This section of the blog is due to me being lazy, I mean swamped with watching so many films that I want to discuss on this blog. But I don't really have the time, so I decided to quickly [well as much as I can really] to review films I don't really want to focus too much time on. You'll be seeing these more often than not. Time for the reviews!
DIRECTED BY Jon Harris
STARRING Shauna Macdonald (Sarah Carter), Natalie Mendoza (Juno Kaplan), Krysten Cummings (Elen Rios), Gavan O'Herlihy (Sheriff Vaines), Anna Skellern (Cath), Joshua Dallas (Greg), Douglas Hodge (Dan), Michael J. Reynolds (Ed Oswald)
Genre - Horror/Monsters
Running Time - 94 Minutes
PLOT After escaping the events of THE DESCENT [U.S. ending], Sarah Carter (Shauna Macdonald) is found near a mineshaft. As she recovers at the hospital, Sheriff Vaines (Gavan O'Herlihy) questions Sarah about the events inside of the cave and the location of her missing friends. However, Sarah has short-term amnesia, repressing what had occurred. Vaines and his deputy Elen Rios (Krysten Cummings) decide to hire a search and rescue team to find the others, insisting on bringing Sarah along to jog her memory to make the search easier.
Once inside of the cave, the party is attacked by the same cave dwellers that attacked Sarah and her friends. Now remembering everything, Sarah goes back into survival mode. Unfortunately, she finds out that her friend/rival Juno (Natalie Mendoza) is still alive - fighting in the dark and pissed off that Sarah had abandoned her.
REVIEW
2005's THE DESCENT is one of my favorite horror films of the 2000s. Neil Marshall created a tense, suspenseful, and creepy atmosphere while combining some fierce girl power among the great actresses, who gave audiences some fleshed out performances that turned THE DESCENT into a multi-layered horror flick. Unfortunately, American audiences were treated to a much happier ending than what Marshall had provided audiences overseas, which helped lead to this inevitable sequel.
Although Neil Marshall only executive produces and has given the directorial reins to editor Jon Harris, THE DESCENT PART 2 is surprisingly a very good sequel that faithfully continues the story, tone, and feel of the first film without much effort. The story is fairly the same as the first, just with different [and not as interesting] characters besides Sarah and Juno, who return from the previous movie. We get the same exploration of the cave, with the same tense beats and suspenseful scenes that Marshall had given to us in the 2005 film. We get to see the same locations, with flashbacks to the original film to show us what had happened there. It's very familiar, which is a bit of a flaw, as nothing new is really provided for us. But it's still told well and directed well by Harris, who visualizes this sequel in a way that you'd still believe Marshall may have come back and directed this.
I wish some of the subtext and tension between the five friends from the original was implanted here, as the tension between the characters here is more superficial than anything. But I dug the action, as the sequences are more violent and gorier than the previous film. That rat burrowing out of a dead person's mouth is just disgusting. We get some power drills to skills. We get some amputations. All looks great. And the acting from everyone involved, especially the returning Shauna Macdonald and Natalie Mendoza, was spot on and kept you invested in what you were seeing. And I thought the ending was messed up, but in a good predictable way.
THE DESCENT PART 2 may be an unnecessary sequel in every single way, as it doesn't really add much to the original. But it's still a competently directed and acted movie with a familiar story that fans of the original will automatically feel comfortable with. It's not a must see, but if you do watch THE DESCENT PART 2, you most likely won't be disappointed.
SCORE
3 Howls Outta 4
DIRECTED BY
Louis Morneau
STARRING Ed Quinn (Charles), Guy Wilson (Daniel), Stephen Rea (Doc), Rachel DiPillo (Eva), Adam Croasdell (Stefan), Nia Peeples (Vadoma), Steven Bauer (Hyde)
Genre - Horror/Action/Werewolves/Vampires
Running Time - 93 Minutes
PLOT In a European 19th century village, a werewolf is causing chaos within the town, killing many of its citizens. Charles (Ed Quinn) is a werewolf hunter, having been traumatized as a young boy when a werewolf killed his parents right in front of him. Leading a group of bounty hunters, Charles is hired to find the werewolf and stop it from hurting any more people. A young man, and a physician's assistant, named Daniel (Guy Wilson) wants to use what he learned from the corpses of the werewolf's victims to help Charles hunt down the werewolf. His mother (Nia Peeples) disapproves, however, worried for more than just Daniel's safety. Daniel's boss (Stephen Rea) is also very concerned about Daniel's plan. As the hunters find evidence and begin trying to trap the beast, they learn that the truth is not as it seems, making them realize that one of their own may be a werewolf.
REVIEW WEREWOLF: THE BEAST AMONG US was intended to be the follow-up to 2010's Universal remake of 1941's THE WOLFMAN starring Benicio del Toro as the titular character. Unfortunately, THE WOLFMAN remake wasn't the big success Universal was hoping for, even if it was a decent retelling of the Lon Chaney original and/or the fact that Rick Baker actually won an Academy Award for his make-up effects. Maybe it's for the best that WEREWOLF isn't a direct sequel to THE WOLFMAN, since it's a pretty bland one at best.
WEREWOLF: THE BEAST AMONG US feels and looks like a SyFy Original on its Saturday night block. While the Romanian setting is inspired, it unfortunately looks pretty cheap. It also doesn't help that the actors are playing 19th century characters who speak and act as if they're from modern times. And if this is supposed to be Romania, why does the lead character speak with a typical American accent? It feels pretty disjointed. The mystery aspect of who the werewolf is becomes revealed fairly early in the film, making you wonder why bother. The added surprise element of a secondary villain is pretty cool, but it's revealed way too late and doesn't get enough of a spotlight to matter all that much. There's a decent love story though - I just wish I was a fan of the characters more to care. A lot of good elements are in play, but the execution is pretty poor unfortunately.
