Big Daddy Horror Reviews

Teaser Trailer Debut: Patient Zero

2012-02-16T09:46:00.000-08:00

"The Beginning of the End..."

Studio 3 Entertainment is pleased to release the new teaser trailer for their upcoming film "Patient Zero", from director Brian T. Jaynes (Boggy Creek, Humans Versus Zombies) and Producers Bruce Kahn, Niko Foster, and Kerri Navarro.

Logline: Two young scientists are swept up in a government plot to suppress the truth about a biological disaster at a genetic research facility.

The film stars Brandon Slagle (2012: Ice Age, Area 51 Confidential), Amanda Phillips (Sin City, Friday Night Lights), Natalie Wilemon (Phantom Tragedy), Jackey Hall (Chrome Angels), Frederic Doss (Transformers, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra), Carl Savering (Boggy Creek, Breaking Bad), and Van Quattro (Fight Club, Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker).

Make sure to check out the film's official facebook page here: http://facebook.com/PatientZerotheMovie and check out the teaser after the jump.

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Tucker & Dale vs Evil

2012-02-15T16:12:00.000-08:00

2011 (Overseas 2010) - 87 mins. - Rated R
D: Eli Craig
C: Tyler Labine, Alan Tudyk, Katrina Bowden, Jesse Moss

A pair of lovable rednecks are mistaken for serial killers by a group of college kids camping out in the woods. Determined to not be their next victims, the kids unwittingly pick themselves or one another off in an attempt to defend themselves.

Forced horror comedy with a premise that never really gels. Comedy either comes from the unexpected happening or seeing the tension in a situation and how it resolves itself. The interactions between the main characters (Tucker & Dale) and the college aged kids is all too brief so there isn't enough time to properly create the kind of tension needed to create some really good belly laughs. When it comes to to the unexpected happening, the film's proceedings are rather predictable. The proceedings here are reminiscent of Final Destination. Unlike Final Destination where the fun lied in the most unlikely occurring, Tucker & Dale vs Evil goes the obvious route in dispatching of its cast. How can the film's scenarios truly be funny if it is a given as to what is going to happen? Another aspect of the film that Tucker & Dale vs Evil never fully takes advantage of is its lampooning of slasher & backwoods thriller conventions. There is some nods towards it at the beginning, but it's an idea that is never utilized all that well and is then abandoned pretty quickly. As a comedy, Tucker & Dale vs Evil misses the mark, because it doesn't have a clear grasp on comedic timing. As for the horror, there's obviously gore in the film, but the makers of the film are so focused on the comedy that they forget to develop the horror elements of the material. Either way Tucker & Dale vs Evil doesn't work since neither component of the film works.

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The Innkeepers (Review)

2012-02-14T07:25:00.000-08:00

2012 - 101 mins. - Rated R
D: Ti West
C: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis

Two front desk employees at an old motel investigate a series of supernatural occurrences hoping to catch something on camera, but end up getting more then the bargained for.

The Innkeepers suffers from the exact same problem that West's previous effort, The House of the Devil, suffered from -- it's padded out with a series of unnecessary sequences whose only purpose is to increase the film's running time. A slow burn is one thing, but just random little sequences that do absolutely nothing to drive forward the film's story is another and that's what director West seems to have a hard time deciphering between. After over an hour, hardly anything has occurred. Viewers are just left sitting & waiting; waiting for something, anything to happen. The Innkeepers does gain some traction in the film's final act --- a wonderfully spooky little thrill ride that captures the eerie quality of shows like Ghost Hunters and then combines that within the narrative of haunted house film. By then though, it's too little too late. The Innkeepers does close out on a high note with a truly scary final act. It's just a shame that viewers are stuck sitting through so many pointless vignettes to get there.

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The Asylum Brings Scythe and Abraham Lincoln Vs. The Zombies: First Poster

2012-02-12T11:42:00.000-08:00

"Honest Abe" will don scythe and machete to take on the Southern hordes of undead in The Asylum's upcoming film Abraham Lincoln Vs. Zombies. Actor Bill Oberst Jr. will star as Abraham Lincoln and an early movie still from production shows Oberst ready to do battle. May 22nd is the day that the Union comes under threat and this is also the day that you will want to check out one of the more interesting zombie films to come out in some time. The synopsis for the film is also below.

