'JOYRIDE 3: ROADKILL' is relentlessly brutal

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

In the third installment in the Joy Ride series, we get a bloody (no pun intended) good sequel. This time around, a group of street racers who take a short cut to a race rally antagonize the vicious truck driver, Rusty Nail, and he won't stop hunting them until they all die gruesome deaths. Directed by Declan O' Brien (Shartopus) and starring Ken Kirzinger (Freddy Vs. Jason), Jesse Hutch (Smallville), and Ben Hollingsworth (Coming Home for Christmas).

Picked up 'CASSADAGA' on DVD for real cheap!

PLOT: Devastated by the death of her youngster sister, Lily Morel seeks solace at the spiritualist community of Cassadaga. But instead of finding closure, she contacts something else- the vengeful ghost of a murdered young woman. With her life crumbling all-around her, Lily races to unravel the mysterious circumstances surrounding the woman's death- a task that will bring her face-to-face with a sadistic serial killer known only as "Geppetto."

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.

HATE CRIME (2013)

RATED- Unrated
RUN TIME- 73 Mins
WRITER(S)- James Cullen Bressack and Jarret Cohen
STARRING- Jody Barton, Nicholas Adam Clark, and Greg Depetro
DIRECTOR- James Cullen Bressack



Synopsis taken from IMDb
A Jewish family, that just arrived in a new neighborhood, are recording their youngest son's birthday celebrations on video when their home is suddenly invaded by a bunch of crystal-meth-crazed Neo-Nazi lunatics. 




Now, if you read my blog often, or even time to time, you know that I'm one of those horror fans that can't resist a movie that has everyone waving the brutal flag for. If you tell me a film has a reputation like that, odds are I'm gunning to see it. I'll try any movie once, just to say I watched it. Being a horror critic you have to be up to date on what is considered extreme, just common sense, really.

When the movie starts, we're watching the celebration of a child's birthday. We're also introduced to the fact that the mother and father don't seem to get along too well. But before we can get any real character time, the Neo-Nazis invade the Jewish family's home and start wrecking havoc. I was surprised by how quick this film picks up. I guess seeing as it's only 73 minutes long, they had to get to the point quick.

The Nazi terrorists call themselves One, Two, and Three. They're totally off their rocker, and have no idea what they're doing. Often overacted, they're high on meth and wanted to scare the newest family in the neighborhood. But things get taken to an all new level of unnecessary proportions. In fact, one of the three lunatics even tells the family that it wasn't supposed to go down this way, but there's no going back.

So, rather than stop while they're ahead, they just go further with their terrorizing. The first notable thing that I disliked was that through the entire film, everyone is so loud and screaming that it's downright inaudible in parts. Add to that the fact that the Neo-Nazis are wearing masks, and it makes it even harder to hear some of the dialogue. I understand if this were done to maintain a sense of realism, but I would have rather heard what was being said with clarity. Especially since the acting being so poor at times ruins the realism the film creates.

I also have a problem with the fact that this movie takes itself so seriously, but it pussyfoots around the solid details that would have really improved the film. Such as when the mother is being raped. She is raped twice, once by Three, the over-sized meth freak, and a second time by her own son upon being forced by the intruders. And neither of these times does the moms underwear leave her waist. I know I probably sound like a creep saying this, but there's no proper way to say it without being blunt.

If you want to make a film that is built on suspense, then you don't need to show everything. But when you make a movie meant to push boundaries and show everything gruesome, you don't forget details like a rape victim still garnished in lingerie. It's common sense. What I dislike about "Hate Crime" most, is its lack of commitment to being a hardcore horror film, although it tries to pass itself off as one.

There's some serious problems paying attention to detail too, like the fact that the family doesn't fight back at all and just moan and cry like helpless victims. I understand the fact that the idea was to show a family being helpless and victimized, but no one trying to defend themselves is just disappointing. I know that if this type of scenario happened to me, I'd go down fighting, not crying and begging. I also hated how the victims weren't even tied up tight. Here we are, watching them thrash about in their chairs as they're beaten and even branded on the face with swastikas, all the while they're not even tied in tight, and could easily escape. I mean it's pretty clear watching the movie how lose those chords are tied around them. So again, something else that ruins the authenticity of this films attempted realistic feel.  

