ALWAYS a very good sign. Yet again, Hollywood definitely has something to learn here. Check this baby out, it's highly recommended.
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A psycho named Karl goes on a killing spree in the woods, that's about it.
As soon as I found out about the title of this movie, I had to seek it out for it surely is the best horror movie title ever (apart from maybe "Zombie 90: Extreme Pestilence). After watching it, I can definitely say that it truly lives up to its moniker for it's most definitely VIOLENT, and it's also most definitely SHIT. After a pointless and amateurish introduction we are treated to a pointless and amateurish middle section, and then a pointless and amateurish end.
Of course this film is extremely low budget, and so its bad points must be taken with a pinch of salt. This is however hard as it surely must be one of the worst backyard horror films I've ever seen, the acting is terrible and the plot is nonexistent - all features which add up to a truly horrible viewing experience. Of course I shouldn't be criticising a film called "Violent Shit" as it surely does exactly what it says on the tin, but it really is THAT shit.
However let's get to the VIOLENT part, does it live up to its name in this sense? The answer in short is yes. The gore here is so totally over the top and disgusting (albeit quite badly done in some cases) that the title could have been "Absolutely Offensive and Revolting Rubber Gory Shit". For example, we have a man being chainsawed in half (quite well done), a man having his penis severed (terribly done) to the worst set-piece, a woman have her entrails pulled out of her nether-regions. The film is all about the gore as the rest of it only serves to set up the next piece of splatter. The other parts of the film consist of unbelievably long driving scenes, mostly involving camper-vans with POLICE painted on the side, and extremely long stalking scenes devoid of any suspense whatsoever.
So if you watch the film for anything, watch it for the gore, which although quite badly done, is at least inventive for a low budget movie; in all honesty it's probably best to fast forward to all the gore scenes as they're the only part worth watching. It is also of note to mention the ending which is so totally demented that it will leave many people either totally confused or downright offended, whether there is some meaning there or Schnaas just wanted to offend as many people as he could, I don't know, and frankly I don't really care either.
A total gore-fest that is almost impossible to sit through due to complete boredom sounds strange, but Schnaas has done it with "Violent Shit". Only for those who aim to see every underground horror movie made as pretty much EVERY mainstream horror movie fan will turn off after 30 seconds. Its only saving grace as if it wasn't for this, we wouldn't have "Violent Shit 3: Infantry of Doom" and "Nikos the Impaler" which are both brilliant.
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Arthur and his brother George crash their car in the small town of Paris, Australia and unfortunately George is killed. Arthur survives and slowly discovers that car accidents are more common in Paris than is usual, he also finds leaving the town more difficult than it should be. Add to this an escalating feud between the youths and the adults of the town and Arthur finds himself in a far worse situation than he first thought...
Having only seen two of Peter Weir's films ("The Truman Show" and "Master and Commander") I didn't have any idea what to expect from "The Cars That Ate Paris" as both the aforementioned movies were totally different. Well seeing as "Cars" was a film made very early in Weir's career the oddities and quirks that are present especially in "The Truman Show" are evident here, only multiplied by about ten. "Cars" is such a strange movie that I hadn't decided whether I liked it or not by the half-way mark, luckily by the end I had and I must say that I did enjoy it, if not only for its eccentricity but also its interesting premise (which unfortunately I didn't feel was sufficiently explored).
Without ruining too much of the storyline, the town of Paris seem to cause car accidents on purpose, then salvage the wreckages and add them to their city or use them as Death Race-alike destruction derby cars. Upon surviving his accident, Arthur slowly begins to discover these strange activities and as a result is effectively imprisoned in the town. He also begins to notice the continuing unruly actions of the youth of the town who seems to be plotting some sort of uprising.
 
The film certainly provides the viewer with a restrained but obvious sense of unease through the strange actions of the townsfolk and brief glimpses of the results of a scientist's experiments (something that again is not fully explored). The lack of bright colours also adds to the disquieting nature of the film and it always seems as though something terrible is going to happen any minute, something which works to the films advantage as were it not for this impending sense of terror I could see many viewers turning off.
Unfortunately the actions of the members of Paris are never properly explained and the film could as a result seem to many viewers largely pointless. If you require a reason behind the peculiarity then you'll be disappointed but if you indulge purely in the interesting ideas on display then you'll end up having a good time. It also helps that the acting is spot on, with Terry Camilleri as Arthur a delight to watch, his naïve and quiet demeanour depicting a likeable character who, despite his flaws, is a truly engaging protagonist.
The film is also dialogue-light with many scenes containing no speech at all and often focusing entirely on the titular cars driving around in circles or crashing into one another. This combined with the static camera work and many un-relatable characters will alienate many viewers but I felt it all added to the peculiar attraction of the movie. It is also of note to mention that sometimes this film is billed as a horror-comedy, however, aficionados of this particular genre will find no typical elements of comedy present. Although there is an underlying sense of black humour, there are no belly laughs to be found.
