BAD MILO

“Bad Milo” is a new independent horror/comedy directed by Jacob Vaughan. It’s just finished on the film festival circuit and has received a lot of praise for its originality and entertaining concept. It stars Ken Marino (Role Models), Peter Stormare (Fargo and The Big Lebowski), Patrick Warburton and Gillian Jacobs. The story is centered on Ken (Marino), a businessman who is happily married to Sarah (Jacobs). Even with Ken’s happy lifestyle he is suffering from stress. This stress is manifesting itself in the form of an irregular bowel problem. Ken’s problems at work and home are causing a demon who is living in Ken’s intestines to come out and kill the cause of the stress.

Now even if this sounds as ridiculous to you as it did to me typing it (haha), please read my entire review because there is something to be said about Bad Milo. First of all, Ken Marino was a really solid choice to play the lead, he has good comedic timing and a certain charisma about him that you can relate too. The supporting cast does a great job as well, Peter Stormare plays Highsmith, a crazy alternative hypnotist/therapist trying to help Ken with his issues. Peter delivers that quirky humour that he shows in “Fargo” ( a favourite film of mine). Patrick Warburton as Phil Ken’s boss, played his exact same character of Jeff in the comedy tv show “Rules Of Engagement”, It complimented the film. The score reminded me a lot of Tim Burton’s work. Early on it stood out as one of the film’s best qualities. It’s also a well shot film with some great “gross out” humour to accompany the serious side.

Moreover, It’s such an original and unique idea. In the wake of new age horror/comedies that are being made, this manages to rise above the bulk of them. Who would have thought you could mix two polar opposite genres together and make something substantial. This had a “Gremlins” feel about it, but at the same time it ground’s itself in reality with a absurd metaphor for our fears. I can safely say I have never seen something so obscure before. saying that it’s fun and entertaining too. There is a little bit of gore during some of the action sequences (the horror aspect), I thought it was done quite well. It was depicted in a light-hearted and comedic way.

Look, for those people who can’t handle gross out comedies might want to give this one a miss. It pushes the boundaries with a few scenes but remember it’s not to be taken too seriously. I thought the creature living in Ken’s intestines was actually pretty cute (haha). That probably wasn’t the desired effect but I didn’t find it menacing at all. It was clearly made to look very rubbery and fake, it could have been done a lot better but hey it’s not really a crucial point. There are a bunch of scenes where characters react in a very unrealistic fashion (the final scene comes to mind) and some of the dialogue is a bit hard to believe as well. But in the context of the story I think it’s all very well done.

Bad Milo is most definitely illogical, over the top and just outright silly, but it’s an absolute blast and high in entertainment value. We can all relate to fearing something, whether it be a new job, a new partner, becoming a parent or even our own mortality. Bad Milo flourishes in the depiction of this metaphor for our fears and our shortcomings. I hope this film continues to receive praise for having the “guts” (pardon the pun), to do something a little bit different. I mean seriously, it’s a story about a guy with a little alien in his anus (haha) if that doesn’t get your attention nothing will!

Next time you are having stomach pain’s please check for an alien up the rectum before seeking medical advice haha!

My rating for “Bad Milo” is 6.5/10

YOU’RE NEXT

Well, its been a long two years since the filming of “You’re Next” concluded and it’s now officially been released worldwide in August of 2013. The films promotional hype and consistently stellar reviews from critics and audiences all around the world has been very impressive. It’s actually the biggest build up for any low-budget horror movie that I can think of. It’s a film that cost less than a million dollars to make and consists of a cast  mostly known for work on independent films, yet somehow it found its way to cinema’s all the way over here in Australia! I thank a buddy of mine Adam Wingard (director of segments in V/H/S 1 and 2, and now You’re Next) for casting the beautiful Sharni Vinson (who is from Australia). I think that’s a big reason the film is being shown here because Australia is not a big supporter of independent cinema. It’s the first film I can think of on such a low-budget to ever make it to theatres over here, so well done Adam!

Anyway onto the film. You’re Next sees The Davison family along with their respective partners, celebrating Paul and Aubrey’s (The Parents) 35th wedding anniversary. Before they can even start the dinner they come under attack by a group of scary animal mask wearing intruders. Little do the masked maniacs know that Erin (played by Vinson), has some experience in combat and survival and that they may get more than they bargained for once inside the house. The film stars Sharni Vinson, AJ Bowen, Nicholas Tucci, Joe Swanberg, Wendy Glenn, Rob Moran and Barbara Crampton.

Keep in mind I only just watched this and will have more thoughts and maybe a different rating after a second viewing. I really like the majority of the cast, the kicker here is giving the audience a protagonist like Erin. Someone that audience can really root for is the key to rejuvenating the home invasion aspect of horror and making it a success. We haven’t seen a heroine like this since Sidney Prescott in the “Scream” quadrilogy, and I for one am glad that another girl is kicking ass and taking names! Sharni has that awkward but cute kind of vibe that was needed for her character of Erin. She also speaks in her Aussie accent, which is something a little different considering the rest of the cast are American. The supporting actors/actresses are all solid too. I thought Barbara Crampton over did it in a couple of scenes but she was still decent. AJ Bowen does a great job as Crispian (Erin’s boyfriend), the rest of the cast play characters that are kind of conceited and judgemental, but that’s ok because when the killing starts your cheering the body count along!

Majority of the camera work is really good, some clever use of ceiling camera’s and shots from underneath the bed and reflections in a window. The isolated environment made for some great shots outdoors. I thought It was a bit frantic and shaky when the opening crossbow attack strikes, it took a few minutes to level out, although I suppose it was depicting the Davison’s panicking. The sound effects were perfectly placed to help accompany the several jump scares that occur certain action sequences. Combine the creepy score with some fantastic old school synth and electro music, and what you end up with is a great nod to 70’s and 80’s slasher films like “Friday the 13th” and “Halloween”. I like that the film has several of the typical cliché’s we expect from the horror genre but at the same time it shows them in an original way. For one, the token sex scene you see in every horror film. is cleverly placed in the beginning of the film. Normally that type of scene is used to relieve tension but not here, I love that!

I thought the action sequences were really well done too. This contains some truly inventive and memorable kills that you will cheer for. Several types of weapons are used throughout the attack, such as axes, crossbow’s, machete’s and a very random kitchen appliance (haha). I thought that the special effects team didn’t quiet get the look of the blood right in the first two or three kill scenes, It was a bit too much like red paint or jelly. Fortunately as the film progresses it looks much more realistic and was applied heavier. Each one of the intruders have their own personalities and they are able to convey some creepy mannerisms, even from behind the scary animal masks. Yes the masks are a gimmick and a marketing ploy but I don’t mind that, the audience loves it so why not embrace it. This was not a run of the mill home invasion flick. Most of these type of films follow a certain formula, this one spends time on that formula but really does separate itself from a lot of the others that have been made over the years.

