"All The Boys Love Mandy Lane" is one of the better modern day slasher films. The 2006 movie stars Amber Heard(Zombieland) as the girl at school that everybody wants a piece of.
This gritty little indie slasher has been met with high critical praise, and garnered it's self cult status. It's also managed to do this having never seen the light of day in the states. Most people that have seen the film in the states, have either had to import the DVD in a PAL format, or try to get their hands on a bootleg. Look, I've seen the film, It's good. It rivals any horror film currently playing at the theater, so what's the fucking deal? Did StudioCanal suddenly decide they don't like money?
Look, I have a hell of a review for this movie in my head, I have for three years, but all I've had the chance to see has been a bootleg. While I know it's not likely that any changes have been made to the retail cut of the film, that's not the point. To quote big worm from "Friday", "There's principalities involved." I refuse to review this movie until I'm given a proper NTSC retail disc. Come on, do you not understand? There are people out here that want to give you money. What say you quench our thirst to help you pay your lexus bill?
One trip to IMDB would clue you in on a little controversy over the film Repo Men. Despite beginning it's early writing stages in 2003, people seem to think that it's a "Rip off" of a film titled "Repo! The Genetic Opera." Personally, I never got around to seeing that film, so I thought I would write this movie up, to give you a perspective from fresh eyes.
It was hard for me to watch Repo Men, and not think of our current situation here in the states. Despite the sensationalism(ripping someone's prosthetic organ out in broad daylight.) It wasn't hard for me to imagine our health care system ending up like the one depicted in the film. It also has some sharp commentary related to our current financial system as well. Is it so hard to conceive that this world is possible, if we continue to let corporate greed dominate our health care system, instead of evolving like the rest of the civilized world did 30 years ago? Is it so hard to believe that, without some financial reform, the trend will continue to purposefully pursue borrowers who could never possibly pay back their debt?
Now, that rant is over, let's get into the film. Repo Man is set in the not-to-distant future. A future where any body part can be replaced, so long as you have the money to pay. When you don't, that's where Remy(Jude Law) and Jake(Forest Whitaker) come in. Remy, and Jake are work for the Repo union, collecting organs back from patients who couldn't make their payments. Though it's a neat idea, we aren't treated with much of this in action. That's not necessarily a bad thing, just an observation. Most of the story is spent on the concept of the collector, becoming the collected. Liev Schrieber put's in my absolute favorite performance of his spanning his entire career. He plays the sleazy executive role to the T. "Gimme yer fuckin heart." he says, in such a matter of fact sort of way, I loved it.
Repo Men is surprisingly brutal, and gory. Most of the gore doesn't even come from the repossession scenes, but the fight scenes at the end of the movie. At the halfway mark, I wasn't thrilled with this movie, the third act had me grinning ear to ear. The ending had me worried, but payed off after-all. I've seen some pretty bad reviews for this movie, but I feel they were expecting something from the movie that wasn't promised to begin with. It's mostly a brutally dark sci-fi/action film, but it does have it's moments of intelligence. With social commentary that's underlying, and doesn't smack the viewer in the face, I can recommend this movie to anyone looking to have a good time.
June 9 follows Derek boggman and his four friends, who during their summer vacation decide to make a video of their pranks, and trips into a neighboring town, Boston Mills, that's surrounded by many dark legends and has been dubbed the nickname hell town. Showing footage of their various activities leading up the day in question June 9 1999.
Ok, this movie really has me torn as far as do I like it? Do I hate it? Or do I Love it? On the surface what we have is just another Blair witch project clone, and for the most part it really does feel like they took the same script, and just switched out the legends for those surrounding hell town. Boston Mills Ohio, might I add is a real place and the name hell town surrounding the area is very much real, as well a lot of the locations they spoke of in the film, and shot at, I have been to myself.
