Throwback Thursday Review: 'HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT II' (1987)

In a genre where follow-up movies are especially known for "milking the cow", Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II is one of the greatest horror sequels ever made. I've said that since I saw it, and I still stand by that. Though it's not as dark or tragic, this always has and will give Carrie a run for it's money. Someone from the Village Voice once said that "it's like a Brian DePalma movie for slasher fans", furthering my point that it stands toe to toe with Carrie, and in my opinion is superior. For those of you who don't know, Brian DePalma is the director of the original Carrie, but is most known for his masterpiece starring Al Pacino, Scarface. This stand alone sequel in the Prom Night series is directed by Bruce Pittman who's been around the game for a while. His last directorial effort was in 2012 called The Last Movie, and while I've never seen any of Pittman's other works, this is enough for me to respect the mans talent. Even if all of his other work is throwaway stuff (which I'm not saying it is, I'm just saying...), he knocked this one motion picture out of the park. The cast offers Lisa Schrage (Food of the Gods II), Michael Ironside (Scanners), and Wendy Lyon (Warehouse 13 TV Series) in this supernatural tale of a prom night from hell as Mary Lou, a victim who died in 1957 at her school prom, returns 30 years later to wreck havoc and get revenge.

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.

'TORMENT' (2013)

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS 

Torment is a common and uninspired home invasion movie about a family who is sought out by a sadistic mask-wearing family is directed by The Marsh (2006) director, Jordan Baker. Having never seen any of Baker's prior directorial efforts, I was looking forward to this one although I was kinda disappointed by the obvious You're Next mockery of film promotion, such as the poster with the intruder wearing an animal mask. Another thing that drew me into the movie is that it stars Katharine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps), who is on a roll of good projects lately, such as being the lead in the all around successful American Mary, and making a few appearances in Season 2 of NBC's Hannibal. Sharing the screen with Isabelle is actor Robin Dunne (Species III) and young actor Peter DaCunha (The Barrens). 

'ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE' but they come back hungry

MILD SPOILERS THROUGHOUT 

RATED- Unrated
RUN TIME- 90 Mins
WRITER(S)- Lucky McKee and Chris Sivertson
STARRING- Caitlin Stasey, Sianoa Smit-McPhee and Brooke Butler
DIRECTOR(S)- Lucky McKee and Chris Sivertson



Synopsis taken from IMDb
A rebel girl signs up a group of cheerleaders to help her take down the captain of their high school football team, but a supernatural turn of events thrusts the girls into a different battle.




Finally, I've dug my way out of screeners for filmmakers and studios, and I'm able to review this one. I've been a fan of director Lucky McKee since his 2nd film, May. Most notably, he's the man behind The Woman, which came out in 2011 and made a name both for itself and him due to the graphic violence depicted, and all around being a very good movie. When I found out that Lucky was doing a new film, I instantly tweeted to him asking him three reasons people should watch All Cheerleaders Die, and he replied:

BLOOD SOAKED (Screener Review)

MILD SPOILERS THROUGHOUT 

RATED- Unrated
RUN TIME- 72 Mins
WRITER(S)- Peter Grendle 
STARRING- Lauren Myers, Kevin Wester, Davin Ruggles
DIRECTOR(S)- Peter Grendle



Synopsis taken from IMDb
A lesbian college couple becomes stranded in the middle of nowhere with a pack of orphaned Nazi zombie breeders hellbent on their demise.




If I said it once, I said it a thousand times. Whenever I dislike a movie, I tend to try and see the positive, and elaborate on what I did like about it. That way my reviews aren't rants. However, every once in a while a movie comes along that I just see nothing in. And unfortunately, Blood Soaked falls into that category.

Throwback Thursday Review: THE HOWLING (1981)

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 91 Mins
WRITER(S)- Gary Brandner, John Sayles, and Terence H. Winkless
STARRING- Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, and Dennis Dugan
DIRECTOR- Joe Dante



Synopsis taken from IMDb
After a bizarre and near fatal encounter with a serial killer, a television newswoman is sent to a remote mountain resort whose residents may not be what they seem. 




Although based on the 1977 fiction novel of the same title by the late Gary Brandner (May 31, 1930-September 22, 2013), "The Howling" film is almost nothing like the book. It's very loosely-based, to put it modestly.  And after the success of the 1981 motion picture directed by Joe Dante (Gremlins), it spawned six sequels and a reboot in 2011. With each sequel decreasing in merit more than the previous installment before it, it wasn't until the fourth movie "Howling IV: The Original Nightmare" (1988) that Gary Brander's novel got a real adaptation that didn't digress his work. Just a shame the movie sucked.

BLOOD WIDOW (Screener Review)

MILD SPOILERS THROUGHOUT

"After buying a nice house in the country, Laurie and Hugh, a successful young couple, throw a party for their friends. During the wild night a few friends decide to explore the abandoned and decaying boarding school next door, only to wake an emotionally broken killer: The Blood Widow"

I'm at the point now (like most movie-freaks) where I can tell within 10-15 minutes into viewing a feature, rather it'll be any good or not. And I knew that I was going to be sitting through this one through the duration. Even though some of the acting from the supporting cast is really bad, it wasn't enough to stray me away from the story.