Director Louis Morneau, best known for CARNOSAUR 2 and THE HITCHER II: I'VE BEEN WAITING, doesn't add a whole lot of tension or interesting visual aspects that we haven't already seen before. The action sequences have okay choreography, and there's some decent gore - like amputations, beheadings, impalings, using silver teeth to bite the werewolf, etc. The CGI, while not great, isn't all that terrible either. But there's no real energy to the film, and the way things are shot at times make you wonder why Morneau would stage them so badly to lower their effectiveness. I've seen worse honestly, but this could have been a werewolf flick that should have been more fun than it was.
The acting isn't all that impressive either. Ed Quinn has the looks of a leading man, but he feels so out of place here as Charles. Guy Wilson is a bit over the top at times as Daniel. Nia Peeples just pouts the entire time, making me wonder if she had enjoyed her experience on set. Rachel DiPillo looks like a young Diane Franklin and nothing more. Stephen Rea [what the hell was he doing here?] is cashing a paycheck. At least Steven Bauer is trying to have fun, but he's barely in the film.
WEREWOLF: THE BEAST AMONG US wasn't going to be great shakes or anything. But man, I was hoping it would have entertained me more than it did. There was a lot of potential here that just went to the wayside. I think this would have made for a better television show than a full-length film. Nothing to go full moon crazy over.
SCORE
1.5 Howls Outta 4
DIRECTED BY Jeremy Saulnier
STARRING Chris Sharp (Christopher S. Hawley), Macon Blair (Macon), Stacy Rock (Lexi), Skei Saulnier (Sky), Paul Goldblatt (Paul), William Lacey (Bill), Alex Barnett (Alexander), Bill Tangradi (Zycho)
Genre - Horror/Indie/Slasher/Comedy
Running Time - 79 Minutes
PLOT It's Halloween, and a lonely nerd named Chris (Chris Sharp) randomly finds an invitation to a "Murder Party" on the sidewalk in his Brooklyn neighborhood. Realizing that he'd be spending Halloween alone with his cat, Chris creates a cardboard and aluminum foil Knight costume to go to the party. He finds the party to be held at a warehouse in a bad part of town, with five artsy people waiting for him. Attacking Chris and tying him up to a chair, our hero learns that these people are having a contest to see who could kill him in the most artistic way - the winner receiving a $300,000 grant from a pretentious prick named Alexander (Alex Barnett). As the group have sex, take drugs, and begin to turn on each other, Chris tries to find a way to escape and save himself before this Halloween is his last.
REVIEW
I had heard so many good things about 2007's MURDER PARTY, I was wondering if all the positive hype would ruin my enjoyment of the film. Luckily for me though, I had a blast watching this indie flick. Being from Brooklyn, I loved the setting and recognized some of the locations. I think it gave MURDER PARTY a lot of personality. The characters may be a bit quirky for some, but I loved them. I know artsy people like this in real life. Sure, they may not be murderers. But they need to tear each other down to feel better about themselves, or take drugs in order to gain inspiration for their art. The characters, while a bit over the top, still felt realistic in this world and I thought they all added something to the story. Alexander, in particular, is probably the best character in MURDER PARTY only because he's so shamelessly douchey, it's a thrill to watch. The fact they want to murder an innocent man just for grant money for their respective arts project isn't probably as far-fetched as many would think, but it amused me anyway. I actually thought the concept was very clever and almost original, using a lack of budget in the best and most effective way possible. Keeping it simple - that's how you do it.
Yes, the middle portion may have a bit more dialogue and not enough action for its own good. But I thought the "Truth or Dare" scene was very well done, and revealed a lot about the characters and their feelings towards each other - which in turn led to the events in the final act. Are they deep characters? Are they likable? Not in the slightest. And that'll turn some people off. But I couldn't help but laugh at their behavior and how insane they all are. Even Chris, who decided that going to a "Murder Party" was a great idea. Low-budget films should concentrate on making the narrative as interesting as possible to compensate for other aspects. I think MURDER PARTY does that very well.
Speaking of which, the make-up and gore effects aren't that badly done. And the direction isn't the most dynamic, but I loved the entire final chase scene, which concluded with a murder set-piece that did resemble some art, which was a nice touch. The actors are all better than decent, although I found Alex Barnett to be the best one as the quirky and strange Alexander. They came across as real people, despite their eccentricities - which was nice.
MURDER PARTY is a film I'm glad I finally came around to watching. It's an indie horror film done right - interesting characters, decent SFX, good acting, and inspired direction that brought a smile on my face. Maybe the whole Brooklyn hipster artsy film hit closer to home for me than it would for others, but I dug the hell out of MURDER PARTY and will continue to be a Halloween movie I will watch for years to come.
SCORE
3.5 Howls Outta 4
DIRECTED BY Bobby Roe
STARRING Brandy Schaefer - Brandy
Zack Andrews - Zack
Bobby Roe - Bobby
Mikey Roe - Mikey
Jeff Larson - Jeff
Genre - Horror/Found Footage
Running Time - 91 Minutes
PLOT Five friends in an RV decide to travel across Texas to visit and film various Halloween haunts, hoping to find the most extreme one. They also want to get into depth into the workers behind the haunts, wanting to find evidence that some of them are actually convicted criminals who use actual body parts as part of the attractions. Eventually, they learn of The Blue Skeleton - supposedly the most extreme haunt in Louisiana. But along the way, they're stopped and followed by clowns who don't seem to want to bring joy for the group.
REVIEW THE HOUSES OCTOBER BUILT was a film I heard a lot about last year - a film I wanted to see, but was dealing with personal issues at the time that unfortunately occupied my movie time. But I made it a mission to watch it this year, hoping it would be a found footage horror movie done more right than wrong. Unfortunately, I was massively disappointed by this film.
THE HOUSES OCTOBER BUILT plays out as a mix of found footage following the main characters with actual documentary footage interviewing certain people and showing news clips about these haunts. I think the concept of investigating haunts and trying to see if the people running these shows are criminals is an interesting one that would have worked a lot better if it were taken more seriously in another film. The grainy interview scenes work because they feel legit. But others, where certain workers don't want cameras around, or mess with the group, feel too fake for me to really become invested in them. I know the film isn't real, but a found footage film should FEEL real. And that's where THE HOUSES OCTOBER BUILT fails - it's just typical and generic, never really building upon its premise in an innovative or scary way.
