Horror Movie Friday

Wicked Little Things

2011-10-02T15:42:00.000-04:00

Director: J.S. Cardone
Writers: Boaz Davidson & Ben Nedivi
Released: 2006
Labels: Chiller|Supernatural|Zombies|2000's

The bereaved Tunney family move to their newly inherited house in the remote, wooded hills of Pennsylvania. Nearby is a deserted mine where a group of working children were mistreated and died many decades before. An evil presence lies in the woods and the family soon learn that being out after dark can be dangerous.

Wicked Little Things looks creepy, it has a good lead cast and the SFX are well handled. However, these few plus points come no where near saving this movie from being a slow, labored, uninspiring affair. Every cliche in the book is thrown at this flick, things like: vehicles that just won't start (or are stuck), staring yokel locals telling you not to go into the woods/out at night and creepy sounding children's laughter.

Instead of increasing the tension, these well-worn devices clog up the screen making you lose touch with the actual story or any characterization. In short, you are never engaged. Zombie kids....so what?, Daddy died.....who cares? The Mine shaft has a dark history?....wow. On top of the lack of interest, we are subjected to some ridiculous moments that defy all logic (even when faced with Zombie children), most notably the standing in a shower of blood scene in the barn at the end (just move one step forward you dumbasses!!!!).

Wicked Little Things is not even a good idea ruined by bad filmmaking, it was just a bad idea from the start.

Wicked Little Things on IMDb

Wicked Little Things on Wikipedia

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Forget Me Not

2011-10-02T15:29:00.000-04:00

Director: Tyler Oliver
Writers: Tyler Oliver & Jamieson Stern
Released: 2009
Labels: Supernatural|2000's

Sandy Channing, a popular High School graduate, fears for her own sanity when one-by-one her best friends go missing but she seems to be the only one that has noticed. A barely remembered night and the vengeful spirit of a girl from Sandy's past will help her solve the mystery.

Forget Me Not Graveyard Game

Rules of the Game: "1 person is the ghost and everyone else hides, once you're caught, you turn into a ghost...last one alive wins."

Rhyme: (chanted while holding hands in a circle) "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 - Release the one ignored by Heaven...8, 9, 10 - Now run and hide or join her at the Devil's side...11 comes, the clocks will chime, forgotten souls erased by time...Midnight comes, it's not too late, so kill the ghost or seal your fate!"

The game becomes a reality in this original and enjoyable movie. The disappointingly slow start eventually gives way to a story that will keep you hooked and some ghostly demons that will have you reaching for the pillow!

It would be fair to say that this film is an amalgam of Asian horror such as "Ring" and American teenkill flicks like "Final Destination", but the added twist of the dead being "forgotten" by history really makes this story stand out.

The movie moves at a good pace once the action starts and the whole back-story is well explained in flashback. There are a few twists and turns that please even if they are a bit predictable. On the downside, the film suffers from an under-par cast and rushed editing. It would be interesting to see this film re-made with a big budget, some leading names in the cast and a competent hand at the helm (Sam Raimi would be our choice!)

If you want something a little out of the ordinary then give "Forget Me Not" a try!

Forget Me Not on IMDb
Forget Me Not on Wikipedia

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Chain Letter

2011-10-02T15:03:00.000-04:00

Director: Deon Taylor
Writers: Michael J. Pagan, Deon Taylor & Diana Erwin
Released: 2010
Labels: Gore|Slasher|2010's

A group of High School students become the focus of a technology hating serial killer when they choose not to forward his chain-letter.

Chain Letter is one of those horror films in which we see a series of gruesome deaths strung together with some loose storytelling. The person responsible for the murder spree here is a serial killer that hates technology and those that use it (dunno why). That's all we are told really. It would have been interesting to explore the killer's motives but we are not given the oppurtunity because the film-makers simply want to display their best array of long, protracted killings using (yup, you guessed it)....CHAINS.

Nothing is explored here, all the characters are left narrow and one dimensional, including the killer. There is no coherency in the storytelling. It is hinted that the killer is working with others in the movie, but it's not really revealed one way or the other and just moving the story along one kill at a time becomes a bit pedestrian after a while. The finale is simply a repeat of the opening scenes of the movie, spoiling any potential surprise, and it all seems a little confused at the end (much like the viewer will be).

You get the feeling that this movie is attempting to launch a franchise like "Final Destination" or "Scream" but the atmosphere of the film is overwhelmingly dark and cynical and certainly does not leave you eager to see more.

Chain Letter Official Website

Chain Letter on IMDb

Chain Letter on Wikipedia

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Night of the Demons (2010)

2011-10-02T14:28:00.001-04:00

Director: Adam Gierasch
Writers: Jace Anderson, Adam Gierasch & Joe Augustyn (Original 1988 film)
Released: 2010
Labels: Gore|Supernatural|2010's

Seven party-goers get locked in a creepy mansion and have to fight evil demons in order to survive and stop hell being unleashed upon the world.

This is a dumb movie,... but in a good way. A reworking of 1988's "Night of the Demons", this version has all the feel of a film from that era. Like other 80's classics, "The Evil Dead" or "Return of the Living Dead" it never takes itself too seriously. It mixes salacious sexiness with nasty body-horror, it knows how to use a relatively low-budget to full gooey effect and the actors do a passable job at being humans but a great job over-acting as the Demons.