MALIGNANT takes control of you

MILD SPOILERS THROUGHOUT 

RATED- Unrated
RUN TIME- 84 Mins
WRITER(S)- Brian Avenet-Bradley
STARRING- Gary Cairns, Brad Dourif, and Nick Nicotera 
DIRECTOR- Brain Avenet-Bradley



Synopsis taken from IMDb
After the death of his wife, a grieving man becomes the victim of a horrific experiment to cure his addiction.




After Allex (Gary Cairns)  loses his wife tragically, he turns to the bottle and makes a bad habit of it. Being an alcoholic is affecting every aspect of his life, including getting him on his boss' bad side. It seems like a lot of people around Allex have noticed his addiction, yet no one has stepped in to help. That is until The Man (Brad Dourif), tries to help Allex in unconventional ways, that only makes things worse for wear.

Throwback Thursday Review: THE LOST BOYS (1987)

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 97 Mins
WRITER(S)- Janice Fischer, James Jeremias, and Jeffrey Boam
STARRING- Jason Patrick, Corey Haim, and Dianne Wiest 
DIRECTOR- Joel Schumacher



Synopsis taken from IMDb
After moving to a new town, two brothers are convinced that the area is frequented by vampires.




Last week, I told you all that I'd review my favorite vampire film of all-time....tada!

"The Lost Boys" was only one of many classic and memorable horror films to come out in 1987, the birth year of Grimm here. Although it's in the latter part of the 80's, that still didn't stop the 80's from kicking major ass. This was one of the first genre movies that I was exposed to growing up, and because of it's comical humor, it was always being played by my Dad, or my mom, or my sister. As a matter of fact, I still have the VHS from my childhood.

COMPOUND FRACTURE shows the past can come back to hurt you

MILD SPOILERS THROUGHOUT

RATED- Unrated
RUN TIME- 90 Mins
WRITER(S)- Renae Geerlings and Tyler Mane
STARRING- Tyler Mane, Muse Watson, and Derek Mears 
DIRECTOR- Anthony J. Rickert-Epstein 



Synopsis taken from IMDb
Michael left home when he was a teenager and never looked back. Now, after the death of his sister, Chloe, he's returning home with his fiancee Juliette and his angst ridden nephew Brandon. On arrival, they realize that home isn't exactly what it used to be. With high walls surrounding the house and security cameras in every nook and cranny it's more of a military compound than anything else. Enter Gary, Michael's estranged father who, while happy to be reunited with his son and grandson, seems more distracted by other things. As the strange family reunion commences, an uninvited guest shows up and we learn bits and pieces about the real reason behind Chloe's death and why Brandon is so closed off from Michael. The fractured family will have to come together to fight the ghosts of their pasts and make it out alive!




The first thing that drew me to this motion picture was the cast. When I saw that it stared Tyler Mane (Halloween 2007), Derek Mears (Friday the 13th 2009), and Leslie Easterbrook (The Devil's Reject's 2005), I knew that this was one worth a viewing. The opinion of horror fans overall seemed positive, so that was another reason to check it out.

Boredom is all you'll be AFFLICTED with

MILD SPOILERS THROUGHOUT

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 85 Mins
WRITER(S)- Derek Lee and Clif Prowse
STARRING- Clif Prowse, Derek Lee, and Michael Gill
DIRECTOR- Derek Lee and Clif Prowse 



Synopsis taken from IMDb
Two best friends see their trip of a lifetime take a dark turn when one of them is struck by a mysterious affliction. Now, in a foreign land, they race to uncover the source before it consumes him completely.




The first things that came to my mind when I was watching "Afflicted" was how it's yet another found footage film. I understand these types of movies are hot in the filmmaker community, if not just for the financial benefit of them not costing much to make, but this trend needs to die off already. Or at least tone it down. Found footage features are getting to the point of zombie flicks now, with how many terrible genre installments there are yearly. I think that as of now, unless it's done by a well known director who I support, I'm staying away from this sub-genre. It offers nothing new, and has been used to death.

We meet Derek (Derek Lee) and Clif (Clif Prowse), and we find out that Derek has AVM. Basically he has a tangle of blood vessels in his brain, and his time in this life may be limited. If there's an accident, and he hurts his head, that's all she wrote. So, rather than bask in his own self-pity and misery, Derek decides that he and his best friend since childhood, Clif, should tour the world. Of course, they have to film the entire experience for a live travel blog that they title "Ends of the Earth". Clif, wants to spend the time with his buddy before it's too late, he may not get another opportunity like this again in Derek's lifetime.
I appreciate the character's chemistry and history, and you can tell that they're bond is real. Both seeing their interactions on screen, and the photos of them as children, it's easy to see that the friendship is legitimate.

After meeting up with some friends who are in a band, Derek takes a girl back to he and Clif's hotel room. When Clif arrives later, he finds an unconscious Derek who's also wounded on his face, and has a nasty gash on his left bicep. After refusing to see a doctor and get his head and wounds checked out, Derek starts acting strange, and he throws up a lot in a restaurant, causing a scene. And his face and hands start burning, turning red and covered in welts. After constant refusal to see a doctor, his 'affliction' worsens, and the film goes in a different direction than I expected.

