acidburn-10
Joined May 2005
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'Lake Mungo' is a simple, cleverly constructed and yet frighteningly chilling Australian supernatural psychological horror film. Presented as a factual pseudo-documentary this could have been easily written off as just another basic entry in an overcrowded sub-genre, but this criminally underrated gem stands out on its own thanks to its complex storyline, compelling mystery, excellent cast and its unsettling nature that finds a way getting under your skin and will leave an impression on you long after it's over.
The Plot = A 16-year-old girl named Alice Palmer (Talia Zucker) drowns while swimming in the local dam. Then not long after her funeral her family then experiences a series of strange and inexplicable events in their home leading them to seek out help from Ray Kemeny (David Pledger) a psychic and parapsychologist to uncover the mystery behind Alice's death.
This movie/documentary is one of the most profound and macabre viewing experiences that I've ever witnessed as it takes you on an intimate journey through the lives of the Palmer family after the sudden death of their daughter Alice and recounts the events leading up to the tragic demise with interviews, news footage and family home videos. As the narrative slowly unfolds it leads to some interesting twists and turns with each element adding a new layer to the story and that's what makes it so tragic and gripping. The direction and writing by Australian first-time filmmaker Joel Anderson is highly impressive as he injects a sense of realism into the production which adds a sense of authenticity to everything and makes the more frightening and that's a true testament to his achievement here.
The cast of relative unknown Australian actors are excellent and are totally immersed with their characters and stories which makes this well-crafted movie all the more powerful.
Overall 'Lake Mungo' is a subtle, simplistic and totally captivating modern day ghost story that will keep you on the edge of your seat right up until the chilling climax.
The Plot = A 16-year-old girl named Alice Palmer (Talia Zucker) drowns while swimming in the local dam. Then not long after her funeral her family then experiences a series of strange and inexplicable events in their home leading them to seek out help from Ray Kemeny (David Pledger) a psychic and parapsychologist to uncover the mystery behind Alice's death.
This movie/documentary is one of the most profound and macabre viewing experiences that I've ever witnessed as it takes you on an intimate journey through the lives of the Palmer family after the sudden death of their daughter Alice and recounts the events leading up to the tragic demise with interviews, news footage and family home videos. As the narrative slowly unfolds it leads to some interesting twists and turns with each element adding a new layer to the story and that's what makes it so tragic and gripping. The direction and writing by Australian first-time filmmaker Joel Anderson is highly impressive as he injects a sense of realism into the production which adds a sense of authenticity to everything and makes the more frightening and that's a true testament to his achievement here.
The cast of relative unknown Australian actors are excellent and are totally immersed with their characters and stories which makes this well-crafted movie all the more powerful.
Overall 'Lake Mungo' is a subtle, simplistic and totally captivating modern day ghost story that will keep you on the edge of your seat right up until the chilling climax.
'Christmas Bloody Christmas' is a violent vibrant and senseless holiday slasher flick that's thrives in its festive atmosphere, outrageous premise and brutal and sadistic content. This demented blood-soaked production offers a great addition to the Christmas horror film sub-genre making this an instant underrated gem of the modern era of slasher horror flicks.
The Plot = It's Christmas Eve and record store owner Tori (Riley Dandy) just wants to get drunk and party along with her employee and friend Robbie (Sam Delich). Until a robotic Santa Claus (Abraham Benrubi) goes haywire and begins a rampant killing spree throughout the small town, Tori is forced into a battle of survival.
If you love festive horror films such as 'Black Christmas', Silent Night Deadly Night' & 'Christmas Evil' then you're sure to have a lot of fun with this twisted colourful and over the top manic yuletide genre effort. The movie's visuals are vibrant and robust with its harsh surreal lighting and gorgeous colour palette which makes this a treat for the senses. The movie's run time is well paced for the most part as it sets up the core characters for the first half rather effectively with plenty of fast paced dialogue and fun references. The direction and writing both done by Joe Begos is solid as he not only presents us with compelling characters but injects plenty of carnage blood-soaked fun into the production with plenty of beautifully shot sequences and takes just enough time to set everything up with some genuinely intense moments and fun action set pieces which leads to a satisfying finale, which I do admit it did go on a little longer than it should have, but overall its an entertaining flick that will sure become a cult classic for the ages.
The performances from the small cast are incredibly strong and the movie does a great job of making you care about them. Riley Dandy gives a fantastic performance as the lead heroine with her bad ass attitude and compelling character arc holds everything together and makes her a final girl you really want to root for. Sam Delich was great as the slacker record store employee and friend and he and Riley share amazing on-screen chemistry together. Jeff Daniel Phillips gives a strong performance as the no nonsense Sheriff Monroe and finally Abraham Benrubi gives a frightfully fun performance as the psycho killer robotic Santa Claus with his sheer presence alone.
Overall 'Christmas Bloody Christmas' is an entertaining and vibrant X-Mas slasher flick.