The history of the house and the reasons behind the demonic possession are told clearly in flashback, so there is no confusion in the viewers mind as to what the heroes must do in order to defeat the evil and there is a clever little climax to the action.

It won't scare you, but it still gives plenty of thrills and the sheer enthusiasm and energy from all involved is clear to see.

Night of the Demons (2010) on IMDb

Night of the Demons (2010) on Wikipedia

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Nine Dead

2011-10-02T13:49:00.001-04:00

Director: Chris Shadley
Writer: Patrick Wehe Mahoney
Released: 2010
Labels: Thriller|2010's

A masked gunman kidnaps nine strangers, chains them up in a small cell and threatens to shoot one of them every ten minutes. In order to survive, they must work out what connects them to each other and to their captor. As the clock ticks away, who of the nine will live and who will die?

It's an over-used premise for a horror/thriller movie nowadays, but if executed well (forgive the pun), there is no reason why the "strangers in a room in peril" theme can't be an absorbing and exciting movie experience. Sadly though, Nine Dead offers little excitement. In fact, it can be described as positively pedestrian.

The kidnapper has been granted too much sympathy and comes across as a nice guy, whereas the "victims" are annoying and earn no sympathy from the viewer whatsoever. What does keep you from ejecting the dvd (or relinquishing your Netflix subscription) is the story behind why they are all there and what it is that links the nine. You only find out the reasons for the kidnapping and the links between the victims as they work it out.

So for that, it does hold your interest until the end; it's just a shame that it is such a dull ride that takes you to the film's conclusion. Equally disheartening is the conclusion itself. The film has a natural point at which it should end, and it would have been a better movie if it had, but then there is this last ten minutes sitting uncomfortably looking like it's been tacked on by the filmmakers in order to appease the star and her pushy agent mom.

Nine Dead on IMDb

Nine Dead on Wikipedia

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Isolation

2011-09-11T17:59:00.001-04:00

Director: Billy O'Brien
Writer: Billy O'Brien
Released: 2005
Labels: Thriller|Creature|2000's

Bovine genetic experiments at a desolate farm leads to cows with mutated offspring. The result bears a life form with razor sharp teeth and a penchant for burrowing into flesh in order to incubate and feed. Only the handful of people on the farm can stop this nightmarish creature spreading into the outside world.

The premise for "Isolation" sounds laughable, mutant killer cow fetuses, but in actual fact the filmmakers have produced a credible horror and made a comment on modern science practices to boot. The completely run-down desolate farm is the perfect setting for a suspenseful horror movie and the quiet background noises of the wind, rain and machinery are quite unsettling. The film builds slowly at first but gains momentum when we first catch sight of the creatures in question. Some good use of mechanical effects here and much like "The Thing" (which this film has a lot in common) these effects add to the realism, CGI just wouldn't work in this instance.

There are only seven actors in the whole film (not including the cows) but the necessary range of stock characters is well-catered for including the obligatory "mad" scientist. There is plenty of body-horror to go with the unending tension, a lengthy and well-constructed finale with plenty of hide and seek action and a decent (albeit obvious) twist in the tale.

This film fulfills its potential and although it treads a well-worn path it does so with a good breath of fresh country air.

Isolation on IMDb

Isolation on Wikipedia

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Trick 'r Treat

2011-09-11T16:42:00.007-04:00

Director: Michael Dougherty
Writer: Michael Dougherty
Released: 2007
Labels: Supernatural|Chiller|2000's

An interwoven collection of Halloween stories featuring a murderous high school principal, a virginal college girl looking for Mr. Right, teen pranksters taking a joke too far and a grumpy recluse, along with a neighboring couple, being visited by a zealous trick-or-treater.

"Trick 'r Treat" pays homage to many horror flicks from the 1980's, not least the anthology movies like "Creepshow" or "Twighlight Zone: The Movie," but unlike those movies the stories and timeline here are beautifully interwoven, reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction." The comic book feel (lovingly lifted from EC comics "Tales from the Crypt" series from the 1950's) along with the small-town setting, gives this a charm rarely seen in modern horror. All the tales have enjoyably dark and sinister twists and reveals that make sure the movie doesn't stray into cheesy sentimentality and although it isn't particularly scary or overly gruesome it's definitely not one for the kids.

All the actors put in good performances, most notably Dylan Baker's turn as the quietly psychotic Steven. The costume design is inspired, particularly the creepy school bus children's make-and-mend Halloween outfits and the impish Sam (future horror icon!). Also the set design and cinematography work perfectly to ensure each shot looks like an expertly drawn panel from the afore-mentioned comics.

This really is one to own and enjoy every Halloween and, despite it being mishandled upon release and receiving little attention, we are sure that it is destined to become a seasonal classic.

Trick 'r Treat Official Website

Trick 'r Treat on IMDb

Trick 'r Treat on Wikipedia

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From Dusk Till Dawn

2011-09-11T16:42:00.004-04:00

Director: Robert Rodriguez
Writers: Robert Kurtzman (story), Quentin Tarantino (screenplay)
Released: 1996
Labels: Vampire|1990's|Thriller

On the run criminal brothers Seth and Richard Gecko take a vacationing family hostage on their way to the Mexican border. Once safely across, they hole up at a bar for the night and insist that the family wait with them. Things take an unexpected turn as the group and their fellow patrons find themselves on the bar menu and fighting for their lives, as all the working strippers, bar staff and even the house band turn into vampires.

