Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category

The Possession of Michael King Review

Posted: August 16, 2014 in Horror, Reviews
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

The Possession of Michael KingThis is what horror for grown ups looks like.

The Possession of Michael King is a terrifying tale well told with solid performances throughout the cast, a smart script, and technical wizardry that all combine to deliver a story with an escalating sense of nihilism and dread, more than enough jolts of terror, a smattering of gore, and a taste of real taboo. In short, this flick has all the ingredients necessary for a superior scary movie. In his first feature film, director/screenwriter David Jung announces himself as a force within the genre and gives horror fans an unexpected and genuine treat. (more…)

Crawl or Die Review

Posted: August 13, 2014 in Horror, Reviews, Science Fiction
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
2

COD3Crawl or Die has two things going for it, the first being the title. The exhortation with threatening consequences invokes a warm, familiar feeling for fans of the exploitation genre. And yet, how great would it have been if the movie had been released with its original title, Crawl Bitch Crawl? That name alone would have guaranteed the movie’s admission into a score of film festivals, while simultaneously generating invaluable attention and publicity from the professionally outraged and easily offended among us. Director/writer/editor/cinematographer/producer/set designer Oklahoma Ward promises a sequel at the end of this one, and the film’s official web site is http://www.crawlordietrilogy.com, so there’s still a chance for this Hall of Fame-level title to find its way into the record books.

(more…)

The Midnight Game Review

Posted: August 11, 2014 in Horror, Reviews
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

Midnight GameThe Midnight Game plays out like a loving homage to 80’s horror flicks, but with PG-13 love and horror. The sex is limited to a brief make out session, and the horror mostly to shadows and bumps in the night. The end result is an old fashioned scary movie that invokes more nostalgia than fear. Younger viewers new to the genre can safely cut their teeth on this offering before moving on to more intense fare.

Five high schoolers have an impromptu slumber party when Mom goes out of town, after admonishing young Kaitlan (Renee Olstead) to the last moment, “No parties, no boys.” Kaitlan’s sleepover friends, Rose (Shelby Young) and Jenna (Valentine de Angelis), have a different idea and invite Shane (Guy Wilson) and Jeff (Spencer Daniels) and beer to the festivities.

(more…)

The Maid’s Room Review

Posted: August 10, 2014 in Reviews, Thriller
Tags: , , , ,
2

The Maid's RoomMidway through The Maid’s Room, a middling thriller centered on the familiar question of what happens when an illegal alien witnesses illegal activities, director/screenwriter Michael Walker abandons the obvious and takes an unexpected left turn in a narrative that is painfully predictable to that point. Walker jettisons expectations and conventions and gives the viewer hope that the filmmaker may have something truly original in his pocket. Unfortunately, Walker squanders the opportunity, and the movie sputters without momentum until a complete cock-up of an ending that satisfies no one. (more…)

At the Devil’s Door Review

Posted: August 9, 2014 in Horror, Reviews
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

at-the-devils-door-8Once or twice each NASCAR season, a car near the lead, maybe even in first place, will run out of gas on the last lap. Instead of racing to triumph, the driver does his or her best just to nurse the car across the finish line. The NASCAR metaphor is an apt description of what happens in the horror film, At the Devil’s Door. After roaring ahead of its genre competition for the better part of its 93-minute runtime, the movie runs out of gas and ideas in its final ten minutes and resorts to clichés to limp to the end credits. The absence of a strong finish is particularly notable for a film that successfully avoids the obvious, while delivering some real jolts and two terrific twists along the way. (more…)

Frontera Review

Posted: August 3, 2014 in Action, Drama, Reviews
Tags: , , , , , , ,
1

frontera04Those with strong views on the issue of immigration may find Frontera maddening. The film assiduously avoids coming down on either side of this polarizing issue. There is no macro examination here of the situation on the border between Mexico and the United States. Instead, Frontera offers a micro look at the devastating effects of the forces at play on the families on either side of the divide. Currently, a wrenching, confusing scene is playing out in the southwestern United States with unaccompanied and undocumented minors flooding across the porous border. Local authorities are overwhelmed; the federal government feeble so far in its response. The film offers no insight or answers, glib or otherwise, to what should, must, or even can be done. Frontera takes an almost old-fashioned view of the situation on the border, presenting the problem as one of young Mexican men crossing over illegally in search of employment to provide for their families.

