BUNNI

Firstly, I just want to say thankyou to Daniel Benedict (writer and director) of the independent slasher film “Bunni”. I appreciate getting the opportunity to watch the film via a screener. Bunni is a film about two young couples that following a Halloween party, find themselves inside an abandoned warehouse being stalked by a twisted killer hiding a dark secret. The film stars the beautiful Sara Ammons, Sabrina Hulsman, Alexandria Hendrick, Kent Blue and Daniel Benedict.

As far as slasher/horror films go Bunni has familiar plot details and similar locations to most other movies in the genre. It doesn’t really contain anything we haven’t already seen. I thought the introduction had some really cool unnerving imagery. I liked the smooth panning of the camera and some of the close shots. We get an official introduction to a young girl named Lisa (Hendrick) who is in a domestic abuse relationship while trying to care for a child. It’s a pivotal point for the rest of the film and it was handled very well. I liked the suspenseful score throughout the action scenes and some of the metal music accompanied the tone very well too. The dialogue audio started out very hollow and tinny, although that was probably more because of the location the film is set in. Fortunately it was altered and improved for the second half. A lot of the dialogue between boyfriends and girlfriends is pretty lame. It’s fun in that cheesy kind of way but nothing of any importance ever really gets said. Combined with the fact that a lot of the profanity feels really forced. Daniel plays Rick (the jock of the group) the character was very reminiscent of Alastair Gambles character of Steve in the trashy/exploitation film “Gutterballs”. I hated him, I think everyone will! I thought Daniel’s acting was decent but the lines were very over the top.

The rest of the characters are basically cardboard cutouts from every slasher film you can think of. Ashley (played by the beautiful Sara Ammons) was fantastic to look at but couldn’t pull a serious line off. Chris (Kent Blue) is the more serious “gaming nerd” type of character that you know there is more than meets the eye too. Chris’s girlfriend Nikki is played by (Sabrina Hulsman, another absolutely stunning girl) she is able to kick some major ass when the time comes, that was cool. I think the ability to cast gorgeous girls in a film like this helps in its entertainment value. I thought Sabrina was decent, sadly I can’t say the same for Sara. I don’t know if it was the way the character was written but she was just very ordinary. However, these actors and actresses have basically no experience so with time I’m sure they will improve. I thought the randomness of “Hulk Hogan” (I have no idea what was up with that guy haha) was hilarious. Some of the secondary characters provided a little something too. I thought the killer’s mask had a really unique and cool look and some of the practical effects (considering the micro-budget) are worth mentioning. The opening kill and some of the guts and entrails were very well done.

It disappoints me in saying that the bad outweighs the good in Bunni though. There is lighting issues galore. I’m sure most of that is down to the location and the fact that 90 percent of the film takes place at night. Unfortunately on such a low-budget (estimated just $2,000) It’s about what you would expect. Sadly it doesn’t make for good viewing. The acting from most of the cast feels forced so it’s hard to invest much attention into the performances. The music was something I liked but it was a little overpowering in the mix. I thought the kill scenes would have raised the film up a little bit but they were also very disappointing. I always take budget into consideration when critiquing a film though and you couldn’t even buy a crappy car for this sort of money! Each time the action heated up and blood was about to be shed, the camera cut away. Combine this with the bad sound replacement and weak fight scene choreography and it makes the overall action fall flat.

Bunni is the type of movie that you can tell was made simply for the love of the genre. When you take into account the acting experience, the budget, the script you can’t ask for that much from the end result. I thought the film picked up speed a bit in the final act with a really cool twist that I didn’t see coming at all! It also has a very short running time of just 60 minutes! so it’s worth watching. It was interesting watching some interviews with Daniel about where he has come from with film over the last 5 years. I commend him on taking a chance and putting his passion for it to good use. Bunni is worth checking out due to it’s fun nature, gorgeous girls and short running time, I just wish it was something that I cared to revisit again, thanks again though Daniel.

My rating for “Bunni” is 4.5/10

BROKEN BLOOD

Firstly, I just want to say thankyou to Derek Wayne Johnson, director of the independent Crime/Drama film “Broken Blood”. I really appreciate the opportunity to see the film before its official release date. I recently reviewed another one of Derek’s films called “Scrape” which was a cool 80’s style slasher flick. “Broken Blood” is a much more serious and dramatic screenplay that drew a really talented group of actors to want to be a part of it. It’s the story of twin brothers Stone and Stanley DeBrock. Stone has made somewhat of a career out in Hollywood making movies, while his brother Stanley (a mentally challenged man), was implicated in the disappearance of a young girl from many years ago and now resides in an asylum. Upon Stone’s return to his hometown he deals with the relationship he has with his father, his past love Diane, a messy money situation with his estranged Uncle Earl and needs to get closure on what happened with his brother. If that isn’t enough he realises that not all is as it seems with the situation surrounding Stanley and the missing girl.

The film stars Derek as Stone/Stanley. And includes the likes of Marc Macaulay (12 Years a Slave, Pawn Shop Chronicles and Monster), Pruitt Taylor Vince (True Blood, Deadwood and Identity), Richmond Arquette (Fight Club, Smashed and Seven), Robert Miano, Tom Wright, Dana Daurey, Ali Costello and Rick LaCour.

Broken Blood had some interesting ideas and its quiet a well written screenplay, considering Derek is new to directing. I thought the introduction to the story was well told, it gives the audience an idea of the differences between Stone and Stanley before we get to know anything about what has happened in their lives. I think both the audio and camera work are very solid. I like the fact that Derek gets the basics correct because let’s face it, that’s half the battle in low-budget/independent filmmaking. I’m not too sure about the budget for this film but I’d imagine it to be less than $100,000. I really like the unique somewhat out-of-place song choices that are used throughout the film. It’s a lot of 20’s and 30’s blues and jazz music playing on the radio, I really dug that.

The film’s strongest aspect is Derek’s performance and his ability to be able to connect with all his actors/actresses. To draw actors of this calibre to a low-budget project like this would be a very difficult thing to do. I think it must say a lot about Derek’s character for everyone to get behind him on this film. He is good in the role of Stone and when he switches to Stanley (if only for a couple of scenes), it reminded me a lot of the brilliant Michael Jeter (R.I.P) and his performance as Eduard Delacroix in “The Green Mile”.
It’s just the mannerisms and the voice that Derek used that made me think of that film. I’m also a big fan of both Marc Macaulay and Pruitt Taylor Vince, both of whom deliver nice performances playing Stone’s father and Uncle respectively. Ali Costello plays Diane, Stone’s ex-partner. She only has a couple of scenes but they were both memorable due to her sincerity and likeability coupled with the fact that she is a stunningly beautiful girl. It was nice to see someone real not your typical cliché love interest. I wish that whole sub-plot was elaborated on a bit more.

I liked the fact that unlike Derek’s other film “Scrape” this was not so predictable in the subtly’s and nuances of the script. The final act of the film throws you for a loop and makes you question things a little more than you maybe were for the first half of the film. However, I still found the overall story to be a mish-mash of ideas that never really grounds itself in reality, with a lack of any real emotional connection. The color was washed out in a lot of the scenes, I think that was probably intended though. I didn’t like the flashback scene in the beginning of the film showing what had taken place years before. It would have worked just as well without that because it plays out as a mystery anyways. There is a lot of quick cutting and editing which could have been smoothed out and Derek’s narration misses the mark, I found it a little forced in the tone and style. It did help clarify a few details though, so that was something. There were certain sequences that I found myself really caring about and then a lot of what I can only describe as filler to advance the plot in between those great scenes.

The entire sequencing and manner in which the story is told becomes a little confusing at times, especially if you miss a part of dialogue here and there. I was a little more keen by the time events escalated leading up to the final act. Sadly the entire story lacks emotional punch because nothing is really elaborated on or looked into. I thought the relationship between Stone and Diane would have made for a great sub-plot and more details on what happened with her side of the family and the suicidal sister etc. Instead that whole side of the story was abandoned just over half way through the film.

Broken Blood has a great cast that you have to commend for their performances and dedication to such a low-budget non Hollywood film. I think for the most part its technically well made and there are some interesting ideas in the mix, I just think it fails in the delivery. Sadly its a bit of a poor man’s “Sling Blade” which is one of my personal favourite films. I think the effort is really there and it takes guts to write a drama based story and to tell it well. I have no doubt Derek is going to continue to improve with time and experience and I can’t wait to see what he does next!!

My rating for “Broken Blood” is 5/10

SCRAPE

First off I just want to say thankyou to Derek Wayne Johnson, director of the brand new Horror/Slasher flick titled “Scrape”. I appreciate you sending me an online screener before the film’s official release. I have been tracking this film for the last six months since I saw a teaser trailer that looked really cool. “Scrape” is a story about Mick and Maggie Hedgeworth ( played by Garrett Kruithof and Nina Leon), along with their son Hunter (Alec Johnson) who live a quiet existence in small town Louisiana. Mick and Maggie rent from Mick’s good friend Barry (played by Rick LaCour). Barry is a real eccentric older man whom Mick also works with. The neighbourhood has always been safe but a recent string of grisly murders to women in the local area puts everyone on high alert. As the killer narrows in on the Hedgeworth family will Mick, Maggie and Barry be able to find out who is responsible and put a stop to it?