"From Dusk Til Dawn" is clearly defined by its two halves, first is the escape from the US by the two brothers. The direction of Rodriguez and the pen of Tarantino are clear to see - it's slick, witty stuff with smart-assed dialogue and some trademark gunplay and explosions thrown in for good measure. George Clooney is excellent as Seth in this early film role and really steals the show for much of it.

The film's second half, inside the bar, shifts up a gear - the wit and dialogue remain but the action gets a whole lot crazier. The battle with the Vamps is messy, chaotic and relentless as if Evil Dead era Sam Raimi were given this section to play with. The Vampires look great, they beef up, become all gnarly and scaly and look more monsterfied than the usual pasty-faced romantics that we see nowadays. There's a really imaginitive use of the plentiful SFX with some inventive and often hilarious deaths of both human and vamp (watch out for the clever range of weaponry the heroes come up with). Expect solid, safe performances from the likes of Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis and Tarantino himself. Also noteworthy are appearances from Salma Hayek, Tom Savini and Rodriguez favorites Cheech Marin and Danny Trejo.

It does look a little tired around the edges at times, particularly the dated CGI but it has such an energy that it still remains an exhilarating watch.

From Dusk Till Dawn Official Website

From Dusk Till Dawn on IMDb

From Dusk Till Dawn on Wikipedia

Predictably it has a killer soundtrack too.....

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Dreamcatcher

2011-09-11T12:03:00.000-04:00

Director: Lawrence Kasdan
Writers: Stephen King (novel), Lawrence Kasdan & William Goldman
Released: 2003
Labels: Thriller|2000's|Supernatural

Four long-time friends with a mysterious history discover that the remote area in which they are vacationing is being plagued in an unusual fashion by parasitic aliens. They find that it is no coincidence that these events center around them and must re-connect with friends from the past in order to fight the invasion.

Dreamcatcher - Stephen King adaptations range from the sublime to the ridiculous and this one does tend to lean towards the latter end of the scale unfortunately. The story is just too complex and lengthy to fit neatly into a movie (even if that movie is over two hours!). If it were made as a three or four episode TV mini-series that explored the story more deeply like "IT" or "The Stand" it would have fared much better. There are so many elements of horror, sci-fi and fantasy in this one movie that just as you get comfortable with the genre you are watching, it lurches into another. That said, it is undoubtedly entertaining and the individual elements are well made. The film looks great, particularly the snowy wilderness setting, and the special effects are bountiful, bloody and above average. The cast list is pretty impressive (Morgan Freeman, Jason Lee, Thomas Jane to name but three) and the acting is great all round, even down to the youngsters playing the lead characters in flashback.

It's worth a watch (if only for the grossly funny bathroom scenes) but expect to feel a little bewildered by the time you're done.

Dreamcatcher Official Website

Dreamcatcher on IMDb

Dreamcatcher on Wikipedia

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Backwoods

2011-09-05T15:25:00.003-04:00

Director: Marty Weiss
Writer: Anthony Jaswinski
Released: 2008
Labels: Slasher|2000's

A group of young executives go on a team building weekend for some paint balling in the woods. They inadvertently stumble into a territory owned by a strange religious cult that protect their privacy at all costs.

"Backwoods" - It was a totally baffling experience watching this derivative pile of nonsense. Not only have the film-makers put together a poorly constructed collection of cliches and copied already tired ideas, they have managed to do so with such an incredible flair for getting it wrong that it goes so far beyond being a bad-but-funny movie that it induces frustration, and at times rage, at their ineptitude.

The movie starts with the obligatory early kill to introduce the slasher... oh dear, it's yet another inbred "family" with the obligatory "Leatherface-a-like" hulking son. Then we meet our "heroes" and ALL these young execs are such hateful characters with no redeeming features that you can't wait for the killing to start, but you're gonna have to, because first we have about 30 minutes of these idiots readying themselves for the paint-balling and camping, including a stop at a store/bar run by a hillbilly type and frequented by a couple of bikers that were supposed to be mean and scary (for no apparent reason) but just looked like a couple of perfumed wrestlers.

There is the introduction of a relationship back-story with a couple of the characters but you won't care, and neither did the writers it seems because it remains totally ignored from that point on. Then we have some camping and swimming to watch. Then the paint-ball "action" starts, one of the teams is given bright blue camouflage fatigues to wear.....IN THE WOODS!!! (the term "woods" is used lightly, it looks more like a recreational park with well maintained pathways used for hiking or perhaps bicycling).

A deserted farmhouse is discovered (yawn) it's not particularly creepy or scary but someone still says "what is this place?" as if they were looking at a funfair made from animal parts and Lego, (this reaction is to remind the viewer that it's supposed to be a scary movie). Finally the crazy killer family arrive and do a bit of killing and kidnapping to paintball Team A (oddly it's the team in the green camo that gets their attention first). Team B (the more annoying of the two teams) hear the screams, grab their trusty paint guns (yup) and run to help. This is where the film stops being a bad slasher-family-in-the-woods movie and becomes plain incomprehensible.