The synopsis for the film:

"While the Civil War rages on, President Abraham Lincoln must undertake an even more daunting task; Destroying the Confederate Undead."

Release Date: May 22nd, 2012 (DVD).

Directed by: Richard Schenkman.

Writers: Richard Schenkman, Karl Hirsch and Lauren Proctor.

Producers: David Michael Latt, David Rimawi and Paul Bales.

Cinematographer: Tim Gill.

Cast: Bill Oberst, Jr., Jason Vail, Baby Norman, and Don McGraw.

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Paranormal Activity 3

2012-02-08T16:23:00.000-08:00

2011 - 83 mins. - Rated R
D: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman
C: Christopher Nicholas Smith, Lauren Bittner, Chloe Csengery, Jessica Tyler Brown, Dustin Ingram

Prequel tracing how the main characters from Paranormal Activity 1 & 2, became haunted by a malevolent force as children.

So what exactly is it that makes this entry more successful then the previous entries? Unlike the first two films which only provided good, solid jump scares, Paranormal Activity 3 also manages to create an ever growing sense of dread, which was lacking in parts one and two. There's something in the atmosphere that's quite unnerving throughout. This leads to some gripping suspense throughout, but Paranormal Activity 3 also delivers solid jump scares like it previous predecessors. What also makes this entry more compelling then the previous entries, is film's characterizations. In parts one and two, the film's heroines became downright annoying after awhile. With Paranormal Activity 3, they switch the focus onto children which makes the film's central protagonist more relateable, because everyone can relate to being a kid and feeling a sense of fear involving the supernatural. The film's central adult character - a young man trying to do right by his new family, is another character that audiences can empathize with more so then the nagging girlfriend / wife characters of the first two films. Paranormal Activity 3 not only steps up its game in creating an atmosphere cloaked in terror & frenzy, but for the first time, it presents characters that are engaging & likable. Since there is more of investment in what is going on with the characters this time around, the terror is all the more palpable. Paranormal Activity 3 not only delivers in terms of style like its previous counterparts, but it manages to bring some depth to the franchise and that's what makes this film all the more meaningful when compared to parts one and two.

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The Thing (2011 - Review)

2012-02-06T16:10:00.000-08:00

2011 - 103 mins. - Rated R
D: Matthijs van Heijningen
C: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ulrich Thomsen, Eric Christian Olsen, Trond Espen Seim

An expedition turns deadly when a group of unwittingly unleash an extraterrestrial creature capable of mimicking it's prey -- humans.

Well made, well acted, but completely undistinguished, unmemorable remake, ....sorry prequel, to the John Carpenter version of The Thing. First & foremost, this version of The Thing is badly conceived. The film's most interesting plot point - the tension between the characters as to who is real & who isn't, is tossed to the side as a minor plot device. Outside of that, there is nothing remotely interesting, let alone, original about this version of The Thing. One thing that lingers on the mind about this version of The Thing is, what was the whole point of a prequel?!? This version pretty much tells the exact same story, so that defeats the purpose of a prequel. On the studio's part, labeling this as a prequel by including some minor tweaks, feels like a ploy so that this version doesn't suffer the stigma of being labeled a remake by horror fans. This modern day version of The Thing is well produced all around, even the special effects are solid. However, those above average production values can't overcome a fundamentally weak story and the general fact of how unnecessary this entire film was to begin with.

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Throwing Stones: Season 2 (Review)

2012-02-06T06:38:00.000-08:00

2012 - Not Rated
D: Jon Keeyes
C: Cherami Leigh, Chad Cox, Rebekah Kennedy, Lynn Andrews III, W. Tom Hamlett, Bryan Massey

A group of high school misfits, that their vice principal have deemed "broken", must fight to stay alive after he traps them in the building and forces them into a series of cat & mouse games.