There's hardly any gore aside from a painful eyeball removal scene that's done off camera. This however, is filmed properly and lets the screams of agony tell the story rather than show you all the details. It's probably the most gruesome thing that happens in the entire film, even though we miss the visual. The entire third act is incredibly suspenseful, and the found footage/documentary style of filming works well for the story.

I think that One, Two, and Three are complete idiots outside of just being racist losers. When the father escapes their grasp, they waste so much time doing nothing. Meanwhile, in reality, someone escaping would cause the protagonists to run in fear of the cops being called. Not in this movie. They just get high and take their time, which is not realistic at all. They stick around beyond when they should, and they record way too much.

Towards the end it doesn't even make sense as to why they're still recording, and you can tell that it's just for the sake of the movie. You can't just leave things go on like that for the sake of the story. There's ways around such hiccups that wouldn't lessen the movies value. Such as just letting the movie cut off, or finding a better reason to let the camera run aside for the sake of having it sit on the dashboard while the meth-heads talk.

In the end, I enjoyed "Hate Crime", but I dislike it for its shortcomings, in which there are many. Nothing irks me more than a horror film with vast potential to beat the walls of conventional-ism down, but chickens out and plays it the safe way. Yeah, it may be hard to stomach, but there's things that constantly remind you that it's only a movie. So the point of the flick is lost, and it just becomes a senseless movie about brutality that dares to push barriers, but doesn't make the cut.

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

PRISONERS (2013)

RATED- R

RUN TIME- 153 Mins

WRITER(S)- Aaron Guzikowski

STARRING- Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Viola Davis

DIRECTOR- Denis Villeneuve

Synopsis taken from IMDb

When Keller Dover's daughter and her friend go missing, he takes matters into his own hands as the police pursue multiple leads and the pressure mounts. But just how far will this desperate father go to protect his family?

First, let me start this by saying that this is definitely one that you need to watch twice to get the full effect. Due to how well you're mislead the whole film, you miss a lot of details and clues that are actually important, and end up coming into play. Once you've seen it a first time, and know how it ends, going into it a second time allows you to see the things you might have missed. That is the case with me, anyway.

It's been a long while since I've seen a really good revenge thriller outside of the 2010 Korean masterpiece, "I Saw The Devil". So, having my interest piqued with the television commercials, I decided that I'd give this one a chance. I didn't get around to seeing it in theaters, and only just saw it for the first time a month ago. But after viewing it and seeing what a powerhouse of a movie it is, I knew it was going to go on the slab for reviewing.

The story to this is a lot more psychological and deep than other recent kidnapping movies such as "Megan is Missing" (which I thought was completely tasteless). Anyway, "Prisoners" takes a look at things from the parents point of view, instead of the person(s) kidnapped. And in order to pull off such a feat, you have to have a good convincing cast, which this movie provides perfectly.

What would you do if your child was kidnapped? Would you do the right thing and wait around for the authorities to handle it, or would you take matters into your own hands? How would your marriage suffer from having a child stolen from you? Or, how would it effect your everyday life, including work and sleep? Well, all of these questions are touched up on and shown to us in a very believable manor. Which is why the film hits so hard, because it has real character reacting to a terrifying situation.

And the thing that I think I liked most about this picture, is that it isn't predictable. Most films like this you can see through and pick apart within 30 minutes, but such was not the case for me with this one. Everyone is a suspect, and because you have certain people you're weary of as a viewer, it kept me on edge. I didn't trust a single person in this one. And I was blindsided by the twist at the end.

The cast is on point in all aspects. I personally thought that Jake Gyllenhaal was awesome in this, and I don't really like a lot of stuff that he's in. But the crown on this film is Hugh Jackman's acting. That guy delivers. Jackman plays the guy that does what anyone'd want to do in his situation. Most of us would never have the guts to do what he does, but that doesn't mean we wouldn't want to.

So, even though he takes things a bit far, there's a lot of people out there who'd go even further, which makes his character easily likable and easy to relate to. As violent as he is, he's justified as far as I'm concerned. You steal someones child and you deserve all the hell in the world to come down on your head in my book. As a matter of fact, the movie actually received an NC-17 rating due to the torture, gore, and violence. So it was edited to tone down the graphic nature of it all.

For such a heavy topic, director Denis Villeneuve does a great job at exposing the realness and rawness of the situation. Very good movie. The ending left me high and dry, wanting more answers, but I really believe that it was the best way to end a near perfect picture.

