Movie Review - Afflicted

Afflicted

2013

The Cast

So far, there have been only three "worth-watching" Point-Of-View Movies:  Cloverfield,  The Possession of Michael King, and Chronicle; of which, Cloverfield is the best of the bunch... until now...

When Afflicted started my heart sank and I reached for the remote.  There are way too many awful P.O.V. Movies out in the Horror genre so I was already in conflict with myself... should I turn off or should I give it a chance...

I am most certainly glad I chose to give it a chance.  It's just a shame it took me five years to get to watch it... thank you The Horror Channel for adding another movie to my expanding list of favourites.

I also have to admit I was dubious since it's a vampyre tale.  In recent times, vampires have not been what they should be (with sarcastic thanks to Stephenie Meyer).  However, I have to give a real and heartfelt thanks to both Derek Lee and Clif Prowse, who wrote, directed, and acted in a True up-to-date vampyre tome.  For anybody thinking of doing a vampyre novel or film then check out the Afflicted as this is how it should be done.

What Afflicted does it tell the story of Derek Lee, who wakes up one day doubting his life choices so he chooses to make a big change.  With the help of his best friend Clif, they decide to go on a world tour they had planned in school.  Clif will document the entire journey and post it online.  They promise their followers to visit any place they recommend and to do any dare they challenge.  However, in their first stop, Paris, Clif dares Derek to get laid.  Except, for Derek's lover for the night isn't exactly normal...

From here on in, Clif begins to document Derek and the changes he and his body is going through.

What makes this such a good film is the change in perspectives as Derek transforms.  In the beginning, there's worry as he's sick, unable to keep food down, projectile vomiting, and in pain.  This alters to wonder and awe as he realises his strength has increased; he can run at speed and jump great distances.  There then comes fear and anxiety when he finally realises what he must do to stay alive.  In the end, there's anger and hate as he hunts down the woman responsible for his altered state, looking for a cure.

Another good thing is actually the camera work.  This is the thing I usually dislike the most in P.O.V. Movies.  But Lee and Prowse are masters in this style.  It really takes off in the action sequences, the police chase is spectacular as the viewer is taken on a parkour of the town.  Even the added gunshots are worked brilliantly; adding blood splatter not to just the camera lens but to the floors and walls.  Unlike most films created by this technique, Afflicted looks as though the directors actually worked out every shot to its maximum benefit.  This reminded me a little of Chronicle in the way some of the shots were orchestrated and of Cloverfield in the working of the atmosphere.

Then there's also the little details.  The scene where Derek subjects himself to sunlight is painful.  The bubbling, erupting, and burning skin made me wince.

So the story is good, the direction and pace are heading towards perfection, so what about the acting...  Well, surprisingly both Lee and Prowse are really quite good.  Not fantastic but definitely well above average... and no ham or wood in sight.  Which is a good thing as they are the two main roles and appear in every scene.

So If you like horror flicks you really should consider watching this, if you haven't already.  If you like action flicks then you too should enjoy this Vampyre film.

I give this a Terrific Bloody Bite of 7.75 out of 10.

The Trailer

Movie Review - The Monkey's Paw 2013

The Monkey's Paw

2013

The Cast

This is another "Be Careful What You Wish For..." movie.  When Gillespie (Kelly) is fired from his job at the packing plant he besides to have his revenge on those he thought responsible.  So, that night at the bar, he entices Jake (Thomason) over and proceeds to tell him the story of the monkey's paw, which is sitting on the table.  Thinking it all to be a joke, he makes a wish to have the car in front of the bar.  Gillespie hands over the withered paw and says it now belongs to him.  When Jake and Cobb (Lang) leave at the end of the night the car is in the parking lot... alone... unlocked... keys in the ignition...  On the joyride, Jake swerves to miss a crocodile in the road and crashes into a tree.  Cobb is thrown through the windscreen and dies minutes later.  Shocked and afraid, Jake quickly wishes that Cobb wasn't dead... and this is where the fun starts.

Of course, there are only three wishes so with only one left Jake will have to be very careful about how he words his last wish.

I admit to hoping this would be along The Wishmaster lines but sadly it wasn't... and it wasn't as good either.  Though what this story had was lashings of realism, which created an environment for the curse to run riot in.  You have a business that's not doing so well.  A boss and husband who sleeps around.  A wife who knows something is wrong and wishes for her younger years and her love of that time.  A man complacent with his life, though he believes there's no prospects or advancement, life will be like this until he dies.  A man who's been through a lot and is in love with a woman who hates him and won't let him see his son.  All of this anchors the viewer in the here and now and gives them enough drama to keep them interested.

