Reviews

Revenge is a modern French exploitation of many films that came before. I Spit On Your Grave, Ms. 45, and Martyrs are on full display here as we get an ever explosive rape/revenge film with hemoglobin to spare.

The pros here are the locales, cinematography, and score. Visually, this film is a sight to behold. Gritty and picturesque in the same measure makes for a breathtaking experience. While a French venture, this film feels more akin to an Australian exploitation film. The rocky, golden landscape appears straight from a 70's ozploitation cannon.

The score is retrograde in the ways of John Carpenter and Tangerine Dream. Synth driven melancholic themes that drive each scene and character. Paired with the lighting and camera work, it makes for a nostalgic experience.

The cons: The cast did the best they could ever achieve with the script. At the end of the day, there's not a likeable character in the bunch. Sure, we rally for the raped and abused heroine in the end, but even she isn't a ray of sunshine. A mistress at best, we're forced to identity with the "other woman." Not to say she isn't sympathetic and strong, but it takes a complete suspension of disbelief and prolonged development of "revenge," that by the time we back her up to end the nightmare, it's so over the top that it doesn't matter anymore.

The runtime is a factor. A lean hour and twenty minutes would suffice. However, we're treated to extended nightmare sequences, hunting/cover up scenes, and an over the top ending with lots of gore, but no logic.

Overall, Revenge is a modern take on classic rape/revenge films of the 70's and early 80's. While bloody and well photographed, the long runtime and the lack of a relatable lead and subsequent characters makes for a familiar road that's been traveled better, long before.

A group of teens find a supernatural entity that is using a game to kill them off one by one; unless you play by the rules.

Director Jeff Wadlow is no stranger to the genre. The underrated meta-slasher Cry Wolf was a simple, yet intelligent take on PG-13 horror/thrillers. With Truth Or Dare, and Blumhouse in tow, he attempts to capture similar teenage themes of trust, denial, and the fact that your closet friend could be a liar.

What works for this film is its ever evolving sense of menace. The entity really bares down on each characters flaws. Each "kill" has relevant motivation and pushes the rating to the max. The facial effects are decent and creepy.

What works against the film are the characters. Most of them are disposable. Merely there to add death scenes and nothing more. Additionally, several scenes which could've added more to certain character arcs simply cut away to move the story along, but leave possible dramatic elements to rot to get to the "horror." The most notable negative is the cast. While not god awful, they did well considering, it was hard accommodating a bulk of the cast. Half of which were total dicks, the remaining cast holds so many secrets from each other that we wonder how they managed to be friends so long. Oh, long enough to fill an hour and a half.

If you love mostly forgettable characters, twists on familiar games, and twisted rule based supernatural thrillers like Ouija and/or Final Destination; Truth Or Dare is for you. Give it a spin. I dare you...

555. The VHS I never tried to rent. I still blame the perfectly framed pink and blood splattered cover. This is a dangerous film. My mother would never let this flick fly.

Flash forward twenty years. Making my own ends meet, I finally had enough scratch to get a DVD copy of 555. I feel both dirty and naive. With a dash of admiration.

555 is ambitious, but limited. While my childhood recalled a dark, slaughterhouse of decapitations and vomit inducing hallucinating gore set pieces, the real 555 film was a cheaply made detective thriller.

While delivering some bloodthirsty set pieces, the movie is mostly known for its VHS cover. And while I respect the filmmakers addition to the VHS splatter film videography, some experiences are better left on the rental store wall display.

Imagine your child has decided to identify with a cult. Not just any hippy, love is the answer, group of petal pushers. This one is calculated, large in numbers, and not prone to losing members.

The history of Jackals screenplay was written early in the torture porn industry created by Saw, Hostel, and Wolf Creek. Years later, the script was finally realized, ironically, by Saw editor and director Kevin Greutart. Let the games begin.

First of all, the Halloween influenced opening is solid and grabs you from the get go. Silent, yet violent and revealing. Soon after, an off-road kidnapping takes place; all the while mirroring a small family unit taking solace in a cabin.

Colliding head on, the plot takes shape. The kidnapping is that of said families estranged son/boyfriend/brother in an attempt to deprogram him from the cult he fell in to. Credit to Stephen Dorff as the military deprogrammer, getting lean and mean while still staying sympathetic to the family.

Soon, as expected, the cult come knocking at the door; wanting a sheep from their flock back home. Enter the home invasion aspect of the film. Outside, the cult wants their member back. Inside, the family refuses to give up their own.

Had this film been made when it was meant to be, it would have been released theatrically along side Saw IV and Hostel 2. Jackals does feel a bit dated, however, there is a lot of heart injected into each of the characters. Good and bad. So much so, that a sequel wouldn't be out of line. It's rare to find a DTV film that asks you: How far will you go to save a member of your family; even if it costs you the remainder of the rest of them.

Out of the gate, The Hatred sets up solid ground work. Part Apt Pupil, part The Conjuring, a decent backstory opens up the first act. As opposed to relying on flashbacks, this film plays out the horrific history of the locale and story. Post-Nazi America in a small town and the secrets that ensue.