It doesn't help that the film never gets rolling until the last twenty minutes or so, when THE HOUSES OCTOBER BUILT stops wanting to be a documentary and actually becomes a standard survival film where certain haunt workers attack the group and plan on killing them for whatever reason. It's too bad that an hour has already passed, making the last act feel a bit tardy. It also doesn't help that the main characters are pretty unlikable, with some being extremely stupid - following a lead just to be famous, knowing how dangerous it'll end up being. I can't care or relate to characters like these, which made what happened to them not as effective as the filmmakers probably wanted it to be. At least the final act had action going for it, which made it the best part of the film. But the ending was bland and had cameras where cameras shouldn't have been, taking you completely out of it. What a shame.
The direction is pretty standard found footage stuff, which means it's not great but it's not bad either. The film does look pretty though. And the actors are pretty damn good here. I believe a lot of the acting was done through improv, and it worked for the most part.
Yeah, THE HOUSES OCTOBER BUILT - not a film I would watch again in any circumstance. I liked the concept. I thought the final 20 minutes and the acting were better than average. But everything else didn't do much for me. I'm not a found footage guy, but with the hype behind it, I was hoping for something at least fun to watch. But unfortunately, THE HOUSES OCTOBER BUILT has a faulty foundation. It could have been something pretty great if it had done more with the premise, instead of turning it into a standard found footage film we've seen countless times before and usually done better.
STARRING Baker Chase Powell - Mark Turner
Leah Wiseman - Emma
Nina Kova - Sam
Austin Bosley - Travis
Danielle Doetsch - Katie
Marla Van Lanen - Joan
Johnathon Krautkramer - Justin
Scott Seagren - Frank Fuller
Genre - Horror/Slasher
Running Time - 74 Minutes
PLOT A group of college kids decide to spend Christmas and New Year's away from their families, shacking up at a lake house in the middle of a snowy nowhere. As these friends party and reveal things about each other, the feel good mood is thwarted by a couple of locals who warn these kids about a killer on the loose from years past. As the day goes on and the kids don't really listen to the warnings, the group begins to go missing one-by-one due to a masked killer who decides to celebrate the holidays with blood.
REVIEW
It's been a while since I've done an Indie Horror Spotlight review, but fortunately it's for the latest film from my friends at Slasher Studios. The last time I discussed Kevin Sommerfield and Steve Goltz was for their first feature-length film, DON'T GO TO THE REUNION, from 2013. For a first effort, DON'T GO TO THE REUNION was a good [yet flawed] film that showed potential for a much better one down the line. When I read their multiple social media posts about their next feature, DISMEMBERING CHRISTMAS, I was looking forward to seeing it.
As a fan of holiday slasher films, like SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT and BLACK CHRISTMAS, I was excited that Slasher Studios were going to make one of their own. Both Sommerfield and Goltz, who write the screenplays for their films, are massive fans of the slasher sub-genre, giving me hope that they would deliver with a memorable holiday horror flick. And while DISMEMBERING CHRISTMAS isn't a perfect holiday horror film, it's a definite step-up from DON'T GO TO THE REUNION. As a matter of fact, DISMEMBERING CHRISTMAS is a ton of fun and worthy of a Christmas watch every year.
As you can tell from the plot, DISMEMBERING CHRISTMAS is a pretty standard slasher film. It doesn't change the wheel or attempt to create a new twist on the sub-genre. Instead, the film gives viewers what they would expect from a movie like this - inventive kills, a strong Final Girl hanging out with expendable characters, a masked killer, and a cool Winter atmosphere that heightens the season and the desolate setting. The atmosphere alone makes DISMEMBERING CHRISTMAS a better film than DON'T GO TO THE REUNION, as the snowy location captures the cold, bleak mood that creates a lot of tension as the characters are in the middle of nowhere against a crazed killer. Even the characters are more fleshed out here than in the previous film, giving the audience a clue as to who these kids are and their relationships [good and bad] with each other, adding to the suspense and tension in the second half of the film. None of the characters will be the next Laurie Strode or Nancy Thompson, but you have a clue as to what their roles are - all archetypes played well within the context of the story. I especially enjoyed the fact that I didn't expect certain characters to live and/or die, making me wonder who would end up surviving by the film's end. We need more slashers that try to be a bit unpredictable within a predictable premise.
On the technical side of things, I thought the visual presentation throughout was absolutely fantastic, considering the budget. Austin Bosley's direction was really great. Instead of using jump scares, Bosley relied on building tension to create some much needed dread. I loved certain angles in the film that showed the killer hiding in certain areas, while an unsuspecting character is totally clueless as to what is going on. The final act of the film, with the sweeping camera work as characters hide behind objects while the killer looks for them, is just simply beautiful. Bosley, who also plays a character in the film, definitely has an eye for the camera and I think Slasher Studios ought to keep the guy around for future projects. And the cinematography was just picture perfect. DISMEMBERING CHRISTMAS is a great looking indie flick.
The gore scenes are also pretty cool. We get the usual slashing of throats and stabbing of body parts. But that snowman scene with the sharp candy cane through the gut and mouth is just a clever kill. And I love a good beheading scene while a character rides down a sled into barbed wire. And the lasso sequence - it just has to be seen to be appreciated. I'll never look at Christmas wreaths the same way again. Pretty inventive stuff.
The acting is decent-to-good here. The standouts for me were Nina Kova as Sam and Leah Wiseman as Emma. Sam played the Final Girl very well. I also enjoyed her lovesick jealousy for Johnathon Krautkramer's Justin, who was pretty good as well. As for Wiseman, I thought she had the most to play with. She was witty, funny, sassy, and just fun to watch onscreen. I would like to see more of her work. I thought she had chemistry with everyone she interacted with.