Definitely a marked improvement over season one, though overall, a flawed production. Season one suffered from too much character development and not enough horror. Season two is pretty much all horror and not enough character development. The series has has never really hit its stride in being able to balance out moments of insight into what makes its characters tick while still being able to deliver a scary horror film experience. That's main fault of Throwing Stones- it lacks balance. They have this wonderful young cast. Some of them are showcased well, while others are barely given anything to do. They play up to this idea that the killer uses his victim's weaknesses against them, but they never fully take advantage of this arresting story angel.

Still, season two never feels boring or drawn out, unlike season one. Even though it lacks depth, season two is consistently entertaining & exciting throughout. Season two delivers one suspenseful scenario after another. Director Jon Keeyes has always shown an ability to craft suspenseful situations and his efforts in season two of Throwing Stones are no exception. There's enough twists & turns throughout to keep viewers on the edge of their seat throughout. When it comes to crafting thrills & chills, season two of Throwing Stones does an admirable job.

In terms of writing and developing its characters & the situations that they are presented with, season two of Throwing Stones is a bit all over the place & messy. However, director Jon Keeyes takes a flawed script and is able to put his trademark spin of being able to execute a genuinely suspenseful viewing experience.

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Donner Pass (Review)

2012-01-25T15:37:00.000-08:00

2011 - 88 mins. - Rated R
D: Elise Robertson
C: Desiree Hall, Erik Stocklin, Colley Bailey, Adelaide Kane, John Kassir

A group of teens are picked off by one, after being stranded at a remote cabin, during the middle of a snow storm and it all seems to be connected to the true life tale of the "Donner Party".

Potentially interesting film concept torpedoed by routine plotting, routine execution. Overall, Donner Pass is a competently put together film, but there really isn't anything that stands out, or is all that memorable about the film. Donner Pass suffers from deja vu. From the characters, from the film's various scenarios, to how Donner Pass goes about trying to craft suspense & terror, it's all been done before and better at that. Sitting there watching Donner Pass, one wishes that the film would try to break out and try to do something different or even remotely original, but the film never takes any chances and plays it strictly by the numbers. At the end of the day, Donner Pass is just another horror film, another slasher without anything distinctive to separate it from the hundreds of other films out there that are similar to it.

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The Culling Reveals a Terrified Cast: Early Photos

2012-01-24T23:12:00.000-08:00

The Culling is a tense horror thriller that features a large cast including: Elizabeth Di Prinzio (The Devil Within), as Emily, Jeremy Sumpter, Brett Davern, Chris Coy, (Hostel: Part III) and Linsey Godfrey. These actors and actresses get more than they bargained for when a girl manipulates them. Soon, they are trapped in the girl's house and Lucy's parents are the murderous kind. Safady Entertainment and Silver Lining Media Group are producing and fans of horror can check out two early stills from the cast here.

Jeremy Sumpter, Elizabeth Di Prinzio, Chris Coy and Brett Davern are featured in the photo left. Below, Di Prinzio and Linsey Godfrey are featured during a break from filming. Get set for terror later this year in The Culling!

Director: Rustam Branaman.

Cast: Jeremy Sumpter, Elizabeth Di Prinzio, Brett Davern, Chris Coy, Linsey Godfrey, Virginia Williams, Johnathon Schaech, and Harley Graham.

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Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (2011 - Review)

2012-01-24T14:55:00.000-08:00

2011 - 95 mins. - Rated R
D: Troy Nixey
C: Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Jack Thompson, Bailee Madison

A trouble young girl who has been uprooted to London to live with her father finds herself being haunted by tiny creatures who want to lure her into the dark.

Solid remake of the 1973 made for TV classic isn't quite as effective, because the CGI creatures of this version aren't as credible as the puppetry of the first film. However, this version adds an extra layer of dimensionality by telling the film from the child's perspective and playing on that primal fear that people experience as children of being afraid of the dark, of being scared of the monster in the closet or underneath the bed. From this foundation, this remake is able to craft one suspenseful scenario after another. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is a well done, handsomely mounted film that expertly knows how to play upon childhood fears and combines that with a touching domestic drama. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is good old fashioned horror entertainment with a compelling storyline that knows how to keep audiences on the edge of their seat throughout.