You’re Next is everything that I hoped it would be! It’s well acted, its suspenseful and it has a fantastic score along with great music. The most important thing was always going to be the body count and the effectiveness of the blood and gore. The body count was every bit as good as I hoped it would be, however I do think there could have been more blood and I think they missed a few opportunities for some truly brutal stuff. There was a piece of wire that could have perhaps been utilised even better in a certain characters death. This is a great flick because it’s done in such a fun nature and added to the story, are a few twists and turns that I didn’t expect. Motives are not something at the forefront of most horror films so that was something new.

Simply put, You’re Next is one of the best home invasion films ever made, it’s every bit as good as this year’s earlier film “The Purge”. It’s almost as good as the pinnacle of these types of films, “The Strangers”. It’s clever, it’s suspenseful and it’s got great kill scenes. Support low-budget filmmaking and Mr Adam Wingard, thankyou very much. You most definitely did not disappoint with this one!!

My rating for “You’re Next” is 8/10

SLOPPY THE PSYCHOTIC

Here we have Mike O’Mahony’s latest film, he is an indie horror filmmaker and a really cool guy. I had the chance to see his first feature film “Deadly Detour” a few months ago, I enjoyed it a lot so I purchased his other two films. One of which is called “Sloppy The Psychotic”. It stars Mike, as Sloppy the clown along with James Costa who plays a bully , there are also a bunch of other people who play less important roles. A cruel twist of fate leaves happy-go-lucky Mike (aka Sloppy), a children’s birthday clown unemployed and on a downward spiral. Sloppy starts to abuse alcohol and goes on a rampage leaving no one unharmed, his victims include the homeless, prostitutes, bullies and children.

Like I said, I really enjoyed Mike’s first film “Deadly Detour”, it had a lot of technical issues but the fun story and fantastic blood and gore effects with a limited budget, made it entertaining and memorable. Sloppy has the same feel about it but this time it’s a much more polished product. Imdb (International Movie Data Base) says the film was made for around $10,000 but I have feeling that it’s less than $5,000, you’d have to ask Mike to be sure though. The production value is great. For one, It’s great to see another clown (horror) flick, there really aren’t many of them being made these days. This time around the audio is nice and clear and the camera work focuses much more on still shots, some of which Deadly Detour didn’t get right. The scenes are edited a lot smoother and it all flows really well. It’s a short running time of 75 minutes but manages to give you enough of an introduction to Mike and the type of person he is at the start and why he changes. The audience knows he is not really a bad guy, maybe he’s just been dealt a bad hand and not dealing with it in the most productive way.

The kill scenes and blood and gore effects are as good as Deadly Detour, if not better. It relies on this aspect as the selling point and it doesn’t let you down. It’s a little slow too get to the action but when it does, all hell breaks loose! There is a vicious stabbing in the back of a car, that leaves a trail of entrails (haha so to speak). There are also a bunch of really cool inventive practical effects that include an exploding head, genitalia decapitation and a very wrong skull crushing scene (haha). However, the best is saved until last, when at a birthday party Sloppy really loses it! The reason the film works well is that Mike does a really solid job of the acting, it was a big improvement on some of the acting in his first film (which he didn’t take part in). It’s really not meant to be taken seriously, it’s just good low-budget fun.

The film is not without a few minor issues. I didn’t like the opening song and credits, I thought it was pretty cheesy. Most of the score really didn’t fit the tone of what the movie was about, it may have been done like that on purpose but I thought most of it missed the mark. The audio peaks out in a few places. Most noticeably at the pool party scene when the bullies play a prank on Sloppy and they are yelling and laughing. However, Mike has definitely been improving with the technical aspects of his filmmaking, so I commend him on that. A few really cool ideas weren’t taken full advantage of, either due to cutting away camera shots or maybe budgetary constraints, I’m not too sure but that was a little disappointing.

Obviously this is not the most original concept, but I’m glad there is still a place for movies about Killer Clowns (and not just from outer space). It’s taking the basic kids fear of these “entertainers”a few steps to far, but in the best possible way. With a title like Sloppy the Psychotic you can’t help but be intrigued, right? If you like low-budget fun and gory horror flicks then this is a must see! You will never think of the classic children’s song “Pop Goes The Weasel”, the same again.

My rating for “Sloppy The Psychotic” is 6.5/10

HAZMAT

First off, I want to say thankyou to Lou Simon for sending me the link to an online screener of her second full length film “HazMat”. The film is a 80’s style slasher flick about a television crew and their hidden camera reality show called “Scary Antics”. They get unsuspecting people on the show who have been setup by friends who want to scare the hell out of them. It seems that this time they have set up the wrong person. Jacob is a disturbed young man who loses his grip on reality after being setup by his “friends”, now heads will roll! This stars Norbert Velez, Todd Bruno, Aniela McGuinness, Gema Calero and Reggie Peters.

Even though this film isn’t an original concept I think the trailer promotes it really successfully. It looks like a really polished product, I would imagine the film was made on a similar budget to Lou’s past work, maybe 50 or 100 thousand dollars. I love the way this opens straight away with the credits and a look at the building which was used for the opening scene. The audio is nice and clear, along with the score which is crafted with perfect suspense. It’s reminiscent of the music and score in “Friday the 13th” and “My Bloody Valentine”, I loved it. The sound effects were implemented perfectly and were used cleverly to enhance a few of the jump scares. Most of the technical aspects are among some of the best that I have seen in any low-budget horror flick. The camera work is perfect. They only rely on the surveillance camera when members of the group are stuck in the hidden room. The rest of the film is shot crisply with steady-cam and very well-edited.

The acting was also very good. I haven’t seen any of these actors/actresses in anything before, so it was great to see fresh faces and people who can actually act. It was nice to see a little introduction and some background information on the prank that was going to be played and why the friends were doing it. Once the action picks up the lighting becomes more effective in creating suspense. The kill scenes are like something out of the 80’s, it’s a high body count very much like “My Bloody Valentine” or “The Crazies”. Most characters are killed with an axe, it’s good (not so clean) fun!

The few issues I noticed with the movie were very minor. The friends mention early on that the character of Jacob doesn’t talk much, that he is strange and kind of moody. Well, the second Jacob hit’s the place he is talking everybody’s ear off! Yes he is raving about crazy stuff that may have happened in the chemical plant they are in but still. Norbert needed to play Jacob the way it was written in the script, or cut out that line of dialogue. I think he did a solid job of the role, showing some great mannerisms (even with a hazard oxygen mask on). However, I’m not sure if he was the correct choice for the part. I was picturing someone a bit less of a brute, but I suppose that works well when the killing starts. I thought the reactions from some of the group were underplayed a bit too. With the exception of Melanie no one seemed to be freaking out as much as I thought they would have. The only other minor flaw in the film was the laziness of the fictional crew not clearing every single area or making sure there weren’t any possible weapons Jacob could use, that was a little weak. Obviously if he doesn’t get a weapon though, you don’t have a movie. I just think they could have been a little bit more inventive with how he acquires the axe.

HazMat is a fantastic and entertaining horror/slasher film. It’s the best film that I have seen with this type of budget and believe me I’ve watched a lot of these! The solid acting, the careful technical aspects and attention to detail separate this from the hundreds of other mediocre slashers. I was hoping for a little more blood and gore and I think they cut away from a few of the more violent kills too often. It could be due to the budget or maybe they just wanted to depict it as good-natured fun and not rely on shock value. Regardless of all that, I love the fact that Lou has combined the reality tv aspect of films like “The Task” or “Blood Relic” and combined it with some of the crowd favourite 80’s and 90’s slashers resulting in a product in a league of its own! I’m very happy with what I saw.