So just for the sake of keeping track, you've got a good, strong story, great acting, good plot twists, lots of suspense, and a solid ending. As a matter of fact, I'll swear to the Lord that midway through the movie, I was so anxious to find out who the protagonist was that I almost pulled my phone out to Google spoilers (laugh).

If you haven't checked this out yet, do yourself a favor and give it a viewing. It's hard and has some bite to it, but it's a rewarding experience, and a very serious movie.

3.5 out of 5 stars

THE LOVED ONES (2009)

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 84 MINS
WRITER(S)- SEAN BYRNE
STARRING- XAVIER SAMUEL, ROBIN McLEAVY, AND VICTORIA THAINE
DIRECTOR- SEAN BYRNE



Synopsis taken from IMDb
When Brent turns down his classmate Lola's invitation to the prom, she concocts a wildly violent plan for revenge.

I am actually late to the game and just viewed this flick for the first time last week. This is one that came up during a horror discussion I was in, and I was strongly recommended to give it a watch. So, I did. And now, I can see what all the fuss is about!

First of all, before we get into the more detailed stuff, let me say how writer, Sean Byrne got something right, he composed a very simple story. So many horror films nowadays try and show off with an overload of special fx, and/or cgi. The majority of film makers fail to see how you don't need a complicated story or plot to make a good horror film. All you need is a basic, primal emotion to feed off of, such as resentment or revenge.  And you need the right mind to execute that idea right. All I'm saying is, this movie is a prime example of how you don't need anything out of reach to make a solid genre film.

Upon watching, I found the humor injected into the film, and actually laughed a lot. That being said, I also cringed a lot, and found myself not wanting to move from my chair! Once I started watching, I found it hard to pry away. It's not a long film either, so it's all paced very well and keeps you invested.

I can't really think of another motion picture like this, it's in a class on its own, really. It's a new type of revenge story, but keeps true to the gritty nature of what we'd expect to see. It also crosses a few lines that you don't expect, and has some very painful-to-watch torture scenes.

Lola (Robin McLeavy) is played to perfection, and is one twisted chick! I liked the concept of this film, it's something new and different, yet impeccibly simple. It's actually fun to watch even though it can be brutal in nature.

One of the things that I really took to, is how Lola's father is just as screwed up as she is, if not more! The fact that he's in on everything along with her, really sets off how screwed our lead character, Brent (Xavier Samuel) is. Basically, the point to the story is that you need to watch what you say to people and how you say it, just in case they turn out to be a crazy. In this case, being rude to a female who asks you to prom can end up being the worst choice of your life. You just never know when the girl you're making fun of with your friends may turn out to be a psycho, and make you pay for it in ways you don't want to imagine. 

Looking at the full picture, it's just as much about survival as it is torture. And I'm extremely impressed. This is one that left a good impression on me, to say the least. I actually plan on buying it on Blu-Ray as soon as I catch up on all the other movies I have to buy and catch up on. I'm telling ya, watching and reviewing movies is a work that you can get drowned and overwhelmed with, but movies like this are why I do it. Whenever you find that diamond in the rough, it makes it all worth it.

So, in other words, if you're like me, and late to the game on this one, go find yourself a copy and watch it asap! It's damn good, and I wish I was ahead of the ball on this one. But, one of the best things about watching so many movies is that regardless of how many you've seen, there's always ones you find that you didn't know about before. If you like creepiness, gore, and laughs, then you need to see this. Essentially, it's a horror film that has it all! 

I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE 2 holds nothing back

RATED- UNRATED
RUN TIME- 105 MINS
WRITER(S)- NEIL ELMAN AND THOMAS FENTON
STARRING- JEMMA DALLENDER, JOE ABSOLOM, AND YAVOR BAHAROV
DIRECTOR- STEVEN R. MONROE



Synopsis taken from IMDb
Katie is trying to make it in the cutthroat world of modeling. When she innocently accepts an offer to have new photos taken for her portfolio, the experience quickly turns into an unthinkable nightmare of rape, torture, and kidnapping. When a twist of fate finally frees her from her captors- beaten, battered, bruised, and broken, she will have to tap into the darkest places of the human psyche to not only survive her ordeal, but to ultimately find the strength to exact her brutal revenge.

