'DEVIL'S MILE' (Screener Review)

MILD SPOILERS THROUGHOUT 

RATED- Unrated

RUN TIME- 88 Mins

WRITER(S)- Joseph O'Brien

STARRING- David Hayter, Maria Del Mar, and Casey Hudecki

DIRECTOR(S)- Joseph O'Brien

Synopsis taken from IMDb

A relentlessly-paced hybrid of a gritty crime thriller and Lovecraftian supernatural horror, The Devil's Mile follows a trio of kidnappers who take an ill-advised detour en route to deliver their hostages - two teenage girls - to their mysterious and powerful employer. When they accidentally kill one of the girls during a botched escape attempt, their simmering mistrust explodes into shocking violence. But what they thought was their worst case scenario is only the beginning, as they are engulfed by the hellish forces that haunt the road - a road they realize they may never escape. Now captors and captive must fight together to escape the monstrous forces pursuing them and somehow survive...THE DEVIL'S MILE.  

Quite literally, this film starts off with a bang. We see Jacinta (Casey Hudecki), Cally (Maria Del Mar), and Toby (David Hayter) who apparently don't get along very well, traveling by car. After taking a wrong turn, and tempers flare, we come to realize that they're kidnappers who have two helpless Asian girls in the trunk, who will be held for ransom. However, things go terribly wrong when we find out that one of the girls isn't the right one, and her parents aren't rich. The proper girl, who was meant to be kidnapped, tries to escape but is ran over and killed instead by Cally on "accident". So the trio of criminals' situation goes from bad to absolutely terrible.

BLUE RUIN is as violent as it is tragic

MILD SPOILERS THROUGHOUT 

RATED- R
RUN TIME- 90 Mins
WRITER(S)- Jeremy Saulnier
STARRING- Macon Blair, Devin Ratray, and Amy Hargreaves
DIRECTOR- Jeremy Saulnier



Synopsis taken from IMDb
A mysterious outsider's quiet life is turned upside down when he returns to his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance. Proving himself an amateur assassin, he winds up in a brutal fight to protect is estranged family. 




Seeing as the trailer basically gives nothing away, I didn't know much going into this one except for it's somewhat notorious critical appraise. I knew that it was a revenge thriller, but that's about it. And I refused to read about it online for the sake of running into spoilers. But it seemed like my kind of flick, and with all the good words said about it, I figured there had to be something to it.

Dwight (Macon Blair) is a beach vagrant who breaks into vacant homes during the day to take baths. He also sleeps in his car and eats out of dumpsters. He's a quiet, socially awkward guy, who's beaten up from the past. 20 years ago, his mother and father were murdered, and he's never been the same since. But when he hears that his parent's killer, Wade Cleland, Jr. is getting released from prison, he decides to go back home to exact a terrible vengeance.

One of the things that let me know that I was going to like this piece of cinema is that it's kind of a slow-burner type of thriller. It takes it's time, and when the payoffs come, they aren't what I was expecting. It's not very predictable, and it really takes you on an emotional journey. They don't delve too much into how much Dwight's parents' deaths affected him, but it still gets across to the viewer because of the emotionally gripping performance by Macon Blair. His acting in "Blue Ruin" is genuinely convincing, and I can't help but feel terrible for the guy. Although he's quiet and a loner, with his reasons and purpose, he's easy to get behind and invest some emotion into.
 He's a real character, and that's what resonates the most about the story.

After Dwight changes his appearance by shaving and cutting his hair, his new look doesn't protect him from the Cleland family, who are now seeking him out as well as his closest family member, his sister Sam (Amy Hargreaves). When Dwight realizes that the hunt for his life won't end, he's forced into making final drastic decisions. Again, Dwight being the heartfelt character that he is, isn't a pro at killing or booby trapping, so he fumbles and often shows how vulnerable he is. He's just a man with a plan, and he's trying to execute it. And he doesn't expect it to end well. While I was watching, I think it's safe to say that I assumed the same type of outcome.

Honestly, there's a few scenes that are heart-stopping. I was frozen in my seat, heart pounding several times. Everything is done in a very realistic way, so you know that if something serious goes down, that it's going to stick and have an effect. The characters aren't untouchable, and they aren't safe, and that's what keeps the suspense element ever-present. This film also isn't afraid to show bloodshed, and graphic violence. But it keeps a grounded approach that fits, and doesn't just throw buckets of blood around to overcompensate. This is a combination of "A History of Violence" and "Death Sentence". It's not for the faint of heart, but doesn't go far enough to make any of the vehemence unnecessary.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed watching "Blue Ruin", there's one nitpick that I can't help but be annoyed with, and that's that Wade goes unnoticed far too much. He pulls up and pumps gas with a guy screaming and thumping inside his trunk. Scattered moments like this lessen the realism the movie sets, and reminds me of the latter seasons of "Dexter".