Add to this the element of horror, the supernatural, and murder and you have a good film.  Simmons does an admirable job with the direction and has a surprisingly subtle hand with using light to create the right atmosphere at the right time.  There are some really nice iconic and powerful part silhouettes, which he uses to create tension and suspense.  The pace, on the whole, is brilliant.  He keeps it at a slow crawl, which allows him to create a shiver of anticipation under your skin... though, at times it can be too slow.    For example, the beginning sequence at the plant.  Most of this isn't required.  I know it's there so the audience can meet the characters, however, it felt overstretched.  There's also a few scenes which are kind of superfluous, like the opening scene.  This is then retold in greater detail by Gillespie at the bar.  To be honest, it's not even a hook to draw viewers into the film. However, I did like the fact that Simmons cut away from some of the goriest parts of the film, letting the viewers imagination fill in the messy bits.

The acting is above average, though there are times when things get a little messy.  The worst being the ambulance scene at the climax of the film.  Thomason just can't seem to get afraid, anxious, and scared quite right and opts to shout and thrash about.  It's both Kelly and Lang who add power to the cast and film.  Lang is so good as the resurrected and murderous Cobb.  While Kelly does an ordinary Joe so well.  There's not one scene these two are in that even comes close to bad.  It's a shame that Dutton, who plays detective Margolis, isn't around a little more either.

I'd recommend this to horror lovers who like their macabre curses and evil manipulated wishes gone awry.  I will only be too happy to watch this film again, though it might take me a couple of years.

I Wish this to be an Eerie Supernatural Curse of 6.25 out of 10.

The Trailer

Movie Review - Womaneater

Womaneater

AKA:  The Woman Eater

1958

The Cast

I'd not even heard of this little horror flick before, however, my interest was piqued at the story's outline.  An explorer and professor come across an ancient tribe who have the power to resurrect the dead.  All they have to do is give a living female sacrifice to their juju; an alien looking tree.  Once devoured the tree produces a serum to reanimate lifeless corpses.  Doctor Moran (Coulouris) sees the wealth a drug of this nature could bring him.  He takes the tree and the shaman back to his house in a rural English village where he begins to sacrifice women to the plant...

There are a few things that I really liked about this story.  Dr Moran's character for starters.  This man is driven and used to getting his way.  He even lets his ex-wife stay with him so she can clean and look after his house.  She loves him, but to him, she's served her purpose in that area so he moves her into another productive role.  This is cold, calculating, and logical - maybe he's a Vulcan.  The other is the idea of the plant.  There are lots of plants out in the world being used in medicines and we are still learning about their uses.  So why not a resurrection plant(?)

The acting is top notch and makes this film an enjoyable view.  Coulouris is perfect as the driven "Mad Scientist".  Though his missus, Mrs Santor (portrayed by Joyce Gregg), can give him a run for his money in the coldness race.  I think she'd be right at home running a sweatshop.  This coupled with the lovers, Jack (Wayn) and Sally (Day) give a good representation of light and shade, good and evil, normal and abnormal.

Though the story isn't too original in its scares, there's one thing about it I really did love.  Sally, while working for Dr Moran, begins to feel as though there's something wrong going on in the house... so she tells Jack about it and they both decide it would be better if she leaves...  "What!" you say, "she doesn't decide to search the house?"  Well, no she doesn't... but she doesn't quite get away either.  There's no "Let's Go Die" march in this film.

If you like your macabre this is the film for you.  Though there's nothing too scary the concept is good and the acting and story will keep you entertained.  For all horror fans out there.

I give this JuJu a Rejuvenatingly Entertaining 6 out of 10.

The Trailer

Movie Review - The Hallow

The Hallow

2015

The Cast

This is a very special horror film... because it's a horror film!  This flick really does meet all the criteria of the genre... Secluded house in the woods; Check.  Something strange happening in the woods; Check.  Monsters of fairy tales and legend; Check.  A newlywed couple with a newborn child; Check.  Tension to create fear; Check.  Atmosphere to give a nice spooky eerieness; Check.  Special effects to make you shake and shudder; Check.

The only thing this appears to be missing is a priest and a few teenagers, but hey!  I can live without them.

When I read the blurb of the story I knew I had to watch the film.  Adam's (Mawle) new job as a woodsman in Ireland's last forest, brings his family to a secluded millhouse.  On one of his investigations of the woodland, he comes across the carcass of a dead animal, which has a strange substance growing out of it.  Taking a sample, he finds it to be a living organism... one that can destroy it's hosts cells.  But before he can make the report other, more violent events occur.  At first, he believes it's the locals as they see him as the enemy since he works for the men wanting to pulp the trees.  But before long, he and Claire (Novakovic) begin to realise that it's not the locals they need to be afraid of.