The "family" are in fact religious cult / hillbilly / underground dwelling / drug manufacturing / inbred mutants living on ex-military land, who think intruders are agents from the government. Not only that but they want the girls to breed with (dunno why). The film sets itself up like a torture pic for a while with team-whatever put in cages but nothing much comes of that either, in fact the most brutal thing that goes on down there is a killing that involves a jailer confiscating a captives inhaler during an asthma attack so he suffocates (barbaric!).

There really is no gore or horror to speak of. The heroes' escape is lengthy and dull and most of the time they seem to get no further than just behind the tree outside the front door. All the (dull) deaths that follow are either down to the idiot's own stupidity or are ridiculous acts of selfless blaze-of-glory heroic bullsh**. There is nothing new or exciting here at all. Rent one of the related picks shown at the bottom of this page and avoid this movie at all costs.

Backwoods tagline is "Nature has a Dark Side"..... yeah? well so do my butt cheeks but at least I have the decency not to call them entertainment and show them to the general public.

Backwoods Official Website

Backwoods on IMDb

Backwoods on Wikipedia

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Deadgirl

2011-08-21T13:24:00.000-04:00

Directors: Marcel Sarmiento & Gadi Harel
Writer: Trent Haaga
Released: 2008
Labels: Thriller|Zombie|2000's

Two teenage tearaways, J.T. and Ricky, make a startling discovery deep inside an abandoned mental institution - the body of a young woman naked and tied up. Not only that, but she is also one of the un-dead. J.T. decides that this is a good opportunity to get some "free-pussy'", Ricky remains unconvinced by this idea, however both agree to keep her a secret, but for how long?.............

After looking at various responses and reactions to Deadgirl, it is clear that it totally polarizes opinion (in fact here at HMF we were divided by this flick). There are some that view this as just a roughly made, sick-minded, exploitation piece and others that regard it as a compelling study in human nature when faced with an (im)moral dilemma.

There's no doubt that some of the scenes are pretty disturbing and you do feel like the film excuses this by presenting the girl as "already dead" but nevertheless she is still a young woman. Watching the teenagers acting in such a savage way is hard to stomach at times, but your distaste is directed more to the low moral character of the young men themselves rather than their indecent acts (and this, it seems, is the filmmakers intention).

The same degree of emotional interest could have been created without so many scenes of nudity or molestation, so it is gratuitous to some extent. The bad guys' actions do not go unpunished, but the final twist makes you wonder if any of it was worth it.

It's not a bad film and its intentions are well above being just another piece of "torture-porn". The atmosphere is heavy with teenage angst and small-town claustrophobia (reminded us of Donnie Darko for that). The acting is good (quite a few of those, "I'm sure I've seen them before" faces in the cast) and as far as for a low budget independent film it's visually great.

There's a lot in Deadgirl to set you thinking, but there will definitely be some who just can't wait to forget it.

Deadgirl on IMDb

Deadgirl on Wikipedia

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Hatchet

2011-08-14T13:51:00.002-04:00

Director: Adam Green
Writer: Adam Green
Released: 2006
Labels: Gore|Slasher|2000's|Comedy

A group of unwitting tourists take a boat trip into the steamy Louisiana bayou and find themselves being stalked by a mutated swamp dweller intent on bloody murder.

Hatchet, as its tagline suggests, is indeed "old school American horror", so old school in fact that there isn't a single original bone in its dismembered body. Don't let that dissuade you from giving it a view though as it has enough decent humor and deliciously gory moments to keep any fan of the slasher genre amused, from its tongue-in-cheek nod to all that it inspired it (note the cameos from Robert Englund and Tony Todd), down to a really well crafted screen monster Victor Crowley (played by slasher veteran Kane Hodder).

The practical SFX are good and gory with some excellent artistic license taken with how a human body can come apart. The low-budget sets and lower-budget acting really only add to the B-movie fun of it.

Victor Crowley isn't going to rank with slasher icons like Jason Vorhees or Michael Myers but given time and a few more dodgy sequels (Hatcher 3 is due out 2012) his horribly disfigured face will become enjoyably familiar among even the most casual horror fans.

Hatchet Official Website

Hatchet on IMDb

Hatchet on Wikipedia

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The Ugly

2011-08-14T13:07:00.004-04:00

Director: Scott Reynolds
Writer: Scott Reynolds
Released: 1997
Labels: Psychological|Chiller|1990's

Simon is a confessed serial-killer and an inmate in a brutal psychiatric hospital. He is visited by criminal psychologist, Dr. Karen Shumaker, and together they begin to explore his past and examine the state of mind that drove him to kill. As Simon tries to convince her that he doesn't need to kill anymore, the boundaries of what is real and what has been conjured from his disturbed psyche become terrifyingly blurred.

The Ugly is always going to suffer from the label "interesting" but that is what it is, a movie full of unusual ideas and experimentation. The story is actually pretty familiar, a serial-killer gets inside the head of those that try to understand him. What is not so familiar is the way in which the story is visualized. The filmmaker confounds the viewer with a bold yet limited use of color (almost exclusively red and blue) and with the same courage of conviction avoids garishly red bloody scenes, there is plenty of slashing and bleeding but the blood shown is inky black! The movie pitches back and forth in time as we get to know of Simon's violence and the reasons behind it, these flashbacks seem to blur into scenes of the present with ghostly images of his mental "visitors".