Lou please keep in touch and let me know when the dvd/blu ray becomes available I will defiantly be buying this one and adding it to my favourite films of the genre.

My rating for “HazMat” is 7.5/10

JACK ‘O’ SLASHER

I would like to say thanks again to Jennifer Valdes, the director of low budget horror film, “Jack ‘O’ Slasher” for sending me an online screener of the film before its official release date. Jack O Slasher is a demon from hell, who is summoned by a group of devil worshippers. These Satanists are hoping Jack will help them resurrect the devil by bringing them bodies for a satanic ritual. The film stars Omar J. Cordy, Fallen Fayth, Charlie Corpse, Jennifer Valdes, James Balsamo, Mike De and Diane De Leon. The budget for the film is around $5,000 and this is Jennifer’s first feature film. I have seen some well made movies on a similar budget so I was pretty keen to see this one!

I spoke briefly about the plot but there is also a sub-plot within the story as well. It follows a group of teens, young adults (I’m not actually sure how old they were supposed to be) anyway, they are looking for a fun night so they go to a haunted house/carnival type of place, of course this is where Jack O Lantern is. During the opening scene there was some Halloween themed poetry that was something unique and cool, I haven’t seen that style of an introduction before. I also really enjoyed the 80’s style synth and electro music that was used. It reminded me a lot of classic B movies like “Chopping Mall” and “Killer Klowns From Outer Space”. They combine that with a bunch of indie songs from metal bands, I’m a metal fan but most of the songs were very average. I thought the audio was nice and clear and the makeup on some of the corpses in the haunted house was commendable too. I thought the pumpkin head for Jack looked creepy as well, it’s a shame the back story surrounding his character was never covered.

After watching most of its short 65 minute running time, I realised that the bad far out weighs the good in this film. The slow motion and static style camera work is just a mess. It puts the viewer in a real haze, I’m not sure if there was a purpose behind that but it was difficult to watch. The introduction contains a lot of strange imagery and a use of distorted colours. It looked like something out of Oliver Stone’s “Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas” but no one in this was doing drugs, so I have no idea what Jennifer’s intentions were with that style. I was hoping the camera work would get better as the film progressed but sadly it didn’t.

Moreover, the editing from scene to scene was very sloppy as well. The majority of the acting was well below average and felt really put on. It may have been written that way on purpose but it wasn’t the cool kind of cheesy vibe I was expecting, it was just bad. The one person I will mention is Diane De Leon, her character had a bit of personality and she is gorgeous to look at as well. The laughing of all the freaks in the haunted house got on my nerves pretty quickly, plus it’s difficult to a do a fake laugh successfully. This is a low-budget flick from a first time director so some of these mistakes should be expected. There is a lot of room for improvement with Jennifer’s next film though.

Sadly the movies uninteresting story and plot is the weakest thing about it. I was hoping for a fun kind of story with some great kills. This lacks realistic dialogue and the reactions to Jack’s attacks on the group was so unrealistic. The screaming and running was really over the top. I was hoping for some cool practical blood and gore effects from some of the action sequences but those also let me down. Once again, I know it’s a limited budget but I have seen films made for similar money that contain really good action sequences and effects. There was one stand out gag in the film where a character’s head get’s blown off, that was done really well. I’m not sure why there wasn’t more of that kind of stuff.

People who are fans of movies like Terror Train may have a bit of fun with this film. However, I found it to be very amateurish and 65 minutes of it was far too much for me. I thank Jennifer for allowing me to view the film, I know it’s being officially released soon and I’m sorry there aren’t more positive things to say about it. I hope Jennifer continues to improve and make better films, I’m still interested in seeing what she does next.

My rating for “Jack ‘O’ Slasher” is 2.5/10

CROSS BEARER

I would like to say thankyou to Adam Ahlbrandt for the personalised note he left me on the back of the dvd of his film “Cross Bearer”, it was a nice little touch. After having watched some of the features on the dvd, he strikes me as a really down to earth and smart guy. Anyway, Cross Bearer stars Isaac Williams, Natalie Jean, Victoria DePaul, Kacie Marie and Tim Cronin. It’s about a young stripper named Heather who is down on her luck. She works for a pig of a boss and gets hit on by creeps all day. Her and the girl she loves are just wanting to get away from their current lives. The “Cross Bearer” is a preacher of sorts, who is attempting to rid the earth of those who have sinned and used their body and soul for bad things. An organised drug deal is interrupted by The Cross Bearer whose goal is to kill every harlot in the group.

This is a pretty standard idea for a slasher, someone exacting revenge on a group of people etc, this one is done quiet well though considering it’s budget. Ignore the lack of originality and take it for what it is. It has really nice clear audio which is not an easy task because it takes place in a warehouse. Really great camera work and the solid production value are evident with the way the whole film looks. I found some of the profanity a bit forced but most of it was in the right context. The preaching and narration from the cross bearer got a little bit annoying though. I like the fact that it was a serious slasher without the comedy but at the same time I’m an Atheist so “doing the lord’s work” means nothing to me, your just a psychopath (haha). No offence to Adam if he, himself is a religious man. I wasn’t a fan of a lot of the score however there was a particularly eerie sound effect using keys in several scenes, they worked well.

The girls in this look really good as well. Plenty of stuff for the male audience to admire. It’s a really fast film that only runs 70 minutes. I’m not sure what the budget was but I’d imagine under $100,000. Some of the lighting is really dark in a few places making it difficult to focus on the actors. The acting overall isn’t too bad, I just found it a little bit inconsistent. Natalie Jean as Heather was the standout actress but I thought Harry played his role a little bit over the top, maybe it was written that way though. Some of the poor dialogue probably didn’t help matters for some of the cast. Where the film stumbles a bit it makes up for with the action sequences and the blood and gore effects. You get to see some commendable makeup effects in the first act of the film and it only gets better as it progresses. I like the way the killer looks, it’s very reminiscent of a Melissa George film called “Triangle” and also the classic suspense thriller “The Strangers”. I’m not sure if that played a part in the decision to have that look, but if it did it’s a good nod to those films.

Moreover, I like the references to the standard slasher affairs and the conversation about what makes a good film versus a boring film. The actors had a little bit of fun with that. Personally I love both cheesy movies and huge Hollywood stuff as well, so it was interesting to hear the characters opinions. There were some great kill sequences that all occur with a claw hammer, nasty stuff. It’s not too graphic or done for shock value, it’s in a good fun nature. The gags with the girls tongue and the guy’s hand were the two best ones. I also liked the skull crushing scene though, most noticeably for the way the actress played it and the blood effects.