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Online sneek peek screening of "DONNER PASS" tonight at 1030PM EASTERN

2012-01-11T12:01:00.000-08:00

Constellation TV, Freestyle Digital Media & Arroyo Filmworks are pleased to announce five special screenings of the dark thriller, Donner Pass. Beginning January 11th, a special five-day series of event screenings will take place on Constellation, a new online movie theater platform. Tickets are $4.99 at www.constellation.tv/donnerpass

On Wednesday, January 11th at 7:30PM PST, Elise Robertson, Director and Mouncey Ferguson, Producer will host a live Q&A about Donner Pass.

On Thursday, January 12th at 7:30PM PST, John Kassir, Horror Icon will host a live Q&A of Donner Pass. Kassir is most notably known for his work in the Tales from the Crypt series as the voice of Crypt Keeper.

On Friday, January 13th at 7:30PM PST, Michael Defellipo, writer for Horrorsociety.com will host a live Q&A about Donner Pass.

On Saturday, January 14th at 7:30PM PST, cast members Desiree Hall and Brandon Morales will host a live Q&A about the film. Desiree Hall is known for her recurring roles in the MTV series Teen Wolf and CSI: Miami. Brandon Morales is known for his roles in film The Office Escapes and TV Series Criminal Minds.

On Sunday, January 15th at 7:30PM PST, Shannon Lark, Stacy Hammon and Heidi Honeycutt of Viscera Film Festival will host a live Q&A about the film. Viscera is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization expanding opportunities for contemporary female genre filmmakers and raising awareness about the changing roles for women in the film industry.

About Donner Pass: Donner Pass tells the story of settlers in 1846 that became snowbound in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and had to resort to cannibalism to survive. Some 150 years later, a group of teens on a snowboard trip discover that the curse of the Donner Party still haunts those mountains when members of their group start turning up not only dead, but half-eaten. Nothing - and no one - is what it seems in this provocative dark thriller. And history doesn't always stay in the past.

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Air Collision Brings Death to Rows A through E in this First Trailer

2012-01-06T21:02:00.000-08:00

Air Collision will release on DVD March 27th and the first trailer for this high flying disaster film is here. In the clip Reginald VelJohnson plays an aircraft controller who is trying to prevent a catastrophe. Air Force One and the President of the United States (Andy Clemence) are fated to crash into a passenger airliner after a solar flare disrupts both planes' electronics. As well, method actor Dave Vescio plays Eli a man who has seen the future and the future looks bleak. Expect chaos at 30,000'. Also, have a look at the short clip below. And currently this film is in talks for a television premiere later in 2012.

Director: Liz Adams

Producers: David Michael Latt, David Rimawi, and Paul Bales.

Cast: Reginald VelJohnson, Jordan Ladd, Gerald Webb, Darin Cooper, Darren Anthony Thomas, Kevin Yarbrough and Dave Vescio.

The trailer for Air Collision is here:

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Hostel: Part III (Review)

2011-12-31T11:37:00.000-08:00

2011 - 88 mins. - Rated R
D: Scott Spiegel
C: Brian Hallisay, Kip Pardue, John Hensley, Sarah Habel, Chris Coy, Skyler Stone, Thomas Kretschmann

A group of men throwing a bachelor party in Las Vegas find themselves the unwilling participants in a live execution show.

