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.

Frontier(s) (2007)

RATED- NC-17

RUN TIME- 108 Mins

WRITER(S)- Xavier Gens

STARRING- Karina Testa, Aurelien Wiik, and Patrick Ligardes

DIRECTOR- Xavier Gens

Synopsis taken from IMDb

A gang of young theives flee Paris during the violent aftermath of a political election, only to hole up at an Inn run by neo-Nazis.



 

So, I finally got off of my lazy ass and decided to watch "Frontiers", a French film that's went and gotten itself a reputation in the horror community. I've heard great things about this, so I was eager to view it for the first time. However, I was still iffy with it being an Afterdark Horrorfest film, seeing as I only really liked one  of them, "The Gravedancers".

It's funny to me how people say that Asian horror is where "real horror is at right now". Because from where I'm standing, it's clear to me that the French are the ones dominating. With such hits as "Inside" and "Martyrs", to add another heavy hitter to that group of films with "Frontiers" sends a huge message to all genre fans.

Now, going into the film, I only saw the trailer and knew the synopsis. The only spoiler I really knew was that the lead character, Yasmin (Karina Testa), in which I knew she eventually gets a shaved head somehow. So the experience was totally new to me, the way I prefer it. And I definitely didn't take that From The Director Of Hitman seriously. Because if that's supposed to sell this motion picture, that's a bad call. Did anyone like that movie?

The movie starts off with riots in the streets of Paris, France and pretty much runs with the ball. It slows down for a bit, but it builds an unsteady and nervous tension that kept me on edge, expecting anything to happen at anytime.

The story is something new and creative, and I haven't really seen anything like it, really. It's a very basic and grounded plot, which makes it believable and more intense. The realism keeps things gruesome, but dares you to watch.

The gore and effects are close to perfect, both believable and painful to view. I can't even imagine the amount of blood that was used during the filming of this movie, because it's a very bloody ride.

The climax is nailbiting, and packed with a grueling weight I felt while watching. Even though there's not much character development, I still felt scared for the characters because the situation was real. As the plot played out and this flick came to an end, I was satisfied. I definitely liked what I saw, and it's undoubtedly good. But, I wasn't overly impressed with it. And I feel that the previous films like "Inside" and "Martyrs" pushed the bounds a bit farther, so they're more memorable.

In the end, "Frontiers" is a landmark horror film, but there's bigger landmarks.



Frankenstein's Army Is A Stroke Of Genius

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 85 MINS
WRITER(S)- CHRIS W. MITCHELL, RICHARD RAAPHORST, MARY SHELLEY AND MIGUEL TEJADA-FLORES
STARRING- KAREL RODEN, JOSHUA SASSE AND ROBERT GWILYM
DIRECTOR- RICHARD RAAPHORST



Synopsis taken from IMDb
Toward the ending of WWII, Russian soldiers pushing into eastern Germany stumble across a secret Nazi lab, one that has unearthed and begun experimenting with the journal of one Dr. Victor Frankenstein. The scientists have used the legendary Frankenstein's work to assemble an army of super-soldiers stitched together from the body parts of their fallen comrades -- a desperate Hitler's last ghastly ploy to escape defeat.




The only thing that made want to see this film more than I already did, is the uproar of positive reviews/write-ups that it's gotten. Offhand I figured it was just going to be visually fun to watch, I didn't expect it to actually be a very good film. However, now I see what all the hype is about!

Instantly, I saw that there wasn't going to be any cheese, just dark humor, so that stepped it up a peg for me. One thing that ruins movies most times than not, is making ridiculous jokes with bad dialog for the sake of achieving a small laugh. Not the case with this one.

The first 20 minutes we get to spend time with the Russian soldiers as they push through eastern Germany, aside from that, there's no buildup. Because it's shot in real time, we're thrown into the situation along with them as they find the secret Nazi lab. I didn't mind the lack of character development, having some is always a golden key, but this movie does fine without it. And I think the reason is, because the viewer is so invested in what's going on with the story, the characters actually are part of the background. The story is at the forefront. This works because it's a very original story, and completely mad!

Of course, I think the best part of the film is when we start to see some real action and interaction between the Russian's and the Nazi soldiers scrapped together from the crazy ideals of Frankenstein's journal. Above how cool and interesting the monsters/soldiers look, the best thing is that it actually manages to get a couple quick scares out of you. It's more creepy than scary, but the fact that this concept can get a reaction out of me like that says something positive. But it's more cool and innovative than anything else.

The Nazi soldiers looked badass! Not only are they creative and inventive, but they're ferocious! Just looking at them and the way they move makes the movie go up a few notches. But to have these monstrosities amidst the chaos is just pure genius. It really gives you a sense of fear and urgency, that drives home the point of how this is, point blank, a solid horror film.

The conclusion ended a bit more abruptly than I had expected, or wanted. I was expecting a bit more of a BANG with the ending, and that just didn't happen. Not to say that the ending isn't good, it's fine. I just would have preferred a more in your face approach to an ending. But in a way, we all have an idea of how this film would end before we go into it, seeing as it takes place during WWII.