  

Being a big fan of the 2010 remake, I was definitely excited about this sequel, especially since it's by the same director. However, I also remained a bit skeptical. There's concerns that rose to my mind, like little red lights flashing. Sadly, I must say that I was right in being apprehensive about this one. The alarm going off in my conscience, those flashing red lights ended up being dead on the money, and I'll tell you why.

I've said this before, and I'll repeat it again for the sake of this films topic. There is no such thing as a good rape scene. I understand that sometimes in order to make a revenge flick, or a drama even, rape needs to be depicted. However, there is tactful ways of doing it. The film that I praise for having a tactful rape scene is Alex Aja's 2006 "The Hills Have Eyes" remake. It didn't show you much but, you were fully aware of what was going on.

The 2010 remake of "I Spit On Your Grave" also surprised me in the sense that although it was extreme, it wasn't overdone. The amount of maltreatment was done quite well. There wasn't too much thrusting or humping shown. It was more implied that she was molested by the gang of guys due to her passing out. I think that's the greatest thing about the retelling of the 1978 motion picture. The brutality was shown on such a tense level, that it wasn't necessary to exploit every little thing. It was immensely intense as well. And, the payoff was as much deserved as it was worth the wait.

This sequel does the exact opposite of what I praise the remake for. Before I go further, let me go on record as saying that I did like this movie. I just found it to be less tasteful than the prior installment, and not as thrilling. Unfortunately, the thing that I think lessened this one compared to the other, is the revenge. And that's a big problem.

This film centers around Katie (Jemma Dallender) and the gang of foreign creeps she encounters, from Bulgaria. When she refuses to go nude for the photo shoot, she soon realizes that she got mixed up with the wrong people. Things go from bad to worse, and then a little more worse. And right when you think the film has gone a bit too far, it goes a bit further. This to me, is like a half-sister to the remake. It's got similar traits, and is definitely part of the same family but, it's not as complete and whole.

After being beaten and raped repeatedly by multiple men, and being deceived by someone Katie thought she could trust, as well as the police, the payback just isn't what it needed to be for such a violent and gritty piece of cinema. The rape and torture goes a bit too far, to the point where it's almost un-watchable. They show a lot more than they should, unlike the remake. It's really not a necessity to show all that is shown, it's a bit much, and crosses a few lines, especially for a lackluster conclusion. Katie is beaten horribly, raped multiple times by different men, shocked, and pissed on. Oh, and buried alive! 

The revenge scenes were nasty and twisted, and deserving. They're not anything but shock factor though. It seems so fabricated and commercial, it doesn't feel as real or dreadful like it should. The final death is really hard to watch for men, at least I found it painful to view. Brings a new image to mind when hearing the term balls in a vice.

And, there's one other big thing that I did not like, and that is that they made Katie too much of a female icon almost, for lack of a better word. Once she decides to go over to the dark side, and get vengeance  for herself, she gets this black leather jacket, and she wears it through the remainder of the movie. I don't like that she has a cool, dark image about her. She should have a dirty tank top with sweat stains and grease and soot on it. She just doesn't look the part, and the wardrobe throws me off. It just lost the genuine revenge feel that the other film had, and you can see that this one has the brain of the remake but, not the heart or soul.

There's a scene where she exacts revenge on a big bull of a man. She knocks him out, and drags him through the train station tunnels where she's living, picks him up and puts him on a bed, all while wearing her little black jacket and without breaking a sweat. I'm not one for nitpicking, but damn. As I said above, this was just far too fabricated and insincere. 

Do I hate this film? No. Do I love it? No. Do I like it? Yes. 

I just can't fully back it because it's hard to watch something so gut-wrenching and have the pigs responsible for these despicable acts get punished in a watered down way. This film had no problem screwing with male genitalia but, what it needed to grow a bigger set of nuts for the sickness depicted and turn it up a notch. You can't have the antagonists do worse than the protagonist or the point is missed, and that's the case with this sequel.

Would I watch it again? Yeah. Would I buy it? Yeah. Will I watch it often? No. 

The remake is already hard enough to watch, and I like it a lot more than this one. "I Spit on your Grave 2" is Jack Ketchum's "The Girl Next Door", meets Eli Roth's "Hostel". I'm more disappointed than anything with this one. I wish they'd gone more original than predictable. Oh well. 