Aside from feeling and looking ill, Derek realizes that he has the ability to now punch through rock walls, and break rocks in half. He can also run over 160 miles per hour on foot, and he can leap unnaturally high. Clif, is not okay with all of this, but doesn't want to force his friend to stay in a hospital. If you ask me, Clif should have manned up and made Derek see a doctor, instead of catering to his feelings. After a confrontation in the street with random guys, Clif posts the video online. He then reads the comments left by viewers, and a small detail is brought to his attention: Derek licks blood off of his hand after a confrontation.

I think anyone watching can figure out where this is going once that little incident happens. And being honest and blunt, the characters are idiots. I understand not wanting to make your trip miserable, but at what point do you break down, put your selfish reasons aside, and get examined by a doctor. Not doing so only results in a worse aftermath, and both of them get what they deserve for beings so soft and stubborn. Rather than insist on Derek seeing help, Clif aids him in killing a pig for the blood. Then Clif whines and complains that he's traumatized from the animals savage death.
Like I said, idiocy. It's really hard to like characters in a movie when they're doing ridiculously dumb things.

And things turn messy real quick because neither Derek nor Clif know how to clean up after themselves, and leave a trail of chaos behind them. There's one part that is surprising and got a reaction out of me, and that's when we see Derek in his semi-animalistic state from starvation. As it turns out, human blood is required to survive, animal blood won't do the trick. Derek remains unconscious for 11 hours. After complications involving Clif offering up his blood, Derek is solo the duration of the film, which leads up to the best scene in the movie; Derek's suicide attempt.

When Derek goes in the sun, we see some pretty well-rounded makeup effects for burns. And once he's on the run from the police, he ends up broke, trying to survive and looking for answers. From there on it's just silly, and I lost any and all connection with this film. I noticed that this motion picture was much better carried on the shoulders of two leads than one. Derek's journey isn't intriguing enough without the input of Clif. It's just a bunch of scrambling around to find a cohesive plot.
The first act was a lot better than the second and third.

The worst scene for me, involves Derek being totally animalistic and savage, yet he's still holding the camcorder, recording all of the violence. It makes no sense, and scenes like this are why the found footage sub-genre is on it's last leg. We're at the point now where we'll need a miracle in found footage for this style of movie making to become everything but the laughing stock of horror. But regardless, stick around through the credits for a last minute surprise.

2 stars out of 5

Throwback Thursday Review: BRAINDEAD (1992)

(A.K.A., DEAD ALIVE)

RATED- R

RUN TIME- 104 Mins

WRITER(S)- Stephen Sinclair, Fran Walsh, and Peter Jackson

STARRING- Timothy Balme, Diana Peñalver, and Elizabeth Moody

DIRECTOR- Peter Jackson

Synopsis taken from IMDb

A young man's mother is bitten by a Sumatran rat-monkey. She gets sick and dies, at which time she comes back to life, killing and eating dogs, nurses, friends and neighbors.  

Peter Jackson's "Dead Alive" is one of the elite films in a handful that I can watch at anytime, no matter what the circumstances, no matter what my mood. It partially has to do with the fact that it's got a little bit of everything in it. But mostly, it's because it's just a fun and enjoyable movie. This flick has attached to it a rarity, when people watch it, it gets all sorts of reactions. Laughs, gags even, and screams. It's an all around blast of a horror movie.

This is just one of the horror genre pictures Jackson has done. He's also the man behind "Bad Taste" (1987), and "The Frighteners" (1996). That's right, the man now known for the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy once tackled the horror genre. And if we're lucky, he'll make a gory return someday.

The New Zealand gore-fest has countless memorable quotes and scenes, starting with the Sumatran rat-monkey. The stop motion animation isn't something that's forgivable to pull off nowadays, but back then when horror was fun, it did just the trick. The rat-monkey hails from the fictional  Skull Island, the same location King Kong originates from. Peter Jackson has openly stated that the original Kong film is his favorite movie, ever since he was a child. And you can see it reflect in his work.

It's funny how despite how gross and bloody this flick is, it's still not as harsh and cruel as films by today's standards. It wasn't about pain and torture, it was about enjoying yourself and having a good time. And the opening says all you need to know about what you're getting into.

Now that's a face only a mother can love...

There's not a lot of character development, and it's not a character driven motion picture. However, the characters are completely likable, and even relatable to a certain extent. It's not so much that you're dreading what happens to the main characters as much as you're looking forward to seeing how they get out of their predicament. When Lionel's (Timothy Balme) mother, Vera (Elizabeth Moody) is savagely attacked by the nasty little rat-monkey, it ceases any progress that Lionel and his new girlfriend, Paquita (Diana Peñalver) are working towards. Though the intrusion was intentional by Vera, the rat-monkey taking a piece out of her arm wasn't. Lionel crawls back inside of his shell and tends to his mother, ignoring the outside world and Paquita.

Things only go from bad to gross as Vera's condition worsens and her skin starts to peel off. Not to mention one of her ears. Her refusal to lay in bed and rest, is responsible for possibly the nastiest scene in the entire motion picture: the 'custard' scene. As her bite wound aches and pusses its way into her and Lionel's guests desert, it invokes all sorts of reactions from the viewer. Most often people turn their heads, or they look in awe with their had over their mouth. Like it or hate it, it's one of the most memorable scenes from a gore-fest film ever. Only to be rivaled by the infamous 'lawnmower' scene towards the end of the picture.