The film is beautifully shot and the opening sequence sets the atmosphere for the rest of the movie very well.  Though the new family are smiling and looking forward to a prosperous future, the overcast sky gives the feeling of a storm ready to break... things are not going to be sunny for this family.  The pace is quite meandering and builds slowly into soft peaks, this has the effect of letting the tension and unease get under your skin.  Not just a hack slash and scream film.  Along with some strong acting from the cast, it makes the film very enjoyable.

The thing I liked about the characters is their ordinariness.  This makes them more believable and easier to relate too.  The only actor that appears to go a little over the top is the Police Officer, Garda Davey (Smiley), though I do know people of the same temperament as him so I can overlook it.  It's the subtleness of the actor's and actress' portrayals that make this film stronger, especially Mawle, who does a good concerned wonder.

However, there are a few drawbacks.  The main one being the creatures themselves.  these are meant to be the Fairies and Banshees, etc, of Irish myth.  But, to me, they look nothing like you would expect.  It would have been nice to see smaller Fairies and screechier Banshees, for a start.  But these are minor things, they may have added a strength to the overall film, however, as they are, they don't detract the viewer from the story at all.

If you're a lover of real horror films then this one is for you.  It's one I'll be only too happy to watch again... and again...

I give this a Creepy Child Stealing 7.25 out of 10.

The Trailer

Movie Review - Jeepers Creepers III

Jeepers Creepers III

2017

The Cast

Friday Night Is Fright Night so I was happy to see that two of the better fright films have new Chapters to their stories.  Therefore, I was looking forward to watching both this movie and the gorefest Jigsaw...  How dismayed I was.

I love the original Jeepers Creepers, which is well filmed and full of atmosphere and tension.  Even the sequel wasn't too bad, which is to be expected as JC's creator, Victor Salva, had written and directed both.  And since this is his baby also what could go wrong?

Well, pretty much everything.

For one thing, there was very little creepiness around and only a smidgen of tension.  This could be because Salva opted to film most of the scenes in glorious daylight.  As is shown numerous horror films, This is a hard choice for the directors as it becomes harder to create an intense nervousness and the eeriness the genre thrives on.  So, instead of getting the audience on the edge of their seats; they're nearly put to sleep watching an unoriginal bate and catch hunter flick.  The bright sunlight also shows the daemon in all its glory.  Unfortunately, it also renders him unscary.  At least in the darker shadows of the night, the audience can let their minds and imagination run riot.  This is better than most writers can script as it allows the viewer to add personal elements to the fear.  Don't get me wrong there are a couple of scenes that really work well.  My favourite of which is the duel between JC and Sheriff Tashtego.  There are some nice shots here; The silhouette shot with the sun behind JC and the distant shot at the end of the duel.  However, there are too few of this style of shot to keep interest high.  I think that if we actually saw JC feeding, as is stated he does though we hardly ever see, this extra bit of gore, if filmed correctly, would at least have added a bit of tenseness.

As for the story, it's basically still the same time period of the first film; this is just a few more days of his 23-day killing and feeding spree.  However, there's now an elite group of Creeper hunters, who have now turned up on the scene.  This is the part of the story I found far-fetched.  JC comes out every 23 years in a different part of America, to kill and feed.  We don't even know how long he's been doing this, so it seems very unlikely that news of him would have got out and about, especially to the point where a hunting team would be patrolling for him.  To make this believable we needed more background on JC and the hunters themselves.  The only part I found entertaining, in a good way, was Meg Foster as Gaylen Brandon, the grandmother medium, being haunted by her dead son, who had been killed by JC.  This story arc was good'ish and wove into the main easily, though it didn't go far enough.  It should have added a lot more to the mythos of JC but for some reason, Salva decided not to pursue this line, which in turn weakened the story and film.  There's a section where both Gaylen and the Sheriff touch a remanent of JC and supposedly see just what the creature is and how to stop it.  Unjustifiably, neither one of them talk about it or share the knowledge with the rest of the soldiers on how to kill it, which in the long run appears to be inconsequential to JC anyway.