Any issues? The sound levels were a bit uneven at times. The exterior shots sounded a bit more hollow than the interior shots, due to different ambient levels. The soundtrack, which is cool by the way, also overshadowed some of the dialogue at time.
I also felt that some of the actors were kind of flat. Thankfully, they weren't really in the film long to really ruin things. They weren't bad per se, but just not as good compared to some of the others with beefier roles.
I also felt the film could actually be a bit longer. The last few minutes, while interesting, felt a bit rushed and could have been fleshed out more for better impact. I felt the scenes with the killer could have been extended a bit. When you actually want a film to be longer than it is, you know you got something good.
THE FINAL HOWL
The latest film from Slasher Studios, DISMEMBERING CHRISTMAS, is a real good time with a lot of Christmas atmosphere, great direction and cinematography, and inventive kills I haven't seen in any other film. While certain aspects of the story could have been expanded and some technical issues could have been fixed, DISMEMBERING CHRISTMAS is still a fun film that reminded me why I enjoy holiday horror so much. The future looks bright for Slasher Studios and I'm looking forward to seeing what they accomplish next.
STARRING A.J. Bowen - Garrick Turrell
Amy Seimetz - Sarah
Joe Swanberg - Kevin
Brandon Carroll - Rusty
Lane Hughes - Reed
Genre - Horror/Thriller/Drama/Serial Killers
Running Time - 85 Minutes
PLOT A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE is really two stories that come together into one. The first plot involves a recovering alcoholic named Sarah (Amy Seimetz), who is dealing with some traumatic events that involved her former boyfriend, Garrick Turrell (A.J. Bowen) - a serial killer she helped put away. As she's coping with her sobriety and her past, she meets Kevin (Joe Swanberg), who takes a romantic interest in her.
While this is going on, we have a second plot involving Garrick's escape from prison. We learn of his previous murders, and how Sarah found out. Garrick is on the road, making his way back to Sarah while murdering more people to get there.
REVIEW + The storytelling in A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE is really well done. It's tough writing a single film narrative, let alone two at once. But the way the characters and the situations connect by the film's end makes it worthwhile. The film really allows the viewer to get to know these people through their actions and their feelings on certain situations, to the point where you're entranced by their stories and motivations.
The characters are the driving force of this film. Garrick is a serial killer, but we also see how normal and loving he is towards Sarah during their relationship. And the fact that he hides it from her shows he's somewhat ashamed of his actions, yet can't help but kill people. Sarah is still troubled by her actions in getting Garrick arrested, as well as foolishly dating a murderer - something that most likely drove her to alcoholism. She's afraid to move on in her life and trust people again. She's also worried after learning that Garrick has escaped, knowing he's most likely coming back for her. And Kevin, another alcoholic, tries to rebuild Sarah's trust by a friend she can relate to, and eventually her lover. Sarah wonders if Kevin is too good to be true, which may or may not be the case. Also, we have characters who are adoring fans of Garrick - people who wrote the man letters in prison and want to be just like him. A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE is really full of addictive personalities that lead them down dangerous paths. It makes the journey towards the end quite alluring, because we know the two plotlines will merge into one that's not going to be all sunshine and flowers.
Speaking of the ending, it's a pretty predictable one - but it makes sense and done very well. I won't spoil anything, but I was somewhat taken aback by it, as well as somewhat expecting the events to go down as they did. I'm glad it wasn't one of those twist, cheap endings that come out of the blue just to shock audiences. Yes, the paths of certain characters take a surprising turn in a way. But there were definitely subtle hints that made you aware of where the film was going to go. I thought the screenplay laid things out really well to tell a smart, interesting character driven tale.
+ The acting in A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE is great as well. A.J. Bowen, who has become a high profile independent horror actor the last few years, is really fantastic as serial killer Garrick Turrell. Without doing much, he conveys a sense of menace and a fear factor that's both subtle and forceful all at once. His personality is so engaging, it's hard at times to envision this man playing a serial killer. But just by the way he delivers dialogue, or through his body language, Bowen gives the character a deceptively creepy vibe. Amy Seimetz is also great in the role of Sarah. She has a vulnerability that's very appealing, playing an emotionally broken character who happens to involved in a really dangerous situation she didn't sign up for. Seimetz's quiet presence makes you sympathize with her right away. A character like this isn't easy to play. Either the actor/actress is understated, or way over-the-top. Seimetz maintains the right balance throughout, making her one to watch. And Joe Swanberg is good as Kevin, the nice guy that attempts to fix Sarah emotionally through his compassion and understanding. Just wonderful acting throughout this film. I totally believed these actors were the roles they were playing.
+ The direction by Adam Wingard, who made somewhat of a mark in 2013 with the release of YOU'RE NEXT, fits the story perfectly. The soft, bluish hues that tint A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE really give the film a bleak, depressing feel. The scenes of violence are done in a realistic, visceral way that grips you. The build up towards the eventual confrontation between Sarah and Garrick brings tension and suspense throughout the film. I even liked that many scenes were shot pretty tightly, creating a level of claustrophobia. It feels a bit invasive, as if you're an extra in the scene watching and listening to what's going on with the characters. The handheld style also adds to the effect, feeling as if you're there through it all. It's a film with style, but it never hits you in the face with it. The visuals compliment the script well, keeping your engaged visually as well as narrative wise.
- If I had any issue with A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE, it's that I felt Wingard used the shaky cam effect a bit too much. Some of the quieter scenes should have felt more steady. Instead, I was distracted by the screen shaking all over the place. I'm not the biggest fan of this trend in terms of directing, but it does prove effective during certain moments where the shakiness reflects the emotions of the characters or situation on screen. But it shouldn't be a full occurrence in a film like this. A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE, while a horror-thriller, does play out as a drama at times. You shouldn't have the camera shake during dramatic moments where we should be focused on characters rather than the visuals. It didn't hurt the film all that much, but I was still annoyed by it.