So there is the basic premise for Derek’s latest film. It’s not an overly original idea given the genre and formulaic structure but fans of these types of films know what they are in for and that’s all they really care about. I want to talk a little bit about the technical aspects of the film first. I think Scrape had an estimated budget of $500,000, which isn’t much money these days. From the outset it’s very clear this is a pretty polished piece of work. We get some great black and white camera work, along with a “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” style of narration that gives the audience a little introduction to our main characters. Majority of the camera work is nice and slick, a little bit of shaky cam was probably needed for some of the more intense scenes so that was okay. The audio is also very easy to hear and doesn’t become overbearing when things escalate. I love some of the unnerving sound effects that are placed in the introduction credits and also through several action scenes. The entire score for the film was very reminiscent of things like “Nightmare on Elm St” and “Maniac Cop”. Everything about this screamed late 70’s early 80’s slasher movie vibe, I dug that about it. Particularly the scenes shot in those foggy dimly lit alley ways that you are likely to see in the big city from any 80’s flick.

The acting from everyone involved is also pretty solid, considering these are all inexperienced actors. The highlight of the film though is Barry (LaCour). He was able to convey so much through minimal dialogue. He had a kind of flamboyant, sensitive, unsure way of carrying himself that made him entertaining. From a body count point of view it was nice to see a slasher that wants to give you something fun inside the first ten minutes. What ever happened to the days of an opening kill (think just about any film from the 80’s and 90’s). These days its always 30-40 minutes before the first cliché character is killed, I was glad that wasn’t the case with Scrape, it maintains it’s 80’s era style. I really like the look of the killer, it’s difficult to describe him as is his weapon of choice so please refer to the above poster (haha)

Sadly Scrape isn’t without its flaws though. By the time the credits starting rolling at just 75 minutes, I was left a little disappointed. It’s nothing obvious that the film has wrong with it, just lots of small things. I think with the exception of a scene towards the end of the film that takes place in the Hedgeworth’s house and garage the suspense factor ultimately fell flat. Maybe it’s just me but I was hoping for a lot more tension and some jump scares (cliché yes but effective). Some of the reactions from characters throughout the film were a little underplayed. The babysitter comes to mind (she was awful relaxed for someone who had just stumbled across a psycho with some kind of oxygen helmet/mask on). Linda a co-worker of Mick and Barry’s is being stalked and fails to even try to call for help, It wasn’t overly realistic. There is also a scene where the killer spends a fair amount of time outside in the middle of the day and of course that is the easiest way to get caught! Mick has this really odd obsession with fireworks and blowing stuff up, that kind of seemed out of left field, not sure about the context. Would a fully grown/responsible adult be so infatuated with this hobbie?…. I don’t know.

Several scenes just felt like filler when there wasn’t anything crucial happening to advance the story. I thought the banter between Mick and Barry worked well but it was the most unlikely of friendships. Not sure if these guys would ever associate with each other in the real world. There were a few minor technical problems. I think that the editing was a little abrupt from scene to scene and the few action sequences that had tilted camera work didn’t add anything to the experience. In fact neither did the view inside the mask, It seemed a little to video-game like. The action choreography during some of the chase scenes was a little lack-lustre as well. It’s really only a bunch of small things but they all add up. By far the two weakest aspects of the film though are the lacking body count/gore and the films predictable nature. I can understand the gore side of things, Derek’s probably trying to make a more mystery/thriller based story. However, the opportunity to do some really cool blood and gore effects and up the kill ratio was wasted. There was one nice “shredding” though, for lack of a better word. It had some cool practical blood effects.

In the end I think Scrape works well as a good fun 80’s style slasher film that you can sit down and watch with your friends. Sadly it doesn’t add anything new to the genre and the painfully obvious climax/reveal (which I saw coming 15 minutes into the film) leaves you feeling a little cheated. It makes “Scrape” difficult for a re-watch when you know whats coming the very first time you see it, let alone multiple viewings. It’s technically very well made and there are some fun memorable performances. Combined with the sweet 80’s slasher vibe which is rarely done well these days, making “Scrape” better than most films of this nature, so be sure to check it out and support Derek Wayne Johnson. Thanks again for the chance to view the film mate!!

My rating for “Scrape” is 5.5/10

LONE SURVIVOR

“Lone Survivor” is the latest film from director/actor Peter Berg (Battleship, Friday Night Lights). It’s based on a true story about the failed 2005 mission “Operation Red Wings”. Four members of a Seal team were assigned the task of capturing or killing Taliban leader Ahmad Shahd. It stars Mark Wahlberg, Ben Foster, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch and Eric Bana. I manage to get my hands on a pre-screener of the film but I’m very keen to catch it at the theatres in February too. It’s been a while since a pure War film has come out of Hollywood (not including the fantastic “Zero Dark Thirty”). I think people tend to be fooled into thinking that these kinds of films are Propaganda for the United States Armed Forces. I didn’t find that at all. Yes its realistic and very brutal and as it should be, its war. I don’t think this glorifies a single thing about war. After 2 hours and feeling exhausted, I can safely say I don’t envy these men and women that put their lives on the line and fight for their country.

Anyways, onto the movie itself. It opens with a very controlled narration from Marcus Luttrell (who the film is based upon), played by Mark Wahlberg. We then get some very well placed footage of US Navy and Armed forces training. They are going through boot camp and seeing if they have what it takes to be in the US marine corp, I thought that was a nice touch. The movie has some wonderful sound effects and nice light ambient score throughout, that hits you on another emotional level. Explosions in The Sky have performed a lot of the music for Peter’s films including this one. They are a very talented group. It’s a very crisply shot film with great cinematography of the mountainous landscape of Afghanistan. It gives you a real insight into the ground this war was fought on. It’s of the utmost importance that a film like this feels completely real. You should feel like you are in the moment with this team of four men and it captures that exceptionally well.

It’s a good length at just 2 hours, it never feels like it’s dragging itself along. In the beginning we are introduced to the team of four whom the story is about. Marcus (Wahlberg), Michael Murphy (Kitsch), Danny Dietz (Hirsch) and Matt ‘Axe’ Axelson (Foster). We don’t really see how they gel as a unit until they are actually sent on the mission. Other than a bit of banter and friendly competition they appear to just be your average American men. The different personalities shine through when they hit the first fork in the road while scouting for a position to move from. During several points throughout the film, moral dilemma’s come into play. It puts you right in the thick of the decision-making. What would I do? How would I make a decision? Would it be the right decision?

Let me talk about the performances for a minute. I think both Hirsch and Kitsch have more of a supporting role, even though they feature quiet heavily. I think this is some of Taylor’s best work though and Emile is always a professional and doesn’t disappoint either. I think Mark was the correct choice to play Marcus. He just commands your attention in a role like this. He represents the All American man without falling into the macho stereotype and that’s always a tricky balance. I think the standout performance though comes from Ben Foster. What an absolute talent this 33-year-old is. I’ve been a massive fan of Ben’s since “Bang Bang You’re Dead” which was over a decade ago. 3:10 to Yuma, The Messenger, Alpha Dog and 360 are just a few of the movies that he has stood out in as a genuine force to be reckoned with. You get the feeling that Axe would do just about anything for his friends and family and that he lives life with love in his heart and that makes him truly inspirational. Ben should be very proud of his work in this film.

Lone Survivor doesn’t have any aspects you can really fault. I think the higher-ups in the chain of command miscalculated widely on the number of enemies the group would encounter. Some better recon and information needed to be gathered before this mission ever went ahead and sadly it wasn’t. I noticed that nobody in the Apache’s seemed very concerned about RPG’S firing at them which baffled me a little bit. They are one of the select few weapons that can take down air support and everyone seemed a little oblivious to that fact. I don’t know enough about the real mission and maybe that part was fictionalised for the film. Or maybe that’s how it actually happened, if so I apologise. I think the only missed opportunity in the film was maybe the chance to do a little more background and character development on each of the men in their personal lives. I suppose it was a re-creation of events though so they didn’t have to include that. I think it could have added another layer to see these men in day-to-day life, it could have helped form a connection even more so.

Lone Survivor is unrelenting, realistically brutal and emotionally heavy and by far one of the absolute best pictures of the year. Peter Berg is quickly becoming one of the best modern directors in Hollywood, I can’t wait to see what he does next. You will feel this movie right from word go. It’s not bullshit, it’s not Propaganda, it’s exactly what you see on the screen and there is nothing being glorified in this film at all. It’s messy and heart wrenching and in the end nobody really wins. This is the best thing since “Black Hawk Down” and I highly recommend seeing this upon its official release!

My rating for “Lone Survivor” is 8.5/10

ALL IS LOST

J.C Chandor, director of the 2011 Drama/Thriller “Margin Call” is back again with his new film “All Is Lost”. With a great original script that falls to just one man, this will surely go down as one of the best survival stories of the modern era. From the perfectly placed narration that “Our Man” (played by Robert Redford) delivers, you know this is going to be a bleak story but one that will draw you in none the less. All Is Lost is about a resourceful sailor who finds himself in an impossible situation after his yacht collides with a loose shipping container deep at sea.

In the 100 plus years of international filmmaking, All Is Lost is the first film to contain just one actor for its entire running time. J.C directs and Robert Redford acts. That in of itself is reason to call this film original and makes it worthwhile seeing. Regardless of the types of films you like this should be seen by everyone. The setup for the film being just one character and one location is very simple but not so simple at the same time. “Cast Away” was the first modern film to tell its story in a similar fashion. All Is Lost manages to grab your attention and hold it for majority of the film. I think the main reason for that is the fantastic writing. I don’t mean dialogue either, because other than the opening narration (which I would say eludes to events that happen later on in the film) and a few muttered lines the film has basically no dialogue. Redford’s character doesn’t even have a name. I mean I’m sure he does but we just know him as “Our Man”. There are no details about his past or his present situation and for once that actually works in this story. It’s clear we don’t need to know who he is or what he’s done, we are just along for the ride.