Then there's the acting...  Apart from Meg Foster, the rest of the cast are well below par in this film.  I've watched Stan Shaw (Sheriff Tashtego) in other roles and I've always enjoyed his performance.  Except that in this flick he doesn't appear to get in touch with his inner Tashtego and just opts to shout a lot.  The worst for this is Michael Sirow as Miller.  Miller is meant to be holding a deep-rooted anger for JC after watching him rip his father's heart out of his chest.  Though what we get is just the shouting without the emotion.

I'd only recommend that followers of the Jeepers Creepers Saga should watch this one, though only if there's nothing else worth watching... like the original Jeepers Creepers, which is way superior to this one.

I give this a daylight disgrace of 4.25 out of 10.

The Trailer

Movie Review - The Haunting Of Briar House

The Haunting Of Briar House

AKA:  The Unspoken

2015

The Cast

There's something wrong with the house in the woods down on Briar Lane.  Years after a family disappears from the house in the '70's the boards are being pried off the windows and the doors are being unlocked as a new tenant is moving in.  A young mother, Jeanie (Hutton), and her mute son have escaped the city and their traumas there.  After his father passed away Adrian stopped speaking and hopefully, the change of pace and scenery will help him out of this fugue.  With them comes a nurse and housekeeper, Portia (Rukiya Bernard), and from the town, they hire Angela (Ferland), a part-time confidant for Adrian.  However, no sooner than they've opened the doors to the house that strange things begin to happen.

I really do like this new and refreshingly well thought out take on the Haunted House subgenre of horror.  The story is well structured and full of interesting characters.  However, it would have been nice to have a few more scenes between Father and Daughter in respect to Angela's character as this would not only have strengthened and filled her out more but would have added a better depth to the story.  It also would have added more power to climax when Angela's dad (Munro) comes to save her.

The director does a wonderful job of creating the scene of a town/village which has seen better days.  This is great as it adds to the believability and reality of the story.  People have problems and they are doing their best to survive... everything isn't rosy.  I also have to give credit for the opening sequence which throws the audience straight into the action and sets the scene, pace, and atmosphere for the rest of the movie.

With all the horror films out and about that stomp over well-worn scenarios, it's refreshing to have a twist. It's also nice to have a decent director filming - all too often the direction itself is one of the major things to harm a film (contrary to belief not everyone can make a good horror film).

As for the acting, it's well above par and the portrayals only add to the power of the film.  One of the best is Adrian (Suljic), though he doesn't say a word, he definitely has a presence throughout the whole film.

I would recommend this to all lovers of the horror genre and to those wishing to try something out of the field.  It's not the best but it's a great deal better than most in the genre and well worth a viewing... or two...

I give this fear flick a head-scratching and nerve-jangling 7.25 out of 10.

The Trailer

Video Nasty - Devil Hunter

Devil Hunter

1980

Eurocine / J E Films (Julian Esteban Films) / Lisa Film

CineHollywood / Manhattan Video / Wizard Video / Severin Films

3.25 / 10

This has to be one of the most boring and laborious films I've ever seen.  However, with the premise of the story, this film should have been a kickass action horror film.  A model is kidnapped while on a shoot by a gang of criminals who intend to ransom her off.  They, unfortunately, didn't count on the cannibals and their demon God.  In comes Peter Western a type of bounty hunter hired to rescue the model.

The possibilities for this story are huge and as such, I believe this would make a good remake.  Having said that, the original misses on all the exciting possibilities and just relies on the story concept.  This mistake and the ensuing horrendous film lies squarely on the shoulders of the writer and director Jesus Franco and writer Julian Esteban.  Everything is so lacklustre and lackadaisically constructed even the special effects - the demon God is just a tall man with the worst "bug-out" eyes ever, he's more comical than ominous.

The bad thing is that the acting isn't too bad, it's the slow pace and the below standard direction which makes them come off badly.

Except for the story, there's not much that saves this film.  Because of this, I would only recommend to Die Hard cannibal fans, though I would like to stress, make sure you're wide away and you have a large cup of coffee close by as you may need the caffeine buzz to get through this boring snoozefest.

Nergling - The Video Nasties Scare - Devil Hunter

Video Nasty - Andy Warhol's Flesh For Frankenstein

Andy Warhol's

Flesh For Frankenstein

1973

Compagnia Cinematografica Champion / Braunsberg Productions / Carlo Ponti Cinematografica / Rassam Productions / Yanne Et Rassam

Bryanston Distributing / EMI Distribution / Image Entertainment / Tartan Video Limited

6.25 / 10

Oh, my God!  This movie is magnificent in its badness.  A true masterpiece of awfulness.  This is the epitome and the complete definition of a bad movie.  This is the type of movie you can enjoy even though it's far from perfect.