Lionel tries as hard as he can to contain his mothers condition, but that proves to be an impossible feat as he loses control of his mother and the situation. After viciously snapping a nurses head back, and half off, he now has another body to watch after once it too becomes re-animated and blood thirsty. But he still keeps it a secret until a priest and punk rocker get added to the collection of zombies courtesy of Vera. Lionel even uses tranquilizer to keep the undead in his basement safe and sound. Then comes the baby that is procreated by none other than the nurse and the priest. With all of these living corpses stuffed in his dank basement, he soon can't control them anymore and is blackmailed by his uncle Les (Ian Watkin).

And to think, the house was so tidy before all the guests arrived

After agreeing to give up his inheritance from his deceased mother, Les agrees to keep Lionel's secret. But he makes Lionel take care of the zombies in the basement, a task that Lionel screws up terribly. He accidentally gives all of the living dead a poison that is actually an animal stimulant. So seeing as all this started from a monkey bite, the corpses don't die, they have even more energy. Busting down the basement door and crashing uncle Les' housewarming party full of his friends and colleagues, things get really gory. All this leads up to the unforgettable aforementioned 'lawnmower' scene.

As Lionel breaks out of his shell, he fights back in the most unconventional of ways; he attacks the now houseful of living dead by shredding them to pieces with his trusty lawnmower. What goes down is easily to this day, still one of the goriest scenes in motion picture history. The entire house is nothing but crimson, body parts, and wet chunks. But the fight doesn't stop there, because the main villain, Vera, doesn't show up until the final few minutes of the film. Only she's now monstrously tall, and completely mutated. Upon threatening Paquita, Lionel finally takes stand against his mother and kills her. 

Lionel and Paquita walk off together leaving the gritty aftermath behind them as we hear the baby conceived by the nurse and priest, screaming in the fire. I find all of the scenes with the baby to be awesome, especially the 'park' scene in which Lionel tries to act as though it's a normal baby, but to no avail.

Did someone say they need a Swiffer?

In the end, "Braindead" is a film that will be talked about for ages to come. It may not hold its appeal to younger fans nowadays as it does to those of us around when it came out, but it's a solid movie never to be forgotten. It's one of those ones that it's as easy to sit through as it is hard to watch at times. And to think I only summed up the film, I could go on and on with this one. The moral of this review is that if you haven't seen this movie yet, you need to fix that asap. And if you have seen this one, then thanks for reading, doing so shows your fandom for this classic.

4 out of 5 stars

NURSE 3D (2013)

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 84 Mins
WRITER(S)- Douglas Aarniokoski and David Loughery
STARRING- Kathleen Turner, Katrina Bowden, and Judd Nelson
DIRECTOR- Douglas Aarniokoski



Synopsis taken from IMDb
Day by day Abby Russell is a dedicated nurse, someone you wouldn't hesitate to trust your life with. But by night, her real work begins...using her smoldering sexuality she lures cheating men to their brutal deaths and exposes them for who they really are. When a younger nurse starts to suspect Abby's actions and compromises her master plan, Abby must find a way to outsmart her long enough to bring the cheater you'd least expect to justice.




The opening minutes of this feature tells you all you need to know and sets the mood. It's provocative, and very feminist, a flick about a woman who kills men in savage ways to punish them for their infidelity. Now, I typically don't go for movies like this unless there's some revenge at the end on behalf of those who meet their demise. However, I was told by several friends who've seen this that it's worth the watch, so I sat it out. It was also brought to my attention that there's a sequel in the works, so I figure now would be as good a time as any to give this one a viewing.

I didn't actually watch this in 3D, but it goes over just fine in basic 2D. I can see the appeal of three dimensional films, but they're totally overrated. There's some pretty grueling kills that are both bloody and creative. An armory of hospital equipment is at the disposal of Abby (Paz de la Huerta), and she uses things like needles and saws to bring men to justice. Some of these murders would go over quite well in 3D, and you can tell a lot of them were designed to jump off the screen at you. But what I was really impressed with was the amount of blood used, especially at the end.

A quote Abby says towards the beginning of the film that got a laugh out of me is: "This job is more than sticking thermometers in butts and looking pretty". Such things make the viewer realize that this is supposed to be a fun experience, and not a very serious one. It's important to note such things because when you read most reviews about this movie, you'll read that it's not very well liked and you can see that those judging it tried to take it seriously, but I didn't. Being a film laced with dark humor doesn't make it a better film, it just goes over better when watching. Believe me, if I judged this movie as a whole and didn't take into account that it's humor is intentional, I'd hate it.

Niecy Nash is in this playing the role as nurse Regina. Most of you know Nash from her role on Comedy Central's "Reno 911". Nash is funny as usual, and adds a nice comedic touch to the film. And Judd Nelson plays the head doctor, Dr. Morris. He's a well-endowed man who sleeps with nurses as blackmail. Upon seeing him and finding this out, it was obvious to assume that he'd meet his end.

There's a lot of nudity. Gratuitous nudity, that is unnecessary. By all means, I'm a heterosexual man who's engaged to be married and loves women. But even I've gotta say that the nakedness throughout this film is a bit absurd. There's not as much sex as there is bare skin showed, but there's sex too. Abby has a thing for ladies, so we get to see some lesbian scenes that are openly a selling factor. It's almost like the filmmakers said 'well, if we're making a lame horror movie, the least we can do is give everyone a ton of nakedness and sex so they'll still have a reason to watch'.