Cross Bearer is just 68 minutes of pretty trashy fun. I liked a few of the special features on the dvd and I got more of an insight into what Adam wanted to achieve. He seems really professional and even stated “If you don’t like what you’re putting out, don’t put it out”. That’s a good piece of advice. I have seen some really terribly rushed films that fell flat when the original idea had so much potential. My main issue with this, is that the characters are all so unlikable. In the end you’re kind of rooting for the killer, which I guess was probably intended. I prefer my slashers with at least one protagonist though, even Heather wasn’t a good person! Regardless, grab a copy of this because It’s good fun. It has some really fun kill scenes, good blood and gore and to top it off it’s really technically well made.

I will be keeping an eye out for Adam’s upcoming films “The Cemetery” and “Hunters” support “Adversary Films” and Adam.

My rating for “Cross Bearer” 5.5/10

HOUSE GUEST

Before I get started, I would like to officially thank the producer and director of “House Guest” Brian and Jake Jalbert, for allowing me to watch the online screener for the film. House Guest is about a brother and sister who invite some of their friends over one night for a card game and some drinks. A vicious killer is on the loose having already killed several people and escaped authorities. The group are told to stay inside until he is apprehended. Soon after, they have a particularly interesting guest knock on their door and all hell breaks loose. The film stars Brian Jalbert, Nick Canning, Danielle Marcucci, Alex Vincent, Randall Speakman and the lovely and beautiful Maylin Morera. I can normally spot familiar faces in independent films like this but I didn’t know anyone here.

The films synopsis is much like plenty of other films. It had a bit of “The Perfect Host” about it, along with several other home invasion style flicks. I believe the estimated budget for the film is around $100,000. For that kind of money Jake and Brian got a good-looking product. The film has really solid audio and some really cool choices for the soundtrack, most noticeable was the opening piece of music. There is some fantastic smooth camera work and nice panning up and down and side to side in several of the shots. I thought some of the editing in scenes was a little abrupt though, but it wasn’t too bad. Keep in mind, this is a first time feature from the brothers. The acting is okay nothing great but it’s about what I expected.

There were several really disappointing aspects about House Guest. It’s a real shame too because the guys got all the technical aspects right and used their budget wisely. I thought the opening scene was a little bit lame. I think the audience could have just been told there was a killer on the loose and not even shot an introductory scene to that, it may have given off more tension. I thought the score throughout the film was really cheesy, it had a game show type of vibe to it. The films two weakest points would be the action sequences and the character backgrounds and motivations. We never get an official introduction to anyone in the story, How do they know each other?, Did they have plans for any particular reason? The only connection we have is Jen and Rob Murphy who we know are brother and sister. The others probably weren’t important enough but I still think they needed some sort of development, especially the killer. I think the brothers also made an error with the trailer for the film. It gives far too much away about the details of the killer and the invasion, that it dampens any chance of twists and turns in the story. It left the film fairly plain and predictable.

Moreover, the suspense is non-existent. When you write a “killer” character with no real menace or screen presence it’s a slap in the face to the audience. I didn’t love Speakman in the role, he was okay but never really sold me on the fact that he was serious about what he was doing. His character was written as one-dimensional and therefore won’t command much respect from the viewer. The reactions from our young group prove he wasn’t very menacing at all. They don’t run, they don’t scream and they don’t fight back. There is a little bit of crying but that is about the extent of it. So I’m not sure who he was supposed to be scaring. I was hoping the film would make up for the underwhelming killer by having some good blood and gore effects or action. Sadly, neither of my expectations were met. The sound effects used in the “stomping” scene had timing issues and sounded really fake, like cartoon violence. There was only a small amount of blood and it didn’t really suit the kills that took place.

I was hoping for a little more with House Guest. I know it’s a relatively small budget, but I thought the action sequences and effects could have been done much better. I like the fact they didn’t resort to cheap CGI though. It’s a short running time of only 71 minutes, it’s technically well made and there are a few sequences worth watching. Maylin is a stunner, so it was nice to watch her get a good amount of screen time. I commend Jake and Brian on their first attempt at a feature film. Once again, I really appreciate the opportunity to view the film. I am interested to see what the guys do for their next film, there is always room for improvement. If you have a spare hour to kill check it out.

My rating for “House Guest” is 4.5/10

FORESIGHT: KILLER INSTINCT

First of all, I want to say thankyou to Duncan Cunningham, director of low-budget Aussie film “Foresight: Killer Instinct” for sending me an online screener of the film. The film is about a local psychic who is attacked in his home by corrupt detectives. His wife is killed and he is left for dead. Later he returns to exact revenge on all those who were involved. The film stars Duncan and Martin Cunningham and several others who are new to the business. This reminded me very much of two other low-budget troma films called “Fathers Day” and “Dear God No!”, this has that same grindhouse rough around the edges kind of feel to it.

Well what can I say about this. It really is just 90 minutes of pure randomness, it really doesn’t have much of a story. I suppose the revenge aspect is the main attraction for anyone wanting to watch this. For starters, the camera work is appalling. The opening scene is kind of in slow motion but static with heaps of shaking. Sadly it doesn’t get much better as it progresses with mostly up close camera work that makes you feel dizzy. Every time our main character has a psychic experience the camera goes berserk. There is absolute non stop profanity, which I don’t normally have an issue with if it’s in the context of the story. The mindset for the language in this was, lets just throw in as many f and c bombs as possible, it’s a bit classless and tacky even for a film of this nature. The performances and sounds of the actors voices were painfully over the top and really forced. To be fair, I think that was done on purpose but it doesn’t make for good viewing. All the lighting looks really dark and the colors appear to be washed out in several scenes. The editing leaves nothing to be desired either. There are way to many scenes of horrible random flashing imagery throughout the first half of the film, I can only assume they were supposed to be psychic experiences.

Moreover, none of the characters are likeable or portrayed with any type of realism. The way the cops talk is just too ridiculous to ever be believed. There are issues galore with the film, I won’t go into anymore details about it. I will say that I love the movie poster and artwork. I also think the audio is pretty clear, an important aspect in low-budget film making. I thought there were also a few good moments of genuine Aussie humour too. Generally I’m all for grindhouse and sleazy style filmmaking but an Australian version of something that American’s do best, was always going to be doomed from the start.

Once again, I want to show my gratitude by saying thanks to Duncan for sending me the screener of the film. Die hard low-budget sleaze fans might get something out of this that I couldn’t. Hopefully I get the chance to see a new and fresh idea from Duncan in the future, Sorry mate!

My rating for “Foresight: Killer Instinct” is 1/10

BLOOD RUSH

First of all I want to say thankyou to the director of “Blood Rush”, Evan Marlowe. I appreciate you sending me a screener of the film before its official release date. Blood Rush is a story about a small town that is overcome with the lust for blood. The towns people think the local witch doctor is to blame but they don’t know that he has a different agenda. The film stars Kerry Finlayson, Don Donnelley, Christy Lee Hughes and Helen Soraya. The film is set in LA and follows a group of girlfriends and one of their partners. They escape from a “zombie” outbreak in the city. It’s not exactly zombies but I suppose it’s the closest thing to label them as.