For example, there's a scene where Udo Kier, Baron Frankenstein, is telling his servant Otto, played by starey-eyed Arno Juerging (does he even blink(?)) about his days as an assistant, "I had to clean out all the toilets before I could stick my nose into the laboratory!"  Except, due to Kier's accent, "laboratory" sounds live "lavatory".  Brilliant.

Another positive is that this is a cross between the old lavish Hammer Horror movies and the visceral Italian gorefest and it works really well.  There is not one scene where you cannot see everything, though there are times you wish you weren't seeing it.  Especially when the Baron likes playing with the female Zombies innards too much and poor Otto has to keep wiping his brow.  Even though you think this is wrong it only gets worse.

Even when you think the only one who is remotely sane is the Baron's wife, brilliantly portrayed by Monique Van Vooren, even she tips her toes into the darker side of sexual kinkiness.  I can fully understand why this one got the BANNED stamp, though they are done so gloriously you see it as funny or erotic.

The story is a pretty decent one though.  The Baron is looking to reincarnate humans into Zombies and with the sole purpose of procreating and building a super-race of Serbians.  Through his strict guidelines, he procures his body parts for looks and sexual prowess.  These Zombies will give him the perfect children he always wanted and he will have control over them all.  This allows the writer to create some good individual characters, though writing, acting, and direction aren't perfect because each personality is different it helps to keep the viewer watching the screen.  I especially loved the male Zombies attitude and logic at the end of the story.

The special effects are up to the usual Italian standards.  Even though the decapitation isn't too realistic, you have to give the FX crew big respect because the eyes blink and move, which they will do because a head can remain conscious for a minute after being removed.  There are lots of guts and oodles of bright red blood (much too bright to be real).

All of this mixed in with some nudity and you have a marvellous exploitation movie.

This is a MUST WATCH for all who love bad b-movie horror flicks.  I cannot believe it's taken me so long to find this one, though now I have I will be watching it again and again with a smile on my face and a chortle in my throat.  Good on ya' Mister Warhol...

Nergling - The Video Nasties Scare - Andy Warhol's Flesh For Frankenstein

Movie Review - Paranormal Island

Paranormal Island

2014

Caretaker Production Companies / Full Throttle Pictures

Cinidigm / VMI Worldwide

4.75 / 10

This wasn't going to be anything more than your everyday garden-variety horror film, especially after you read the blurb.  Three college students take jobs at the club on the man-made island to earn a little cash, however, Mike has heard the rumours of strange ghostly happenings on the Island and sees a chance to get some extra credit for his forensics course.  This is the first of many holes in the story - Mike is doing a forensics course with an inclination for disproving the paranormal...  Since when, and in what world, has the plea of the "The Ghost Killed Them!!!" or "The Devil Possessed Me!!!" ever been a truthful, credible, and winning defence.  Then later in the film, he claims this job is a "Normal Job" - Yeah Right!

These bad lines actually go to show how good the acting abilities of the cast are as the leads are quite believable in their portrayals... and they never appear to be on the verge of laughing their heads off with some of their lines.  I was actually hoping the film would be better than it was since Briana Evigan, who play's Ivy, was staring.  Unfortunately, not so much if you're a bloke, I think she may have been chosen for the part because she looks great in a skimpy bikini.  However, her acting skills, along with Randy Wayne as Mike, Lance Henriksen as Carl, and Sarah Karges as Lori, help to keep this from being too bad.

There is just as much good as there is bad in the film.  I liked the fact that even though you've seen similar movies they chose not to give you your stereotypical teenagers.  These guys don't stay behind on purpose they are accidentally left behind after closing - too many films would have had them hiding away waiting for everyone to leave.  Then writer and director Marty Murrey does the obvious and gives you the ghost of Ivy's baby sister, who was drowned on the lake with their parents, and she helps them try to escape - you know this is coming as soon as the accident is mentioned.

Then there's the abysmal acting of Ben Elliott, playing Jerry, who is so wooden his second job is as a sideboard.  Worst still is Tony Valle as the DJ, Andy; this guy needed some serious direction for his character as he seems to be all over the place.

Though, by far, the worst thing about the film is the caretaker's ghostly apparition.  The special effects are pitiful.  I can't believe that in this day and age they couldn't have found someone to do a better job on the tight budget.  Most six-year-olds are quite decent with CGI, maybe one of the crew's kids could've come up with something.  Also, why did they bother at all since the spectral image of Ivy's sister was just a normal little girl in grey?  Also, the opening scene that takes place in the past is badly shot using sepia and a heavy vignette focus; all that was missing was the cinema lines and noise effects.