On a final note, the acting is good. But like the gore and torture aspect of this movie, it takes you out of the experience because it seems so expected and refurbished.

Aftershock is a Tsunami of Terror

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 89 MINS
WRITER(S)- GUILLERMO AMOEDO, NICOLAS LOPEZ AND ELI ROTH
STARRING- ELI ROTH, ANDREA OSVART AND ARIEL LEVY
DIRECTOR- NICOLAS LOPEZ



Synopsis taken from IMDb
In Chile, a group of travelers who are in an underground nightclub when a massive earthquake hits, quickly learn that reaching the surface is just the beginning of their nightmare. 




Having been a fan of Eli Roth's work since "Cabin Fever" hit, I was anxiously awaiting the opportunity to see his latest involvement in film. Though he hasn't taken the director's chair since "Hostel: Part II", back in 2007, he's remained heavily involved in the genre. He's produced several films, including this one, as well as the Netflix original series, "Hemlock Grove". All of us horror fans have our eyes on him and what he does. He quickly made a name for himself in the horror community.

This film is fictional, however, it's based after the real events of the 2010 8.8 earthquake in Chile. Director Lopez, said that in the time of the real earthquake, the collapse of society was the most horrific thing. And that's how the idea for this film came about.

I read online somewhere that this has terrible characters in it, and I was inclined to believe that at first. I didn't like some of the dialog and I didn't feel the characters were genuine. Then, I took myself out of the picture and looked at it from a different stand point. I was or never will be like the characters in this film. I'm not a nightclub-er or always showing off to impress girls, but guys like this do exist. So the acting isn't bad and the characters aren't weak. 

They're just not relatable to me. And once the tsunami starts, their fears and real characters start to flourish, and I began to see them as real people amongst the destruction going on. It's really amazed me how much I started to care for them, and it's because even if they aren't guys I'd be friends with in real life, they're real people in a real situation. You really become scared for them. It's that real terror, not the craps and giggles kind. Things get serious. The movie is boring at first, but I actually liked that aspect because it kept things realistic.

You need that reprieve that's in the first half hour because when the horror hits, it doesn't stop at all. It's like an avalanche of screwed up things, and it never lets up or slows down. The realism of it is what makes it so scary! The stuff these guys and girls go through just to survive the chaos is stressful in and of itself. Then you've got escaped prisoners attacking citizens, and you find the lead characters running for their lives from mother nature and human nature.

I think what works best about this film is that it's a disaster film, so there's authentic panic that comes with viewing it. And I absolutely love the fact that this movie isn't afraid of killing off big characters, that's also something that added to realistic feel the film achieved. I hate it when you know characters are safe, it takes the thrill out and the edge off. In this film, everyone is a victim in one way or another. It's downright nail biting.

This is another reflection film. It shows us how no matter what horrific thing happens, that we as a society, are capable of much, much worse and horrific things. Human nature is the worst thing that can happen, no matter how atrocious events are. We're always capable of making things worse, instead of sticking together as a band, like we should. Everyone is out for themselves, and it's a sad but true statement on society. The good ones, the ones that care are always made victims by those who don't.

THIS FILM GETS 3 REAPER SKULLS OUT OF 5

An American Crime (2007)

 ***S  P  O  I  L  E  R  S***

 "This has been the most terrible crime ever committed in the state of Indiana"

 RATED- R
RUN TIME- 97 MINS
WRITER(S)- TOMMY O'HAVER AND IRENE TURNER
STARRING- ELLEN PAGE, HAYLEY MCFARLAND AND NICK SEARCY

Synopsis taken from IMDb

The true story of suburban housewife Gertrude Baniszewski, who kept a teenage girl locked in the basement of her Indiana home during the 1960s.




STORY: I watch horror movies on a regular basis. All types of horror. As a horror fan, every now and again you find a movie that will push you to look away from the screen or at least make you think you're going to have to turn your head. I've got an iron stomach and have seen it all, but this is one that I found to be hard to watch. And this isn't a horror movie. It's a drama.

The movie starts off in a courtroom with the prosecution of Gertrude underway. As the movie goes on we get bits and pieces of the trial to tie in what we aren't shown throughout the movie.