It’s a pretty conventional setup for an outbreak type of horror flick. There isn’t anything new here to separate this from the hundreds of other films of the genre. I really dig the poster artwork and the opening credits of the film. They reminded me of some films I like from the 80’s like Maniac Cop etc. I thought for the most part the audio was pretty loud and clear. The score fit nicely in places too, it’s probably a little overused though and therefore starts to get on your nerves after a while. Some of the zooming camera work is quiet effective and overall the prosthetics are commendable. However, I read somewhere that the film had around a $50,000 dollar budget. If so, I’m not quiet sure where the money went. Don’t judge me though, I’m a huge fan of low-budget films and some of my favourites have been made for less than $20,000. They managed to accomplish a lot more than Blood Rush ever did.

The opening scene throws us right into the middle of the start of the attack, or at least I think?? We never get an official explanation of the outbreak. Anyway, the camera is far to zoomed and close to the actors faces, it’s also being held at a strange angle. The opening 10 minutes is quiet shaky too. Those who know me know that camera and audio work are my two picky thing when it comes to low-budget films. The colors in this film seem really washed out, even during the daylight scenes, I’m not sure what happened. A lot of choppy editing and incredibly wooden acting (not in the good way), make it difficult to relate to any of the characters. The church scene dialogue had a lot of echo as well as the fact our characters are given some truly cheesy and poorly written lines.

I thought when it came to the story and the action sequences the film might have improved. Sadly the characters never evolve or develop. We only know a few minor details about our main group. The action sequences contain really lack lustre choreography and are missing sound effects. At one stage, I think someone gets hit with a shovel and there isn’t even a sound effect to accompany it, what was with that? I find it hard to believe that any of the money for this went to blood and gore or practical effects. I was really disappointed with the cringe worthy CGI blood that was used in several scenes. It reminded me of a film called “The Summer Of Massacre” which was a painful viewing experience. Considering the crew on Blood Rush did a solid job of the prosthetics I don’t know why they didn’t set up some practical gags. They clearly had the funds to be able to do it and just chose not too.

I tried really hard to get into Blood Rush. I gave it well over an hour but I couldn’t keep watching it. Zombie/outbreak films are difficult enough to do on a low-budget, but if you don’t get the core elements right and give the people what they want, there isn’t much room for movement. I appreciate Evan letting me view the film. I am a firm believer that there is always improvement in each attempt. I look forward to hopefully getting the chance to see what Evan does next. I think there is a lot to be learnt from “Blood Rush”, sadly it’s not something I would be recommending anytime soon. Saying that, if you like low-budget films you may find something in this that I didn’t.

My rating for “Blood Rush” is 2.5/10

THE DEVIL KNOWS HIS OWN

First of all I would like to thank Jason Hawkins, director of the psychological indie horror film “The Devil Knows His Own”, for allowing me to view the film before it’s official release cheers! The film is about Jessica and Ethan Ray, who have lost touch with each other over the years, after having experienced years of torment by their cruel grandmother. Their grandmother has just passed away so the siblings and their partners reunite at the house they grew up in to sort out the will. Shortly after they arrive at the house they begin to experience strange hallucinations. They are told by a priest that the house contains a malevolent force that feeds on the fears of those inside. This one stars Dara Davey, Patrick D.Green, Natasha Timpani and Alicia Rose.

This psychological horror is the third of Jason’s films. I haven’t seen any of his previous work, so this was a fresh look at a brand new director. I liked the casting choices he made for Jessica and Ethan, they had good chemistry as brother and sister. The film has some wonderful smooth camera work and mint editing. These two aspects are very rare in an indie horror film. For those who are wondering, I think this was made for around $50,000. I also really enjoyed most of the score, along with some of the harsh but effective sounds throughout the more suspenseful scenes. One particular scene was shot for shot edited and had a sound effect that built and built and made me jump right out of my seat. The introduction to Jessica and Ethan was really well written too. Each of them had a segment at the start of the film to build the basis of their characters before they cross paths with each other later in the film. It’s mostly conveyed through conversations with their partners that give us some insight into their childhood and upbringing. You get a nice look at the masks that the two were made to wear when they were younger, they were pretty scary looking things. The film has only a small amount of blood and gore (so don’t judge it from the artwork). A scene in the last 5 to 10 minutes has a character tearing layers of skin off his face, nasty stuff.

The Devil Knows His Own is not without its issues though. The technical aspects of the film are mostly commendable. However, the opening scene was very dark, I’m assuming this was on purpose. Otherwise there would be no reason to shoot Jessica’s face in the dark during her therapy session. I didn’t find that it added anything to the film or her character in being introduced that way. The dialogue is also very inconsistent. In the beginning I found it hard to hear a few things but in several other scenes the dialogue was pitchy and peaked out. It was most noticeable when someone was screaming. The acting for the most part is pretty good. A few of the scenes felt a little bit forced though. Ethan has a breakdown at one point and he has to get pretty emotional and I thought that it fell a little flat. At times it also feels a little disjointed, maybe a little unsure of what it wants to be. I wasn’t sure about the relevance of the white room with the drawings either. I can only assume it was a memory or maybe part of the house trying to manipulate our protagonists, I didn’t think it was all that clear. I can’t be too disappointed about the lack of scares and or gore because I now realise that wasn’t Jason’s aim with the story.

I think Devil Knows His Own has a lot of positive aspects that are really well done. I really liked the ending, I thought it was sad but disturbing in a really cool way. If you like slow-burn, psychological horror films more so than the blood and gore related flicks, this is definitely worth a watch. Everyone knows I call movies as they are, however films on a low-budget are difficult to get right. This one gets enough right to make it worth while, support Jason Hawkins and his future works.

My rating for “The Devil Knows His Own” is 5/10

Bang Bang You’re Dead     8/10

Bang Bang You’re Dead is a brilliantly crafted, realistic drama about high school bullying. Ben Foster delivers one of the best performances of his career as Trevor Adams. He is a young high school student with a bad reputation. He is constantly belittled and bullied by popular kids at his school. With the help of a teacher (played very well by Tom Cavanagh), Trevor attempts to fight back. This is the only “school shooting” or bullying film that I have ever seen that actually fully explores the topic. The actions are somewhat justified. Other than Bowling for Columbine this is the best school bullying film, fantastic work. “Bang Bang You’re Dead” is the title of a play that was performed in schools around the whole of America. It was used as an awareness to the severity of bullying and the effect it can have on those involved. The camera work, music and performances are wonderful.

Basketball Diaries   8/10

In 1995 the most authentic and raw portrayal of a drug addiction ever was depicted in a film called “The Basketball Diaries”. It’s just one of many drug theme films that have been made over the years. However, this is the only film to tackle it head on without the “hollywood aspect”. It’s just a downright gritty and realistic look at the effects on someone using hard drugs and becoming addicted to them. Jim Carroll wrote the original novel which was based on events from his own life. Leonardo Dicaprio blew everyone away at such a young age. He was able to carry this entire film with his own view of the characters actions and reasons for those actions. With a wonderful supporting cast and the most thought-provoking script of this subject matter, it will forever remain the most important drug film of our times.

BASEketball   8/10

15 years ago, comedy guru David Zucker released the smash hit sports comedy BASEketball. Trey Parker and Matt Stone played dimwitted best friends who invent a new sport, the hilarious performances make the film. With it’s “Dude Where’s My Car” style jokes and fantastic soundtrack you can’t help but acknowledge this super fun film. Yes I will admit it’s a guilty pleasure of mine but regardless it’s a really cool inventive game that they come up with. Reel Big Fish, a fantastic ska band also get some screen time with some of their great music. It’s just 90 minutes of the most fun you can have without taking your pants off!