The Plot = It's Christmas Eve and record store owner Tori (Riley Dandy) just wants to get drunk and party along with her employee and friend Robbie (Sam Delich). Until a robotic Santa Claus (Abraham Benrubi) goes haywire and begins a rampant killing spree throughout the small town, Tori is forced into a battle of survival.
If you love festive horror films such as 'Black Christmas', Silent Night Deadly Night' & 'Christmas Evil' then you're sure to have a lot of fun with this twisted colourful and over the top manic yuletide genre effort. The movie's visuals are vibrant and robust with its harsh surreal lighting and gorgeous colour palette which makes this a treat for the senses. The movie's run time is well paced for the most part as it sets up the core characters for the first half rather effectively with plenty of fast paced dialogue and fun references. The direction and writing both done by Joe Begos is solid as he not only presents us with compelling characters but injects plenty of carnage blood-soaked fun into the production with plenty of beautifully shot sequences and takes just enough time to set everything up with some genuinely intense moments and fun action set pieces which leads to a satisfying finale, which I do admit it did go on a little longer than it should have, but overall its an entertaining flick that will sure become a cult classic for the ages.
The performances from the small cast are incredibly strong and the movie does a great job of making you care about them. Riley Dandy gives a fantastic performance as the lead heroine with her bad ass attitude and compelling character arc holds everything together and makes her a final girl you really want to root for. Sam Delich was great as the slacker record store employee and friend and he and Riley share amazing on-screen chemistry together. Jeff Daniel Phillips gives a strong performance as the no nonsense Sheriff Monroe and finally Abraham Benrubi gives a frightfully fun performance as the psycho killer robotic Santa Claus with his sheer presence alone.
Overall 'Christmas Bloody Christmas' is an entertaining and vibrant X-Mas slasher flick.
'Let the Right One In' is a hauntingly beautiful, genuinely touching and unique Swedish vampire horror flick that features a compelling and well told narrative that not only provides a classic tale of vampire lore and mythology, but it's also a story of love, loss, and loneliness. Superbly presented and disturbingly bleak this is easily one of the very best vampire films to come out from the 00's and provides a genuinely fresh take on a genre which has become stale.
The Plot = Set in Blackeberg, Stockholm 1982 where a 12-year-old boy named Oskar (Kare Hedebrant) finds himself isolated and dreams of seeking revenge on his school bullies. One night a strange girl named Eli (Lina Leandersson) movies in next door and the two strike up a friendship which could develop into something more. But he is unaware that she is a vampire.
Directed by Tomas Alfredson and based upon on the 2004 novel of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist this movie is not only captivating but it's something that resonates with you long after the credits roll and that's thanks to the outstanding direction by Tomas Alfredson who sharpens the focus of the story by emphasizing the novel's strongest aspects such as the unusual relationship between Oskar and Eli and his stylistic touches and naturalistic approach to capture your attention with stunning visuals and cleverly staged set pieces. Despite the heavy focus on the romantic side of the film there are still plenty of horror elements in this movie with plenty of chilling moments, nerve racking tension and some disturbing gory sequences that makes for a satisfying viewing experience. The entire movie takes a slow burn approach with a nearly 2 hour run time, but it absolutely works as it takes its time to flesh out the characters and to fully develop its story into a modern horror masterpiece.
The cast here are excellent with outstanding performances from both the main leads Kare Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson who together achieves an amazing on-screen chemistry together. Per Ragnar delivers a standout and compelling performance as Eli's protector Hakan.
Overall 'Let the Right One In' is an extremely brilliant and original work of art with an emotional richness that is rarely seen in the horror genre.
The Plot = Set in Blackeberg, Stockholm 1982 where a 12-year-old boy named Oskar (Kare Hedebrant) finds himself isolated and dreams of seeking revenge on his school bullies. One night a strange girl named Eli (Lina Leandersson) movies in next door and the two strike up a friendship which could develop into something more. But he is unaware that she is a vampire.
Directed by Tomas Alfredson and based upon on the 2004 novel of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist this movie is not only captivating but it's something that resonates with you long after the credits roll and that's thanks to the outstanding direction by Tomas Alfredson who sharpens the focus of the story by emphasizing the novel's strongest aspects such as the unusual relationship between Oskar and Eli and his stylistic touches and naturalistic approach to capture your attention with stunning visuals and cleverly staged set pieces. Despite the heavy focus on the romantic side of the film there are still plenty of horror elements in this movie with plenty of chilling moments, nerve racking tension and some disturbing gory sequences that makes for a satisfying viewing experience. The entire movie takes a slow burn approach with a nearly 2 hour run time, but it absolutely works as it takes its time to flesh out the characters and to fully develop its story into a modern horror masterpiece.
The cast here are excellent with outstanding performances from both the main leads Kare Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson who together achieves an amazing on-screen chemistry together. Per Ragnar delivers a standout and compelling performance as Eli's protector Hakan.
Overall 'Let the Right One In' is an extremely brilliant and original work of art with an emotional richness that is rarely seen in the horror genre.