If you're new to horror films and are wanting to break yourself in easy then you could give this a shot.  If you're a fan of horror then you're going to watch this even if I warn you against it because Lance Henriksen stars.  Just be aware that it does slow down to a near stop around the midpoint, but it does pick up again, though it never quite reaches nerve tingling excitement.

Movie Review - Crimson Peak

Crimson Peak

2015

Double Dare You / Legendary Entertainment : Universal Pictures International / Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

9.5 / 10

While watching this beautiful motion picture one thought kept flickering through my mind; this is what a modern Hammer film should look like - it so reminded me of the classic '60's and '70's films.

Guillermo Del Torro has created another masterpiece filled with vivid and beautiful imagery and superb transitions between the light - happy - and dark -eerie - atmospheres, which work well on the emotions.  Along with superb acting from the cast and a potent story, with the help of Matthew Robins, we are given the tale of twisted love and greed, which builds slowly with twists and turns throughout.

What always surprises me most is that Del Torro takes some of the nastiest parts of the human psyche and the violent actions they include and shows them in such a gorgeous way while never glorifying or condoning them is amazing.

This is the story of Edith Cushing, lovingly portrayed by Mia Wasikowska, a solitary and intelligent woman trying to make her way as an author in a man's world.  She meets and falls in love with Thomas Sharpe, played elegantly by Tom Hiddleston, who is in town trying to raise funds for his mining machine from her father, Carter Cushing, who is admirably portrayed by Jim Beaver.  However, her father doesn't like Thomas and does everything he can to stand in the way of their relationship.  It's only after his death that Edith is free to wed Thomas and move out to Crimson Peak.

As the days pass, Edith begins to realise that maybe her father was right, there's something not quite right with Thomas and his sister Lucille, strongly portrayed by Jessica Chastain... or the house they live in...

I fell in love with this film right from the start.  It's so stylish with its lighting, camera angles, and sound, that it fits perfectly with the era in which it's set.  Even the End Credits are beautiful to behold.  There are a lot of directors trying too hard to be stylish and here Del Torro makes it appear effortless.  The special effects are really good, the one scene where the ghost is dragging itself up and along the floor is pretty creepy.  I also liked the effect of the clay on the snow, turning it blood red, that was a nice touch.

I would recommend this movie to everyone - it now resides at the top of my favourite Del Torro movies.

Movie Review - The Road

The Road

2011

GMA Films : Freestyle Releasing / Freestyle Digital Media

8.5 / 10

If you're like me and enjoy a good movie, no matter what the language, then you should check out this Filipino gem.

What this film gives the audience is a story in three very different acts.

The first act is the present day where three friends "borrow" a car to go joy riding.  Though their version of joyriding isn't creating havoc on the road but to actually practise their driving.  While they're tootling around the town they see a police car and decide to try and find a quieter section of town.  They come across a fenced off lane and think it would be a good place to improve their driving skills.  However, it's not long before they find themselves in some scary and creepy situations.  The director Yam Laranas does a fantastic job of creating an eerie atmosphere, using shadows and light to their fullest.  The only thing I found annoying with the film was in this act... the girls really can scream... you need to turn the volume down before all the glass in your house explodes...

The second act starts to tell of the events that have led up to the present day events.  We travel back in time a couple of years to when two sisters disappear while travelling the road.  Adding to the creepiness of the earlier act the story now adds a dark and ominous feel as things become dangerous and deadly for the sisters.

The third act goes back twelve years to the very beginning and shows the psychological effects that a dysfunctional family in turmoil can experience, especially if one of the family is mentally unstable.  This is one of the strongest sections of the film as it resolves the mysterious parts of the story.  Laranas does a brilliant job of building atmosphere, once again.  This time he uses brightness and shadows to convey feeling.  Add the great acting of Carmina Villaroel who plays Carmela, a strong controlling independent woman caught in a loveless marriage due to having a child, a woman who runs hot and cold at the flick of a switch.

All of this makes the story much more interesting.   The writers, Aloy Adlawan and Yam Laranas, easily blend the styles and intricacies into a strong and believeable story that spread through the horror, thriller, psychological, and crime genres.

I would recommend this to all horror lovers and even to fans of thrillers, who wouldn't usually watch a horror movie.  This film really does work on so many levels.

This trailer does not portray how good this film really is.

Video Nasty - Evilspeak

Evilspeak

1981

Leisure Investment Company / Coronet Film Corporation : Warner Bros. / Anchor Bay Entertainment / Warner Home Video

7.25 / 10

What surprises me most about this title is that I haven't seen it up until recently, as it's right up my alley... dark, nasty, and messed up.