Now with that out of the way, I have to say that the movie has a very slow, almost unbearable pace. There were many times where I almost didn't finish watching, because it just seemed like a bunch of kids doing random jackass style pranks, and getting stoned with their camcorder. Then I think to myself when I was that age and what my friends and I would of most likely done if we would of had a camera and it does paint a pretty accurate picture of a group of friends in that age group, growing up in a small boring town. So I pressed on, getting tidbits here and there of the many stories of the Boston Mills area, enough to keep me mildly interested.
Now the movie really doesn't make all that much sense unless you stick around and make it to the end, and your reward for sitting through well over an hour of filler, and viva la bam meets ghost hunters footage, is a beautiful montage of realistic violence. The makeup was nothing expensive in fact I'd say this movie was shot with very little money, but it was real, and gritty. The sound effects during all of this are also very impressive, and give you that sense of realism you just can't get with CGI. I have to admit after seeing the ending, and remembering the intro sequence, and all of what I thought was bullshit filler together in one package, it made me step back and say Wow. The end score may seem low after I raved about the ending, but when all is said and done, its hard to ignore the fact that I almost didn't make it through the movie, and how uninteresting much of the movie really was. If you have nothing else to watch, give it a shot, but don't bump it to the top of your to see list, there's no need to hurry when it comes to June 9.
Lake Mungo tells the tragic story of sixteen year old Alice Palmer, who drowned while swimming in the town's local dam. What seemed like an open and shut case of accidental death, would soon be turned upside down with the start of strange events within her home. Revealing a girl who kept many shocking secrets to herself about her life that would ultimately lead to finding out the truth behind her death, and the events leading up to her final day.
Going into these supernatural thrillers that are based on true events, I'm usually very skeptical of it having any chance at being good. Let me just start off by saying, I was a paranormal investigator for many years, and worked on many cases, so I know most of the tricks of the trade. This movie does a very good job at portraying paranormal phenomenon in a very realistic and respectful way. It's shot frame by frame in documentary format, much like the old television series Unsolved Mysteries, telling you the story of Alice by using interview footage of family and friends, and reenactments of key events of the case. If you are a fan of the reality paranormal shows, you're going to enjoy this movie a lot more than let's say, Paranormal Activity, as it really sticks to the facts without going overboard and that's the way I prefer it. After all, a lot of the time the truth is scarier than anything Hollywood can come up with.
The acting in this movie is very believable, it really makes you feel like you're looking at the actual people involved and not actors reenacting their story, unlike a lot of the documentary style movies, they do a great job at showing the families emotions during tough times. The multiple story twists should keep you interest peaked from start to finish but be warned, if you're looking for high budget, over the top special effects, or Hollywood's take on ghosts this is not the film for you. But for all you who are interested in true ghost stories and enjoy paranormal documentaries, and reality shows, I would give this one a shot. One final note I'd like to say I found this movie to be excellent proof that a low budget movie with a strong story can be just as good and many times better than a multimillion dollar Hollywood blockbuster. Budget doesn't mean better. In the end, if your story is weak your movie will be weak too.
Splinter was one of the biggest surprises for me in 2009. After a very limited theatrical run in late 2008, it was finally released on DVD in April of 2009. Splinter is one of those movies that was never given a fare shake. It's technically a straight to video movie, but it was better than almost everything that hit the theaters that year. Had this film been given the proper marketing campaign, and given a Halloween theatrical date, it would have raked in the dough for the studio.
Splinter is a "body snatchers" style film, with some flare. it's gritty, claustrophobic, brutal, bloody, and beautiful. Shea Wigham puts in a stellar performance, as does the rest of the cast. Toby Wilkins does a good job at creating characters, without much time for character development. You really feel for all involved, which adds yet another level of suspense.
The effects are fantastic. The crew really got it right here, no nasty CGI mucking up the scenes, just beautifully executed practical effects. Also, the "Creature" is never really shown on screen long enough tor you to get a good look at it, couple that with the fact that it replicates it's victims, and it's nerve racking. You're constantly worried about which nook and cranny of this cramped convenience store our creature is going to jump out of. We're also treated to one of the most brutal, good looking amputation scenes in cinema history. Even if you're not easily bothered by the separation of limbs from their host, you're sure to flinch when it goes down.