Love making and nudity in movies are the same as gore to me, it's hardly ever needed, but it works when it's used appropriately. But, seeing as I watch "Boardwalk Empire", I knew that Paz de la Huerta isn't afraid of showing it all. I think I've seen her more naked than with clothes on. That's an exaggeration, but you get what I'm saying...

This movie isn't all boobs, blood and guts though. We actually get a little history lesson on Abby's past and learn that she's not who she says she is. In fact, she had a troublesome family and past, in which we get flashbacks towards the latter end of the picture. To prove her insanity, the viewer sees that despite how wrong her doings are, she really believes that she's doing the right thing. And she's as obsessive as she is nutty. This reminds me of "Single White Female" a lot because of the way she develops a fixation for younger nurse, Danni (Katrina Bowden) and ambushes everything good in her life while trying to play the best friend role.

Things change when Danni starts to catch on to Abby's wrongdoings and looks into her past, revealing the shocking truth. But Danni doesn't do this for no good reason, she does it after realizing what a weirdo Abby is, and how Abby has been sending her pictures anonymously online that are inappropriate, trying to break Danni and her boyfriend up. Once Danni goes to the cops, Abby easily manipulates the cops and Danni like she does everyone else and frames Danni for all the murder occurrences. Only problem is that Danni won't go down without a fight. There's a good amount of suspense, but it's not very scary. It's a fun movie, but it's definitely more thriller than anything.

The finale goes down in the hospital in which both Danni and Abby work, which I didn't expect. And it gets extremely messy with blood. Crimson flows everywhere. There's a scissor kill by Abby that is by far my favorite in the whole movie. It's painful to watch,even though it's quick. Some unexpected people die in the third act, and Abby cements herself as the woman you love to hate.

It all ties up in an upbeat way that leaves you with some dark humor and plenty of room for a sequel. And in this movie, there's undoubtedly the sexiest torture scene you'll ever see.

So, the question is how do I rate this one? Seeing as I know what kind of movie it is, I'm not going to judge it based on nonsense things, like the fact that it isn't a serious movie. However, even taking it as it is, it's still not a very good movie aside from it being fun. Yeah, there's some laughs and some gross kills and gore that will surely get a reaction out of you, but that's about all there is to it. It's only entertaining for the duration it's on, and then it's forgotten. So, for the simple fact that I could sit through this once and enjoy it, I'm not going to mash it to pieces.

2.5 stars out of 5

SAVAGED (2013)

RATED- Unrated
RUN TIME- 95 Mins
WRITER(S)- Michael S. Ojeda
STARRING- Amanda Adrienne, Tom Ardavany, and Ronnie Gene
DIRECTOR- Michael S. Ojeda



Synopsis taken from IMDb
A deaf girl is brutalized by a murderous gang who are then hunted by her when the bloodthirsty spirit of an Apache warrior inhabits her lifeless body. 




Right away, what I liked about this flick was that I could tell that it takes itself seriously. I knew that it wasn't going to be goofy or watered down with senselessness. I mean, when I read the synopsis for this one, how could I not give it a watch? You can't wave brutality like that in the face of horror fans and expect to not get attention.

When Zoe (Amanda Adrienne) is texting while driving, she almost hits someone in the road who looks hurt. After pulling over and inspecting the mysterious person, she sees that he's injured, and obviously had been attacked. Let me just say that I'm not brave nor dumb enough to get out of the car in situations like this. As long as I didn't hit him or harm him, I'm gonna keep on driving. Only moments later, she becomes the latest attraction for the attackers when they capture her and hold her captive. They tie her in bed using barbed wire and gang rape her, and while most of the rape is done off screen, it's still present, and disturbing.

This is basically the worse case scenario, it's tragic and hard to watch as they victimize Zoe, who was a wholesome and honest girl. Not to mention handicapped. The redneck clan then takes a vote to bury kill her. Unbeknownst to them, she wasn't dead, and they buried her alive. This feature reminds me of "I Spit on Your Grave" and "Pumpkinhead" with a little bit of "The Crow" in there. The only problem is, "Savaged" doesn't live up to any of those movies, it merely imitates them.

And of course, one of the scumbags involved in her capture and rape is a deputy sheriff. When an Indian finds her almost-dead body, he takes her and does a resurrection ceremony, only to awaken the ghost of an Apache warrior who was killed by the ancestor of one of the rednecks responsible for Zoe's demise. The warrior possesses Zoe, and brings her body back for vengeance on all of those who were involved in her death and defeat. As a viewer, you can't help but feel sorry for Zoe, it's tough to sit through what happens to her. Once she starts taking revenge, it's gore galore and very violent, as it should be.

Although I said above that this movie takes itself seriously, and I liked that, some of the acting actually hurts that element. Because the acting isn't all around solid, the movie suffers for it, and I was taken out of the moment several times. Especially the emotional and deep moments. There's some good makeup for a small movie,  but nothing worth praising. And towards the end of the film, it becomes kinda silly and loses it's grip. It's just too much, and it's not scary, there's hardly any suspense.