Without the homosexual or lesbian angel of the first two films, this third entry in the Hostel series lacks the distinctiveness of the first two films, but all in all this is far more satisfying entry. Hostel: Part III is a slick, stylish well made film with a far more involving story this time around. There is unpredictable twists and turns that abound throughout the film. What really makes this entry though, is its understanding of the foreplay involved in creating suspense. For the gore fans out there, the gore is toned down this time around. However, the makers of this entry have focused on creating scenarios that create just the right amount of tension and unease. They allow for each of the film's various torture sequences to unfold at a slow, deliberate pace so that the film can create this kind of anxiety as the film's various antagonists tease and taunt their captives. The torture sequences are potent stuff, because Hostel: Part III never rushes these sequences, but instead allows for these scenes to carefully unfold as they play around with viewer's emotions using things that people are inherently afraid of to begin with to dispose of each victim. When it comes to the other scary stuff, Hostel: Part III plays up to the spooky nature of long, empty hallways, of darkened corridors, etc. The viewer is invested in the main character, more so, this time around, because they have token things that people can relate to (screwing up, trying to make amends, etc.) and have infused that into the film's main protagonist and thus that creates for a far more heartstopping experience as viewers are left wondering how and if this character will escape from the deplorable situation that he is trapped in. Sure, Hostel: Part III is not a film of great depth or substance. As a thrill ride though, Hostel: Part III sure knows how to keep audiences on the edge of their seat throughout from beginning to end and that's what makes it one of the most entertaining horror films of 2011.

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Apollo 18 (Review)

2011-12-30T16:36:00.000-08:00

2011 - 85 mins. - Rated PG-13
D: Gonzalo López-Gallego
C: Warren Christie, Ryan Robbins, Lloyd Owen

A group of astronauts on the moon discover that they're not alone as each one succumbs to an alien predator.

Better then expected sci-fi / horror thriller strikes an eerie note throughout. There's this sense of ever growing dread that develops throughout the entire film. Apollo 18 creates this atmosphere filled with anxiety, tension and paranoia. What helps it achieve this, is Apollo 18's ability to create a realistic atmosphere through and through. It looks as though these men are genuinely on the moon being haunted by extraterrestrial visitors. The film's various interiors involving space shuttles appear convincing. The three leads not only turn in credible performances, but they manage to make each of their characters relateable and personable. When the film cuts loose for the last 20 or so minutes, Apollo 18 achieves some genuinely hair raising suspense. The kind of suspense that has audiences clutching onto their arm rests and screaming at the screen hoping that the characters manage to outwit the evil forces at work. Apollo 18 is noteworthy for creating a realistic outer space atmosphere, but it really shines when it comes to the scary stuff.

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Short Horror Film Compilation DVD "CULT Vol. 1" hits Amazon

2011-12-30T13:37:00.000-08:00

Pinnovating Productions, Bear Talent Films, and Zeroinside Films are pleased to announce the release of their short horror film compilation CULT VOL. 1 - now on sale at AMAZON.COM!

The collection is hosted by actress Devanny Pinn (Piranha 3D, American Girls) and includes the films Fatal Abortion, CathARTic, Legend of Suzi, Cannibal Cheerleader Camp, Zombies and Cigarettes, iPsycho, Lip Stick, Eleanor Rigby, and Opiate. Aside from Pinn herself, other actors and actresses featured in the compilation are Deneen Melody (3 Slices of Life, The Playboy Club), Suzi Lorraine (Bikini Girls On Ice, Music and Lyrics), Shannon Lark (Cut, Devotion), Rachel Grubb (VIViD, The Horror Vault Vol. 1), Brandon Slagle (2012: Ice Age, The Super), Erik Preston (Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Meyers), Jennifer Stone (Hank and Jim, Kodie).

Official Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CTPDZO7LF4
Amazon.com Link - http://www.amazon.com/Cult-1-Devanny-Pinn/dp/B006IVATEC/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1324268858&sr=8-8
IMDb page - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2145661/

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The Asylum Releases an Air Collision in the Skies March 27th

2011-12-30T12:01:00.000-08:00

Air Collision is the latest disaster film to be released by The Asylum Home Entertainment. This title will release March 27th on DVD, Video-on-demand and at Redbox rental locations. The film stars Reginald VelJohnson, Jordan Ladd, Gerald Webb, Darin Cooper, Darren Anthony Thomas, Kevin Yarbrough and Dave Vescio in a tale of high flying terror. Air Collision was helmed by "Best Director" Liz Adams ("Side Effect") and the early press details promise tension in the aisles and in the skies as Air Force One finds itself falling from the sky after a solar flare. A trailer is coming soon.