Battle For Haditha    8/10

Nick Broomfield is a veteran of documentary style film making. His film “Battle For Haditha” is based on a true story about the investigation into a huge massacre of men, women and children in Iraq. They were allegedly shot by U.S marines in retaliation to a previous road side bombing that had killed American soldiers. This is such a powerful and incredibly sad story about war and it’s consequences. It’s shot documentary style but is still a  conventional film. The performances are fantastic, these actors seem like they have studied the military ways for months in preparation for the film. Elliot Ruiz as Captain Ramirez steals the show with several very heavy emotional scenes. The film covers things like the state of mind and the attitude’s involved with being able to get yourself up and rowdy to fight in a war. It’s not a one-sided view of things at all, everybody involved in the story gets plenty of screen time. It looks at the situation from all points of view, it’s the best film I have seen of this nature. If you have a choice between this and “Apocalypse Now” choose this…

The Baytown Outlaws   8/10

First time filmmaker Barry Battles presents us his fantastic film The Baytown Outlaws. It’s about 3 redneck brothers on the run from the law. They choose to help a woman save her godson from his abusive stepfather. This choice leads to various oddball characters coming after the trio trying to kill them. A wonderful cast that includes the likes of Billy Bob Thornton, Clayne Crawford, Andre Braugher and the stunning Eva Longoria. It has a sharp aesthetic look with some fantastic snappy editing and lots of great black comedy. Ultimately it’s an Action film though. You really get behind our protagonists even though you know they aren’t entirely good people. The various characters that chase the trio are wonderfully entertaining and you get that real southern vibe with the look of everything, the heat and the swamp it all looks great. The action sequences are what drive this film into a league of its own, it’s one of the best films of 2012.

Bedazzled     8.5/10

Harold Ramis, director of the heartfelt comedy “Groundhog Day” was also responsible for one of the best films at the turn of the century “Bedazzled”. The cast includes Brendan Fraser in his career best form, Elizabeth Hurley and Frances O’Connor play the other main roles. The story follows hopeless nerd Elliot Richards who meets the devil played by Hurley. He is able to grant 7 wishes in exchange for his soul. What a wonderful concept for a comedy. Completely original screenplay that contains some great 90’s music. Each dream sequence scenario has its own style of humour. Fraser plays all 7 parts with equal enthusiasm and really shows us what he is able to do when given a good script. Liz dressing up as everything from teacher to cop to devil looks fantastic. She delivers her best performance too. It’s a feel good movie with a great message, easily one of the absolute best comedies of our time.

Beetlejuice        8/10

I take you back 25 years to the early work’s of the wonderful Tim Burton. His film Beetlejuice stars Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton. Along with its wonderful ensemble cast it is truly a one of a kind. A crazy, zany original script from one of the best original filmmakers in Hollywood. Beetlejuice is played at absolute frenetic pace by Keaton, he looks fantastic and sounds horrible (haha). This film has a cult status about it probably due to its particular dark comedy and it’s odd-looking backdrops and strange set pieces. The performances are all solid, the score that made Burton one of the best is clearly evident too. If you like ghosts and exorcisms and really zany characters Beetlejuice is a must see and must own!

The Big Lebowski       8.5/10

Joel and Ethan Coen took the world by storm in 1998, with their amazingly clever and witty screenplay for the film The Big Lebowski. It tells the story of “Dude Lebowski” (played flawlessly by Jeff Bridges). Dude is mistaken for another Mr Lebowski, who is a millionaire businessman. Dude wants compensation for his ruined rug that was damaged when hired thugs came looking for him. He enlists his best friend Walter, a crass jew bowler (played perfectly by John Goodman), and their buddy Donny (Steve Buschemi). The film has a fantastic cast including the likes of Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Peter Stormare and John Turturro. This truly is one of a kind. It has a great mix of music, wonderful dark humour and great performances from everyone involved. The bowling scenes are really fun and the drug tripping scenes are crazy. This thing has Coen brothers all over it. It’s original, it’s witty and it’s clever. Other than the downfall of Vanilla Ice, it’s the best thing to come out of the 90’s!

The Blindside    8.5/10

The Blindside was at the top of the list for best films of 2009. It’s the true story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who went on to make it in the NFL as a first round draft pick. He was aided in achieving this with the help of a caring young mother and her family. This film has something in it for everyone. It’s not entirely a family drama nor is it a sport’s movie. It’s a movie about the true nature of human beings and what we are capable of doing against the most tremendous odds. Sandra Bullock delivers her best performance as Leigh Anne Tuohy, a wealthy mother of two living in a nice suburb with her husband and kids. She sees something in Michael and wants to guide him in the right direction. The film covers the importance of upbringing and family. The ugliness of racism is covered as well. It’s a film that has fantastic performances, a great message and shows the nature of some of the best people.

The Blood Diamond            8.5/10

Edward Zwick’s “The Blood Diamond” is absolutely mesmerizing. It tells the story of two men from different backgrounds. One a black fisherman living in one of the most dangerous parts of Africa. The other a white jewel smuggler from South Africa. The two team up to try to obtain the priceless diamond that several wealthy businessmen are after. This film has fantastic performances from Leonardo Dicaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly. It covers the Hutu and Tutsi people of Africa, and the gang related violence associated with drugs and weapons manufacturing and trading. At the same-time it’s a story of courage, hope and friendship. It’s wonderfully shot, beautifully scored and it stays with you long after the credits have rolled. It’s a tough watch but a very important and brilliant film.

Blood Simple      8.5/10

It should be no surprise that Joel and Ethan Coen appear in my top list again. This time with the 1984 Crime/Thriller “Blood Simple”. This is some of the earliest of The Coens work and also some of the best. It was one of the first modern crime/thriller’s surrounding affairs, private investigators and money. The film stars Frances McDormand, Jon Getz, Dan Hedaya and M Emmet Walsh as Loren Visser. The performances are really good. Walsh steals the show as the downright creepy, eerie Private Detective “Loren Visser”. It’s a slow building film with great nail-biting tension. The score and shooting style of the film are amazing, personal camera work, silhoutte style lighting and Polanski influenced sound effects. The last act of the film is particularly suspenseful and intense. For the most part it’s also very realistic. If not for a couple of dumb plot points and some information that gets left out, this would be about as good as you can get. Most definitely the best film of the genre for the 80’s.

Blue Velvet      8.5/10

In 1986, David Lynch made the world look up and take notice when he released his film “Blue Velvet”. The film stars Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Laura Dern and Dennis Hopper. With a mix of film noir/art house and suspense, it’s really in a league of its own. It can only be described as surrealism at it’s best. Wonderful lighting, great camera angles and a beautiful haunting score make this technically brilliant too. The screenplay is very well thought out. It’s a slow film that reveals itself layer by layer. What appears to be a straight forward crime story is anything but. The performances are commendable. Dennis Hopper as Frank Booth blows everyone else away. He plays the drug addicted and violent boyfriend of Rossellini’s character with absolute precision. He draws the audience in with every idiosyncrasy that his character possesses. By the end, everything is not at all straight forward or wrapped up. The film has a lot of room for interpretation and discussions. Love him or hate him, David Lynch is the master of his own fate and has a definitive style that is his and his only.