Much like the rest of The Ugly, the conclusion leaves you wondering if you are witnessing "reality" and as a result is a little disappointing.

For a low-budget (and only Scott Reynolds second) film there is much to be admired here and although it's not always coherently laid out, if you like your movies with quirky characters, an imaginative use of sound and cinematography and more than a pinch of the surreal (think Lynch or Kubrick) then this is certainly worth a watch.

The Ugly on IMDb

The Ugly on Wikipedia

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Creep

2011-08-13T17:09:00.004-04:00

Director: Christopher Smith
Writers: Christopher Smith
Released: 2004
Labels: Gore|Slasher|2000's

The network of sewage and rail tunnels under the city of London are home to a terrifying being, one that stalks and kills anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves in his hunting grounds. Kate is one such unlucky soul, having missed the last train late at night and finding herself locked in the underground station. She must try to find a different route out if she's to survive the night....

With its deserted underground setting and brutal violence Creep is genuinely ... well ... er ... creepy. However, it doesn't set the screen alight with anything new for the viewer.

The films first half offers us the thrill of not knowing what is carrying out these killings in the tunnels or when it will strike next, this makes you wonder if it is man or beast or if there is a lone killer or many hands at work. We are introduced to our heroine Kate and assorted (doomed) cast members and the atmosphere of the underground system, quiet and deserted, certainly is unnerving.

Just when you are starting to get annoyed with the trails of blood, running through tunnels and off-screen killings it's time to meet the murderer, which we do in a sudden, lingering close-up. Our psycho is of the mutant-human kind, (think ''Wrong Turn'' or ''The Hills Have Eyes'') and rather horrid he looks too! Sean Harris does a great job portraying the simple yet sadistic ''Craig'' through all that SFX make-up to the point of almost making you feel sorry for him when you realize he is a product of some (presumably illegal) medical experiments that took place in a subterranean surgery.

You never feel sorry for ''Kate'' though, partly because of her shallow and unlikable personality and partly because of Franka Potente's lack-lustre performance and unstable accent, so at the end, you are left feeling quite pleased about her comeuppance.

There is plenty of nasty bloody scenes and a good amount of scares and creepy moments, but as a whole the film lacks either the spark or the extremes to stick with you long-term.

Creep on IMDb

Creep on Wikipedia

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Dylan Dog: Dead of Night

2011-08-07T16:10:00.002-04:00

Director: Kevin Munroe
Writers: Thomas Dean Donnelly & Joshua Oppenheimer
Based on: Comic Book Series written by Tiziano Sclavi
Released: 2011
Labels: Action|Comedy|Monster|2010's

Based on one of the world's bestselling comic book series with over 70 million readers worldwide, "Dylan Dog: Dead of Night" blends horror and humor set in the backstreets of New Orleans...a city with a long and storied history with the supernatural. The story revolves around Dylan Dog, the world's only private investigator of the undead with a business card that features his slogan, "No pulse, No problem."

Having left the world of the supernatural behind after the death of his wife, Dylan is pulled back into action to solve the murder of a mysterious woman's father. Along with his zombie assistant Marcus, he finds himself drawn into the middle of a battle between the clans of vampire, werewolf and zombie for possession of a rare artifact to control both the mortal and monster world. Dylan must go where the living date not in order to solve the case, save mankind and keep his partner from losing any more body parts. (Taken from Official Website)

It doesn't take much investigation to discover that Dylan Dog: Dead of Night is hated by fans of the original Italian comic book on which it is based. This seems to be because the filmmakers have not even tried to stick to the original concept and feel. The biggest complaints are that the movie makes light where there should be dark and that major liberties have been taken with key characters and settings. So putting the source material aside let's look at this film as a piece of horror genre cinema.

The film places it's flag firmly in the camp (pun intended) of horror-comedy. The interplay between the characters is rife with wit and sarcasm, much of which is well written and entertaining, particularly the relationship between Dylan Dog, played by Brandon Routh and his un-dead sidekick Marcus, played by Sam Huntington. If this pairing seems familiar, thats because they played Clark Kent/Superman and Jimmy Olsen respectively in the 2006 film ''Superman Returns''. Routh's fresh-faced-superman good looks doesn't really lend itself to a portrayal of a hardened PI for the supernatural underworld, but his strong physicality backs up the role. Overall the acting is good throughout including a small but fantastically campy performance from Peter Stormare (Fargo).

The realtively low-budget of $20M ensures that this movie looks like a TV pilot rather than a cinematic experience, and the special effects are certainly akin to the production values of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Supernatural. The Werewolves are very much in the B-movie humanoid style, the Vampires are dark, hip and hedonistic (as they always are nowadays), and the Zombies provide the comic relief with some nice gags about diet, spare body parts and a support group.

The story is a bit tired in an ''ancient artifact has power to release mythical beast from slumber to wreak havoc on the world, it mustn't fall into the wrong hands'' type way, but the regular introduction of new un-dead creatures and scenarios keeps you interested along with some tidily directed action sequences.