(more…)

The Calling Review

Posted: August 2, 2014 in Drama, Reviews, Thriller
Tags: , , , , , ,
5

susan_sarandon-the_callingSusan Sarandon is a wonderful, accomplished actress, capable of a broad range of roles, but the one thing she cannot do at this stage of her career is convincingly play the part of a small-time cop investigating a series of gruesome murders. The Calling does not fail because of the casting of Sarandon as the tin badge in a one-horse, two-detective town in eastern Canada, who steals prescription pills from crime scenes and washes them down with Jim Beam, but the glacial pace of the story gives ample time to dwell on the mistake.

Sarandon plays Detective Hazel Micallef, a back surgery survivor who lives with her mom in Port Dundas – 82-year old Ellen Burstyn, who, like the 68-year old Sarandon, is an Oscar winner. The Calling stockpiles so much underused talent that it resembles the Los Angeles Dodgers outfield. Burstyn’s big scene in the film is when she falls asleep in the living room chair, leaving Sarandon and the audience to believe for a moment that she’s fallen victim to the film’s serial killer. (more…)

Wer Review

Posted: July 30, 2014 in Horror, Reviews
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

WerThe list of superior werewolf films is short, relative to other monsters in the horror genre. Among the better entries are The Wolf Man, An American Werewolf in London, The Howling, and Ginger Snaps.

You can add Wer to the list.

Unfortunately named, but effectively produced, Wer delivers what it promises: a smart, modern take on the lycanthropy myth with enough gore and gristle to satisfy hardcore fans.

Director William Brent Bell and his screenwriting partner Matthew Peterman have delivered an artistic success to follow up on their financial one, the 2012 film The Devil Inside. That movie, made on a budget of one million dollars, grossed over 53 million, but was panned by both mainstream and genre critics. Strangely, Wer, a far superior product, is not currently scheduled for wide theatrical release, but is instead making the festival rounds and is available on iTunes.

(more…)

The Damned (aka Gallows Hill) Review

Posted: July 26, 2014 in Horror, Reviews
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

DAMNEDIFCEXCPICRELEASEFEAT“The Howling Man” is an episode from the original The Twilight Zone series in which a man taking a walking tour across Europe seeks refuge in a monastery during a ferocious storm. Once there, he comes across a prisoner who accuses the monks of being zealots and begs for help. Against the monks’ warnings, the man releases the prisoner, only to realize that he has set free the devil himself.

The Damned (aka Gallows Hill) takes that basic premise and transposes it rather smartly in time, place and circumstance to Colombia, where a group of five must seek refuge in a closed hotel in the midst of a ferocious storm. They discover what they believe to be the ultimate horror: a young girl locked in the filthy basement of the decaying establishment. Naturally, they free the girl, only to discover what true horror is. (more…)

Aftermath Review

Posted: July 19, 2014 in Reviews, Thriller
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

AFTERMATHThey don’t make movies like Aftermath anymore. Full-scale nuclear war has fallen out of favor as a source of cinematic anxiety, reflecting the real world changes since the collapse of the Soviet Union 25 years ago. Oh, Hollywood will never swear off nukes all together, any more than they would give up Nazis. But now, it’s the suitcase device or the rogue nation warhead in the wrong hands. Get James Bond or Jack Bauer on the job, and badda bing, badda boom, all’s right in the world in a couple of hours, although there may be a teeny bit of collateral damage. (24 did nuke part of LA in season six, but it was just strip malls and warehouses; no good restaurants were lost in the filming.) (more…)

Older Entries
Newer Entries