Boogie 3D        8/10

Boogie was not a film I would have expected to be in my top choices but it’s an absolute blast none the less. Based on a spanish comic book about a hired thug called “Boogie”  who weaves his way through a corrupt city with no regard for anyone but himself. He meets Marcia who is on the run from some pretty bad guys. While protecting Marcia, Boogie starts to develop a softer side and ends up falling for her. This has such a unique style and feel about it, it’s entirely comic book/cartoon style with plenty of action, blood and gore. The humour in the voice over dialogue really shines through too. It’s just 80 minutes of great fun, I love it!

Borat        8.5/10

Love him or hate him Sacha Baron Cohen’s mockumentary “Borat” is one of the single most hilarious and politically incorrect films ever made. Following up from his hit film “Ali G”, Cohen delivers non stop clever and witty dialogue throughout this trip across the United States as a report from Kazakhstan. He really brings the character of Borat to life. The best thing about the film is that no one is ever singled out, everyone is made fun of. Any possible stereotype you can think of is covered throughout the film. I’m one of those people who don’t find to many comedy films all that consistent. However, I can safely say that “Borat” is one of a kind and an absolute must own for any comedy fan.

Boy In The Striped Pyjamas      9/10

In 2008, Mark Herman came on the scene with his adaption of John Boyne’s novel “The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas”. The story is about a young boy and the friendship he forms with a jewish boy during World War 2. This is a unbelievable film with fantastic performances from Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis and of course Asa Butterfield. The rest of the young inexperienced cast are great too. It draws on every emotion and shows the unfair nature of being a child with no say or an understanding of why there is such hatred towards something or someone. It’s funny at times and it’s sad too but overall it’s just brilliant. The fact this film never won any awards for screenplay or acting is just a travesty, Hollywood screwed up big time that year. This is truly the best war/drama in a long time.

Boys Don’t Cry        8/10

In 1999, Kimberly Peirce’s “Boys Don’t Cry” gained critical acclaim. It depicted the true story of Brandon Teena, a transgendered teen who prefered to live life as a male identity even though she was actually born a female. With truly spectacular performances from Hilary Swank, Chloe Sevigny and Peter Sarsgaard and such a wonderfully adapted screen play, it’s no surprise this was highly praised. It’s shot with the appropriate amount of grit and also has some fantastic music. It’s even more powerful because it’s based on true events. It’s a story about learning to accept someone the way that they are, after all we are human beings made up of all the same parts. It’s very difficult to watch this in certain parts but it’s an important film and it’s told genuinely and honestly. Brilliant.

Brain Dead         8/10

Peter Jackson’s film from 1992 “Brain Dead” has pretty much been forgotten. In the wake of his Hollywood success people have forget about his roots and where he started. I’m not a big modern day Jackson fan but “Brain Dead” is truly one of a kind. Peter had a non-existent budget when he made this, yet somehow it delivers such entertainment value. It’s the most disgusting horror film of the last 30 years. Set in New Zealand, a young man’s mother is bitten by a rat-monkey, she gets sick and dies. Later she returns from the dead killing and eating just about everything in sight. This ridiculously over the top dark horror film is a blast. Some really funny stuff along with amazing practical blood and gore effects make this the biggest gross out film of the 90’s. It’s worth watching just for the lawnmower scene alone!

(For fans of Bad Taste and Adam, Chaplin)

Braveheart         8.5/10

Mel Gibson directed and starred in arguably the best film of 1995 “Braveheart”. The huge drama/biography about a Scottish commoner who begins a revolt and leads other Scots against the vicious English Hierarchy. I think this is one of Mel Gibson’s absolute best performances, the fact that he directs this as well is even more impressive. The battle scenes are epic and well choreographed. It’s very graphic nature is realistic but never relies on shock value to wow its audience. It’s a well written screenplay that oozes professionalism. As far as depicting the time period, it’s pretty close to a perfect film, it’s maybe a fraction to long thats is about the only criticism I have of it, it’s a must own!

(For fans of Centurion, Gladiator and King Arthur)

 Breathless         8/10

“Breathless” is a crime/drama independently released in 2012. The film stars Gina Gershon, Kelli Giddish and Ray Liotta. A texas housewife kills her husband after he has robbed a bank. With help from her friend, they attempt to hide the body from the local sheriff and get away with the money. I will be the first to admit I wouldn’t have ever expected this to be in my top films. However, it’s so well put together and well written with some great dark humour that I couldn’t help but commend it. This is very reminiscent of any one of the Coen Brothers films, that’s what I loved most about it. It has its own ideas but at the same time, If I didn’t know prior to watching, I would have sworn it was on of their films. There are solid performances along with some cool twists and turns. It’s also a one location, two camera’s type of film. These are the most clever types of films if they are done right. I’m not sure what’s with all the negativity about “Breathless”. I thought it was an underrated gem!

(For fans of Blood Simple, Fargo and Tape)

Brotherhood        8.5/10

In 2010, Director Will Canon stormed out of the blocks with his fantastic Crime/Thriller film “Brotherhood”. A fictional story about a fraternity initiation prank gone horribly wrong leading to disastrous consequences. This one has a fantastic bunch of up and coming young actors including Jon Foster, Trevor Morgan, Lou Taylor Pucci and Arlen Escarpeta. All of the performances are great. The screenplay is clever, it’s fast paced and full of twists and turns, many of which you won’t see coming. It’s a film about actions and consequences and how one decision can change everything. It’s shot well and everyone does a fantastic job at remaining in a high emotional state for the entire running time. There is a lot to be learnt from this film and if not for its excessive swearing and a few minor plot issues it would have been flawless. Everyone I have ever recommended this too has loved it!! The end was very clever too.

Brothers       8.5/10

This is Jim Sheridan’s version of the film “Brothers”, a 2009 remake of a 2004 european film. “Brothers” tells the story of Sam and Tommy, two brothers. Sam goes off to fight in the war while Tommy stays at home and looks after Sam’s wife Grace. Upon returning home and surviving a horrific ordeal, Sam loses his grip on reality and suspects his brother of cheating with his wife. What a fantastic emotional ride this film is. With a cast including Natalie Portman, Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Sam Shepard you wouldn’t expect anything less than perfection, and boy do they deliver! The score is beautiful and haunting, the camera work is very raw and personal. The screenplay was wonderfully adapted with a few little changes from the original film. A few absolute powerhouse performances in a few important scenes, along with the sheer emotional ride the film takes you on, make this a truly brilliant lesson in quality filmmaking.