As you can imagine there really is no depth here but it is an enjoyable romp and very easy to enjoy for what it is.

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night Official Website

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night on IMDb

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night on Wikipedia

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Maniacal Music 7

2011-08-07T05:40:00.016-04:00

The team from ''Final Destination 5'', which is released this month, have made this brilliant music video in the style of TV comedy show ''Saved by the Bell''.....

Miles Fisher - New Romance

Crazy Eights

2011-08-06T17:28:00.000-04:00

Director: James K. Jones

Writers: Dan DeLuca, James K. Jones & Ji-un Kwon

Released: 2006

Labels: Chiller|2000's

Six 'thirty-somethings' re-unite at a friends funeral. The will of their dead friend leads them on a mysterious trip of discovery ending up at an abandoned children's home where their inner-secrets and forgotten memories spill out...along with their blood!!!

This film opens with a few lines of text stating that ''between 1954 to 1976, nearly 600 children were voluntarily submitted for participation in a number of behavioral studies. These experimental facilities were privately funded and tucked away in secluded regions of the south. Families were paid a fee for their involvement, and were told the studies were harmless...Most of the children were never heard from again.'' We are then shown a sepia style flashback of a child being delivered into the hands of these scientists.

The problem with this opening is that it doesn't simply introduce the film and its subject matter, it completely blows apart any chance of a surprise twist or reveal by inadvertantly giving you all the history of our group of friends before the movie has even started. On second thought, maybe they had to add it after seeing the finished movie because the story has so many gaping plot-holes and is so disjointed; that without it, the viewer would have no clue whatsoever as to what the story is all about. Either way, the finished result is a mess.

Potentially it's an interesting (although not wholly original) premise. Kids that were incredibly emotionally scarred return to the place of abuse as adults. Sadly, the filmakers tried to load that premise with too many ideas and it becomes muddled and unbelievable. For example, our protagonists have collective amnesia about their childhood horrors. Really? All of them?? It's a series of incredibly clumsy plot devices that sees them end up locked (escape seems improbably difficult for some reason) inside the abandoned institute. It soon is revealed (totally unsurprisingly) that, whilst at this institute, as kids, this group also accidentally killed another of the children(?!?) and the spirit of this accidentally killed child stalks the group intent on (misplaced) revenge (???!)

It just doesn't work, and it isn't scary (apart from the creepiness of the spirit, that wasn't bad actually). One of the main themes of this movie is ''guilt'', the children in the institute are being ''taught'' guilt (god knows why), but after having delivered us this heap of incoherent nonsense, maybe the filmmakers should be the ones feeling guilty?

Crazy Eights Theatrical Trailer

Crazy Eights on IMDb

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Poltergeist

2011-07-31T16:13:00.000-04:00

Director: Tobe Hooper
Writers: Steven Spielberg, Michael Grais and Mark Victor
Released: 1982
Labels: Chiller|Supernatural|1980's

Poltergiest is an exciting and somewhat comedic romp about a family terrorized by an incredibly active haunting. The haunting occurs because the family live in a house built over the top of an old graveyard. The ghostly activity focuses its attention on the youngest member of the Freeling family, five year-old Carol Ann who, soon after announcing ''they're here'', gets ''kidnapped'' by the disgruntled spirit. Reluctantly (it's ALWAYS reluctantly) the father, Steven, agrees to call in a team of parapsychologists, the spirits taunt and unsettle the team and they decide to get help of their own in the (diminuative) form of spiritual medium Tangina Barron.

The family, under Tangina's instruction, set about rescuing Carol Ann by entering a whirling portal guarded by a demonic Beast that seems to be the orchestrator of the mayhem. The plan seems to work and Carol-Ann is freed, Tangina announces that ''this house is clean'', and the family relax in their spirit-free home. Not for long though as they have understandably decided to move on and not a moment to soon as, on their last night in the house, it becomes obvious that the Beast is not done with them yet and it makes a new bid to capture Carol Ann. The house positively erupts in a frenzy of activity and the mother, Diane, must battle the demon to save her kids.....

Although ''directed'' by Tobe Hooper (Texas Chainsaw Massacre), it is certainly arguable that most of the decision-making about the feel and look of Poltergeist comes from producer Speilberg himself. You are constantly reminded of films such as E.T. (which Spielberg made back-to-back with Poltergeist) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, with the small town setting for other-worldly events, the way the haunting is introduced slowly at first, how it is treated by the family with some amusement and how it escalates rapidly into full-on action. Also the inevitable ''everything seems ok now, oh, no it isn't'' plot twist is classic Spielberg.

Considering this was released in 1982, the visual effects are varied and sophisticated, there are animated ghosts, stuff moving (and/or flying) on its own, rotting corpses, gore and goo. The plot on the other hand, isn't particularly sophisticated and the reasons for the haunting focusing on this house in particular are never satisfactorily explained but, as an entertaining, well-acted, exciting visual treat, Poltergeist really does come up with the goods.

Poltergeist Official Website

Poltergeist on IMDb

Poltergeist on Wikipedia

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Maniacal Music 6

2011-07-24T18:01:00.001-04:00

One of the scariest videos ever made is ''Come to Daddy'' by Aphex Twin.
Try not to have nightmares........