The second Act only exists to guide us into the present day. Sassy, texting, little to say to each other modern day females visiting the haunted house in question. While trying to create strong, independent women, the script merely calls out the older male sensibility of what we think young adult women talk like. Merely hamstringing our female cast to become stereotypes trying to be more than what was written for them. Which is sad, because the actresses really try to create a sense of friendship, love and trust. However, the groundwork is downtrodden and stale.

The last act finally brings the scares and suspense. While unapologetically and rituallistacly off camera, killing off the cast; the final moments with our lead and the child are decently executed. The moment perpetuated in the films trailer is very effective and inventive for an otherwise stale and often imitated genre.

Overall, the film had a decent cast and a solid plot. The downside was the lacking second act and lowly accommodating budget. If that third act, trailer based twist on the supernatural played throughout this film, it would've been one for the books.

This film has had a long, strange road behind it. Starting with a Daniel Farrands (Halloween 6) and Casey La Scala (Grind) found footage style script in play, over time it was scrapped. Leading to this film. Written and directed by Franck Khalfoun (P2, Maniac).

Straight away, Khalfoun has a solid list of directed films under his belt. Being said, ones written prominently by other writers turned out a much better product. With this film, cliché and limitations are at play. Early on, this film sought a theatrical release and I can see what changed it all. It is lacking a cinematic punch. Lighting and atmosphere gave way to what was ultimately a tightly wound production schedule. Followed by even more delays. Even so, the film the film is directed well. Some effective scares and setups set a decent tone at times. Again, those missing atmospheric ingredients keep us in the dark with knowing who is at the helm.

I did find this film an interesting blend of the catatonic, ESP driven thriller Patrick with Amityvilles sense of possession an interesting take on the property. It provides a decent backstory and drama to the plot to keep the terrors grounded in reality. Solid writing there.

The rating is a problem here too. Originally an R, it was recut to suit a PG-13. Why? The Ryan Reynolds remake was a hard R and found solid success. This merely added less scares and a plethora of cutaways. Missed opportunities and a waste of filmmakers time and money that could've gone elsewhere.

The actors are actually quite solid, ranging from new stars and seasoned ones. They manage to convey conviction to each of their roles, even when moments seem over done.

The issue here is that this film is an okay film mostly because of its delay, but also because of its redundancy. How many Amityville films do we have at this point? Including redbox DTV's, it's off the charts. Hence why Farrands and La Scalas earlier premise may have been a better pay off.

Instead of replaying the Amityville saga again and again, maybe a modern deconstruction of the age old tale is just what that old haunted house needs to set those demon eyed Windows ablaze again.

Justin Russell has made a name for himself, single handedly crafting respectable indie horror offerings. Death Stop Holocaust and The Sleeper riff on the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Black Christmas respectively with even less money to work with.

The Gremlin is his first foray into the feature world. Gathering his family and friends, he made a micro- budget horror comedy pre-dating Tucker and Dale Vs Evil. The comedy on display here, while not for everyone, is hilarious. Obvious nods to horror tropes and comedy slap stick hilarity compensates for the off the wall plot.

A man wearing many hats, Russell is the starring villain, after writing, directing, and shooting the film. The cast, each friends and family, do a decent job of carrying the story, actually breaking the fourth wall, admitting their own loss for words with the gremlins goings on.

Based on his future works, The Gremlin really is an exercise of a director finding his voice. We all start somewhere and this is Justin Russell's proof of that. Humor, horror, and heart permeate his projects. While not perfect, The Gremlins heart is in the right place.

Justin Russell, after providing us with the 70's grindhouse throwback Death Stop Holocaust, has now popped up in the 80's with the slasher throwback, The Sleeper. Now, I was able to acquire the box set featuring a VHS copy. You might ask, was this basically the DVD release only now I have to rewind it? The answer my friends, is absolutely NOT! The VHS version was the way this film is meant to be watched. Dark, grainy, with the occasional white static pop, I was taken back to my childhood. That's a rare thing.

The film itself is a simple one. Sorority sisters and frat guys get picked off by a mysterious, milky eyed stalker. OK. Now you're prepared! Now, sit and enjoy yourself! That's the way our beloved 80's slashers were meant to be viewed, so why should this film be any different?! Don't over think it! It's OK to have fun! The cinematography is spot-on, never venturing into "too dark" territory. This leads me to the lighting. Very practical lighting was used and this totally ups the atmosphere. No over the top, technical lens flairs... Simple, effective light sources. The music is top notch, never being too much. Several times, the best music was when there was none! Mr. Russell understood this and used the music where it was best suited for the scene. Just watch the auditorium scene...

The Sleeper is not a perfect film, but then again, tell me an 80's slasher that ever was! That's the beauty of a film like this. Justin Russell set out to make a fun, 80's slasher and in my opinion, he succeeded. I'll take The Sleeper over any half-assed, 10 million dollar star-studded remake any day of the week.

If you are a fan of 80's slashers, you will enjoy this film. This is your opportunity to kick your feet up, relax, and have a good time. Be sure to bring your friends...

For fans of: HALLOWEEN, PROM NIGHT, HE KNOWS YOU'RE ALONE, THE PROWLER, BLACK Christmas, THE HOUSE ON SORORITY ROW, and THE INITIATION.