Don't feed the 'ANIMAL'

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

The Monkey's Paw (2013) director, Brett Simmons directs this survival story about a group of close-knit friends on the run for their lives from a beast within the woods. Starring Joey Lauren Adams (Chasing Amy), Elizabeth Gillies (Killing Daddy TV movie), and Paul Iacono (G.B.F.), Animal is an entertaining and relentless creature feature.

Throwback Thursday Review: 'THE MONSTER SQUAD' (1987)

Directed by Night of the Creeps (1986) director, Frank Dekker, and starring Tom Noonan (Heat), Duncan Regehr (Air Bud 3), and Andre Gower (Sweet Deadly Dreams), The Monster Squad is a tale that adults and children alike can enjoy. It's a heartwarming story about a group of children who find themselves in a real life face-off against cinemas most famous monsters to ever grace the big screen.

'LEPRECHAUN: ORIGINS' Leprechaun Teaser Image & Official Trailer Released

Today at Comic-Con we got a taste of what the new film in the Leprechaun series has to offer. It definitely looks a lot better than I expected. What I didn't expect was the way the Leprechaun looks! They went totally creature-feature with it, and erased the whole goofy image put on the character previously. In a way, I'm used to the little red-bearded creep in a spiffy suit, and yet I know that change was inevitable if the franchise was going to survive. What can I say, I'm looking forward to it. WWE pictures just may have hit this one out of the park. Only time will tell when it's released on August 26th.

'DEEP IN THE DARKNESS' will give you the creeps

MILD SPOILERS THROUGHOUT 

Deep in the Darkness is directed by Colin Theys (Remains), and stars Dean Stockwell (Battlestar Galactica 2006-2009), Sean Patrick Thomas (Halloween: Resurrection), Blanche Baker (Sixteen Candles), and Kristen Bush (Blue Bloods). It's a lot creepier than I expected, not since The Woman (2011) have feral humans been so disconcerted to watch. Dr. Michael Cayle (Sean Patrick Thomas) and his pregnant wife Cristine (Kirsten Bush) move from New York to a small town called Ashborough where he picks up his medical practice in the hopes of bringing his family closer. However, their neighbors are mysterious and suspicious to say the very least, and they have a grave secret pertaining to the eerie creatures who live in the woods, which are in Michael and Cristine's back yard.

THE FIRST STEP short film (Screener Review)

"Based on traditional campfire and bedtime ghost stories, 'The First Step' tells the short tale of Sara, who on her first night in a new house with her mother is tormented by a creature in the basement."

Coming from Wild Eye Pictures, this creepy tale is short and to the point. Though co-directors Daniel Brown and Kate McMeans say this is their first "real story in the genre", you can see that this is a horror film made by horror fans. Running about six minutes long, "The First Step" has plenty of time to creep you out and get right to the point. It's an intense ride, that's thrilling, and incredibly eerie. The creature's voice, and the noises (groans) it makes just kept me on edge and I found it awesomely unsettling. The creature's makeup FX could have been better, and I found it scarier when it wasn't focused in on, especially the stairs scene. Nonetheless, it reminded me of The Pale Man in "Pan's Labyrinth".

For a small budget and production, it definitely delivers. The fact that it manages to come off so suspenseful and dreadful is a big win. The acting is good, as is the overall simple concept. "The First Step" has not only reached film reviewers like myself, but also some film festivals. So, if you're into short films that will scare you with the lights out, keep your eyes peeled for this one. I'd bet that anyone home alone watching this wouldn't step foot in their basement afterwards...

Luckily, I don't have a basement (laugh). 

3.5 out of 5 stars

UNDER THE BED (2012)

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 87 MINS
WRITER(S)- ERIC STOLZE
STARRING- JONNY WESTON, GATTLIN GRIFFITH, AND PETER HOLDEN
DIRECTOR- STEVEN C. MILLER



Synopsis taken from IMDb
Two brothers team up to battle a creature under the bed, in what is being described as a "suburban nightmare" tale. 