Sylvia Likens (Ellen Page) and her younger sister Jenny (Hayley McFarland) are left with a single mom of several children named Gertrude (Catherine Keener) when their parents go on tour together on the carnival circuit. Sylvia and Jenny get along with Gertrude and her children right away, but Gertrude's financial status starts to disrupt the peace in the house. Sylvia and Jenny's parents made a deal to pay Gertrude for taking care of them while their away, but it starts to not be enough. Sinking Gertrude deeper into a stressful life of debt. The situation only gets worse when rumors start to spread that her daughter is pregnant and she fingers Sylvia as the culprit.

You can tell that the tension was building because for the first half of the movie Gertrude seems like an honest, church going lady who loves her kids. She comes off as a great mom who's dealing with hard times. As the movie goes on, we see her darker side and we realize that she's a monster. First she beats Sylvia and her sister Jenny with a belt because their parents check didn't arrive in time, Sylvia takes most of the punishment to spare her sister. Gertrude becomes obsessed with the idea that Sylvia is corrupt and a bad influence on her daughter, which couldn't be farther from the truth. Sylvia is a quiet girl with good manners and very friendly.

After hearing that Sylvia is spreading more lies about her daughter, Gertrude starts to make Sylvia's punishments public. Doing them in front of all of her many children and even some of the neighbors. She puts cigarettes out on her and goes as far as making Sylvia put a glass Coke bottle up her vagina in front of the crowd of children and neighbors. She makes them all watch as a means to "teach them a lesson", she uses Sylvia as an example of why not to be a bad kid. Only Sylvia is far from a bad kid and she's undeserving of everything she gets. Eventually Gertrude has Sylvia thrown down into the basement and locks her in.

Gertrude's children and all of their friends and neighbors start coming over to the house every day and they all partake in Sylvia's torture. They put cigarettes out on her and carve on her and beat her as well as mock her and make fun of her. All the while, Sylvia isn't fed or given anything to drink.

The ending of this film is deep and troubling. Sylvia breaks out of the house and finds her parents. Once she returns to Gertrude's house to get her sister, she walks in on Gertrude's children screaming that "she's dying!". We're lead to believe that they're talking about Jenny, only when the camera pans back we see it's Sylvia that's dead. She never escaped at all, it was all a dream or a fantasy. This was a major twist and shocker, I didn't see it coming but luckily her death is the downfall of Gertrude. 

Gertrude (left) has a heart to heart with Sylvia

ACTING/PERFORMANCES: The acting in this movie is really good and impressive. The casts performances are what sells the movie and makes it believable. Ellen Page and Catherine Keener rock it and Catherine Keener shows that she has some serious hidden acting ability that we should see more often.



TORTURE/GORE: There hardly was any gore and the violence was actually rare and not graphic. They don't show you what all they do to Sylvia, just bits and pieces to get the point across and they do it well. As I said earlier, I found it hard to watch at points and they hardly show anything! Just knowing what they're doing to this poor innocent girl is enough to make your skin crawl and it made me sick to my stomach.



OVERALL: This film boils down the basics. When the leash we wear for society comes off behind closed doors we're animals. When we think we can get away with it we'll do anything we can, regardless of how sick, twisted and bad it is. Any chance we get to exercise our sickness inside we take, even if it means joining in on the ongoing and undeserving torture of an innocent and sweet girl. It's a reminder of how sick people can be and how sometimes the undeserving have to get the wrong end of the stick. Knowing this movie is based on a true story sickens me and Gertrude got everything she deserved and deserved worse.

Gertrude should have gotten the death penalty. I was glad to see everyone who took part of this madness get their just desserts as well. An American Crime is a very good movie but not something I could watch very often. Give me a guy cutting people up with a machete at a camp site any day of the week, but torturing an innocent child? That's not my thing.

THIS FILM GETS 3 1/2 REAPER SKULLS OUT OF 5

Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)

"Evil has many faces"

RATED- R

RUN TIME- 92 MINS

WRITER(S)- ADAM MARCUS AND DEBRA SULLIVAN

STARRING- ALEXANDRA DADDARIO, TANIA RAYMONDE AND SCOTT EASTWOOD

DIRECTOR- JOHN LUESSENHOP

Synopsis taken from IMDb

A young woman travels to Texas to collect an inheritance; little does she know that an encounter with a chainsaw-wielding killer is part of the reward. 