THE FINAL HOWL A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE is one of the better horror films I've seen in the 2010's so far. It has great characters, a fantastic narrative, nice direction, an appropriately bleak atmosphere, and actors who are wonderful in their respective roles. I wish there was less shaky cam involved, but it's not a total misstep. A HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE is a great serial killer thriller and a great character driven drama. We need more smart and visceral films like this in the genre.
STARRING Michelle Mylett - Samantha Rezner
Cody Thompson - Mark Archibald
Adam Christie - Jed Erickson
Aria Alic - Kaitlin Cosgrove
Romaine Waite - Steve McDonald
Ry Barrett - Chad Wilson
Laurel Brandes - Tara Ryder
Charlie Hamilton - Dan Hamilton
Genre - Horror/Survival/Technology/Virus
Running Time - 90 Minutes
PLOT It's New Year's Eve, and Samantha (Michelle Mylett) is having a terrible end to the year. She and her boyfriend, Dan Hamilton (Charlie Hamilton) have broken up and he's made it public on a social networking site called The Social Redroom. Even though she's upset, she decides to go to a New Year's Eve party held by Mark (Cody Thompson) in order to forget about her problems with the company of good friends. After the partiers bond a bit, they hear and see news on television and the internet about people randomly going crazy and attacking others. The outbreak is so bad, it's recommended that no one goes outside and barricade themselves inside.
When the group start taking the news seriously, unwanted guests attempt to break in. Slowly, some of the partiers begin to bleed from their ear and nose, which is the sign of an infection. The virus begins to spread amongst the group, figuring out that it's being done via subliminal messages and signals through The Social Redroom. The signals cause the brains of users to expand, to the point where the infected become homicidal maniacs.
REVIEW ANTISOCIAL is a low budget independent horror film that's being distributed by the good folks of Breaking Glass Pictures later in the month. The narrative isn't all that original. It follows the familiar path of a zombie movie. It has some sort of virus that infects people and gives them the urge to kill. It even has a strong message that's not executed as well as it probably could have been. Still, as predictable and unoriginal that ANTISOCIAL is, it's still 90 minutes worth watching.
The screenplay works well for the film's budget. Zombie/Infected films usually don't require a ton of cash, so it was smart of Cody Calahan and Chad Archibald to use this as a premise. It also helps when Calahan and Archibald do a lot of things right in terms of storytelling. We have a handful of characters that we grow to know somewhat, which helps bring about tension when the infection hits closer to home. They're all trapped in a single location, creating claustrophobia and maintaining the focus on where it should be. It's your usual zombie survival flick, but instead of dead people, it's people who are infected by a virus. All the cliches are there, but they're used well. I mean, without the message [that I'll discuss in the next paragraph], this would be a standard zombie film in which the characters do nothing but accuse each other of being infected until there's a single survivor. At least this portion is done well enough to be watchable and somewhat entertaining on its own.
The reason for this film's existence is really the message about social networking. Or in the case of ANTISOCIAL, the evils of being part of a social network. The infection is spread through the use of a Facebook wannabe called The Social Redroom, which seems to be the only network all these characters use, considering how quickly the infection spreads. The company supposed uses subliminal messaging, or signals within the network, to do bad things to users' brains to make them sick until they're hungry for flesh. Now this is nothing new. Films like THE LAWNMOWER MAN, THE SIGNAL, and KAIRO/PULSE, and novels like Stephen King's Cell, have all presented stories of technology spreading disease to those who use it. ANTISOCIAL wants to tell us that social media is like a disease that has infected us all. Most of us have lived our lives through social networking, as well as being part of other's lives through their use of the same network. Characters in the films are constantly on their phones, or on their computers, as a way to communicate with others. There's even talk about sex tapes, in how they're used to make the participants famous rather than keeping the act of intimacy private. I also liked how Samantha's friends look at her oddly when she reveals that she deleted her profile, to which one asks her - "How do you keep in contact with people?" When she replies that she does it in person, it's treated as if it's not a serious response. ANTISOCIAL is telling us that social networking is evil. It's an addiction, like with drugs or sex. We're addicted to revealing our personal information to others - more focused on spending time chatting via text or private messaging rather than doing that in person.
Unfortunately, ANTISOCIAL doesn't take that message as far as it should go. Instead of using the social commentary to drive the film, the script is more focused on the zombie-like aspect of the narrative by the halfway mark. It's not enough to just inform us that social networking is a bad thing. The script hits the viewer over the head with that fact multiple times. But that's all it is - a message that's repeated ad nauseam. There's nothing more to it than that, which is a missed opportunity. It should have been the thing to really drive the story. Instead, it's just there to make the standard zombie story seem a bit more intelligent.
Cody Calahan shows a ton of promise as a horror director to watch. ANTISOCIAL uses it limited budget well by doing some stylish techniques with the camera. I love the hallucination scenes in which the infected characters experience gruesome things happened to them. One pulls out their guts from their mouth. One stabs himself in the eye. The picture quality is more saturated during these scenes, which I thought was cool. Calahan also does well in terms of tension and suspense, especially once the infected start attacking others. I thought the scenes in which the characters watch videos of why the infection is around and how it spreads were done well, but felt ruined a bit of the mystery. At least the explanation was presented better than just through expository dialogue. It has a nice mood and the film looks good. I think Calahan is one to look out for in the near future.
The acting is decent for the most part. Most of the actors have amateurish performances, which is okay since the roles they play are fairly stereotypical. However, Michelle Mylett and Cody Thompson are very good in their roles as Samantha and Mark. Luckily, most of the scenes in the film involve them so the acting is more positive than negative. In particular, I really enjoyed Mylett as a tough, brave girl who happens to be very active and smart when it comes to the horrible situation she's put in. I think we'll be seeing more of her in the future if we're lucky.