An enjoyably eccentric piece of subdued filmmaking that will definitely not be for everyone, especially horror fans, as it only briefly displays elements of the horror genre. It definitely picks up the pace towards the end once it delivers an exciting climatic showdown and so both halves of the film deliver in their different ways. Definitely recommended to those who like their horror subtle and served with a bit of mystery and intrigue rather than in-your-face violence and gore.
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After a girls' school trip to Hanging Rock in Victoria on Valentine's Day 1900, three students and a teacher go missing. The film follows the events leading up to, during and after the disappearance.
Almost straight away it is clear that this film differs from the norm. The soft lighting, softer acting and the eerie flute-based score all combine to conjure a truly unsettling opening. The way that the girls talk and act seems almost robotic and makes them seem un-relatable and thus the world in which they inhabit seems other-worldly. I could quite easily see people laughing at the way everyone seems to act in the film (I did to begin with) as they all seem so distant and thoroughly amazed by anything and everything around them. However, as the film progresses it is obvious that the entire mood of the film is suited to their soft speech and fairy-like actions.
This film is certainly not a horror film as such, in that it doesn't contain the expected elements required of most genre-buffs and will definitely not satisfy the gore-hounds out there. What it does do however is unsettle in the extreme, in thatas it is rarely an enjoyable film to watch, with the events it portrays being unpleasant and the way it presents them disorientating. It displays subtle elements of horror in this fashion, and without using shock-tactics it still remains frightening.
 
The build up to the incident introduces the characters and settings and is strange enough, but it is once the girls get to the rock that the true weirdness arises and the actual disappearance is a disturbing sequence of events that remains with you throughout the rest of the film. The reamining parts concern efforts to discover what happened on the rock and although many questions are asked, none are ever really answered. This however only adds to the disquieting nature of the whole film and any answer would have ruined the ending. (It is interesting to note that Joan Lindsay, the author of the original book actually wrote an ending but didn't include it at the last minute. This was a good idea, because on reading the ending it most definitely ruins the ambiguity of the open-ending.)
The acting is slightly off-kilter from everyone, (I particularly enjoyed Dominic Guard's performance) but this is clearly intended and doesn't mar the film to any extent, the cinematography is vast and makes use of beautiful locations, including Hanging Rock itself which is a breathtaking natural phenomenon. Weir definitely achieved a dreamlike sensation with the direction of the film and his technique certainly evokes a sense of confusion, along with a fascination for the events and characters.
Definitely not for everyone's tastes, and not a true horror film, but certainly an unsettling experience and a genuinely artful piece of filmmaking.
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Codex Atanicus is a three story anthology by Spanish director Carlos Atanes. Before watching the movie I never heard of the guy, but the introduction video on the DVD by one of his regular actresses Arantxa Peña made me realize that I'm in for a hell of a ride. Experimental, bizarre, sick, strange - these are some of the words that describe the stories contained in Codex Atanicus.
The anthology is opened by a 20 minute short from 1995 called Metaminds & Metabodies. I am really not into this kind of experimental videos, but I will try to summarize. It opens with a girl singing in the club. Everything looks ultra underground and the girl is connected with some wires to the walls. Strange people are watching her, some guy starts eating her "contract", another girl enters and kicks random weirdos and to top it - we get a girl (Arantxa Peña) that so much loves cocaine that the bartender says her nipples are made of it. Wtf? Yeah - I was dazed and confused, but the visual style and the overall strangeness made me totally enjoy it. I didn't have the "brain power" to understand all of it (if there is something to understand), but it was cool to watch.
The second story, shot year after the first one introduces a young woman that really wants to work on a movie by "famed" Carlos Atanes. While the first couple of minutes were linear, when she meets Carlos everything goes spiraling down, up, left and right. Out of a sudden Carlos is meeting a girl with Praying Mantis type of an arm, some guy is being killed by a "throw away" bloody fetus and to finish in style - we get a massive bukkake scene. I don't know if the sperm was real, but I would say I am 99% sure - Carlos Atanes could deliver this without a doubt.
"Welcome to Spain" is closing this anthology. It is an extremely bizarre offering which is basically concentrated around a sick interaction between 4 people on a staircase. You don't know what is happening, but just imagine a combo of: puking in other people mouths, chickens flying around, eating rusty nails, fighting to the death for a food plate and masturbation. Out of the three, this one generated the most WTF's in my head.
Definitely not a story collection for everyone. Carlos Atanes makes completely strange scenarios very interesting with his powerful visuals. While I though this would be some crappy experimental wannabe art master piece, I must say that I quite enjoyed it. This is the first thing I need to show to my movie watching buddies.
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ALTERNATIVE TITLE:
MOVIE YEAR: 2007
DIRECTOR: Carlos Atanes
WRITING CREDITS: Carlos Atanes
GENRE: Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi
CAST: Arantxa Peña, Manel Solás, Antonio Vladimir
COUNTRY: Spain
RUNTIME: 81 min
RATING: 5/10
Codex Atanicus Website/IMDB
Codex Atanicus Trailer Click here
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