STORY: This film isn't a remake like I was expecting, it's a sequel to the original 1974 classic. The movie starts off with a quick summary of what happened in the original film with clips of the madness and chaos that went down. This film picks up right after Sally escapes, showing you the hell that was brought down on Leatherface and his family. A lynch mob shows up and overrides police procedure and burn the house down along with everyone in it. A lone woman escapes with her infant newborn and one of the townsfolk there take the child and bring it home to raise as their own.

Now in present day, Heather Miller (Alexandra Dadddario) is living with her boyfriend, Ryan (Trey Songz) and they receive a knock on the door. When Ryan answers the door all he sees is a letter addressed to Heather. Once opening, Heather finds that she's inherited  a house in Texas, so she and her friends go on a trip to check the house out after confronting her parents and finding out she's adopted. At first glance Heather and her friends love the house and are insistent on celebrating, but little do they know that there's a madman known as Leatherface residing in the basement, he somehow escaped the fire from 1974 that burnt his house to the ground. 

Once Leatherface is let loose and the chaos begins, Heather's friends start dying off quickly and it's up to her to escape the madness and run for her life.Leatherface is hellbent on getting revenge on all of the townsfolk who killed his family and burned his house down. Heather does some research and finds out the truth about her past, her real family and who Leatherface is, but what part does she play in all of this?

Heather (Daddario) runs for her life from the masked man known as Leatherface.

ACTING: The acting in this movie is pretty horrendous with just about no effort put into it. It's rushed, it's weak and it's disappointing, but it's nothing short of what I expected from this unnecessary and obsolete film.

KILLS/GORE: The kills were lackluster, nothing new or innovative. Just the same old same that we've seen. The lack of originality really crippled this film, with nothing but the same stuff we've seen before and done better this film doesn't have a leg to stand on. There is a lot of gore in this film, but that's to be expected. Gore can't save a movie, you need more than that.

OVERALL: This film is far, far inferior to the Platinum Dunes 2003 remake and the prequel that came out in 2006. This film is nonessential and forgettable. This is just Hollywood milking another franchise for ever drop it's worth and this well has run dry. The only thing saving me from absolutely hating this movie was the fact that I had no expectations going into it, so I wasn't let down. If you want to see this film for the sake of seeing a good horror movie then save your money. If you want to see a movie that is mildly entertaining and fun to watch with friends, then you should check this out.

 At the going rate of a movie ticket these days I suggest you all wait 'til it comes out on DVD and rent it at Redbox for $1.22, that's about what it's worth. It's only saving grace was getting to see Alexandra Daddario for 90 minutes.

THIS FILM GETS 2 REAPER SKULLS OUT OF 5 

 

 

The Collection (2012)

"Every great collector has a vision"

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 82 MINS
WRITERS- MARCUS DUNSTAN AND PATRICK MELTON
STARRING- JOSH STEWART, EMMA FITZPATRICK AND CHRISTOPHER McDONALD
DIRECTOR- MARCUS DUNSTAN




Synopsis taken from IMDb
A man who escapes from the vicious grips of the serial killer known as "The Collector" is blackmailed to rescue an innocent girl from the killer's booby-trapped warehouse. 

Regardless of the bad reviews I heard and read about 2009's The Collector, I really liked it. I found it fun, exciting, somewhat original and suspenseful. So yeah, I was pretty pumped for the sequel to come out. I wasn't disappointed.

The movie starts off with a television broadcasts that speak of the Collector and his recent crimes, there's a manhunt out for him. Arkin (Josh Stewart) is the Collector's most recent victim from the ending of the previous film.

Elena Peters (Emma Fitzpatrick) goes to a secluded party that her friends drag her to. The party takes place in a dingy  alley that looks suspicious. There they're greeted by a man with piercings all over his face and dreadlocks, they have to give him the password "nevermore" to enter the party. Upon entering, all of their fears and suspicions  disappear when they see the party is all they had been hoping it would be.

The fun doesn't last too long as the Collector has made this party his latest death maze, full of sick, sadistic torture and slaughtering devices that turn the entire club into a crimson mass. The traps, the deaths and the gore are really upped in this film and I was pleased, bring it on.

Arkin makes a lucky escape during the party after seeing Elena being taken by the Collector. Arkin gets treatment at a hospital. Where even there he isn't safe, he gets a card from the Collector threatening his family. Soon after, Arking is approached by Lucello and his team of hired mercenaries. Lucello is Elena's father's right hand man, and he' watched after Elena since she was a child. He's leading his team to find and kill the Collector, and find Elena.