Seldom do we even hear any real score or sound effects. There was a little bit of light orchestral music in a few of the scenes, which complemented the film nicely. I was skeptical about the camera techniques and the way this thing was going to be shot. For the most part I found it really fluent and not too shaky or nauseating. Considering a lot of the film takes place in nasty weather and at night (well the clouds were that dark, I would say night), it manages to keep you feeling stable. I particularly like the camera angles from the top of the sail, those were really effective. The strongest aspect of the film though, is Our Man’s will to survive. His perseverance and determination shown by him and his problem solving abilities are really what drives the film, It helps you want to route for him. He utilises tools to the best of his ability and doesn’t waste valuable resources. Generally these types of films see characters make dumb decisions just to advance the plot, I liked the fact this one didn’t do that. Towards the end of the film we start to see the anguish on Our Man’s face and I thought the reaction from him and the notion that he may not make it out alive were very realistic.

All Is Lost is not the type of film you can really fault. It sets out to achieve exactly what it does. In the end you can’t ask for much more from a film like this. I thought it was a little strange though that Our Man decides he will have a shave at the most inopportune time (haha), I’m not sure what that was about. I think his desperation as he attempts to signal for help throughout the film were also a little flat and uninspired. I suppose he has been stuck for days though and is starting to deteriorate. In one particular scene he all of a sudden realises there is a cargo ship but can’t get the attention of anyone on board. I’m not sure if that was supposed to be a hallucination or dream, I’m not too sure. I would describe All Is Lost as a “slow-burn” type of film. This story has to be told gradually to achieve the full impact of the situation so I understand that. I think it’s 95 minute running time is a little long, it could have been cut 10-15 minutes.

All Is Lost was exactly what I thought it would be, a very professionally made movie. Redford proves why he is still one of the best in the business by conveying everything he is feeling through his face and not verbally. It looks and sounds great and the ending was very clever too. I wasn’t sure if I liked it at first but I’m choosing to read it as ambiguous. Whether it was intended that way or not, I don’t know. I think unlike last years “Gravity” this one location film is limited in how much movement there is for character and plot development. So I’m not sure this is the type of film that works well for repeated viewings but none the less, it was very enjoyable!

My rating for “All Is Lost” is 7.5/10

JUNK BONDS: THE RETURN OF JUNKBUCKET

I’m back again, this time with a review for the sequel to the 2008 horror/comedy film “Junkbucket”. I would like to give a big shout out to Stephen Lange for sending me a pre-screener of the film before anything has been officially released, thanks dude! His latest film tracks the ongoing efforts of Junkbucket and his freak show family who are trying their best to de-junk the entire state of Washington (haha). The film picks up 12 months after the initial events from the 2008 movie. A group of unlucky strippers and their male driver wind up at the birthday party from hell and become part of Junkbucket’s presents. Meanwhile, Cassie “Erin Stewart” who survived Junkbucket 12 months earlier, attends a will reading for one of her close friends. Questioning why she survived she realises that Junkbucket aims to keep her for himself.

The film stars Mike Christensen, Sara Coates, Nick Edwards, Ryan Higgins, Kate Jaeger, Brenda Joyner and Ryan Miller as Junkbucket, along with many other minor characters.

How cool is the poster for this film, I think it’s amazing. It’s a perfect spoof of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre poster and I can’t wait to get my hands on one. It should come as no surprise that there are a bunch of TCM references throughout the film. From characters names like Moseley, to slamming the big steel door, to the leather face stitching on the killer’s Bucket, it’s all great stuff! The marketing for the film, through hilarious narration and balls to the wall puns are probably its greatest strength. Once again the still shots and camera work in this sequel are really well established. The budget for the film was significantly increased from its predecessor with an estimated $30,000 on hand. The audio levels were nice and distinct and clear, I always appreciate that. Not that this type of film relies on dialogue to drive the story (I mean they have penises on their faces haha). I will mention again the nods to films like “Wrong Turn”, with the way a particular character runs (very much like “Three Finger”). I already mentioned “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” references.

The comedy scenes again were a little bit hit and miss. I found the opening scene with the will being read very very funny. It’s the type of thing that would never be said in a situation like that but none the less it supplies the audience with a lot of chuckles. The lovely lady lumps gag was hilarious too, if only Fergie could see the film (haha). At times the comedy goes a little too far and loses its place. I thought the acting was slightly above average, it’s all very tounge in cheek but was a big improvement on the first film. I thought the gore was a bit better too considering the higher budget, it’s a point worth mentioning. The stand out gag involved a bunch of entrails and a car battery, very fun and original! I still think there was more room for the red stuff, I’ve seen some very gory films that have been on smaller budgets, but at the same time this plays as more of a comedy.

The film isn’t without its flaws though. I think the editing was a little rushed at times and the fade in and fade out is probably overused. I didn’t like the score at all. It’s an odd one too, because these type of films normally follow the same generic themes which is what we expect to hear. I found it a little uninteresting, I’d rather have seen the score cut altogether. Some of the sexual dialogue amongst the characters comes off as rather awkward and uncomfortable as well, I suppose with a film of this nature it’s inevitable, but it just doesn’t feel natural. Other than it being 15-20 minutes too long and the disgusting nature of the plot (haha), there isn’t much really wrong with it.

Junk Bonds: The Return Of Junkbucket is a much improved effort from the first film and so it should be. Stephen uses the increased budget wisely, focusing on the important things when you’re making a low-budget indie film and that’s what I like to see. It’s pretty damn disgusting but funny (his weapon even has a penis head on it haha). It’s not something that I would watch again on my own, but with a group of friends and a few drinks it would probably be a blast! I love supporting filmmakers like Steve who just do it for the love of it. If you like obscure crazy films about cannibals that love to cut off people’s junk and sometimes eat it (haha), make sure you watch this. P.S the “pumped up kicks” song parody is hilarious so don’t turn the movie off until the credits have rolled. I wish Steve the best with the marketing/promotion and eventual release of the film, cheers mate!

My rating for “Junk Bonds: The Return Of Junkbucket” is 5.5/10

MISCHIEF NIGHT

Here it is, the much-anticipated horror/home invasion flick “Mischief Night” directed by Richard Schenkman (Director of the romp that was “Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies”. I found out about this little independent film six months back now and I read that the writer of the film was Jesse Baget. A lot of you wouldn’t know who he is but he was the director of one of the best films of 2012 titled “Breathless”, it was a crime/black comedy in the vein of “Fargo” and “Blood Simple”, I loved it! Once I found out he had co-written this script I was very intrigued to see what he could do in the horror genre.

“Mischief Night” is a film about a young teenage girl Emily Walton (played by Noell Coet) It’s about her experience trying to survive an intruder on Mischief Night. Emily has been blind ever since the car crash that took her mother’s life 10 years ago and left her severely scarred. She lives in a new house with her father David (Daniel Hugh Kelly), she also has a steady boyfriend named Jimmy (Ian Bamberg). She has been in therapy for the last ten years and is starting to make some progress but her instincts are put to the test when she is pursued and stalked by a mysterious assailant on Mischief Night (basically like Halloween night)

It was always going to be a tough ask in a year that’s given us some of the best home invasion films in years. The Purge, You’re Next, Static and Home Sweet Home were all successful and released before Mischief Night. Firstly the best thing MN has going for it is our heroine character of Emily. The decision to write her character as being blind was a unique choice. I think that gives the audience a real insight into the fear and panic someone in her position would have. I know even with all my senses, if I was being stalked I would be terrified so I can imagine how Emily would feel. It’s a really solid concept for a home invasion movie. The camera work is very smooth, there are some really lovely shots throughout the house. It’s pretty much a one location film and Richard takes advantage of that in itself. I thought the dialogue and audio levels were also very nice and crisp. The acting for the most part is commendable too. The shining light though is most definitely Noell as Emily. I wouldn’t be surprised if she spent a considerable amount of time studying blind people and their actions and movements because she nailed it. There was only one scene that seemed a little convenient and took me out of it for a second, other than that she was wonderful.

Noell really reminds me of a younger Agnes Bruckner cross with Mila Kunis type of actress. She has a lot of screen presence, I really hope this kick starts a long career for her. Daniel Kelly as David supports Noell really well. The chemistry as father and daughter is really natural, I didn’t find any of their interactions felt forced and that’s not always the easiest thing to portray. The overall pacing of the film is nice and there is a few good suspenseful scenes in the second half of the film. I have to make mention of the cover art for the Dvd. I was expecting to see the masked assailant in a hoody like you would expect from looking at the cover, not really sure why he was wearing a rain coat? considering it wasn’t raining, not sure about that one!

There aren’t too many bad things to say about MN. I thought at times the lighting in the house was a little off, probably more of a budget constraint or positioning than anything else. I also thought the acting in the opening segment with Charlie O’Connell and his girl was a little flat. It was probably more the characters actions and reactions and the lack of suspense that killed the opening for me. Richard could have played with the audience a lot more with the cat and mouse aspect, sadly there wasn’t even any visual payoff with the opening death sequences. This could have been on purpose to not give too much away about the events that follow, I don’t know. You get the cliché women running ever so slowly down the stairs waiting to be killed… that’s not realistic, even for a movie of this genre. The same with David continuing to leave Emily on her own while he goes off and investigates??? Is it just me or does it not make sense, to leave a blind girl on her own with a killer in the house?