Release Date: March 27th (DVD, VOD),

Director: Liz Adams.

More details on this title are available at The Asylum:

Air Collision at The Asylum

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Anti-People (Review)

2011-12-28T13:51:00.000-08:00

2011 - 10 mins. - Rated R
D: Darin Mangan
C: Joseph D. Reitman, Rick Dawson,Sarah Agor, Bo Barrett

After being in a state of drunkenness for an extended period of time, a man goes to make amends with the brother he hasn't seen in four years, but things don't go exactly as planned.

Intriguing, though not entirely successful short film certainly leaves an impression with a haunting finale, but it could have used more tension in exploring the relationship between the characters. The main scenario and how it unfolds in Anti-People never quite generates enough suspense. The unease, the anxiety that the characters feel towards one another never truly becomes palpable. For a ten minute short, the characters are well developed. There's a sense of who they are, what they're all about. The finale is the type of ending that can give audiences something to talk about long after the film is over with. Anti-People is the type of film that stands out because of its ending, but in an effort to get to the ending, the proceedings beforehand are a bit rushed and that causes the film to never truly achieve the effectiveness that it could have achieved.

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Anti People Trailer from Darin Mangan on Vimeo.

The House of Flesh Mannequins is Set for a Wide Release February 21st

2011-12-27T11:33:00.000-08:00

Elite Entertainment will release The House of Flesh Mannequins on DVD February 21st and this surreal horror film stars Giovanni Lombardo Radice (Gangs of New York) Jerred Berg (Mysteries of the Garden of Eden) and Dave Vescio (Air Collision). This is a psychological film that is from director Domiziano Cristopharo (The Museum of Wonders) which deals with a lonely artist, snuff films and the darker side of life. For those interested in the unique and unusual, a trailer is below with further casting details.

Release Date: February 21st, 2012 (DVD).

Director: Domiziano Cristopharo.

Cast: Domiziano Arcangeli, Irene A. Hoffman, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Jerred Berg and Dave Vescio.

The trailer for the film is here:

The film's homepage is listed here:

http://www.fleshmannequins.com/

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Vamp X (Review)

2011-12-26T14:01:00.000-08:00

2011 - 28 mins. - Not Rated
D: David Glenney
C: Spencer Harlan, Mallory Carrick, Melanie Fairlight, Paul Taylor

A loser finds himself obsessively drawn to his ex-girlfriend who is now a blood-thirsty vampire.

Part satire on office life, part spoof of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Vamp X is muddled mess. The problem is that the two things that Vamp X is attempting to send up are so polar opposite from one another, that the film fails to gel and become a cohesive whole. Instead, it ends up feeling like two separate short films. The office part of the film doesn't have enough sting, enough bite. The performances, in general, are way over the top. Vamp X ends up feeling caricature ish instead of being relate-able. The humor becomes too broad, instead of engaging the audience. The Buffy spoof pretty much consists of one poorly put together, prolonged fight sequence. Instead of closing out Vamp X on an exciting note, the fight sequence takes what is a poorly conceived, but oddly watchable, satire and sinks it. With Vamp X, it's as though the people behind it had two ideas for two different short films and couldn't decide on which one to make. So they ended up making both films as one film, but they never put enough focus into either one to make one good, strong film.

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Vampire X Trailer from David Glenney on Vimeo.

Bloody Bloody Bible Camp (Review)

2011-12-24T11:48:00.000-08:00

2012 - 85 mins. - Not Rated
D: Vito Trabucco
C: Reggie Bannister, Tim Sullivan, Ron Jeremy, Jeff Dylan Graham

A group of bible students are murdered at a sleepaway camp by Sister Mary Chopper, a nun out to kill those who are caught sinning.