The most entertaining part about this one was the beginning when Zoe was being brutalized, and it's hardly watchable. It's a real waste that the climax and pay-off are disappointing. It doesn't justify sitting through the first act. The kills are common, but silly because of the native american theme and bad acting. There is a quote that I liked in this movie though: "That's what happens when you drag an Angel into hell- becomes a demon".

I liked how Zoe rots as the film goes on, that's a nice touch. Throughout the film we see Zoe text, and call her boyfriend, who soon goes looking for her. When they meet again, it isn't what either of them want nor expect. I appreciate that there was an attempt at character development, but it doesn't go over well. In the end, I wish this movie were more depraved, as hardcore as it is, it holds out on a lot of things. I don't know if this was for fear of going too far, or if they were just too scared to go the whole mile.

Either way, it walks the line, doesn't cross it. What a shame. The ending is sad, but drawn out too long. Not a bad movie, but it should have been so much better. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.

2.5 stars out of 5

PROXY is a deranged piece of cinema

RATED- Unrated
RUN TIME- 120 Mins
WRITER(S)- Kevin Donner and Zack Parker
STARRING- Joe Swanberg, Kristina Klebe, and Alexia Rasmussen
DIRECTOR- Zack Parker



Synopsis taken from IMDb
While walking home from her latest OB appointment, a very pregnant Esther Woodhouse is brutally attacked and disfigured by a hooded assailant. This horrible event seems to be a blessing in disguise when Esther finds consolation in a support group. Her life of sadness and solitude is opened up to a friendship, understanding, and even acceptance. However, friendship and understanding can be very dangerous things when accepted by the wrong people. 




Starting almost immediately, we see a very pregnant Esther (Alexia Rasmussen) ruthlessly attacked. What follows actually made my jaw drop, and I almost had to look away. This is that kind of movie that instantly tells you what you're in for. The attack is so heinous and traumatizing to watch, and it caught me off guard. My first thought was: who would do such a thing? Pushing the boundaries within just a few minutes, I was ready to stick around to see how far it would go.

We see the impact the vicious attack has on Esther, and she's extremely lonely. She joins a support group and starts to socialize, which seems to make her feel better. As the first act of the film dragged out and was kind of slow, I was intrigued to stay tuned and see where this all was leading. Never would I expect such a sick and unforgivable twist. And we see Esther sleep around, making the viewer realize she's not who we thought she was.

Esther becomes completely unlikable instantly, and we find out things about her, like how she never wanted to be a mother. She's a nasty, heartless person. But, it isn't just Esther that is unlikable, it's almost the entire cast. Joe Swanberg shows up and puts on a good performance, but he's kind of stiff. I don't feel that he let it all out in this film. I guess his performance while good, felt held back. His character Patrick, undergoes a traumatic incident that changes him for the worse.

What follows Patrick's misfortune is a shocker. I didn't see any of it coming, but it shows you how unpredictable this flick is. It's completely unconventional. There's an unnecessary slow motion scene that irked me, and it just didn't go as I expected it to, so I was left compelled to watch, so I can see how it would end.

There's some good gore that looks realistic and painful, and there's nice dialogue that doesn't feel forced. It goes over smoothly and naturally for the most part. Some of the music is kind of quirky, which is unnecessary, and takes you out of the movie.

The masturbation-choke scene is pretty disturbing and gross, again pushing boundaries. And we see that due to recent events, Patrick is now going to a support group. When he discovers a secret about his wife and her relationship with Esther, things get crazy. There's another kill towards the end that I did not see coming, and caught me off guard. I think what this movie is best at is being completely random and unpredictable.

The film ends very deranged, but good. I feel that after viewing the film that it has a lot of good things going for it, but it's far too slow, and fails to build any true successful suspense. It turns into a movie that's only subsidence is shock value. Overall I was entertained, but I wasn't impressed. It gets too many things wrong, and it gets in its own way of being a great good movie due to some boring writing and drawn out scenes. I like it, but it's nothing worth praising.

3 stars out of 5

BIG BAD WOLVES (2013)

RATED- Unrated
RUN TIME- 110 Mins
WRITER(S)- Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado
STARRING- Lior Ashkenazi, Rotem Keinan, and Tzahi Grad
DIRECTOR- Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado



Synopsis taken from IMDb
A series of brutal murders puts the lives of three men on a collision course: The father of the latest victim now out for revenge, a vigilante police detective operating outside the boundaries of  law, and the main suspect in the killings- a religious studies teacher arrested and released due to a police blunder.




Quentin Tarantino is quoted as saying that this flick is the "best film of the year". That's all I really needed to hear, I knew I had to see this. Although Tarantino puts his name on films to give them a push with audiences and critics, they aren't all good. So this was a gamble. But after a few minutes of watching, I knew that I was going to like it.

It picks up pretty quickly, throwing you in amidst the chaos of a suspect being beaten and interrogated. I instantly saw some "Reservoir Dogs" in the scene, and could tell that this was going to be an unconventional experience. The suspect ends up being released, and we discover that a teenager was in the building when the violence was happening, and he recorded the incident. Shortly after leaking the video on YouTube, the lead cop on the case, Micki (Lior Ashkenazi) is dropped from the police force. But rather than quit while he's ahead, he pursues the suspect on his own time and terms.