There were a couple of fun action sequences involving a knife and a kind of chainsaw. I personally am a gore hound so I was hoping for a lot more but I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the intention here, so I can accept that. A few more gory kills and higher body count would have just added to what was already a very entertaining little film. Mischief Night is exactly what I expected it to be, an entertaining home invasion film. I liked the ending with a nice touch and little twist in the final scenes. It’s strongest aspect is Noell’s great performance and some of the interactions between father and daughter. Sure, it’s a little predictable but so are all of these kinds of films, I think this one is on par with some of 2013’s other home invasion films. I liked the creepy masks but I can’t help but see the glaringly obvious similarities between these and the masks in both “Vacancy” and David Morlet’s amazing “Home Sweet Home”, the crew could have gone for something a little different. For those of you that dig these type of films this is one that you want to get your hands on none the less!

My rating for “Mischief Night” is 6/10

JUNKBUCKET

Firstly, I just want to say thanks to Stephen Lange, the writer and director of the low-budget Horror/Comedy film “Junkbucket”. It was released in 2008 but I only found about the film recently. I stumbled across the new poster for the sequel to “Junkbucket” which is due out in 2014. I contacted Steve and purchased a copy of the original film and got my hands on a copy of the sequel, which I will watch and write a review for soon.

Anyways.. Junkbucket. It stars Jessica Aceti, Scott Baxter, Annette Auger, Brian Kirk, Erin Stewart, Shane Regan and many more, including Steve himself. The story follows a group of kids who are heading to Lake Pakajanomo for a weekend of partying. Cassie (played by Erin Stewart) is getting ready to clean out in preparation for selling her parents cabin (I’m guessing they had passed away or could no longer maintain the place for whatever reason… not sure, it’s not that important). All of her friends see it as a bit of a getaway for indulging in drugs, partying and sex! They load up two vehicles and make their way to the cabin. What they don’t know is that a violent bucket headed Mongoloid called “Junkbucket” lives in the area. He’s horribly deformed as the result of an incestuous relationship. His mother cut his junk off when he was young so he would never be able to reproduce. Junkbucket is now on the hunt for revenge by cutting fresh junk off!

So that’s the basic premise for Junkbucket (ha-ha), it sounds completely over the top and non-sensical doesn’t it?? I am here to tell you that it is but it’s good fun. Steve is making a mockery of films like “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, “Wrong Turn” and the new English film “Inbred”. I’m sure he is a fan of horror but can also see there’s a lot of fun to be had when you don’t take the genre so seriously. I like my horror as much as the next guy but something a little lighter is a good change of pace.

First, I really enjoyed some of the southern and blues guitar music throughout the film. The entire score is pretty cool, my only criticism is that it’s overused in several scenes. I also found the technical aspects like the camera work and the audio/dialogue levels to be really commendable. I generally think films of a similar budget to this one ( 1 or 2 thousand dollars), suffer in that department. The comedy aspect of the film is a bit hit and miss. A few of the more memorable scenes were the slapstick Abbott and Costello style police officers riding that double seated bike haha. Along with the mentally and physically challenged guy constantly writing “Hello” with his voice computer. Everyone just kept leaving him, that supplied me with some good laughs (haha). That girl who says she listens to everyone, yet talks non-stop was quiet funny as well. It’s probably more the dull and lifeless dialogue that makes the comedy suffer. The general conversation and jokes left a lot to be desired. The practical effects were solid considering the minimal budget. I would have liked to see a lot more gore but I have a feeling I might get that with the new sequel and it’s increased budget.

Junkbucket doesn’t have many issues but I thought the sound effects were pretty loud and overbearing at times. Mixing and editing issues get panned out once someone has more experience. I already mentioned the dialogue does little to nothing in advancing the plot or the character development. To be honest the strongest actor in the film was Steve himself. I thought his storytelling was good and the comedy in some of his scenes was fun too.  I could take or leave the rest of the cast (keep in mind they are all new to acting) but in a film like this you know majority of them will be killed off at some point, so rest easy people.

At a speedy 56 minutes in length Junkbucket feels more like a horror/comedy tv pilot than a full length feature. It’s a good length for how much story the film actually contains and the comedy makes it worthwhile watching. The “horror” and gore aspect needs a bit of work but with an increased budget I have higher hopes for Steve’s sequel. I critique every film the same and this is probably one of the best films that you will see on a $2,000 or less budget. I commend him on a solid first feature film attempt and I think he has a good hour’s worth of fun here. I recommend this to anyone who likes super low-budget films or are fans of real out there horror/comedies. I mean c’mon it’s got people with penises on their faces! it at least wins points for originality!

My rating for “Junkbucket” is 5/10

GET OUT ALIVE

This is a review of the Region 1 Horror/Slasher film “Get Out Alive”. This is director Clay DuMaw’s debut feature film which was made for an estimated budget of $10,000. The film stars David Fichtenmayer, Rhiannon Roberts, David Iannotti and Tyler Sutton, along with Jay Storey. It’s about siblings Paul, (Fichtenmayer) and Marilyn (Roberts), who are heading home from a vacation only to have their car break down along the way. After getting directions to the nearest garage, the two suspect that there’s more than meets the eye with the owner of the shop, his assistant and the mysterious beast that’s chained up outside.

First of all, I want to say that I have the utmost respect for Clay and everybody involved in making this film. I have read about how they spent weekends shooting it because the garage was doing business Monday through Friday. Some of the props that were used were found on location. As well as the film being partially crowd funded. So what a great effort for this film to get made at all. I really enjoyed the introduction to the characters and the scenes that takes place at the garage in the first ten minutes. Even though the story isn’t overly unique, given the copious amount of slasher in the woods films, it manages to give the average horror fan exactly what they want. Clay is able to utilize only two or three locations to the best of his ability, creating a very tight film and saving money in the process. The production value that’s achieved here has to be seen to be believed, I couldn’t get over the budget that this was made for because you just cant tell.

From a technical point of view the film deserves nothing but praise. The crystal clear audio, smooth cutting from scene to scene combined with some really relaxed smooth camera work, make this one of the best first debut films I have ever seen. There is some really solid acting on display as well, considering none of the cast have much experience. I thought the 80’s style bass and keys score worked really well too. It was very reminiscent of films like “Friday the 13th” and even Peter Jackson’s “Brain Dead”. The action scenes are few and far between but it’s not all negative. We are privy to a great chainsaw death gag, take into account the lack of funds and that in itself is pretty impressive.

The lack of back story and standard fare dialogue that hopes to progress the movie was a little bit disappointing. I would like to have really felt Paul and Marilyn’s close connection as brother and sister before things start to escalate. The flat tire plot point to set up the rest of the film was a little unoriginal and plain. It’s a fairly slow-burn style of horror flick with no real suspense or action until well over half way. So those of you who like it in their face right from the outset might be a little disappointed, but please keep in mind the budget limitations. The fight sequences in the second half are not very well choreographed either, it tends to look pretty fake, but you can see the actors are still having fun with it. The weakest aspect that I could see was in the reactions from both Paul and Marilyn when each of them is wounded from a particular weapon (don’t want to give anything away). Surely, you would be panicking, I would have thought, right? so I didn’t believe their reactions at all, I’m not sure why it was written that way. They could have at least screamed and put up a bit of a fight.

Get Out Alive isn’t anything new or unique but its one mighty fine attempt for a first time filmmaker and I enjoyed every minute of it. It’s great to see a horror film set predominately during the day time, it also progresses at a very nice pace. Sadly the characters aren’t fully explored, and one is even written out without any real warning. Where was the blood? the wound? Considering the already lacking body count the fans could have used something with a bit more of an impact. I think with a bit more money and higher body count this could have been a blood and gore soaked gem. It’s not a perfect film but it’s really well put together. For those who are fans of the genre, I can highly recommend Get Out Alive. Well done too Clay and Co!

My rating for “Get Out Alive” is 6/10

THE SUNDERLAND EXPERIMENT

Firstly I would like to thank co-directors Adam Petke and Sean Blau for allowing me to see their film “The Sunderland Experiment” before its official release date. This is Adam and Sean’s first full length feature, it’s an indie sci-fi/horror film. It stars Dylan O’Brien, Katie Reed, Fabianna Borghese and Jonathon Brophy. The main character of the story is rebellious teen David (O’Brien), he lives a very plain existence in a small society in the middle of nowhere. After his life is saved by an alien, he attempts to become part of a new society where host and human become one. Forgive me if the details are muddled, it’s difficult to explain.

I stumbled across the official Facebook page for this film and I was pretty intrigued by the sound of a very interesting plot. The film starts with a solid narration eluding to the society that David is living in. What follows is a very odd scene at a garage station which leads into the “town” for lack of a better term, that the rest of the film takes place in. I thought the steady camera work and clever use of natural light really worked for this desolate landscape filling most of the movie. I thought the alien looked pretty good considering the miniscule budget. I would guess the budget would be between $10,000- $100,000 but I’m not sure. When the story finally gets around to some action the prosthetics and makeup effects look pretty impressive too.

It disappoints me when I say that the bad far outweighs the good in The Sunderland Experiment. The film has far to many peculiar characters that remain undeveloped for the entire running time. It’s probably done that way on purpose, due to the obscure nature of the plot. Sadly there is no one to make a connection with or to have sympathy for. I found the audio levels between sound effects and dialogue very inconsistent. My speakers got a real winding back and forth. Both the dialogue and the score leave a lot to be desired too. The suspense gets lost in the pacing and the muddled aspects of the plot. The cast never really shine at any point. It’s hard to tell if it’s the robot like, monotone dialogue or simply bad acting. O’Brien however, has a few emotional scenes that he absolutely nails but then in the more simple scenes he seems completely disinterested.