There's an unpleasant plot twist towards the end, and it's a game changer. There's some unexpected deaths, and the film as a whole is incredibly intense. Dwight has a death wish, and only lives for revenge. Even though he's in over his head, he knows the only way out of his situation is to end it himself, and take it into his own hands. Powerfully compelling storytelling. I actually liked this more than I expected, and I can't wait to own it on Blu-ray.

3.5 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

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

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.

Truth or Die (2012)

RATED- UNRATED
RUN TIME- 95 MINS
WRITER(S)- MATHEW McGUCHAN
STARRING- TOM KANE, LIAM BOYLE AND JACK GORDON
DIRECTOR- ROBERT HEATH



Synopsis taken from IMDb
Young British boys and girls travel to an isolated cabin after being promised a night of heavy partying. Instead of the fun they hoped for, they meet a killer out to reap vengeance on them for the death of his brother.




While scrolling through the horror films on my Netflix, I decided this one looked to possibly be my best choice. Seeing as I wanted to stay awake and not fall asleep, I wanted to pic a quality movie. I'm glad I picked this one, because I stayed awake for the duration.

Formerly known as "Truth or Dare", this is more of a thriller to me than a horror film. There's nothing scary that happens, no jumps, and nothing that'll cause you to sleep with the lights on. But, it is very thrilling and interesting. The effects are based around torture mostly, or just gun shots. So, there wasn't any reason for this film to really be scary in the first place. It's just a entertaining revenge film.

This movie suffers from a lot of predictability. I saw the protagonist a mile away, but what struck me as weird, was that I kept watching, and wanted to watch. Here we have all the elements of a bad horror film, yet, I was entertained.  

This film didn't have a very large budget, so it's smart that they kept the setting in a cabin and simple. It left room for them to use the budget elsewhere, like the gore. There isn't too much gore, which I liked. They only used it when it was needed. I never do understand movies that have people bleeding out gallons and gallons of blood, it's unrealistic and doesn't do nothing for me. However, of course there are exceptions to what I just said. 

If a movie is meant to be fun, than over-bloodying things up is fine. But in a serious film, realism is everything. I'm pleased with what was done in this film.

There's two twists in this film that I can count. One of which, I did not see coming, but due to the slow and dramatic build up, it started to become obvious. The second twist didn't really do anything for me, it was a bit shocking, but not anything that'll win the movie over.

I think the idea of this movie is good, a little tired, but good. I feel that the scares and jumps and suspense were on vacation while this movie was shot, though. It kept me watching, but I can't really say I enjoyed it all too much. I wouldn't buy it, and will probably never watch it again. But a part of me found it entertaining. I think I just wanted to know who sent Felix the postcard and caused him to kill himself.

The characters seemed genuine, unfortunately, there is hardly any character development. It's just torture and a cat and mouse game. Without solid characters, a movie isn't very successful. I can honestly say that I only liked one character. I felt like this was "I Know What You Did Last Summer", only with more torture and less of everything else. 

The conclusion of the film falls flat, it's not very impacting when you can't really relate to any of the characters. I didn't side with anyone in the film, so the fact that I was so disconnected with the characters killed this movie for me. Otherwise, I'd say it was entertaining enough to watch. Don't watch this one because of me, spare yourselves the trouble.

Nothing can save you from Mister White

"When a group of popular college students chose bizarre Tyler Rooney as the new target for their juvenile pranks, Tyler seeks out a mambo (voodoo priestess) and performs an ancient hoodoo ritual to unleash bloodthirsty "Mister White" to exact a brutal revenge and punish them all for their sins"



This is another film that I've had the pleasure and opportunity to watch in advance, and this one's a memorable one to say the least. This film tells the story of bullying and the effect it has on people. The lengths people are willing to go to amuse themselves at someone else's expense and humiliation, and the lengths people are willing to go to not be made a victim anymore are spoken loud and clear. This story is absolutely relevant in today's society and that's the beauty of it and what makes it so tragic. We have people killing themselves on a daily basis due to being made to feel like they're garbage by people who are stronger and better looking. It's an epidemic. 