I like that we get some alone time with the suspect, Dror (Rotem Keinan) and see how his life is effected by the accusations made about him. They make you wait a bit before finding out exactly what he's suspected of doing, but it's quite gruesome. Supposedly he kills little girls by sawing off their heads with a rusty saw, but after drugging, raping, breaking their fingers one at a time, and peeling off their toenails and keeping them as souvenirs. Dror appears to be such a wholesome guy that it's hard to say whether or not he's really guilty or just being falsely accused. He's subjected to finding students making nasty drawings about him, and he's treated to nasty comments on exams he's grading from. He's definitely weird, but the mystery of his innocence or guilt is well told, and leaves you guessing.

Then we discover that former cop; Micki, is being spied on by Gidi (Tzahi Grad), the father of the latest missing child. His introduction is when the movie gets serious. He purchases a nice new house, and makes sure that it has a sound proof basement. He makes it a vital point to get a basement that you can't hear screaming from. After a brief discussion with Micki, they decide to team up and question Dror the hardway, and off the books. This is where the movie goes from "Reservoir Dogs" to "Kill List" quickly.

There's not a lot of gore in the film, but what is used is mostly spent in Gidi's basement. And despite the extreme nature, there's some good dark humor that keeps the mood from sinking too deep into making "Big Bad Wolves" an uncomfortable film. Gidi offers a quick death to Dror if he just tells him where his daughter's head is so he can bury it with her body. Dror being persistent, refuses that he doesn't know and that he's not the guy they're after. He's so convincing that he almost sways Gidi and Micki's bond. But after not confessing, the torturing begins.

There's some painful moments to watch, including a finger breaking, and toenail removal. Needless to say, the soundproof basement comes in handy. But things get even crazier when Gidi's father, Yoram (Doval'e Glickman) stops by for a visit, sees what's going on, and joins in on the party. The dialogue between Yoram and Gidi is funny, and the entire cast flows smoothly together and interact with great screen chemistry.

There's a sudden turn of events that blindsided me, and makes for a really screwed up, non-happy ending. Although considering what happens, I don't feel that it was emotional enough. I think there was some powerful acting to be had at the end, and it never happened. So the movie could have ended on a strong note, even if it still ended in a shocking way. Overall, "Big Bad Wolves" is full of suspense, and it's not predictable. There's some good acting all around, and a strong story with disturbing content matter, and an unexpected twist.

3.5 stars out of 5

CAMP DREAD puts a bloody twist on reality TV

RATED- Unrated
RUN TIME- 95 Mins
WRITER(S)- Harrison Smith
STARRING- Kyle Patrick Brennan, Ashley Caspermeyer, and Nicole Cinaglia
DIRECTOR- Harrison Smith



Synopsis taken from IMDb
The "Summer Camp" horror trilogy was one of the most popular franchises of the 1980's. However, the decade ended and so did director/writer Julian Barrett's career. Now Barrett has a plan to resurrect "Summer Camp" in a modern reboot that entails using a reality show as its template and source of fundraising. Should it succeed Barrett would once again be at the helm. Bringing together an eclectic group of young "contestants" as well as his former stars Rachel Steele and John Hill, Barrett seems to have put together a sure fire recipe for success. Then people start dying. For real. And "elimination" takes on a whole new meaning as "Dead.tv" clearly shows the slasher film has grown up.



Starting off with tryouts to be on "Dead.tv", we meet some of the cast immediately, and can see that the so-called "contestants" are troubled, all in their own way. And, there's some definite suspicions about them. However, even though they're rehab bound, they all agree to participate on the reality show in which the winner is promised one million dollars.

We're also introduced to the man behind the madness, Julian Barrett (Eric Roberts), and his associate Sheriff Donlyn (Danielle Harris). Both Roberts and Harris are credited as the main cast, but they're hardly in it. You can tell that this was a plea to get the movie noticed by using their well-known names as the selling point.

It doesn't hurt the movie that they're not in it much, but the film is left on the shoulders of a young and fairly inexperienced cast. And, being quite frank, Roberts stands out compared to everyone else, because he's such a good actor. It's clear that he's leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else. While some acting from the main cast is questionable, it's actually not bad.

Felissa Rose who's best known as Angela Baker from 1983's "Sleepaway Camp" plays a somewhat vital role in the film. She plays the former star of the "Summer Camp" movies, Rachel Steele, and is helping Julian Barrett with all the preparations for the reality show. It's always a pleasure seeing Felissa on screen, and she has become an even better actress.

Before the show begins filming, the "contestants" are given a rundown in front of one another by Rachel Steele. It becomes apparent to the youths that somehow Rachel and Julian have some personal info about them that they shouldn't. Such as, how one of the teens killed her brother. This shows the "contestants" that this show isn't all it's cracked up to be. And that they need to watch their backs.

From the jump it's easy to spot that this is obviously a low-budget project, and some of the characters are downright unlikable. This of course, leads to letting us know who's safe and who isn't when the inevitable chaos ensues. There's some good deaths, like someone choking on a sandwich. But my favorite death has to be when one of the cast gets beaten to death with his own fake leg, classic stuff. And there's a scene involving a lip ring that I almost had to turn away from.