Far to many details remain undiscovered when The Sunderland Experiment is all said and done. What was the initial state of the world? Was this the future? How long ago had things started to unravel leading to this dire situation our protagonists find themselves in? I think there was a whole other opportunity for a story here that was missed. It ended up being a random and confusing plot. The decision about the term “blessed” meaning being turned into an alien or merged with your host, at least that’s what I think it meant but I’m not too sure. To be honest, I’m not really sure what any of it meant. David never really seems to concerned that his mother is decomposing and changing into some kind of new life form. It was all very random, reminiscent of a Cronenberg film but on a much smaller budget with a much less coherent plot.

I really wanted to like The Sunderland Experiment. If some of the story was explained through the solid narration we are privy to in the beginning, this may have been something else entirely. It needed clarity with the films details and sub-plots. This is a slow-burn film that lacks in action, plot details and any real substance. It can be compared with films like “Invasion of the body snatchers” and even Harmony Korine’s “Gummo”. At heart this was a sci-fi film that I took very little away from. Perhaps there are fans of these types of films out there and if so I can recommend a viewing, sadly this was not for me. I say thankyou again to Adam and Sean, hopefully I have not put them off too much and I look forward to seeing what either of their next projects are. I do commend them on the technical aspects of the film because they were a success.

My rating for “The Sunderland Experiment” is 3/10

DITCH DAY MASSACRE

Firstly I would like to thank Megan Waters, producer of the new slasher flick “Ditch Day Massacre” for sending me the online screener of the film. This is Director Joe Hendrick’s debut feature film so I would like to say a big thanks to him too, for allowing me early access to the film. “Ditch Day Massacre” stars Bill Oberst Jr (“Abraham Lincoln vs Zombies” and “Nude Nuns With Big Guns”), Katy Foley, Zach Silverman and Greg Depetro. Jenny Bilson (Foley), is a high school senior with perfect grades and a bright future. She is trying to put a tragedy from the past behind her and move on with her life. Along with her boyfriend Mike (Silverman), and some other school friends they decide to ditch school for the day. It turns out to be a horrible mistake when Jenny realises that her past is about to catch up with her and it’s bringing an axe!

Being a big fan of Bill Oberst and some of his recent work (especially the two films I previously mentioned), I thought this slasher flick could be a great addition to the horror genre, not to mention the lovely ladies in this one. It’s great to see a bunch of fresh faces and a new director who has only done a few short films take on something bigger and better. It’s an interesting and fun script, not necessarily anything we haven’t seen before but it’s still a solid idea for a slasher. Right from the outset the clear audio and smooth camera work separates this from countless other low-budget slasher flicks with technical problems galore.The film also has a surprisingly impressive soundtrack of rock and pop music. Sadly some of the score was a little uninspiring but a scene towards the end of the film where Vick (Oberst) is chasing the group helps aid in the suspense department.

The two best aspects of the film are Bill’s performance as this lonely man living a slow decent into madness, along with the practical effects that the crew were able to achieve. Bill has really only come onto the scene in the last 5 years with some truly memorable performances. It should come as no surprise that he is the standout here, successfully creeping everyone out as a truly demented killer. Now, the practical effects, wow what can I say. Michael Blue, Greg Butner and Josh and Sarah Russell are the hidden gems behind some of the best practical gore and makeup effects I’ve seen in any horror flick with this kind of budget. I don’t normally single out people in charge of the film’s respective departments but I feel it was definitely warranted for Ditch Day Massacre. Let’s hope these four get the opportunity to do a lot more work within the genre. The film contains some wonderful action sequences. Vick’s weapon of choice is the axe and it’s used very cleverly during the kill scenes. One particular kill scene stands out and not just because it couldn’t have happened to a more worthy character (ha-ha), but simply for the sheer brutal nature of it!

The main issue I had with the first 30 minutes of the film was some of the details surrounding the plot. I think it was sequenced this way purposely, but I found it a little muddled. Generally the first act sets up the revenge aspect, but it was hard to work out all the details initially. There was some confusing imagery in the very beginning and then we pick up with Jenny and her family immediately after. Even though the transitioning between several scenes was a little off we do understand exactly what’s going on around the thirty minute mark. I couldn’t work out the relevance of Vick’s love for apples. Was that supposed to be relevant in any way? or just a quirk? I’m not too sure. I think the score could have been a little more synth based to give it that real 80’s slasher kind of vibe, but it wasn’t too bad. The weakest aspect of the film was Katy Foley’s performance. At times she was pretty good, but I think she had a difficult time with the more emotionally driven scenes. The audience needs a protagonist they can really sympathise with, I don’t think she really got that point across. She doesn’t have much experience as an actress, so I can forgive that and ultimately I don’t think it really takes anything away from the entertainment value the film delivers.

Ditch Day Massacre is one of the best low-budget slasher flicks that I have seen this year! Trust me, I watch a lot of these and this far supersedes most. I rate this one right up there with HazMat, Blood Runs Cold and Bloody Bloody Bible Camp, three of my other favourites from the year. It’s a fun, revenge based and blood soaked throwback to 80’s slasher films and I loved every bit of it! There were a few things to work on and tweak but for the most part you won’t make a better film within the genre and budget constraints. It was an absolute blast! Thanks again Joe and Megan. Please get in touch when a hard copy of the film is available and if you want any help with promo don’t hesitate to ask.

My rating for “Ditch Day Massacre” is 7/10

THE BALLAD OF SKINLESS PETE

First off, I would like to say thanks again to Dustin Wayde Mills. He is the director of the Horror/sci-fi film “The Ballad Of Skinless Pete”. I appreciate you allowing me to preview the film before its official release date. The film stars Brandon Salkil, who has had roles in some of Dustin’s previous films, Erin Ryan plays the female lead. Peter Peel (Salkil), is a very ambitious oncologist who is working on a cure for cancer. Alice Cross (Ryan), is his best friend and research partner. The two think they have discovered the potential cure for cancer inside the stomach of an exotic parasite, so they set out to conduct tests. They are denied funding for the tests so Peter decides to inject himself with the string, what he gets is more than he bargained for as it starts melting his flesh and changing his appearance.

I have seen “Bath Salt Zombies”, “Night Of The Tentacles” and several more of Dustin’s films, none of which I have been overly impressed with. Sure, he is working on a limited budget and creating majority of the ideas himself and I commend him for his ongoing efforts. This latest venture has shown his ability to do things a little more professionally and come up with that polished look that’s been missing in his previous work. The screenplay and story behind this experiment gone wrong is really well written. The technical aspects in his work have improved volumes too. The audio is nice and clear, majority of the steadicam still shots look really nice and the clear-cut editing between scenes tops off the directing aspect. There is some really solid and well-developed dialogue written in this film too, from what I remember in Dustin’s other films that wasn’t the case. I will mention that both Brandon and Erin work really well together. They had good chemistry for some natural dark humour and then managed to really pull it together for the more emotionally driven scenes.

Moreover, I commend Erin on taking on the task of nudity in several scenes, because that’s not easy for anyone to do! I think Brandon steals the show though with his ability to carry the film and give it that dark edge. I like the piano and bass score work as well, although I wasn’t as bigger fan of some of the synth music, I thought that got a little tedious. The positives far out weigh the negatives here. In a few of the close cut scenes back and forth, the camera gets a little shaky. Also, because a lot of the film is shot in the basement with minimal lighting the overall tone of the film is really dark. When there are glimpses of light they seem to be glaringly bright and shine straight in the eye line of where the audience is looking. That’s probably a difficult thing to avoid in low-budget filmmaking, but it’s a little hard to watch.

The Ballad Of Skinless Pete is by far Dustin’s best work. He continues to gain experience and write cool and unique ideas within horror and it’s sub genres. This is a fast pace little horror/sci-fi flick. It contains some great practical creature makeup effects and some cool blood and gore, personally I think it could have had even more! but that’s just me. I like the mask and stages of makeup on the decomposing Peter, I thought it was really disturbing. This entire film was very reminiscent of a cross between “Hollow Man” and Cronenberg’s classic sci-fi film “The Fly”. If this sounds like your type of film, be sure to check it out and support Dustin! Go to the link below and be sure to support his films, well done can’t wait to get a hard copy of this one.

My rating for “The Ballad Of Skinless Pete” is 6/10

http://facebook.com/dustinmillsproductions

ALPHA GIRLS

Firstly I would like to thank the co-directors of “Alpha Girls”, Tony Trov and Johnny Zito for sending me a screener of the film before its official release date. Alpha Girls is about a Sorority House that becomes terrorized by an old curse. Those who seek greed and wealth and desire must sacrifice something in return. Morgan (played by the lovely Falon Joslyn), has had a troubled past but has been given the opportunity to join the sorority and get her life back on track. Along with Cassidy (Beverly Rivera), a sassy young pledge and a couple of other girls, they try to survive the pledge week together. Sister Veronica (Nikki Bell), torments and pushes the girls to their limits that they finally decide that enough is enough. Cassidy knows about an old ritual that can give you anything that you desire, but in return you have to sacrifice something… or someone. The group gets more than they bargained for when Cassidy loses control.

I’m not sure about what the budget for Alpha Girls was but it seems to have great production value, considering it’s a low-budget film. The technical aspects of the film are commendable. It’s got nice crisp dialogue and some very smooth camera work, along with some really effective lighting. I think the chemistry between these young actresses that make up the core group seems very natural and realistic, not to mention they are all very easy on the eyes ;). I like the opening five-minute scene, I thought it was a real throwback to films like “Hocus Pocus” and “The Craft” some cool and realistic blood was spilt too! The film contains some really good song choices. A fitting mix of pop, rock and electro based music. Some of the action sequences were well done too. Particularly the cheesy 80’s style axe kills. Even though I could tell the room was covered in plastic so the crew wouldn’t make too much mess. In low-budget filmmaking you do what you can to cut down on time and money.