This is one of those films that immediately appeals to the inner child in you. Seeing the cover instantly brings back times of when I was scared of what was under my bed. Of course at the time, I didn't have the sense to know it was only some board games and dust bunnies keeping me awake at night. But, I wanted to give this flick a chance, and see if something really scary can be made of this concept, or if it'll just be another flop. With a free rental from redbox, I had nothing to lose.

This comes off as a hybrid between "Feast" (2005) and the 1989 childhood classic, "Little Monsters". Weird combination, I know. But, it works for a brief period. Rather intentional or unintentional, the acting was pretty convincing, and I honestly didn't know if Neal (Jonny Weston) was telling the truth or completely insane with the stories he tells about the monster under the bed. I couldn't help but think that if he isn't crazy, what type of trouble he is going to cause his younger brother, Paulie (Gattlin Griffith)? I chose to believe the acting was intentionally supposed to make you guess as to what's the truth and what isn't, because even though the performances weren't great, they were fitting. And of course, there's stereotypical parents that don't believe them, and leave them to fend for themselves. 

Although the acting wasn't always convincing, the dialogue and the content were portrayed as very realistic and gave a good sense of how a normal family interacts. The interactions built a good foundation between characters and provided the story with a chance to develop.

There's moments that are downright funny (some intentional laughs and others not), and there's moments of genuine jumps. Best of all, there's some really well done gore, that isn't expected! Out of nowhere, we're hit with brutal scenes of devastating deaths.

Unfortunately, all that makes this movie memorable ends up getting forgotten due to so many obvious flaws. There's a few scenes that really puzzled me, because they were such obvious cop-outs that it ruined the overall effect. Something as simple as, if the little brother, Paulie, needs to stand on his older brothers shoulders to get out from under the bed, how the hell does Neal make it out with such ease when just a moment before he had no way out? Things that go unexplained like this ruin the realism and should have been given more thought and time.

In the end, "Under the Bed" is a fun monster flick worth a watch. Even though you won't be completely blown away, there's a couple good scares and some aforementioned gore. Nothing about this motion picture makes it memorable, but it's not the worst movie out right now. It had a lot of potential, and still manages to pull off a few good effects. I think had the story stayed more consistent and grounded, it would have pushed the pace a little better, and avoided some things that are downright ridiculous. 

I won't give away and spoilers, because this is a relatively new movie that most haven't heard of yet. But, it's available now, and Halloween is only a few days away. So, if you're in the mood for something a little strange and a little new, "Under the Bed" just may be for you.

BAD MILO is a complete blast!

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 85 MINS
WRITER(S)- BENJAMIN HAYES AND JACOB VAUGHAN
STARRING- KEN MARINO, GILLIAN JACOBS, AND PATRICK WARBURTON
DIRECTOR- JACOB VAUGHAN



Synopsis taken from IMDb
A horror comedy centered on a guy who learns that his unusual stomach problems are being caused by a demon living in his intestines.

Here is a film that I have seen a lot of publicity for, even though the advertising seems scarce. I guess I was just around the right places at the right time, and I caught word. Luckily I did. I motion picture about a guy who has a demon come out of his ass and kill people? I'm all over it.

I knew I was going to like it from the opening credits. Believe it or not, if you're a cinema junkie like me, you can honestly usually tell if a movie is going to be good based on the first five minutes of it. This flick has absolutely nothing great about it, in terms of acting or story. But, it's completely awesome! The entertainment provided by this horror comedy makes it great in it's own way.

This may not be for everyone, especially those who don't like a little comedy in their horror. To me, horror and comedy are like peanut butter and chocolate, both taste delicious on their own, but together they're even better. 

It takes almost no time for things to pick up get crazy, packed with laughs all the way. By far the best thing of it's kind since Frank Henenlotter's "Basket Case" from 1982, there's a little bit of everything to go around in this piece of cinema. The most current example I'd say this resembles is 2012's "Ted", starring Mark Wahlberg. It's every bit as immature, and every bit as touching and endearing. There's moments where I was laughing, and moments where I was a bit moved.