Aphex Twin - Come to Daddy

Black Water

2011-07-24T17:31:00.002-04:00

Directors: David Nerlich, Andrew Traucki
Writers: David Nerlich, Andrew Traucki
Released: 2007
Labels: Creature|2000's

Black Water is based on a true story in which we find three tourists that take a guided fishing trip out to the backwater mangroves of Australia. A large ''saltie'' (saltwater crocodile) attacks the boat and capsizes it, killing the tour guide. The three tourists are left to fend for themselves in the murky waist-deep water, they will have to use their initiative and find great courage if they are going to outwit the killer croc and make it back to safety.

Black Water is an intense film experience, it is filmed fly-on-the-wall style which really puts the viewer into the action. The tension that builds throughout is considerable and that sets you up for the shocks when the crocodile appears. The crocodile effects are completely convincing, as is the acting from all three leads, the performances leave you in no doubt as to the terror that these unlucky tourists are experiencing. This film is an out-in-nature-survival movie that very much reminded us of ''Open Water'' (that one was Sharks), both movies are less about being a ''Creature Feature'' and more about the reaction of humans trying to survive in unfamiliar and threatening surroundings.

This movie is not a ''Jaws'' or ''Lake Placid'' nor does it try to be and it is all the better for it, definitely worth a watch.

Black Water Theatrical Trailer

Black Water Official Website

Black Water on IMDb

Black Water on Wikipedia

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Walled In

2011-07-24T14:22:00.008-04:00

Director: Gilles Paquet-Brenner
Writers: Serge Brussolo (novel), Rodolphe Tissot, Olivier Volpi, Sylvain White & Gilles Paquet-Brenner
Released: 2009
Labels: Chiller|Suspense|2000's

Walled In is a ''spooky building'' chiller set in a large apartment block built in a rural location. Sam Walczak, a young female demolitions expert, is sent in to examine the building shortly before it's scheduled to be razed. The building's past holds a dark secret, many of its inhabitants were buried alive within its thick concrete walls by the architect. Sam becomes increasingly tormented by her surroundings during her stay and as she delves deeper into the mysteries that haunt the building she realizes that the last remaining residents are a part of the horrifying story.

Walled In sounds pretty good on paper, the ideas about the buildings history and its architect are interesting but (and it's a massive BUT!) after the shocking opening scene, the film becomes completely incoherent. It sets itself up as a supernatural chiller then wanders unsatisfactorily into trying to be a psychological thriller. The film-makers opened up their bumper book of horror cliche and threw everything they could at the first half an hour. We have such predictable scenes as:

Newspaper clippings in titles.

Woman submerged in a bath-tub opens eyes suddenly.

Blood oozes from the wall.

Enigmatic old lady with tales to tell.

Enigmatic old black man with tales to tell.

Shadowy figure lurks in hallways.

Mirrors aren't what they seem.

Intriguing room but the door is locked.

Children heard singing nursery rhyme creepily.

etc, etc, etc........

None of the screenplay made any sense either. Why was the large concrete apartment block situated in a field in the middle of nowhere? Why did Sam even stick around after creepy moment #1? It's only a job right?? Which one of the bad-guys is actually the bad-guy and what made them so bad??? How did Sam manage to send the office a demolition report when she clearly did NO work????

This movie will give you more questions than it answers, in fact it will give you more questions than it poses! (Why!!?? in God's name Why oh why!!!?? was one we asked a lot), and the ending just adds insult to injury.

Admittedly the film does look pretty good, the sets are creepy in an industrial kind of way and the coloring is washed out and somber. The acting is entirely average though, the dialogue is dull at best and character development or motivation is absent.

If Scooby-Doo and the gang had been sent to investigate a haunting at Hannibal Lector's mansion, we would have ended up with something akin to this film, although the Scooby cartoon would be a lot more entertaining, probably more scary, and definitely more three-dimensional than Walled In.

Walled In Theatrical Trailer

Walled In on IMDb

Walled In on Wikipedia

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La Horde

2011-07-23T20:22:00.001-04:00

Directors: Yannick Dahan and Benjamin Rocher

Writers: Arnaud Bordas, Yannick Dahan, Stephane Moissakis, Benjamin Rocher & Nicolas Peufaillit

Released: 2009

Labels: Action|Zombie|2000's

A small tight-knit group of police officers seek revenge on the criminal gang that killed one of their ''family." The cops raid the gang's hideout high up a derelict apartment building in a run-down part of a French city. The raid goes horribly wrong, two cops and their informant are killed and the remaining cops end-up as hostages. Suddenly and inexplicably the informant rises from the dead and ferociously attacks the gang members. A bloody fight ensues and shortly the apartment is littered with bodies, bodies that soon re-animate and attack. The remaining uninjured cops and criminals successfully fight back but soon realize that the apartment building is under siege from a city full of these bloodthirsty un-dead. Reluctantly they team up and look for a way down to the ground floor to take their chances outside.

La Horde (aka The Horde) is yet another re-telling of the ''band of humans vs the un-dead'' story (of course that's no bad thing because there's no point of having one without the other if you set out to make a film in this genre). Romero's influence is here in bucket-loads with our motley crew holed-up in a large multi-level building, think ''Dawn of the Dead," but in this case the zombies (for want of a better word) are the fast moving, infected type rather than the shuffling, back-from-the-grave type and it's that, combined with the gritty urban setting, that puts us in mind of ''28 Days Later."