Sadly, Alpha Girls really lacks a solid plot or story. I think the writers probably did all they could, exhausting all resources on what is ultimately a super simple story. There are a bunch of issues with the pacing too. Ranging from the early party scene that simply drags on and one, to the unnecessary extended dialogue that soaks up a lot of screen time in other scenes. The entire first act is a lot slower than it should have been, that shouldn’t be noticeable in an 80 minute film, but it was with this one. The suspense scenes and score could have been a lot more effective and the action scenes are few and far between. I think they could have issues with marketing the film unless they change a few things when promoting it. It’s a very campy, light kind of film with no real “horror” it seems a lot more comedic, at least in my opinion.

Alpha Girls is a film worth a watch, it has a fun entertainment quality about it but I was hoping for something a little more action/ gore and effects orientated. If you like your cheesy dialogue and some over the top acting in a fun possession kind of flick than there is probably something here for you. I think the stand out in the film is Joslyn, she has the all American girl look and her acting is pretty consistent throughout the film too, I can’t say the same for the rest of the cast. I thought the slit neck gag was a really cool “slasher” element, they did a great job of the makeup but then managed to dampen it with CGI blood spurts. They are normally only used if the crew lack the budget to use practical effects, which clearly here they didn’t  because they created a few cool pieces earlier on, so I’m not sure why they opted for that. I think my expectation for the film was a little different and unfortunately too often it’s just lacking momentum and any real x-factor.

My rating for “Alpha Girls” is 4.5/10

SCREAM PARK

Firstly, I would like to thank Cary Hill, the director of the low-budget slasher flick “Scream Park”, for sending me a screener of the film to watch before its official release date. Scream Park is a story about a group of young teens who work at a local amusement park called Fright Land. The park is failing to generate any buzz and it’s lacking income. It becomes evident to everyone that it will be closing down soon. Late one night after closing the young staff and managers decide to have a little party, what they don’t know is that there are masked maniacs inside the park grounds hunting them down one by one. The film stars Wendy Wygant, Steve Rudzinski, Dean Jacobs, Nicole Beattie and the lovely Kailey Marie Harris. There was a cool little reunion of sorts between three of the cast members from the indie horror film “Everyone Must Die” with Rudzinski directing and acting in it, Wygant and Beattie also had parts in the film.

Scream Park is clearly a direct nod to all things 80’s slasher orientated. The over the top gore effects that you see in modern horror films aren’t used in this style of slasher. Instead, directors take the less is more approach when it comes to the kill scenes. Along with the cheesy one liners and heavily synth based score and sound effects, it’s like something straight out of the 80’s. The intro score was reminiscent of some of my favourite low-budget slashers like “The Bloody Murder” series and also “Killer Klowns From Outerspace”. Cary’s camera work is very impressive for a first time director. A lot of still shots and steadicam work allowing you to take everything in without certain aspects being forced on you. It has amazingly clear dialogue and overall sound, considering it was made on a limited budget. There is some really clever sound effect placement throughout some of the more suspenseful scenes.

There is of course, the fun but cliché cheesy one liners throughout the film. They are mostly from the “jock”, Tony (played by Dean Jacobs) and also the gorgeous Carley (Kailey Harris). The acting from the main group is pretty solid, although a few scenes are played up a little too much in the second half of the film. It was also a nice touch to incorporate masks into the film, they were very unique and disturbing. Combine the psychopaths in masks with an already creepy amusement park and you have a great setting for a horror flick.

The film itself moves at a relatively slow pace, I’m not sure it needed to be that slow with delivering on the action. It’s not like there is a lot of character development either, it’s only 80 minutes long but the first half feels a little plodding. I thought the scene with Carly and the cooker fell a little bit flat. It’s one of the first cat and mouse style scenes and the suspense builds well within the scene. However, once the killer shows up Carly doesn’t scream or fight back, I’m not sure why she doesn’t, I thought it was a little weak. I was disappointed to see Harris’s character wasn’t in the film for longer because she was great eye candy. Some of the editing and transition between scenes was a little sloppy too. The last act of the film offers the most in terms of the action sequence aspect. I was disappointed that the “final” battle was a bit anti-climactic, especially with the killer talking so much trash that in the end it lost all meaning and felt over the top.

Scream Park was a blast and great entertainment value. If you’re a huge old school slasher fan there is definitely something here for you to sink your teeth into. You have to wait a while for the gore and the cool kill sequences to come around, but when they do, you won’t be disappointed. Nothing new or overly original is on offer with this one, so just take the film for exactly what it is, 80 minutes of entertainment. I think the main weakness with Scream Park falls in the marketing of the film. The trailer itself gives far too much away about the story, so avoid that before watching the film. I was able to see a couple of the plot twists and turns before they were actually revealed, and that’s mostly down to the trailer giving details away. That being said, I look forward to adding Scream Park to my collection of Slasher films. Be sure to grab a copy of the film as soon as it becomes available!

My rating for “Scream Park” is 6.5/10

BAD VS WORSE

I’d like to thank Gus Trapani, director of the low-budget horror film “Bad Vs Worse” for sending me an online screener or the film before its official release date. “Bad Vs Worse” has an estimated budget of just $6,000! and this is Gus’s first full length feature. It’s a story about a young guy name Joey (played by Rick Rodgers). Things haven’t gone according to plan for Joey throughout his life and he has now found himself in deep trouble. He owes a debt that he can’t pay off. He enlists the help of his once close, but now estranged brother, Lenny (Stephen Velichko), along with a crazy Aussie mate named “C” (played by Myles Forster). Joey’s plan is to scope out a few houses in a wealthy suburb and then rob them to come up with the $5,000 he owes. What starts out as a simple plan is anything but ,when the trio encounters a deranged madman living in one of the houses.

Well like I said it’s a $6,000 production. It’s not a lot of money to make a full length feature with so I have to commend this first venture from Gus. It’s not all bad, there are some things to like about the film. It has pretty steady camera work for the most part and some wonderful bass driven score with some really jarring and loud sound effects throughout some of the more suspenseful scenes. I liked the intro credits they were something straight out of the 80’s, it was a cool throwback. I thought the acting was pretty solid considering the three main actors have very little experience. I was sold on the casting of the brothers because the actors Rick and Stephen do look similar in certain ways, so that was a good choice. The chemistry between the two worked really well too. The second half of the film has some impressive blood and gore (the scene with the chainsaw stands out to me), even though it was performed off-screen probably due to budget constraints.

Now for the issues, for one It’s hard for me to watch people from Australia act. It’s just not something I like to see. It’s not that it’s always bad I just don’t like it. The character of “C” which I can only think must be a reference to the fact that he drops 10-15 C bombs throughout the film, none of which really seem in context. I’m not one to snub my nose at profanity if it’s within the context of the story, I just didn’t think it was in this film. Myles saved face a little bit with the hilarious scene when he’s on the phone to his grandmother (haha), it’s at the worst possible time. I thought that gave him a human quality and was also a great random comedic moment. The main issues with the film are technical ones though. Such as the insanely inconsistent volume between dialogue and sound effects. I constantly found myself adjusting my speakers. There are also shadows and lighting inconsistencies, to the point that majority of the colours in the frame look washed out. There are also a few sloppy edits throughout the chase sequences.

I think the character’s motivations and development was realistic enough but these were all such difficult characters to relate too or sympathise with. Even when they find out there is more to the situation than meets the eye, it’s hard to get on board with them when you know what type of people they are. The film’s running time is a little long and the action takes a while too come around. With these types of films it’s also difficult not to write characters who make stupid decisions to progress the plot.

First of all, daytime robbery’s are not really a done thing. If you have half a brain you know that would increase your chances of being caught. For some strange reason no one ever see’s them, yet they come out of the house several times throughout the film. Then inside the house you wouldn’t have your phone on loud when your trying to evade a psycho or not be caught by the person you are robbing… I mean c’mon? it’s called silent. Yes, it supplied me with some laughs when Joey’s message tone went off, but still. To put a cherry on top of everything the cop (who is only referenced once early in the film and doesn’t appear to have any connection to anything), rocks up at the house that the “final fight” is taking place in, what are the chances of that, I mean that’s far-fetched even for me.

This is a modest effort from Gus. It reminded me very much of an unpolished lower budget version of “The Collector”. I appreciate getting to see the film and overall I thought with such a miniscule budget and the lack of experience he still did a solid job. I commend everyone involved in this, it’s not an easy thing to do. Putting your work out there for everyone to look at and critique, it’s a tough business. I’m looking forward to seeing changes and improvements in what Gus does next. Please support low-budget horror films and if you like the film “The Collector” maybe there is something here for you!

My rating for “Bad vs Worse” is 4.5/10

THE CABINING

First off I want to say thankyou to the writers of the horror/comedy film “The Cabining”, Mike and Steve Kopera for sending me an online screener of the film. Mike is one of the stars of the film while his brother Steve is behind the camera directing this indie film. “The Cabining” is a story about best friends Todd and Bruce (played by Mike Kopera and Bo Keister), who are aspiring writers but lack the talent and originality needed to deliver a worthwhile script. Todd’s Uncle Sarge is a wealthy man offering to back the film if the boys can write something solid in two weeks, otherwise the money will go elsewhere. Bruce does some research on a secluded cabin called Shangri-La. It’s a retreat where various artists go in hopes of getting some inspiration for their work. Todd and Bruce pack their bags and head off with no plan B if things don’t work out. Shortly after they arrive, the other artists start dying in mysterious circumstances. Todd and Bruce must discover who is doing the dirty work otherwise they might be next!