This is the story of Stanley Coopersmith, a strange gawky kid who finds it hard to make friends and so ends up as a joke and punching bag for the other cadets at military school.  However, while he's being punished by having to tidy up the chapel's basement he finds a secret room and a book of Satanic spells and worship. These were hidden away by a rogue priest Father Esteban, who had been banished to the Americas.

Unable to read the scriptures in the book, Coopersmith uses the schools' computer to translate them. and when he finally carries out the Black Mass all hell breaks loose at the school and the chapel.

One of the better aspects of this film is the cast as it stars Clint Howard as Coopersmith and it's really nice to see him in a lead role and not just playing a strange and creepy secondary role.  Though he's young here, he does a good job.

Then there's R J Armstrong who plays Sarge, the drunk janitor looking after the school and chapel, who hates kids and has it out for Coopersmith.  Armstrong is great in this portrayal, he gives the air of a man you just wouldn't trust.

Charles Tyner does a brilliant representation of a prig of a Colonel who finds it demeaning and below him to run the military school.

Finally, Richard Moll is excellent in the role of the Evil Father Esteban.  He adds the right amount of power, menace and violence to the character to make him believable as being the hand of Satan.

For the time, the special effects would have been superb, especially the computer graphics (which today are cringeworthy and laughable) and most are still passable today.  The climax of the film in the destruction of the God's house is very well done and created.

All in all, this is a pretty decent horror movie with a lot of the right elements and well directed by Eric Weston. A definite watch for a horror nut and if you're not, it's still worth a look-see on a dark night...

Nergling - The Video Nasties Scare - Evilspeak

Movie Review - The Woman In Black 2: The Angel Of Death

The Woman In Black 2

Angel Of Death

2014

Alliance Films / Da Vinci Media Ventures / Exclusive Media Group / Hammer Films / Talisman Films / Vertigo Entertainment : Momentum Pictures / Entertainment One

1 / 10

Hammer used to stand for Horror, so what the hell went wrong here?

Firstly, where was The Woman In Black?  The only time you see her is when you look at the advertising poster.  As for Angel Of Death!... well there wasn't much to speak of at all.  After watching this I was amazed it didn't get a PG certification, especially because there was nothing overtly frightening or horrifying about the story or the picture.  The closest we came to an eerie atmosphere was when young Edward was trapped in the constantly locked, however always open, room where the spirit of The Woman resided, all we got then was a few moving toys and a dark shadow.

I think the director, Tom Harper, was trying to build atmosphere and get the minds of the audience to "fill in the blanks", therefore immersing themselves into the story and film more.  It didn't work.

In fact, I'd probably recommend this film to all insomniacs as the banality within should put them to sleep quite fast.

Did the studio pay its light bill?  Because everything that was shot in darkness was so poor in visibility that if I even turned on an incidental light source the picture on the screen was near unwatchable!

This is a travesty in Horror filmmaking, from the story (which is basic, lacking in substance, and holds no surprises) to the direction (which lacks style, atmosphere, and power).

The only good thing about the whole movie is the acting though it's impossible to save this film.

Movie Review - The Void

The Void

2016

Cave Painting Pictures / JoBro Productions & Film Finance : Screen Media Films / Signature Entertainment

3.5 / 10

I had read articles where they were touting a kind of 1980's horror film style resurrection.  Now being a horror fan and loving the 1980's films of my youth I have to say that my interest was well and truly hyped up with anticipation.  I'd already been quietly surprised by 2014's It Follows, which was okay and had a definite John Carpenter feel at times, though it wasn't as strong as any of Carpenter's films.  So when I had the chance to view this film I jumped at the chance.  Which was a mistake!

This should have a been a much better film and it even had the possibility of being a masterpiece... shame everything went wrong with it.

The story is of a Doctor who is trying to cheat death by making a deal, not with the devil, but with the Lovecraftian Old Ones, and there are tentacles and monsters aplenty.

The thing about the film is that by and large, it's boring and way too shouty, with very little characterisation and even though the actors do their best I just couldn't empathise with any of them (which is really strange as we do actually share the same driving force).

I could also understand why the article had said the new set of horror movies felt like 1980's because I could count four, possibly five, film references.

Hellraiser:  The good Doctor Richard Powell, played well by, though not as menacingly as he should have been, Kenneth Welsh was a cross between Uncle Larry and Pinhead.