THE FINAL HOWL
While not a perfect film, ANTISOCIAL is still a pretty solid horror film for those who like their zombie/infected monster movies with a bit of a relevant message. The film is tense, stylish for its limited budget, and has a good story that tells its narrative well enough to keep you engaged. And the acting by the leads, Michelle Mylett and Cody Thompson, are good. The idea that social networking is evil is a good one, but I wish ANTISOCIAL had done more with it to really make it stand out. Still, it's worth your 90 minutes of time - that is if you can stay away from using your phone or computer to update your current status.
STARRING Johnny Gel - Knox
Fred Williamson - Moses
Joseph Scott Anthony - Robert
Tommy Beardmore - Lucas
Jerry Lynch - Rome
Alicia Clark - Sarah
Angelique Sky - Cienfuegos
Genre - Action/Horror/Zombies
Running Time - 101 Minutes
PLOT In the year 12 A.Z. [After Zombies], the Zombie Apocalypse Virus has wiped out most of the human population, to the point where zombies outnumber humans 10,000 to 1. An ex-military soldier named John Knox (Johnny Gel) escapes from prison with the help of a fellow inmate. The leader of the prison, Rome (Jerry Lynch), is upset about this and wants Knox dead for treason. While Knox is dying in the desert, he's saved by a group of soldiers before zombies attacked him.
While keeping an eye on him, the leader of this new group, Moses (Fred Williamson), sees that Knox would be a useful member to his army. The other members don't trust Knox as easily, but start to once he proves himself against the prisoners and a hoard of zombies. Eventually during an excursion for supplies, their camp is destroyed by Rome and his forces - even kidnapping several of the members, including Knox's love interest, Sarah (Alicia Clark). This motivates Knox, Moses, and the others to attack Rome's group, while a city of zombies hopes to bite into the scraps of the aftermath.
REVIEW
I watched ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE: REDEMPTION for a couple of reasons. One, it was expiring on Netflix Instant. And two, I've been planning on reviewing every zombie movie ever made anyway, so I had to sit myself through this. I honestly had no idea ZA:R was a sequel [to ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE, of course], and this film doesn't urge me to seek out the first installment. And although I read and heard really terrible things about this flick, I didn't think it was one of the worst films I had ever seen. It's far from great though, and a part of me wishes I hadn't wasted 101 minutes watching a pretty lame zombie-action film.
HITS
- The homages.ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE: REDEMPTION has an extremely generic and faceless script. It seemed to be focused on ripping off as many films from the 1980s as it could to tie together some sort of story that audiences would want to watch. And while these inspirations look and feel superior to the original copies, at least they were amusing compared to most other things in this film.
Much of the film seems inspired by THE ROAD WARRIOR, with the outfits and action reflecting as such. We also get an ESCAPE FROM NEW YORKmoment, where a character decides to put an eye patch over his eye before fighting a group of henchmen after he's caught sneaking onto their home turf. And there's even a RETURN OF THE JEDI moment, where Sarah [after being captured] is dressed like slave Princess Leia. I can see both the director and screenwriters [all four of them] were fans of these films. I just chuckled at these acknowledgements, while wishing I was spending time watching those three films instead. But at least something about the story entertained me.
- Certain bits of dialogue. While most of the dialogue is generic as hell and unmemorable, there are a few lines that deserve attention.
"Did I fuck your mother in another life or something?"
"Holy Jesus Christmas shit!"
"When I want your opinion, I'll rape it out of you."
The best part about that last line is that the recipient gave the quoter a blow job right after. Almost SHARK ATTACK 3: MEGALODON level, but not quite.
- The soundtrack. It's not a focus of the film, but I enjoyed the subtle synth score that played in the background. The music fit the mood and tone of the film, which enhanced it somewhat. Too bad the score wasn't meant for a better film, but at least I couldn't complain about the audio.
- The direction for the most part. Ryan Thompson's direction was fine for what it was. Considering the low budget, I thought Thompson handled the visuals better than expected. The action scenes, while not perfect, were shot well enough to understand what was going on. The picture quality looked grainy, but in a good way. It reminded me as if I was watching this on an 80s VHS tape. Some of the audio could have been fixed in post, such as dialogue that was muted for some reason, as well as some off-sync tracking. And I'll talk about the special effects in a later section. But I thought ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE: REDEMPTION visually looked better than expected.
MISSES
- An uninspired screenplay.ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE: REDEMPTION's biggest issue is the script. Four writers worked on this and... really?? This is what they came up with? A predictable, generic zombie-action film that takes the best elements of much superior films to create a story? The screenplay is the most important aspect of any film, but especially a low-budget film. You're not going to have money for great special effects, or high-quality cameras, or even professional actors. But it doesn't cost that much, except time and dedication, to write a more than decent screenplay. And this film fails at that.
Honestly, it's not the worst screenplay ever. It's actually okay. But it's so stale and lacks character. It's just there. We get typical stock characters. The ex-military guy turned hero. The badass boss of the group who chews the scenery. The boss' right-hand man who hates the hero at first, but becomes his best buddy by the end. The hopeful soldier who sees the light at the end of the tunnel. The tough chick who can fight, because she's the only chick in her group that can fight. You also get the creepy, hungry for power villain and his slutty girlfriend. It's a film about two gangs going to war against each other because they're the only humans left in their region. And they want control of it to make sure they survive the zombie apocalypse. It's DAY OF THE DEAD. It's THE ROAD WARRIOR. It's ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK. It's so many other films I've seen countless times, and seen done better. It gets really old after a while. At least add a new element to the story that makes it stand out. But it just coasts on what's familiar. It's a lazy script that's just competent enough.
And you would notice that I didn't mention any zombies in the above paragraph. That's because they're the guest stars in their own film. For a film called ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE: REDEMPTION, there's better any inkling of zombies, an apocalypse, or any sort of redemption on anyone. If you wanted to have a gang vs. gang film, just do that. Why have zombies involved if they're not a focus? You'd be saving money and have a better focus. I admire those involved for being ambitious, but it didn't work for me. Sorry.