I have seen a few films recently with a similar theme to The Cabining. It’s difficult to balance genres like horror and comedy and often it comes off as too silly or not serious enough. Fortunately this one does things pretty well. From a technical point of view The Cabining really excels. I love the opening strange score throughout the credits, along with a nice looking location, the film has really steady camera work and consistently audible dialogue. Those are two aspects that rookie filmmakers get wrong a lot of the time, I’m glad that wasn’t the case here. The performances are solid from both Kopera and Keister. They had somewhat of a similar chemistry and style of banter to Trey Parker and Matt Stone (South Park creators) in the comedy film “Baseketball”. I was really impressed with Bo playing Bruce. I think he steals the show with his random uneducated comments at the worst times. In my opinion, Bo Keister is the funny version of Hollywood actor Danny McBride. I’m not a McBride fan at all, it would have been nice to see Bo cast in the film “This Is The End”, I think he would have kept a level head during the apocalypse and said “Alarming is frogs falling from the sky” haha.

The Kopera brothers really succeed in their ability to write great lines. They create some really good wordplay and banter surrounding the rules of a horror film, the cliché’s and formality’s that these types of films always follow. It worked well because the storytelling is played out like a movie within a movie. They also use some great pop culture references throughout the film. The supporting cast includes Angela Relucio, Melissa Mars, Luce Rains, Richard Riehle and Mark Rademacher. I thought Jasper (a strange musician at the cabin, played by Rains), had some great comedic moments as well.

Like most low-budget indie films this one has some issues too. The lighting in some of the outdoor scenes came across overly shaded and dark, it might have been due to the time of the day. I think the way the character Munroe spoke was a little over the top and annoying as well but I suppose that was part of the role, I just didn’t really like it. The horror side of the story is lacking and a fair slice of the films running time is spent on less important character development before the audience gets any real action. A few scenes could have been cut or made slightly shorter. I think the comedy aspect of the film works a lot better than the horror, I still think the whole thing needed more blood and gore though. A few cool prosthetic pieces could have been used, maybe it was because of the limited budget that they weren’t, I’m not sure.

The Cabining is a film not to be taken too seriously, it’s just 80 minutes of good fun. I think it’s a combination of two other low-budget indie films one called “Baghead” and the other “Tucker and Dale Vs Evil”. This manages to have enough of its own trait’s to not be considered unoriginal but it’s difficult to avoid the comparisons because horror/comedies are quite common these days. I think the last ten minutes is a bit rushed and a mish mash of ideas that never really present themselves with any real punch or impact. In the end just remember when watching The Cabining, “It takes total consciousness to achieve unconsciousness” haha, The Kopera’s are clever writers and I think this is definitely worth watching.

My rating for “The Cabining” is 5.5/10

Hey Bloggers! This is the transcript of an interview that I did with independent Swedish filmmaker Sonny Laguna, have a squizz!!

AW: First of all Sonny I have to ask how did you first become involved in making films? Did it stem from your childhood? How did it all start for you?

SL: We were three childhood friends who got a hold of a VHS camera and started making shorts in the weekends. It was mostly so we could still play with toys like young boys, we weren’t exactly grown up at the age of 15 and wasn’t out partying like most people. *laughs* Two years later we got a hold of our first computer editing program and a whole world opened up to us, which made us understand that we suddenly had opportunities to create something good. I think it simply is the process of creating something that drives us and most people in the industry. I’m happy it turned out that way.

AW: Your second feature film “Blood Runs Cold” only cost $5,000 to make. What would you say is the most difficult thing about low-budget film making that people don’t really understand or comprehend?

SL: I think most people are just used to watching high budget films which often have almost all the possibilities they want (at least it seems like it). People tend to forget that everything costs money. A good example is the sound design, in general the assumption is that what is recorded on set is the final film. Yeah sure, say that to any blockbuster! Even in Blood Runs Cold, every sound you hear is recorded afterwards and synced right and the mixed in 5.1. Those “small” things are a huge process and would normally require payed, educated people with the right equipment to do. With $5.000 you basically have to do a work around for everything which in the end hurts the end product’s creativity and quality.

AW: I’m a huge BRC fan as you know and I wanted to ask, How did the idea for this slasher in the woods film surface and what did you have to do to get it up and running?

SL: Well, we (the three of us) started out with wanting the killer to be shown as little as possible with some supernatural elements thrown into the mix. We wanted more of a thriller at first. At the time we were writing the script we kind of had a split vision though which by the time we were shooting it we scrapped some parts of the script gradually.  If I’d ever do a remake of BRC it would be much better since I and the team has learned a lot since the time of the shooting three years ago. But we have both a strength and a weakness, we just throw ourselves into a new project which leads to films getting done quickly but sometimes the end result will suffer.

AW: Even if you’re not a horror fan I think people should be able to acknowledge how well you have done things from a technical point of view. Did you storyboard for any of the shots in the film? Or was it more improvisation and trial and error on the day?

SL: I think we storyboard some things but since we had worked together before and speak the same language, the photography is one of those things that flow naturally. We’ve kind of developed a style now that we will always stick to and is of course influenced by several film makers. I think for a low-budget film maker, its greatest strength is that while we don’t have any money to speak of, we have more time. Because then again, we’re only asking for money if the film is a success, so we can reshoot and redo stuff until we feel we are satisfied with it, something that will cost a lot of money on a big budget set.

AW: I have to ask about two more things and then we will move on (ha-ha). First question is How did you come up with the look for the bandaged maniac? Did you have other ideas, drawings? Anything like that? Secondly, how did you manage to pull off one of the best decapitation scenes I have ever seen in a horror flick, with such a micro budget?

SL: Tommy and David did the whole design for the killer and when they showed me it, I agreed it was the right approach. We kind of talked about a mummy inspired creature at first but then finally realized that it should be winter based. We said to ourselves that what if a guy from some time back froze to death only to come back from the dead to wreck havoc? That was our basic premise when Tommy and David started out with the design. And it was easy to have David as the killer since again, we could push him to the limit, he wanted it as bad as we.

The decapitation scene is a mixture of a puppet and a lot of layers in an effects program called After Effects. The program we use for most effects that combine different layers of footage and when combined, looks like an effect that you otherwise couldn’t achieved. But it took days for those few seconds and a lot of head scratching. *laughs*

AW: So your third film “Wither” has just been released. Can you give people a short synopsis of the film so they know what they are heading into?

SL: It’s a film where close friends that are somewhat coming up in age really wants to get together, possibly one last time before family duties and other stuff takes over too much. They get a chance to spend a weekend in a run down abandoned house and just party like there’s no tomorrow. But they don’t know that an old Swedish legend about evil creatures living beneath our feet is a true story and that this particular house is built over one of their nests. As curiosity takes over, a girl in the group discovers a trap door and heads down, only to find herself eye to eye with the old creature, quickly turning her into something else…

AW: Have you had many people praising you for the quality of your work? Whether it is simply from a technical viewpoint, the screenplay or the production value? Or do people mostly do the common thing and say they either loved it or hated it?

SL: Well, we’ve always heard that we had a technical understanding which I think we really do with the limitations we’ve had over the years. But there’s always all sorts of responses, everything from “you should cease to exist” to “your the next generation of horror and Hollywood should call you right now”…. It’s been a fun ride and we’ve accomplished something in that sense, that people notice and talk about it. And interviews me like you do. *laughs*

AW: Either way it’s great to see someone working in the genre and simply doing it for the love of it. No matter what you do some people are going to love it and some are going to hate it right?  I hope that you’re getting more good feedback than bad? Because it would be a travesty otherwise!

SL: Yes, well, we are certainly getting more positive than bad feedback, especially with our third film “Wither” which I think really is our first quality film. Even though it’s still shot under disgusting circumstances, crappy camera (if you compare to what big budget films has to work with), we managed to almost achieve our vision fully. With that said, I think it will be really hard to make a film that fulfills our vision completely, only time will tell.

AW: What did you learn most from your first time behind the camera and your time spent on “Blood Runs Cold” and what would you have changed if you could have?

SL: A LOT of things would change today. The way we approach the script, work with limitations, prepare our actors, what we prioritize and a lot of other things. I think it would have been weird otherwise, to say I wouldn’t change a thing. If I had a 200M$ budget I might not have changed too much. *laughs*

AW: You have told me your much happier with the result and end product in “Wither” what did you do your third time around that you think makes this the more successful of the three projects? Is it simply the screenplay/ story that was better, or the people you cast, the blood and gore factor or something different altogether?

SL: I think we grew up a lot coming out from the cold hell shooting that was BRC. We had 8 times the budget and when we tried to do a film in our native language, everything from script to actors is easier to find and work with. I think we learned from the divided vision of BRC that we needed to stay the course more than ever and I think after “Wither”, we are now a bit satisfied as a very hungry film maker. If you’re too hungry you might want to much from one single film and fall flat so after that film, our next project was much easier to understand what it was and whatnot.

AW: I just want to say thank you for the interview Sonny. I absolutely love your work and acknowledge the quality your able to deliver, given your small amount of experience. I hope both “Blood Runs Cold” and “Wither” continue to gain a following. I can’t wait to sit down and watch Wither! Thanks my friend.

SL: Thank you for the questions, the best questions often come from individuals that have a passion rather than a huge magazine that has a lot of constraints with content. I’ll talk to you again about our fourth effort sometime when I have something to show you all. And please visit www.facebook.com/stockholmsyndromefilm and click like, we are like-whores and gladly accept your click.