I had the pleasure of viewing Splinter a couple of years ago, before it finally made it's debut, and this really garnered Toby Wilkins a spot on my list of directors who will likely lead us into the next generation of horror. If you like brutal, gritty, gory, claustrophobic films, set to the backdrop of a body snatcher invasion, you'll be pleasantly surprised with Splinter.
Staunton Hill follows a group of young friends hitchhiking their way to a rally in D.C., but when their paths cross with an all too eager to help stranger, their lives take a horrible turn. Their journey to the home of the Stauntons, a crazed redneck family who's involved in a very grisly, and blood soaked trade.
The storyline itself is your basic cookie cutter Texas Chainsaw Massacre type deal. You have it all from the racist gas station owner, the mysterious stranger who just wants to lend a helping hand, the abandoned farmhouse, and your over the top religious crazed hillbillies, one of which who happens to be retarded to some degree. The film takes a very long time to get anywhere. The buildup seems like it will go on forever, which caused me to lose interest quite a few times along the way. The directors attempts to show you bonds and relationships between the main characters falls short, and most of the time seemed like needless filler, only there to extend the films length.
Now the movie's only high point its beautiful special effects make up. The gore in this film is amazing, and stays true to the old school latex and buckets of blood formula that I will always love. That's right ladies and gentlemen, no CGI gore to be found in this flick, just good old get your hands dirty make up.
But in the end, the gore isn't enough to save this movie. I have to say, going in, I had high hopes for this flick, as a very big fan of George's I was hoping to see his son breathe new life into the namesake. Let's hope his next film is better than this ultimately weak attempt at a movie that's been way over done since the success of rob zombie's House of 1000 corpses.
The After Dark Horrorfest has been hit and miss. The past 2 years have been outstanding compared to the first 2. Although there were some gems here and there, "Borderlands" and "Mullberry St" comes to mind. There was also some complete crap, like "Nightmare Man." This years crop of "8 Films to die for" have arrived, and it's time to put them up on the chopping block.
The first film of the series that I decided to watch was "The Final." First time director Joey Stewart gives us a blend of torture, and columbine. A group of high school students have become fed up with the constant bullying, and have decided to take action. They've concocted this elaborate plan to anonymously invite the "cool kids" to a costume party. Unfortunately for them, teen angst, promiscuous sex, and under age drinking is not part of the plan.
This flick has me conflicted. I did enjoy it on some levels, but on others, I felt the execution could have been better. I can appreciate the good idea. And I always enjoy when someone takes an old story, and makes it feel new, but there was a lot of unnecessary elements to the film, and with a running time of only 93 minutes, that's a critical error. My main problem with the film is the pacing. We're not treated with enough character development to honestly feel for any of the characters. It's obvious who the bad guys are supposed to be, but we don't know these kids enough to give a shit one way or the other. Another example would be the over the top "nam vet" character. When told that there are children being murdered, and to call the police, he elects instead, to tie the messenger to the chair, and go on a rant about being a hero, and being treated poorly when the war was over. I understand that his character was necessary to advance the story, but he didn't have to be written so ridiculously.
Despite my ranting, I did enjoy "The Final." I just felt that it could have been better. Also, if you're looking for tons of gore, you may want to skip this entry into the horrorfest. There's a few scenes of violence, none of which the budget allowed to be graphic. This doesn't hinder the film in my opinion, as you work with what you have, and I understand that. I just figured, since the ADHF has become known for over the top gore, I'd throw a warning out to the gore hounds. I'd recommend a rental on this film. It's definitely worth checking out, but I doubt you'll feel the need for multiple viewings.
Since the 1960's a very large number of the population of Alaska are reported missing every year. The FBI has launched thousands of separate investigations of the region. But still the truth remains unknown.