What if you didn't have to kill yourself or drop out of school to avoid being belittled? What if you could raise an evil to avenge all the wrong that's been done to you, would you do it? This movie tells that story, and it's heartachingly told in brilliant and demented way.

How far are you willing to go to not be victimized anymore? We find out how far Tyler's willing to go and what his breaking point is. Thing is, regardless of how far he takes his vengeance, the viewer still sides with him, hoping that every last one of the bullies get their just desserts. Watching the film tears your heart out but then puts an evil grin on your face. Watching Tyler getting abused and bullied is gut wrenching and sickening, and was shot very well and truly makes you sympathize with him. The conclusion is extreme, but after watching him get pissed on and beat to hell and back on several occasions, a big nasty payoff is the only thing that could set his situation straight.

Tyler is one of those guys that just wants to be alone and do his own thing, but is literally followed and hounded by a group that has nothing to do with their time but push someone to the very edge of extreme depression. I never stood for bullying growing up, so when I saw these scenes I couldn't help but think of how I would have had the guts to help him out, had I been there. He is literally abused and embarrassed in every possible way you can imagine, and it isn't overdone or exploited. It just shows you how much someone can take that type of humiliation before they have nothing left to lose and decide to push back hard.

When Mister White is brought back to wreak havoc you can't help but have the jitters, waiting to see what he'll do and where he'll come from. Then you're anxiously awaiting how the gang of  bullies are going to get picked off one at a time, and hoping they suffer. The thing is, they don't deserve to die, killing them isn't vengeance. Vengeance would be doing to them what was done to Tyler. Raising Mister White takes things to a hardcore level that's sinister, but Tyler is completely broken and all he lives for at this point is to see them die. The focus is on what people are willing to do to feel empowered and have the upper hand. 

Mister White is a horror film villain you'll remember for years to come. He's eerie as hell looking and keeps you on the edge of your seat. His backstory is very enjoyable and well told. He and Tyler make a Malevolent duo to say the least. It's crushing to see Tyler resort to sinking so low, but it's also what he feels he has to do. It's not like Mister White was his first option, he was forced into doing it by the sadism of the "cool crowd"

The gore in this movie isn't abundant, but this isn't a gore movie. It's a beautifully told revenge story and Andy J. Salgado does a great job as the lead character and really brings charisma to the role of Tyler. The supporting cast does a great job as well. It's a bunch of good looking, young actors and actresses acting their hearts out and it's all around a job well done.

Erica Summers wrote this film as well as produce and direct it and she does a fine job. What stands out to me the most is that you can tell this was written by a female, it has that certain touch to it that allows you to see deeper into the characters than most male directors would have showed. Erica focuses on the emotional tone of this movie, not just the revenge part and my hat goes off to her. We need more female directors in horror if you ask me. They have a different standpoint than most directors today do, and we need some new fresh blood in horror. 

"Mister White" is a film that falls into the same category as "Pumpkinhead" and "I Spit on you Grave". If you dig revenge horror films then you need to watch this. Even better, if you like seeing bullies get what's coming to them than you'll fall in love. This film appeals to the teenage angst we all have or had in the past and the need to do something of big proportions to vent it. It isn't a perfect film, but it's damn good.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TRAILER

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

American Mary (2012)

*** S  P  O  I  L  E  R  S ***

"Pain is Inevitable, Suffering Is Optional"

RATED- R

RUN TIME- 103 MINS

WRITER(S)- SYLVIA SOSKA AND  JEN SOSKA

STARRING- KATHARINE ISABELLE, ANTONIO CUPO AND TRISTAN RISK

DIRECTOR- JEN AND SYLVIA SOSKA

Synopsis taken from IMDb

The story follows medical student, Mary Mason, as she becomes increasingly broke and disenchanted with the surgical world she once admired...

STORY: A fellow horror blogger, Dr Blood, suggested this movie to me. So, of course after hearing it's good and seeing the poster above I was convinced. Not to mention the gorgeous Katharine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps) is the lead character Mary Mason.

Mary Mason is a sympathetic character and a reflection of the America's medical school students; broke and in need of money. Always working and studying and only getting deeper into debt. She goes to a strip club owner Billy (Antonio Cupo) and he gives her a job, $5000.00 for one night of work. The catch? Use her surgical training to torture a guy and disfigure him. Mary plays it off cool but when she gets home she's paranoid and not sleeping.