LOSS OF LIFE

I want to say thankyou to the directing team of Loss Of Life, David Damiata and Michael Matteo Rossi, along with Gabriella Gesicki. Thanks for allowing me to watch the screener before the films official release date. Loss Of Life is a found footage horror film about a group of young guys on the night of a big Halloween party. It opens with the group getting ready for a big night and the lead up to the party. The film drastically shifts in tone though, when the boys stumble across a girl needing help after being attacked by two masked men. What the viewer sees is evidence of everything that happened on that fateful night. The cast are made up of a bunch of fresh new faces. I’m not sure what the budget was for the film, If I had to guess I would say somewhere between $10,000 – $50,000.

I stumbled across some of the posters and artwork for the film which got me really intrigued. This is a different kind of found footage film compared to what most of us are used too. I thought this had loud and clear dialogue, it’s a little inconsistent when some of the panic from our characters sets in, but most of its good. The group of guys seem to be having genuine fun during the filming and the dynamic of their group is believable. A lot of these types of films contain really unlikable characters, not here. Some of the guys are more immature than others but it’s a realistic portrayal of 17 and 18-year-old guys. The group is made up of all African-American’s with the exception of Joey, the token white guy (played by Chris Petrovski), who I’m keen to see in the new film “All Cheerleaders Die”. Joey has some fun comedic moments and gives the audience something to chuckle about.

I thought the suspense was good in a few of the cat and mouse style scenes. It’s accompanied by some pretty good sound effects. Although some of the moments that really called for some nail-biting tension and didn’t deliver left me feeling a little flat and disinterested. I liked that the mystery behind the masked assailants was left until the last ten minutes. I have to make special mention of the masks themselves, I don’t know what they actually were but damn those things were freaky! I would love to get my hands on a replica for my movie room (haha).

It’s not all sunshine and flowers with A Loss Of Life. The biggest issue is with the overall pacing of the film. Even at just 72 minutes, it feels a little too drawn out too often. The opening scene with the boys preparing to go out is double the length of what it should have been. It’s fairly slow to escalate and bring on the action sequences, or the “horror” side of the story. If the characters had a lot too say or it was a film aimed to be driven by character development then I wouldn’t have any issues with that. The acting is not really professional enough though to be falling back on that. Once the attack starts the camera gets very frantic and shaky. It probably needs to be shot that way but because of its low-budget nature, it feels jerky and uncomfortable for the viewer. There were a few dumb holes in the plot as well just so the story could progress. I wasn’t too sure why the group of three guys who make it outside to the vehicle didn’t just leave and try to go and get some help?? I assume somebody had the keys to the car. Maybe they were worried nobody would believe them because it’s Halloween night, who knows.

The most disappointing thing about the film was the lack of blood and gore within the action sequences. Other than one great scene using plenty of blood and gore on the bonnet of a car it was mostly cut out. The story didn’t completely deliver on the suspense and horror factor, so I thought it might make up for it with some cool practical effects. There are numerous scenes where the characters are using night vision to look around, so the blood ends up just looking like water. The kills added nothing new to the genre either. The last ten minutes brings the story back around somewhat, with a motive for the attack. I thought it was good enough because it was a genuine reason and helps the viewer understand what they have just seen and why it happened, but it might seem a little trite to some people.

Loss Of Life is a fun film that’s pretty well made. It’s high in entertainment value with a few cool cat and mouse action sequences. It’s short and fast pacing make it defiantly worth watching. Just don’t expect anything visually impressive or original in the screenplay. I think it might have worked a little bit better if it was filmed in a more conventional way. It’s solid in entertainment value and I love the masks. It’s one of the coolest looking posters and look for a killer that I have ever seen. Support indie low-budget films and pick up a copy of the film from the official website below. Thanks again Gabriella!

http://www.lossoflife.com/

My rating for “Loss Of Life” is 6/10

AX

“Ax” is a short film directed by Michael Coulombe, it’s running time is just 9 minutes. I read some stellar reviews about this directorial debut, so I thought I better check it out. Ax explores a mysterious man’s decent into madness, eventually culminating in the realisation that he has killed his wife. It stars Todd James Jackson and Marita Gomsrud. The estimated budget for this is around $1,000.

I’ve only seen a few short films and due to their short running times it usually takes a fair bit to impress me. Randall Plunkett’s “Out There” is one that really stands out. Ax delivers the technical aspects involved in great filmmaking with absolute precision. Most of the story is shot in a nice location in a heavily wooded forest. A cabin is also used towards the end. It’s really crisply shot and swiftly edited. The best thing Ax has going for it though is the realistic and captivating narration. I found myself listening mostly to that calm, controlled monologue more so than actually watching the film, which is both a good and bad thing.

I think there are a few scenes that are a little too dark inside the cabin. The gorehound in me would have like to have seen the attack shown on-screen with some cool practical effects. It’s simply shot and then the aftermath shown, which I assume is due to the low  budget. The choice of having no conventional dialogue other than narration is a tricky thing to pull off too. It can make the viewer lose interest, though if you don’t have a 9 minute attention span there is something seriously wrong with your wiring (haha).

Ax is a well made short that gives you a glimpse into the mind of a madman. It would be interesting to see the direction the story would have gone if it was a full length feature, although it still works well as a short film. Congratulations to Michael for all the praise the film is getting and I wish him the best of luck with his upcoming projects!

My rating for Ax is 7/10

BLOOD RUNS COLD

Blood Runs Cold is an independent Swedish horror film from first time director Sonny Laguna. The film’s audio is entirely in English but the cast are made up of indie European actors and actresses. It stars Hanna Oldenburg, Elin Hugoson, Andreas Rylander and Ralf Beck. Winona (Oldenburg), is a successful writer who is too stressed out and needs time away from her writing. She heads out to a cabin in the woods which is on loan to her by her publisher. After a chance encounter with an ex-boyfriend and his friends, a quiet weekend away turns into a nightmare when the group discover they aren’t alone in the cabin.

First off, the film’s poster and artwork really caught my eye and that was part of the reason why I bought the film. I hadn’t heard of newcomer Sonny Laguna and after many negative reviews and judgements of this flick, I thought I better just see it for myself. It’s a pretty stock standard take on the slasher in the woods genre. There definitely isn’t anything new here that you wouldn’t have seen in every other slasher film over the last 30 years. However, I can safely say that for a micro budget of just $5,000 Blood Runs Cold will make a permanent mark on the success of low-budget horror films.

I love the fact that this is filmed entirely in Sweden and with European actors. I think it would have worked even better as a foreign horror film though, without the English dialogue. Sonny probably tried to Americanize it so he could relate more with the Hollywood scene. Let’s face it though, Hollywood has never supported low-budget filmmaking so I wouldn’t have bothered with it. It’s a beautiful snow-covered landscape that the film is shot in and no CGI was used in backgrounds or the snow itself. I was really impressed by the crisp steady cam shots and overall smooth camera work. I liked the light piece of music that’s used in the very first montage of scenes and of course it’s great when the audio and sound effects really pick up as the film builds its suspense. I watched part of the making-of documentary and gained some insight into what the crew was up against trying to light this film. Dealing with freezing temperatures, in the winter, in a forest in Sweden! Let me tell you, they did a great job. A lot of the shots inside were filmed using flood lights and building lights.

Moreover, the action sequences were very impressive too. The beginning of the story relies on a little bit of fluff character background and development but once the action arrives its brutal and bloody good fun! Some great kill sequences involving an axe, the mystery man’s main weapon. The blood and practical effects look superb too. I couldn’t spot the digital effects that were added and tweaked in post production either, it was a very smooth blend.

As far as the bad goes, there isn’t a lot too say. I suppose the way Winona stumbles across her ex-boyfriend and his friends is a little farfetched. We are lead to believe it’s a small town with only one bar and maybe a main street. She hasn’t been back to this location in years yet she happens to run into her old flame and co. The acting is not bad for the most part but some of the characters reactions were a little unbelievable and unconvincing. In one scene Winona stumbles across the body and shows very little shock or fear, and considering the body didn’t have a head…(haha), that was kind of weak.

Things concerning our mysterious bandaged and masked killer go mostly undiscovered or underdeveloped. Personally, I didn’t think it was a big deal, those of us who watch a lot of slashers know exactly what to expect and nine times out of ten that’s all we get. You don’t know anything about this guy, who he is, where he comes from or his motives for hunting the group down. Things become a little muddled in the last act of the film. Particularly after he is hit with an axe and the wound doesn’t appear to bleed at all, or even show a gash in the aftermath of the scenes that follow, that was a little hard to swallow. When he gets hit it’s almost like trying to break a cube of ice, he has somewhat of a hard coating (haha). It seems like he can’t be killed which of course is silly, because we know most villains in slashers can and eventually will be killed!

It’s small issues aside, I loved every bit of Blood Runs Cold. It’s technical aspects far surpass anything that I have seen in the horror/slasher genre in a very long time. The entertainment factor and the cliché’s you hope to see in a standard slasher flick are evident. It has a fairly flat and abrupt ending that most people wouldn’t expect, but the fast pace nature of today’s slashers can get away with that. I say it again, BRC was made for a measly $5,000! the result, technical professionalism, solid suspense and some great action sequences (including one of the best decapitation scenes I have ever seen! the gorehounds will love it). It’s production value alone is enough to watch for a how to guide and deserves plenty of recognition. I think that Blood Runs Cold is the best $5,000 slasher film you or I will ever see! Be sure to pick up a copy! I can’t wait to check out Sonny’s latest film “Wither”

My rating for “Blood Runs Cold” is 7.5/10