Ultimately, Ken (Ken Marino) puts up with so much baggage from his everyday life, that his self conscious becomes its own creature! Taking out Ken's aggression's for him by savagely murdering, the little critter is adorable and twisted. Ken names the being as Milo, a name he discussed with his wife for their future son. One of the many things Ken deals with is the pressure to have children, even though he's impotent and gets it thrown in his face almost daily.

Looking at things from a different standpoint, Milo is a creature from Ken's ass, we've established that. But, that's just a comic relief for the underlying story of the internal struggle we all have to not just blow up and take someone's head off when we're under severe pressure. Milo represents the demon in us all that we fight to stay at bay, and we're faced with the consequences and aftermath once we let that demon out. And for better or worse, it's always better to never let that hatred out, and instead move past it. Nothing good ever comes of these blow-outs except for a few moments of feeling justified but, then you usually just feel terrible once the self-righteous spaz passes. 

Watching this is like a blast from the past, it brings to mind memories of "The Ghoulies", and "Critters". There's as much blood and gore as there is laughs and entertainment. Regardless of any hate this film may catch, and I'm sure it will, (because a lot of horror fans love to think their opinion is law and not just an opinion), this film will be talked about for a long time. It sounds cliche, but it really is an instant classic! We haven't had a horror comedy of this caliber for a long time.  

On a side note, as good and enjoyable as this film is, it's still a film that doesn't take itself seriously and doesn't expect to be taken seriously. In the end, it's a film about a guy who craps out a demon on a regular basis. As entertaining as it is, I still have to rate it for what it is.

Nailbiter (2013)

 

RATED- R

RUN TIME- 82 MINS

WRITER(S)- PATRICK REA AND KENDAL SINN

STARRING- JOICIE APPELL, JOHN D. BARNES AND EMILY BORESOW

DIRECTOR- PATRICK REA

Synopsis taken from IMDb

The Maguire family is forced to take sudden refuge in a seemingly abandoned storm cellar from a deadly tornado.

This is a film by Patrick Rea, a man who's done short films since back in 2002. He's won Fangoria's Blood Drive contest for his company SenoReality Pictures, along with collaborators Ryan Jones and Josh Robison.

This is yet another film that I've danced around for a bit before finally watching. Chipping away at the old stack of unwatched films one bloody step at a time. I was actually really excited to watch this one, because just reading what it was about made me metaphorically crap in my pants! It's a very well and original concept that adds claustrophobia into the mix, adding that real terror to the horror.

It takes roughly no time to pick up the ball and run with it, instantly compelling you to watch in complete silence. The suspense is in fact, nailbiting, pun intended. Hell, being caught in a tornado would scare the hell out of me, let alone all else that happens. This is a film that you can't let out of your sight, because it's a real situation, it's something that could really happen. Then we get to what's in the basement with them.

 

When thinking of this film, my mind shoots to "Jeepers Creepers". It has that same feel for me. There's a lot of mystery as of what exactly is in the basement with them, keeping you guessing and waiting for glances of it. The suspense makes you imagine something horrendous just around the corner.

Upon revealing the creature, and finding out other twists, the movie ended up letting me down. I was disappointed with it once the credits rolled. I was thirsting for more, and I felt I should have got more from it. The mystery of it all bothered me, I wanted some type of explanation.

Then, the movie sat with me for a few days. I started to like it again. I found it to be one of those films that you really have to let soak in and absorb in order to truly get it. There's still a lot to be explained, but it doesn't bother me as much now that I've ran the film through my head a few times. It's a really good creature feature. I'm thinking that as time goes on, I'll come to enjoy it more and more. Just like I did with the aforementioned "Jeepers Creepers". The point is that you're thrown into the mess with the characters, and you're fighting with them to survive.

Ultimately, this film is full of suspense, jumps and scares. It's not as great as I expected it to be, but I've come to really enjoy it! I'm sure this will be one I pull off the shelves every couple of months and rewatch. I'd love to view it with director's commentary, to really take me inside the movie. You always pick up more once you've watched it with commentary. I'm giving this movie a fair rating, because I'm still uncertain of if I'd give it higher, but I certainly wouldn't give it lower.

THIS FILM GETS 3 REAPER SKULLS OUT OF 5