Then she meets Beatress Johnson (Tristan Risk), a woman who's undergone 14 surgeries to make herself look like Betty Boop, and I must add that she was creepy as hell looking. Beatress gives Mary some money to see her friend who wants a weird procedure done. Mary is apprehensive at first but is convinced in the end to do the procedure, which is to make a woman look like a barbie by cutting off and out all of her "woman parts". Now that Mary's doing good for herself and feeling good about herself, she's invited to a party with a bunch of Doctors. This makes her feel special until she gets drugged and raped by her teacher who suspected her of coming into wealth by being a prostitute. This is when the film really gets good...

Mary goes back to Billy and pays him to let her use his back room, and in that back room she has her teacher tied down to a table and uses her surgical magic to disfigure him for life, the ultimate revenge. She splits his tongue and makes him a complete amputee. As she put it, she gave him 14 of the most bizarre and requested surgeries in one night. Mary is soon pursued by a cop looking for her missing teacher.

From here the movie gets more and more twisted and the ultimate lesson of this movie is that revenge is a bitch and that once someone's done what they have to do, they'll never get to do what they want to do. Mary Mason's story is simply about greed and the power of the mighty dollar and in today's society. It really hits a high note because not a lot of people can't say that they wouldn't do what she does in this film. And that's a sad, tragic thing, losing your moral to have the finer things in life. Mary Mason finds what she's good at and capitalizes. And in the end, her sins and her unethical actions that she does for the big pay-offs costs Mary very, very dearly.

Mary exacts revenge on her teacher and rapist.

ACTING: The acting in this movie is spot on, there wasn't anything I can really complain about. Katharine Isabelle puts on her best performance yet and although she isn't very well known, I think this movie is going to make her known. It should anyway, after this film she deserves some credit.



KILLS/GORE: The killings and torture are well done and very vague at points. I love that they don't show you everything! If you read my blog then you know I don't mind a movie that doesn't show you every single last drop of blood spilled. Horror movies started as dark, romantic movies, so I sincerely don't like it when people complain about lack of gore because to me that shows that you aren't a true horror fan, you just like the twisted stuff. A horror movie is supposed to give you the creeps and if it does then it does it's job. Gore and brutality don't make a horror movie, but this film still has it's share of gore malevolence.



OVERALL: I'd say this movie is damned near perfect. It's got all the right ingredients to be an instant classic. It's Nip/Tuck with a bigger set of balls and a more twisted personality. Almost everyone in this movie except for Mary and Billy are suspicious and creepy, you don't know who to trust or what their motive is. The Soska sisters nailed the eerie atmospheric feeling to this film and it keeps you enthralled and on edge. This movie rocks!

THIS FILM GETS 4 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 

 

 

Dark Night Of The Scarecrow

I've waited a long time to see this film so I watched it as soon as it arrived via Netflix. I was a bit disapointed with it to be honest but I think it was due to the hype I put behind it. I still genuinly enjoyed this film and loved the story.

This story takes place in a town where a mentally challenged man named Bubba is best friends with a little girl named Marylee Williams. And some of the townspeople don't like Bubba and Marylee's friendship and after Marylee gets attacked by a dog, the townspeople blame Bubba and kill him as he's disguised as a scarecrow hiding from them. Soon after his murder the killers find out that Bubba was infact the person to save Marylee from the dog attack.

The next night Bubba comes back to life as the scarecrow he died as and comes for the townspeople one by one until his death is avenged.

2 1/2 stars for me but that's not that bad, I still enjoyed the movie. View the trailer below.

I Spit On Your Grave (2010)

I gotta say that I was truly taken back by how good this movie was. It was original as hell,things I've never seen before,yet things I've already seen. It is a truly good horror movie and in my opinion stands out as one of the best remakes to date.

Some people may say it's a trash movie as people said about the original. I'm not a huge fan of the original but this one was good. They upped the suspense and brutality so much that the rape isn't half as bad as in the original,which is brilliant. Although the rape scenes are intense. And the pay off's at the end are way more worth it. She messes these guys up horribly as she should and as they deserve it,which includes one of the villains waking up with a shotgun stuck up their ass.

The plot is basically the exact same: a young woman writing a novel at a summer rental cabin is tortured and raped by a gang of misfit,white trash,low lives. And after surviving the attack she comes for revenge. Great movie if you're into revenge stories or just like gore and seeing people get messed up. Chad Lindberg is exceptionally good in this movie as he plays the mentally challenged misfit of the group.

3 stars is my verdict and you can view the trailer below.