The Fourth Kind follows the story of psychologist Dr Abigail Tyler whose research would turn out to be some of the most terrifying and thought provoking evidence of alien abductions to date. After beginning the use of hypnosis on multiple residents of Gnome Alaska the discovery of some of the scariest video and audio footage of repressed memories of abductees would be made. When a UFO is sighted it is considered an encounter of the first kind, when evidence is collected, it is known as an encounter of the second kind. When contact is made with a life form is it considered the third kind. And then the most horrifying of them all is when a person is abducted which is known as an encounter of the fourth kind.
By combining the use of "real" archive footage blended in with the actual movie The Fourth Kind creates a level of uneasiness I haven't felt from watching an Alien Abduction movie since Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Its presentation sticks to the facts and creates such an ultra realistic atmosphere it's hard to believe you're watching a movie and not a full on documentary at times. The acting by everyone involved is top notch and believable and because of that I found this film to be very intense at times. The editing and camera work is amazing and a very important part of the movie really adding to its ability to evoke emotion. I promise you after you watch this film you will be analyzing every out of the ordinary dream you have for many months to come. And never again will you look at an Owl without feeling the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. A real reason to fear what goes bump in the night I highly recommend The Fourth Kind to anyone interested in the phenomenon or anyone looking for a good scare.
Before I start this analysis, let me clear something up. I am one of the biggest Romero fanboys on the planet. If the title of our blog didn't tip you off, Romero is one of the biggest influences on me, and my quest into the horror genre. The past two films in his "Dead" series has severely divided the fan base. A lot of people loathed both Land, and Diary of the dead. For me though, I was still on board. While they weren't Romero's best zombie films, they were better than most other films that were being entered into the sub-genre. Land, to me, felt like the logical next step after Day. My point is, I've always been on board for the dead movies, even with those that were met with critical attacks, but I just can't hang in there with the new entry, "Survival of the Dead."
Survival of the Dead follows 'Sarge Crocket(Alan Van Sprang) of the U.S. National Guard, whom you may, or may not remember making an appearance in "Diary of the Dead." Survival follows this group of guardsman who've gone rogue, robbing, stealing, and killing their way to survival.
The main problem, among many, with "Survival" is the script and screenplay. Some terrible performances all around. Cheesy, out of place dialogue, unwarranted, violent outbreaks of screaming rage. There are no likable characters in the film. Everybody is in the wrong, there's nobody to root for, and you wouldn't really mind everyone just being shot in the face. Another problem with the film is that we're treated with some of the worst CGI FX I've ever seen, especially in a Romero film. Most of the gore looks like it was drawn in by the creators of Dr. Katz. It doesn't blend, it's not attractive, and it kind of makes your stomach hurt to think about it. One of the things that always stuck out in my head with Romero films were the amazing practical effects. Granted, we have mostly Tom Savini to thank for that, but regardless, there are plenty of FX crews out there, capable of creating jaw dropping effects using practical means. Had Romero went the practical way, I might have found myself enjoying the film more than I did.
If you're as big of a fan of Romero's original trilogy as I am, you'll more than likely be left sorely disappointed with Survival of the Dead. If you're one of the detractors of Land, and Diary, you'll be guaranteed to absolutely hate Survival. As harsh as this review has been, Survival still manages to sort of feel like a Romero film, by which I mean, a Romero zombie film at it's worst, is still better than most zombie films. It's worth watching once if you're as huge of a fan of the man as I am, but remember, I warned you. If you can't handle disappointment very well, you may want to skip it. All I can say is, I hope this doesn't end up being his last film. George is getting up there in age, and I hope he has one more chance to send the dead saga out with a bang.