What is interesting about this film is that it dwells somewhat on the characters back-story, their emotional reaction to the situation and to each other, in doing so it gives them some depth and motives for their actions. It could also be argued that there is social commentary here that highlights the film-makers' fears about mans' inhumanity to man and society's self destructive nature.

Although apocalyptic, La Horde is never a somber film, there are some brief moments of levity (the ''chop off his leg'' scene is one to look out for) and the action is thick, fast and positively brutal. The quantity of blood splattering is magnificent and, as well as the extensive range of weaponry in use. The heroes are not scared to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the zombies which makes for some gory slapstick moments.

There is nothing particularly new that this film adds to the genre but it gives you all that you should want from a film of its kind, and it delivers it with a firm slap across the face!

La Horde theatrical trailer

La Horde at IMDb

La Horde at Wikipedia

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The return of ''The Walking Dead'' !!!

2011-07-22T17:28:00.003-04:00

The AMC show ''The Walking Dead'' Season 2 airs October 16. This return is eagerly anticipated here at HMF because it is definitely one of our top ten TV shows (of ANY genre!)

Here's a trailer.....enjoy!

If you didnt see Season 1 yet (shame on you!) you can catch up here.

or buy the DVD here:

Breathing Room

2011-07-17T19:28:00.005-04:00

Directors: John Suits & Gabriel Cowan
Writers: Gabriel Cowan & John Suits
Released: 2008
Labels: Suspense|Thriller|2000's

Fourteen people locked in a warehouse with a collar secured around their necks, they have no knowledge as to why they are there. It is revealed to them that they are participants in a ''game'' and the rules of the game must not be broken otherwise the penalty is death. They are given some clues and hints to help them work out who the other contestants are and how they can escape. The "host" taunts them from a video screen inside the warehouse as the contestants fear and growing panic turns them against each other. As the game nears its conclusion the death toll rises, but who will survive and ''win'' the game?

Getting Started:

Congratulations! You have been selected!

Prepare for the experience of a lifetime!

Players must follow all the rules to avoid penalty.

The Rules:

Players keep hands clean at all times.

Players MAY NOT cross the line.

Players may NOT adjust their collar.

Hints:

1. Player Five does NOT tell the truth.

2. Patience.

3. Fourteen is the key.

4. Jumble.

5. Terror Him.

6. What is your favorite type of serial? In this game there are three. One rapist, one pedophile & one murderer. Find the killer, find the reason.

7. Players one and three are gone, yet the killer and the rapist still remain.

8. Bite the bullet.

9. Frankly, who cares?....(we added this one)

Not only have we seen this premise before, we have seen it done much, much better (''Saw" & ''Cube'') and sadly for this movie it does not hold up well under comparison. For a short period in the middle of this movie it becomes intriguing but the long haul to that point and the ridiculous, labored ''twist'' at the end completely destroy any chance of viewer engagement. None of the actions from the antagonists came with any clear motives and sometimes characters would do things that appeared so unnatural that it could only be to further the plot or to give the audience some easy information. There is no pleasure for the senses here either, with the horrible shaky-cam, the fluffy audio and the garish fluorescent lighting.

Some of the acting actually is not that bad (the final four contestants were the better ones), unfortunately some of it really IS that bad, at times the over acting, with no guidance from a clear script, was like an amateur dramatics improvisation warm-up with a drunk elderly spinster taking the lead.

Low-budget movies don't have to suck, but clearly no-one told this one.

Breathing Room Theatrical Trailer

Breathing Room on iMDB

Breathing Room on Wikipedia

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The Breed

2011-07-17T16:31:00.003-04:00

Director: Nicholas Mastandrea
Writers: Robert Conte and Peter Wortmann
Released: 2006
Labels: Creature|2000's

The Breed follows the standard horror story-line in which a group of young, good-looking college types visit a remote cabin for a weekends fun. This cabin is located on a remote island, an island that apparently houses a disused laboratory which, at some time in the past was used by evil scientist types to experiment on attack dogs in a bid to create some sort of super-dog. Anyway, the dogs have taken over the island and get really p***ed when people set foot on their territory.

This Wes Craven produced creature-feature actually stands up pretty well, the acting and dialogue are above average, (Michelle Rodriguez is her usual bad-ass self). The action (which takes a little while to get going) rolls along at a decent pace, the ways in which the group try to escape, first the cabin and then the island, are imaginative and believable. The dogs are pretty scary and the fact that they are real dogs and not some CGI monster hounds keeps the film grounded by resisting the temptation to fly off into the realms of fantasy. The dog attacks and deaths (and there are a few, both canine and human) make you wince in their realism, there are plenty of make-you-jump moments along the way and, it has to be said, some unintentional giggles (swimming dogs just ain't scary!).

If you like man vs beast thrillers (think 'Cujo' or 'The Pack') then this movie will be perfectly watchable and will make a good rental DVD addition to your Friday night in.

The Breed Theatrical Trailer

The Breed on iMDB
The Breed on Wikipedia

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