The Keep:  Here it's the "Anti-God" symbolism and the atmosphere of the "Evil" symbol.  In the case of The Keep, it's the nickel crosses which are holding something back.  In the case of The Void, it's the...  Triangle! We all know what a cross symbolises so that's already in our subconscious mind to be exploited.  I know the triangle is meant to represent a pyramid but as a symbol of evil, it doesn't work... I never thought Pythagoras was evil, though I never did love mathematics.  Then when we get to the scene where our hero's come across a triangle painted on a door as a warning and the tough guy of the pack has a meltdown, the first thought in my head was, "Run Away they have triangles." 

The Thing:  The special effects are very reminiscent of John Carpenter's remake, especially where the creature is breaking free of its human host, though her mouth.  It had me thinking of the spider head scene in the thing.

Assault On Precinct 13 and/or Prince Of Darkness:  There are scenes where groups of the Followers are standing outside the hospital to keep the people captive inside.  They way this is filmed is very evocative of these two Carpenter films, though not as menacing are as scary.  I put this down to the Followers looking like refugees from a KKK meeting, as they are dressed in white robes with one glaringly obvious difference, a black triangle on the front of their masks.  I'm sorry, but as I said before a triangle just doesn't cut it as being eerie enough to invoke fear.

The major thing which the above movies have is the atmosphere and I'm sorry to say that's one of the main ingredient's missing in The Void.  With Carpenter, the atmosphere was created with lighting and music, which he himself composed.  There's very little music in The Void and no atmospherical lighting at all.

The other is Style, John Carpenter is a master of style and Michael Mann gave it a good try in The Keep.  But, in The Void, there's no style or flair whatsoever.  The Directors, Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski, just go from scene to scene. 

With these elements missing, the movie feels tedious as the viewer isn't drawn into the story, there are no goosebumps forming on the backs of their arms and no shivers down the spine.  I found my attention drifting and I looked away from the screen often.

I would recommend watching the five other films over this one as they are all superior to The Void.

When you watch the trailer you'll see the sound-bites from SlashFilm, Fangoria, and Screen Horror Mag, I'm so sorry to think these publications no longer know what a good horror film is.

Movie Review - The Lamp

The Lamp

1987

H I T Films / Skouras Pictures / TMS Pictures

Avid Home Entertainment / Braveworld / Midnite Movies / Scream Factory

7.5 / 10

This movie had me reminiscing about my youth and before we get onto the review I will admit I've added a point for the warm feeling the film left in my soul.  This is the type of movie we would walk miles for on a Friday night back in video's heydey.  I even know which of my friend's homes I originally watched this movie at because his mum loved horror films.  God bless you Mrs A.

This is not a great horror film and came at a time when the industry was asked to cut down on the graphic violence so most of the nasty stuff is done off-camera and your imagination has to do some "fill-in-the-blanks" work.  This isn't usually a bad thing as it can have the ability to bring the audience into the story more, however, here the director doesn't do such a great job and at these moments the film feels dislocated and disjointed.  Especially with the fan scene and the torn in half shot of a student, this is mainly due to not knowing how the halving exactly happened.  One shot and he's whole, the next and he's been halved... by what and how?

I am unsure if this is how the director, Tom Daley, filmed it or if the special effects ended up on the cutting-room floor, as the cuts are so sharp it feels as though there was more to the scenes.  Quite a few films of this period have this kind of feel and is one of the reasons Friday 13th VI wasn't as visceral as it's predecessors.

These cuts harm the film in a way which could have been fatal, had the story and the direction not been enough to keep it alive... though not kicking so hard.  That said there are quite a few interesting kills... the skeleton scene is pretty well done and the axe to the head is inventive.

The opening scenes on a steamboat and then at the estate of an heiress as she is murdered and robbed are nicely done and give the backstory of the how The Lamp finds it's way to the museum.  Most horror films just get on with it and fill the audience in vocally, should there be a history to be told.

The acting isn't too bad.  Most of the time it's wooden and the stereotypical baddies are portrayed in the usual style of the time - over-the-top, we're bad... but we're only having fun...  No Oscars were ever going to find themselves into any of the actor's homes on the basis of this film.  Though I have seen much worse.

On the whole, the special effects are good, though I do feel the better scenes may have been cut.  The worst effect it the computer program used to decipher the legend on The Lamp.  Why it had to be prettied up I have no idea, but in today's gadget and app tech-age, this looks dated and laughable... I think it was laughable even then. 

If you like 80's horror films then this could be for you, but if you like the Jinn mythos then do yourself a favour and watch the wonderful and brilliant Wishmaster.  If this film had that type of Jinn and half the humour then it would have been a much better movie.