A sequel. I should end my review right there. But in the interest of taking up useless e-space, I'll continue. For me, The Descent Part 2 had 2 strikes against it before the opening credits rolled. Director Neil Marshall has not stepped back behind the camera to further his already finished story and the sequel is a continuation of the North American ending. Now, if you're one of the special people who were able to see the original a year, or maybe more before the North American release, you'll know that the original ending is superior in every way. It wraps the story up, and fits in with the rest of the film's bleak, hopeless tone. I'm not sure if studios feel that us American's are stupid, or if we just are too fragile to handle a down ending, but whatever the case, our protagonist survives. Found running through the woods, caked in blood, she's rushed to the hospital. Found to remember nothing upon initial questioning, the sheriff leading the search for the other missing girls decides the best course of action is to take this woman-in-shock directly back to the place that caused her the trauma.
Somehow, The Descent 2 manages to continue where the first film leaves off, but feel like a complete cash-in at the same time. Some scenarios are lifted directly from the original. In the first film, the overwhelming sense of claustrophobia was treated as a character in the movie. It's one of the reasons the first film was so effective. Seeing those petite women barely making it through the holes in the cave left you feeling uneasy. This is not present in the sequel. In fact, the sheriff is a pretty big guy. I'm not going to say he was fat, but he's definitely built, and he manages to move with ease throughout the corridors. The original actresses return to reprise the roles of Sarah, and Juno, whom is somehow still alive, even though we heard her screaming while she was torn to shreds in the first film. Apparently, in her 2 days of surviving the creatures in the cave, she's become some sort of commando, hunting down and killing the cave's inhabitants. She has a short part, and half of her part is spent completely silent. They try to describe it away by saying something to the extent of "Silence is your best weapon" but it feels tacked on.
One of the biggest problems with the sequel is it's pacing. In the original, we weren't even introduced to the creatures until like an hour into the film. The entire first hour was spent on character development, and building suspense. We knew they weren't alone, they knew they weren't alone, but the menacing creatures weren't really introduced until the third act. Here, it's as if the director just wanted to get to the killing as quickly as possible. We don't know anything about most of the characters, and we don't care when they are killed off. In the original, you could tell that all the girls were close friends, and you could tell that when one of them was picked off, it effected the rest of the characters. Another problem I had were with some of the special effects. Don't get me wrong, there is some decent gore in The Descent 2, including one hell of an amputation scene, but there was something wrong with the blood. It's as if the special effects team have never actually seen blood before. When characters are wounded, we're treated with an arterial spray of what appears to be Cambpell's tomato soup, in both color and consistency. All in all though, it's a watchable flick. It's loaded with problems, some forgivable, some not(Random, unexplained twist ending.) But I've seen worse movies, and certainly worse sequels.(Butterfly Effect 2?) But if you enjoyed the creatures in the first film, you'll probably find something to like about the sequel, just don't expect it to be anywhere close to the brilliance of the original, and you'll have fun.
Burrowers is a western/horror hybrid, set in 1879 in the Dakota Territories. A few pioneers have settled outside of civilization. Will Parcher, played by William Mapother(Lost, The Grudge) is attempting to 'swoon the poon' of Gertrude played by Laura Leighton. In a brutal nighttime attack, the survivors of a family are abducted. Being set in 1879, suspicion is automatically directed towards "Indians." A group of soldiers, slaves, and cowboys set out on a journey to retrieve the missing family members, and kill the Indians responsible. Along their journey, they start to notice a pattern of strange holes in the ground, and soon learn that what they are up against is far worse than Indians, or even humans.
My one gripe about this film is it's sort of slow at times. There is some decent CG blood and gore throughout, and for being a straight to DVD film, it's loaded with beautiful settings and cinematography.
For the most part, the acting in the film exceeds acceptability, but being a pseudo "Period piece" you have to expect some level of cheese. All of the parts in the film are played well though, so if you normally stray away from straight to dvd movies for this reason, you're good to go here.
If you're looking for something a little different, and the concept of a game of "Whack-A-Mole from hell" appeals to you, check The Burrowers out on DVD.
"All The Boys Love Mandy Lane" is one of the better modern day slasher films. The 2006 movie stars Amber Heard(Zombieland) as the girl at school that everybody wants a piece of.