The storyboards from the "Summer Camp" trilogy are exact with recent deaths that are occurring, and it becomes obvious that someone's up to some foul play, and there's more than meets the eye. About midway through the film, we start to see that some of the "contestants" are straight up unstable and even psychos. This adds to the mystery of who the killer could be, and the film does a good job at making almost everyone feel like a suspect. However, overall the movie isn't very scary or suspenseful.

The gore is good, and in supply. The makeup however, isn't up to par with what you'd expect. But in the end, "Camp Dread" has an almost tragic feel to it, especially the end when the twist is revealed. Not what I was expecting. With the worse leg shaving scene since "Cabin Fever", this film proves to be entertaining and a good watch. If I had to sum it up, I'd say that this flick is "Cabin in the Woods" meets "Sleepaway Camp".

3 stars out of 5

DEMON RESURRECTION (Screener Review)

RATED- Unrated
RUN TIME- 90 Mins
WRITER(S)- William Hopkins
STARRING- Alex Golightly, Damian Ladd, and Eli Kranski
DIRECTOR- William Hopkins



Synopsis taken from IMDb
In an isolated house, a group of friends battle supernatural forces as they try to protect a young woman from an evil cult.




First of all, I want to mention how professional this screener is. Most people just send you a burned disc, and maybe a small note. Well, this one came in a full-fledged DVD case, complete with movie cover and bonus features including a making of documentary and even commentary by writer and director, William Hopkins. So I was actually looking forward to this one, because it seemed to me that the filmmakers themselves took this project seriously, and aimed a little higher than just being a "backyard epic".

The film starts pretty quickly, introducing you to a few characters at an archaeological dig site who uncover some bodies said to be dead members of an evil cult. Then follows a brief explanation and some back story, allowing you to understand the whole picture before the proverbial crap hits the fan.

Then we go to a group of friends, who are oblivious to the fact that they're so close to the recently uncovered bodies and burial. They're in town for an intervention of their friend Grace, who they think is troubled and needs help. Eventually we get some more back story, this time from some of the characters, especially Grace, played by Alex Golightly. We find out how she's been forced to join an evil cult against her will, and was branded with the cults symbol. She was then bound and raped by an evil essence, which for the sake of the movie is green fog.

This of course, results in her pregnancy. My only complaint about her unfortunate events, is that I wish it were more depraved. I appreciate that they kept it cleaned up and to a minimum, but I think going the route of being a bit more graphic for the sake of the effect it would have had would have been the way to go.

The characters stumble into a few cliches such as there being no reception for their cell phones, but for the most part, "Demon Resurrection" is its own monster and offers up some good creativity, while nodding to certain classics in the genre such as "Night of the Living Dead" and "The Evil Dead". And make no mistake, this is no typical 'I'm pregnant with Satan's baby' movie.

I think my favorite part about the movie is the zombies. They're straight Lucio Fulci style, taking you back to the feel of the late 70's and early 80's era of zombie makeup. They're constantly surrounded by a green smoke and glow, like the smoke that impregnated Grace. And these zombies are pretty vicious, they fight back, and they scratch the hell out of you. Nasty gore, but throughout the movie it isn't overused or overplayed. 

As a matter of fact, there's a throat cut scene that rivals that of "The Crate" from 1982's "Creepshow". Not to mention, there's some gruesome throwback disembowelments to add to the awesomeness. The window scene in general is painful to watch, but the guy who meets such a cruel end is worthy of it, and easily the least likable character.

The evil within Grace is birthed as a creature that looked to me like a cross between a graboid (Tremors) and a Xenomorph (Alien). It's done old school with a puppet and not cgi, another throwback to older films. And although William Hopkins was open about what an aggravation it was to use a puppet, I appreciate that much more than I would have a computer generated creature.

The movie ends in a semi-happy way, but not really. Through the entire film, there's not really any score to it. I appreciate the way that using natural sounds keeps things in a more grounded level, and it is effective. However, I think a good score that gets your blood pumping adds in suspense, and would have overall improved the effectiveness the film has.

The makeup work is decent, I've definitely seen worse, and I've absolutely seen better. But, it works for the feel that the movie achieves. With some low quality lighting throughout, and some weak acting, this movie fails to be perfect. However, the good outweighs the bad, and there's some good dialogue between the characters. I just wish it was carried out in a better way.

One of the things that I disliked was the way the zombies meet their end, and wanted them to vanish differently. I guess great minds think alike, because after watching the film with commentary, I came to find out that William Hopkins actually wanted them to ignite into flames, but was restricted in doing so. I agree that would have been a better farewell. And I think that with the style of the zombies, that it would have been better if the whole movie were shot in a grainy Grindhouse type of look.

I also learned during the commentary how difficult it was to make this movie, the setbacks they had in pulling it off, and how it took a long time. All of which just builds more appreciation from me. The commentary also pinpoints some continuity issues that I honestly probably would have never noticed otherwise, and goes into how the zombies were designed to look retro, because they didn't look right in the films "Blair Witch" style. They also didn't hire friends to play parts, they hired pros, unlike most indie directors do. And they had to shoot eight pages of the script each day, which is a lot compared to a usual production.

In the end, even with flaws, "Demon Resurrection" is an indie achievement. It was created and treated very professionally, and gives the genre a big high five. It's a low-budget B movie that doesn't let up.

3 stars out of 5