Retro styled horror films have been in vogue for a few years now. Most of the films in this sub-genre miss the mark, because they fail to capture the spirit of those horror films of yesteryear. However, Bloody Bloody Bible Camp is an exception. Elements present in those films - gratuitous nudity, tasteless situations, lack of logic, iconic horror movie villain, over the top gore, tacky fashions - are all here. So then how is it that Bloody Bloody Bible Camp ended up missing the mark? .....Well, I'll tell you. They missed the mark in terms of pacing. Mistake number one - they take a villain like Sister Mary Chopper, who has the potential to be one of the next great horror movie villains, and keep her off screen for way too long! Mistake number two - they take too long to get around to killing off the main characters at hand. If a film is gonna wait a little while before they get around to knocking everyone off, there needs to be stalking scenes scattered throughout so that there is a consistent level of suspense and horror throughout the entire film. And finally, mistake number three - since most of the death scenes are lumped together in the last act, they are never truly as effective as they could have been, because they end up feeling rushed. The blueprint for a successful film is already in place, but Bloody Bloody Bible Camp could use another round at the editing table to fix the film's problematic pacing.

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Fright Night (2011 - Review)

2011-12-23T10:20:00.000-08:00

2011 - 105 mins. - Rated R
D: Craig Gillespie
C: Colin Farrell, Anton Yelchin, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, David Tennant, Imogen Poots, Toni Collette

Teenager comes to slowly suspect that his neighbor is really a bloody thirsty vampire who has been snacking on the residents of a small town.

Empty remake of the 1985 film of the same name moves along at a decent pace and is never truly boring, but it lacks that sense of feeling, that sense of sentiment, that pizazz that made the original so memorable, so uniquely special. Fright Night (2011) zips along from one situation to the next, but none of the situations have that wow factor, that sense of old fashioned movie magic that made the original so darn entertaining. Fright Night (1985) had one memorable scene after another. This remake doesn't. The characters this time around lack the personality that made each actor from the original film stand out. Colin Farrell tries to capture that balance of masculinity & sex appeal that made Chris Sarandon such a commanding presence, but this remake shies away from that giving a talented actor like Farrell not much to work with. David Tennant fails to engage or to capture that vulnerability that made Roddy McDowell's performance so wonderfully appealing. Worst of all, Oscar nominated actress Toni Collette is wasted in a thankless role. Anton Yelchin & Imogen Poots barely even register. Christopher Mintz-Plasse does his whole nerd shtick thing well. Unfortunately, his screen time is limited to all of about three scenes. Even if this film isn't compared as a remake of a beloved horror film title, Fright Night (2011) lacks distinctiveness and comes across as impersonal & artificial.

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Black Eve (Review)

2011-12-22T14:25:00.000-08:00

2011 - 85 mins. - Not Rated
D: Ryan M. Andrews
C: Eva James, Neil Green, Veronika London, Kassandra Santos

A killer stalks a group of party goers who are throwing a Halloween bash inside a deserted department store.

Frustrating addition to the Halloween horror movie sub-genre has some good ideas, but fails to execute those good ideas in a meaningful way. Black Eve takes place on Halloween, but the story could have token place on any other day of the year, because Black Eve fails to do anything that properly pays tribute to the holiday. Veronika London's character is a take charge, pregnant nun out for a good time. This character should have made for a devilishly good time, right? Wrong, because her screen time is so limited and she isn't given much of anything to do. There's some stylish camera work here and there. Too bad it isn't more evident throughout the entire film. The setting itself certainly lends itself to creating an eerie atmosphere, but the film fails to play up to the many dark, hidden angels where danger could be hiding or lurking about. And the film's overall central plot device which involves one of the characters tracking the deaths of people she knows, takes away any remote possibility of Black Eve being scary or suspenseful, because the viewer already knows that the character is going to die so there is no suspense as to whether or not the character is going to be able to escape from the killer or not. At the end of the day, we have a Halloween party, a killer on the loose in a labyrinth like setting, and some very naughty characters. Sounds like a homerun, right? Unfortunately, Black Eve squanders that potential, because it doesn't have a strong enough understanding of the fundamentals that could have possibly made this a modern day cult classic.

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Killer Eye: Halloween Haunt (Review)

2011-12-17T11:17:00.000-08:00

2011 - 66 mins. - Not Rated
D: Charles Band
C: Erica Rhodes, Olivia Alexander, Chelsea Edmundson, Ariana Madix, Lauren Furs

Group of college aged girls messing around and having a good time while watching a cheesy horror movie have their fun disrupted when a piece of movie memorabilia comes to life and starts imitating the action in the very horror movie that they are watching.