- The acting. For the most part, the acting in this movie is pretty terrible. While there are some decent performances, particularly by Johnny Gel, legend Fred Williamson, Alicia Clark, and Joseph Scott Anthony, most of the others were just dreadful. The one that really stood out was Jerry Lynch as Rome. I don't even know what this man was directed to do. But this guy was hamming it up like no other. Was he a vampire? A drama major in college? The villain should be badass, or menacing, or entertaining for all the right reasons. All Lynch did was make me laugh with his silly dialogue and line delivery. I just couldn't take the guy seriously. The film was silly enough. I wish the portrayal was a bit more serious.
- Terrible special effects. I understand the movie is low budget. But man, the CGI and make up for the zombies were terrible. We get CGI blood. There's a fiery explosion at the end that's supposed to destroy parts of a building. But right before it cuts, you can see the building has no damage done to it. The zombies look really fake, but better than the CGI used. It was pretty much SyFy quality, which is a shame. Appreciated the ambition though.
THE FINAL HOWL
I had low expectations for ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE: REDEMPTION, and they were pretty much met. A lazy screenplay that's too focused on paying homage to better films from the past, pretty bad acting, and poor special effects bring this sequel down. However, the homages are amusing, the visual presentation is better than expected, and the synth soundtrack is sort of cool. Still, this low budget zombie-action film is below average and not worth anyone's time unless you really love zombies. The redemption I can take away from this viewing experience is that I will never have to watch this movie ever again.
STARRING Stephanie Leigh Rose - Erica Carpenter
Spencer Harlan - David Holland
Mike Goltz - Joe Wynorski
Brady Simenson - Scott Rantzen
Matty Dorschner - Brandon Kaufman
Nick Sommer - Christopher Lynch
Hayley San Fillippo - Kimberly Buechler
Tawnie Thompson - Megan Cunningham
Hannah Herdt - Jessica Thompson
J.R. Watkins - Jay Miner
Genre - Horror/Slasher
Running Time - 75 Minutes
This edition of Indie Horror Spotlight is for the independent slasher DON'T GO TO THE REUNION, brought to you by the two men who are in charge of the great Slasher Studios - Steve Goltz and Kevin Sommerfield. Steve and Kevin are great guys and I really wanted to check out their first feature film [they have done short films before - I hope to review those as well soon] which they've been promoting a whole lot on social media. Kevin sent me a private online screener so I can feast my slasher-lovin' eyes on the film he wrote and produced. And after watching it, I can say it's a good tribute to the slasher days of yore.
DON'T GO TO THE REUNION pretty much follows a similar template to 1986's SLAUGHTER HIGH. A small group of friends, who happen to be the popular ones, decide to pull a prank on a socially awkward horror geek. He's kicked out of school and is reputation is completely ruined.
Ten years later, these group of friends receive a special invitation for a reunion at a creepy house near their High School. Although some of the members of the group haven't changed all that much in terms of personality, all of them have pretty much moved on from the vicious prank they pulled years ago. However, there are clues that lead some in the group to believe that someone is trying to get revenge on them for that incident - making sure that not everyone will survive.
DON'T GO TO THE REUNION isn't perfect, but Kevin Sommerfield and Steve Goltz do a very good job capturing the essence of the slasher film boom of the 1980's. Sommerfield's screenplay doesn't hide his love for slasher movies. In fact, certain moments of pretty popular slashers are recreated as a great homage to movies' past. The set up is SLAUGHTER HIGH. The deaths are inspired by NIGHT SCHOOL, MADMAN, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME, and BAY OF BLOOD/FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2. We even get SCREAM moments here and there, especially when the characters are all aware of these horror films. While not original, at least these moments allow slasher fans to point out their origins with a smile on their faces. It's always great to see a horror film made by real fans of the genre. You can tell that both Sommerfield and Goltz are having fun making a movie similar to the ones they love to watch.
As for the rest of the screenplay, it's pretty good. The characters [most of them named after famous horror directors] are obviously stereotypical, following the rules of a slasher film. You get the Final Girl. You get the asshole Jock type. You get the Drunk asshole. You get the Smart One. You get the One Who Shouldn't Fit In But The Group Keeps Them Around Anyway type. We don't get much development for anyone in this film, but slasher films weren't known for that anyway. However, I do wish the characters were more likeable than they were. All of them were either perverted and/or mean to those around them. Sure, I laughed at some of the dialogue and their antics. The Jock was a total prick, but he had moments that entertained me. But I can't really root for characters I don't feel much sympathy for. They were the perpertrators of a terrible prank that ruined someone's life, and maybe two of them felt sort of bad about it afterwards. In my view, karma is a bitch and they had what was coming to them. Sometimes there are characters that are the exception to the rule, but I didn't really get that from DON'T GO TO THE REUNION. The characters really didn't change much within 10 years, which was an issue for me. Some growth, even if the personalities and stereotypes stay intact, would have helped a bit.
However, I did think the dialogue was handled well. All the characters had different voices and some great banter as well. The scene where the Drunk asshole guy [Christopher] is being tricked in believing he's possibly gay had me laughing, because it's something I can really see happening. The sex stuff between asshole Jock, Joe, and his wife had me chuckling as well due to their dysfunction. I also liked the reasoning for the murders and how it felt influenced by a certain slasher that I won't spoil.
I did think the ending was a bit rushed. It felt too abrupt and too easy, in my opinion. I think there should have been more to it, as I didn't feel it fully satisfied what the story was trying to tell beforehand.
The gore FX were pretty good for a low budget feature. I thought the car hood death scene was pretty cool. The poker through the mouth was done really well. And some of the other death scenes were either shot in a way where it was implied what happened. And for a low budget movie, I'm totally good with that. I don't need to see guts and gore throughout the entire film. As long as I know what went down, that's all that matters to me. It's obvious Slasher Studios didn't really have the budget to go all out, but they used their resources to the best of their ability and it worked out in the end.