Arkin gets strong-armed into leading Lucello and his hired team to the Collector, but he warns them of what they're getting into. Once they enter the Collector's lair, a run down hotel, it becomes a bloodbath. People being picked off one by one in pure brutality. I like how calm the Collector is, he has the odds stacked against him but he's always two steps ahead of everyone, he's meticulous.

As Arkin and Lucello dig further into the Collector's residence we see some of what makes the Collector tick, seeing how sick he is and learning what he does with his victims. I especially like this because there was no development with his character in the first film. This was definitely the right way to go for a sequel.

The film is incredibly violent, it pulls no punches. It comes packing a big punch. If you're not one for gore or torture you should probably turn this movie down, unless you want to lose your lunch. The acting wasn't anything fancy, but it worked. There's a lot of chaos going on in this film and it's a bloody good time.

I'm looking forward to where they go with the future of this series, if they're is one. I'd be interested to see where they go with a sequel, which will hopefully happen. The ending of The Collection is spot on and a good, refreshing change in cliche endings.

THIS FILM GETS 3 1/2 REAPER SKULLS OUT OF 5

Kill List (2011)

RATED- NR
RUN TIME- 95 MINS
WRITERS- BEN WHEATLEY AND AMY JUMP
STARRING- NEIL MASKELL, MyANNA BURING AND HARRY SIMPSON
DIRECTOR- BEN WHEATLEY




Synopsis taken from IMDb
Nearly a year after a botched job, a hitman takes a new assignment with the promise of a big payoff for three killings. What starts off as an easy task soon unravels, sending the killer into the heart of darkness.




Let me start off by saying that when a movie has critical quotes such as "Will unhinge even the hardest of genre fans" and "Kill List will leave your bones rattling" it's pretty much a sure thing that I'm going to watch that movie sooner rather than later. It has my name written all over it.

The movie has a real vibe to it that not only makes it seem very real, but it's unsettling. The acting is convincing and well done as well, which helps make the movie's impact more detrimental.

This film is about two friends, Jay and Gal, who are former soldiers. Since the military, they've become hitmen and partners. Gal is the one who's very relaxed and calm and has his affairs and life in order. Jay on the other hand is the complete opposite.

They don't go into detail but we're led to believe that Jay was a part of a disastrous mission in Kiev, and he hasn't worked since. Even with his wife Shel, breathing down his neck due to their running out of money.

Jay and Shel have Gal and his new girlfriend over for dinner. At the dinner Gal surprises Jay with the news that he has a job for them to do. Jay's wife Shel, eagerly wants him to take it. Meanwhile, Gal's girlfriend proves to have some suspicious intentions.

When Jay agrees to take the job, he and Gal meet up with their client who they'll be doing the job for. He's very shady to say the least, he gives them a list of 3 people he wants killed. He cuts Jay's hand, making the contract between them signed in blood.

The first person on their list is a priest, and he acts as though he knows Jay and thanks him before Jay kills him.

The second person is a child pornographer who also thanks Jay before dying. This scene was intense for me, it involves a hammer. I'll leave it at that.

At this point in the movie you're totally brain fried, trying to understand what the hell is going on and why these victims on the kill list are acting happy and relieved to be killed.

Jay proceeds to chase down some of the other pedophiles, Gal finds a folder that has information on himself and Jay as well as the incident that occurred in Kiev.

From here the movie gets very chaotic and intense until the final shot. It's complete anarchy and a fight for survival.

This movie came off like The Boondock Saints for the first 75 minutes. Kill List is more gory, brutal and gritty, but it has some similarities. But in the last 15 or 20 minutes it becomes a heart and pulse pounding horror film. This film gave me the creeps and that's not easy to do. I was genuinely scared.

The fact that you never get any answers to anything blows my mind and I loved it. You don't always need answers for everything. All ends don't always need to be tied.

After a while of sitting with the movie in your head you can start to piece it together and make some sense of it, but all of the pieces aren't there to make a full picture. When this film ended I was speechless and my first thought was "what the hell was that?". I was completely dumbfounded.

Kill List is a paranoid and brutal horror film that delivers. I'm glad I stumbled onto this movie. I'd be missing out if I hadn't.

THIS FILM GETS 4 REAPER SKULLS OUT OF 5