On the surface this belated sequel to Killer Eye seems like it should have been successful. It's got gore, wonderfully cheesy special effects, babes and, of course, perfectly tasteless nudity. So where did it go wrong? Part of what made low grade horror films so memorable for the fans out there was an endearing quality that came across. It seemed like everyone involved really gave it there all and was passionate about making dumb, cheesy horror films. That's where this sequel goes wrong. It seems as though everyone is too perfectly aware of the fact that they are making a cheesy, low grade horror film. It's as though everyone is not giving it there all. It's as though they are kind of sleepwalking there way through this production. It feels like everyone had something better to do and really didn't give a damn about making an entertaining movie. Killer Eye: Halloween Haunt had the potential to be this joyful horror film experience that channelled all those late night 80's horror films, but instead what comes across is a sense of contempt for its target audience.

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Attack the Block (Review)

2011-12-13T16:27:00.000-08:00

2011 - 88 mins. - Rated R
D: Joe Cornish
C: Jodie Whittaker, John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Franz Drameh, Leeon Jones, Simon Howard, Luke Treadaway, Jumayn Hunter, Nick Frost

A group of juvenile delinquents have to defend their neighborhood from an alien invasion.

What went wrong? The idea of school aged children squaring off against aliens to thrawt off an invasion seems like a surefire kind of idea. So again, what went wrong with Attack the Block? Part of it is the pacing. There is long stretches where not much of anything happens. Part of it has to do with the fact that Attack the Block never captures the sense of joy, the sense of wonder & awe that is childhood. But a big part of it, has to do with this manfactured feeling that rings throughout all of Attack the Block. The characters say cool things while cool music plays in the background and there is cool looking aliens chasing after everyone, but none of it feels geniune. The characters aren't driven by how they would geniunely react in this kind of situation, but by what the writers would consider cool, hip, happening. Everyone stands around, they pose and they have some hip dialogue, but none of it feels honest or sincere. Part of what makes any film successful is that the characters do and say things that the audience can relate to. Viewers can understand what the characters are going through, because they can understand the characters thought process and what makes them tick. With Attack the Block, the writer, director & producer are all guilty of losing hindsight of that and delivering what they would consider cool, but in an attempt to be cool, they end up delivering a film that is cold & uninvolving.

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Drive-In Massacre (2012) ....coming soon to a theater.

2011-11-24T15:50:00.000-08:00

When you go to the theater, don't you wish you could see a horror film that wasn't released by a studio? Don't you wish there was more indie stuff playing? Well, now is your chance! From Brad Leo Lyon (Little Creeps, staring Joe Estevez - uncle to former Two & A Half Men star Charlie Sheen) comes Lyon Motion Pictures - a company dedicated to limited theatrical engagements of independent horror. One of the first titles slated for release is the sure to be cult classic Drive-In Massacre, written & produced by yours truly - Brandon Sites.

In Drive-In Massacre, a group of kids ignore warnings about a cursed drive-in theater. Unfortunately for them, history is about to repeat itself. Now, he'll make them pay for their indiscretions - IN BLOOD! Potential victims include Debra Lamb (fire eater extraordinaire who can be seen in Point Break w/ Keanu Reeves or Wild at Heart with Nicholas Cage), Danielle Lozeau (the Jessica Alba version of "The Eye" & Legion), Jeremy Schuetze who played one of Megan Fox's doomed lovers in Jennifer's Body, Kit Williamson (MTV's Death Valley, Numb3rs), Shawn C. Phillips (Chillerama) & Jonathan Tiersten of the famed Sleepaway Camp series.

To stay up to date on Drive-In Massacre (2012), please visit:

Facebook Fan Page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Drive-In-Massacre/139763386119248?sk=wall&filter=1

Twitter:

http://twitter.com/#!/DriveNMassacre

Blog:

http://drive-inmassacre.com

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