The direction by Steve Goltz was very good. I loved the establishment shots he used to set up the isolated locations. I enjoyed how some shots seemed to pay tribute to previous slasher films, especially HALLOWEEN and FRIDAY THE 13TH. The editing was excellent. The picture quality looked pretty damn good. The pacing was well done. I really liked the look and tone of the film. The film felt a lot shorter than it was and visually told a good story.
The acting was pretty good as well. I thought Stephanie Leigh Rose, Spencer Harlan, Mike Goltz, and Matty Dorschner were the standouts. They all played their characters convincingly well, especially Rose and Goltz. I have a feeling there may have been some ad-libbing on their part as well, which made the forced moments feel a bit more natural. I liked the cast.
THE FINAL HOWL DON'T GO TO THE REUNION is a good independent slasher by guys who love them. It has its issues and won't set the world on fire. But Kevin Sommerfield and Steve Goltz should be extremely proud to make their feature-length filmmaking aspirations come to life. I look forward to seeing more from Slasher Studios, as I'm sure they'll only get better and have more support from here.
STARRING Norbert Velez - Jacob
Todd Bruno - David
Aniela McGuinness - Brenda
Giordan Diaz - Gary
Gema Calero - Melanie
Reggie Peters - Adam
Daniela Larez - Carla
Genre - Horror/Slasher
Running Time - 80 Minutes
This edition of Indie Horror Spotlight is on a modern slasher film called HAZMAT, directed by Lou Simon. Ms. Simon was kind of enough to send me an e-mail, requesting I take a look and have a few words about her movie. After hearing and reading positive things about it, especially from Horror Movie Diary and Hacked In The Head, I was very eager in accepting her request. I normally have the trepidation of accepting one of these indie screeners because they usually aren't very good, which makes me feel bad when I have to write a negative viewpoint. Fortunately for Lou Simon, HAZMAT is a great modern slasher that entertained me more than I was expecting.
HAZMAT uses a premise I've always wanted to see in a horror film - what if a prank show contestant gets so humiliated about being the butt of a cruel joke that he/she snaps, killing those responsible for their embarrassment? In HAZMAT's case, the prank show is called "Scary Antics", lead by Scary Dave (Todd Bruno). Needing a boost in his show's ratings, Dave helps out Adam (Reggie Peters), who wants to prank his best friend Jacob (Norbert Velez). Apparently, Jacob is a bit socially awkward and likes strange things. His biggest issue is an obsession with a local chemical plant [that's supposedly haunted] where his father once worked. Wanting to perform the prank at the chemical plant itself, Dave has Adam enlist his girlfriend Carla (Daniela Larez) and her best friend Melanie (Gema Calero) to help along. The girls reluctantly accept, although none of them are friends with Jacob due to feeling he's creepy.
As the participants prepare for Jacob's prank, the behind-the-scenes crew at "Scary Antics" are having some issues. Mainly it's make-up artist Brenda (Aniela McGuiness), who wants a promotion within the crew. But Dave, who happens to be her lover, wants to keep her exactly where she is for reasons he keeps to himself, causing tension within the crew. But before it can boil over, the prank goes horribly wrong when Jacob realizes he's been set up and accidentally murders an actor for "Scary Antics". Seeing a familiar HazMat suit, Jacob puts it on and begins hunting down those who put him in this position to begin with.
HAZMAT really surprised me with how well-made it was. I honestly expected a cheap looking slasher film, probably one that most likely followed the tired template of 1974's THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE. Instead, I got a polished slasher film that's a mix of MY BLOODY VALENTINE and the camera footage deal from HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION. HAZMAT is well acted, well directed, and even well written! This is what all independent horror should try and look like.
I won't really dig deep into the narrative so I won't spoil things, but HAZMAT follows a fairly typical slasher formula. That's not a bad thing. In fact, a slasher film should look and act like a slasher film. We have a creepy, bloodthirsty killer with a tragic past that sets him off. We have victims that may or may not be connected to the killer, trapped in a dark, unknown area. The only thing HAZMAT lacked [in terms of slasher movies] was nudity. Still, HAZMAT has an interesting set up, that leads into a tense slasher that has our killer murdering his hostages one by one in gruesome ways, taking away hope that many of them will survive. The dialogue felt realistic. I thought the way the characters reacted to the situation and to each other was great, as it developed characters somewhat. Even though I felt the ending was too abrupt for my tastes, Lou Simon wrote a fine script and the start of a potential franchise.
Lou Simon's direction was also fantastic. The picture quality was great. The use of angles, shots, framing, composition, the lighting, and editing the camera footage within the real-time footage was done nicely. I also loved that Simon actually created genuine tension from time to time. There were certain moments in the film where I was actually at the edge of my seat [mainly during the cat-and-mouse chases]. An indie slasher with actual suspense? I loved it!
What I didn't love too much was the CGI gore. I understand that it's low-budget and maybe using practical effects would cost more money than the budget allows. But I was pretty disappointed that the murders weren't as effective as I felt they should have been. In fact, many of the deaths were pretty standard. Still, I'm glad there was blood and gore here, because it helped make the HazMat Killer look more vicious. We get a bunch of axe moments to the torso, the head, and even the amputation of limbs. There's also the pointy side of the axe that's impaled into someone's eye. The CGI is very obvious, but it's not too bad. But it did take me out of the film a bit anytime I would see CGI blood splatter.
The acting, I felt, was really good in HAZMAT. The standouts were Norbert Velez as the strange Jacob, Todd Bruno as the sleaze with a conscience, Dave, and especially Aniela McGuinness as the likeable and smart Brenda. McGuinness, in particular, really carried her scenes extremely well. The other actors are good too and are all memorable. The cast had some chops, and they helped elevate the script for me.
THE FINAL HOWL HAZMAT was definitely a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting a whole lot, to be honest, but my expectations were more than met. While not perfect, this indie slasher had some great acting, tense direction, and even a well-written story that sticks pretty true to the sub-genre. Writer, producer, and director Lou Simon should be proud of her work here. I hope HAZMAT gets submitted into the festival circuit, and eventually gets some sort of distribution deal for a wider audience to check it out.