Bully        9/10

Larry Clark’s extremely controversial 2001 film “Bully” is next on my list of great films. The film is based on a true story about a group of dysfunctional youths who choose to murder one of their friends who was a tormented boy that bullied them. It’s a tricky thing when you make a film based on a true story. You need to stay true to the real events but at the same time get that connection with the audience in the way you tell the story. Bully is truly brilliant in all aspects. With mind-blowing performances from the late great Brad Renfro along with Nick Stahl who delivers his career best performance as Bobby Kent (the bully). Along with such great character actors like Michael Pitt, Daniel Franzese, Rachel Miner, Bijou Phillips, Kelli Garner and Leo Fitzpatrick, it’s a wonderful ensemble. Nobody steals the show from anyone here, everyone brings their A game. The film is shot really personally, it’s gritty, it’s rough and it’s graphic and so it should be. This thing really happened, it’s a very disturbing look at society and the youth of today. The direction we are heading with the lack of parenting is evident here. This should have never happened, but I’m sure glad the film did!

Cabin In The Woods        9/10

Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon collaborate again here with the spectacular horror film “The Cabin In The Woods”. A completely original take on The Cabin In The Woods element of the horror genre. This film turns everything completely on its head, it pays wonderful homage to everything we have ever seen in a horror film but manages to be completely original in its own storytelling. It’s not to be taken to seriously and or questioned to a ridiculous extent. It has fantastic Whedon humour throughout the entire thing. An attractive and solid cast of actors and actresses. Plenty of twists and turns to go along with the blood and gore. The final act of the film will kick you in the butt and it will take your brain a few minutes to comprehend what you have just seen! It’s clever, it’s funny and the last third is a bloodbath. It’s a brilliant film of the genre, anyone who calls themselves a horror fan couldn’t possibly dislike this, it’s the best thing I have seen in many years.

Cabin Fever       8/10

Eli Roth’s directorial debut “Cabin Fever” has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. Is it the best film ever made? probably not, but it’s a damn fine first film from Roth. Back in 2002 nothing much had been done like this in modern filmmaking. Eli takes his love of films like Evil Dead and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the elements they possess and places them into his own little story. It’s about a group of college kids going to a cabin for the weekend. The group are being killed off by a flesh-eating bacteria. With a great young attractive cast and plenty of over the top humour and cheesy dialogue it’s exactly what you hope for. James DeBello and Giuseppe Andrews deliver the hilarious comedy aspect of the film. The karate busting kid was hilarious too! This is shot well and it sounds great. There is plenty of amazing practical blood and gore effects which always wins out over CGI. This is just great fun and Eli’s little cameo shows that he had a blast with this as much as I did!

Champions, The Mighty Ducks         8/10

It sounds kind of silly to put this Walt Disney film from 1992  “Champions” alongside some of the brilliant films over the years, but I’m still going too. “Champions” takes me back to my childhood and I definitely have a soft spot for it. I still think it’s a good fun screenplay with some good performances, I like Emilio Estevez a lot in this too. Everyone forgets that this boosted the career of Joshua Jackson (whom I also really like). It has that great 90’s vibe, with lots of cheesy dialogue and a predictable nature that these type of films have. I also played hockey for over 10 years and I think this film was what made me want to get involved in the sport, anyone who hasn’t seen this hasn’t lived!

Changeling     8.5/10

Clint Eastwood’s wonderful film “The Changeling” is based on a true story. It’s about a grief striken mother that takes on the entire LAPD after he child goes missing. Her young son is replaced with a different boy and returned to her much to her displeasure. Angelina Jolie gives her greatest performance as Christine Collins. You can tell Jolie went to great lengths to research the real Collins and plays it as realistically as possible. Michael Kelly, John Malkovich and Jeffrey Donovan also give really solid performances. It is as authentic as they come, depicting the 20’s and 30’s with precision. Everything from the score to the costumes to the vehicles, everything looks stellar. With Eastwood behind the camera he has this ability to gauge the audience with such well developed characters. He gets us immersed in the story with absolute ease. Is there any wonder that this is a brilliant film and that Clint is close to the best in the business.

City Of God       8/10

A Portuguese film from 2002 called “City Of God” has to be in my top selection of films. It’s the story of two young boys growing up in the most violent neighbourhood in Rio De Janeiro. The two boys take different paths in life. One goes on to become a photographer and the other, one of the biggest drug dealers in Brazil. This film is the definition of heavy. It’s long, its harsh but it’s realistic in the most eye-opening ways. It’s hard to get an audience involved with such a heavy subject matter but this manages to be very thought-provoking. This makes me so grateful to live in the country that I do. These youths have no choice but to resort to dealing drugs and getting caught up in weapons dealing etc, its bred into them from such a young age. Violence is all they see, it’s all they know, take from others before they take from you. The performances are wonderful, the film looks dirty and gritty which is exactly how things would be. There is some hope in the story but ultimately it’s about the hand your dealt in life and some people never have a hope right from the start. The average life expectancy of a young male in Rio is 21. Think about that, watch the film.

(For fans of City Of Men and I Want To Be A Soldier

Cloverfield         8/10

In 2008, Matt Reeves and Drew Goddard presented us with one of the best monster movies ever made “Cloverfield”. Shot entirely from a handy-cam, found footage style. This survival flick puts us in the shoes of our group of characters trying to survive an attack in New York City. This is great thrill ride. The film had to be shot this way, if it was done “Hollywood” style, on a big epic scale it wouldn’t have worked anywhere near as well. The characters are all really likeable and you want them to survive, that was crucial for the story. Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J Miller and Michael Stahl-David make up our group. The details surrounding the attack are never fully revealed and I love that aspect. I was able to watch this film 2 or 3 times and get something new from it every time. The creature looks absolutely fantastic, it blends in really well. Completely CGI crafted creatures can look horrible but this one looks glorious and is gigantic. The twists and turns the story takes were really cool too. If not for some of the minor glitches in the plot and some details left untold this would have been even better. I love the ending and I’m really hoping for a sequel one of these days! This is one of the great monster movies of all time.

(For Fans of Godzilla and Pacific Rim)

Clue         8/10

1985 saw the film adaption of the popular board game “Cluedo”. I would have thought this would appear to be dated by now but it’s not. It holds up as one of the best crime/comedies of all time. Hilarious performances from all involved. No doubt Tim Curry as Wadsworth steals the show. His lines are delivered at break neck speed and with such precision and comedic timing, it’s brilliant. Michael Mckean, Christopher Lloyd, Madeline Kahn and Eileen Brennan make up the rest of the cast. It’s a story about blackmail, deceit and murder. It’s not to be taken too seriously, it has a Peter Sellers film vibe about it. I thought the set design was fantastic, the film looks and sounds great and the humour is really witty and is quiet consistent. I would love to see this remade in the near future, I love it!

(For fans of Sleuth and Weekend At Bernies)

Crash       8.5/10

This is of course the Paul Haggis film “Crash” not David Cronenberg’s controversial film of the same name. I can’t get over the people who labelled this film overrated and uninspiring. First of all it’s a film that covers every human emotion. There is a lot to be learnt from this film. Some of the topics that are covered include race, religion, sex, loss and redemption.  It’s nearly 10 years old, so back then nothing like this had been made. It’s formula of intersecting storylines hadn’t ever been done before. The cast alone is one of the best for any drama film that I’ve ever seen. It includes Don Cheadle, Brendan Fraser, Sandra Bullock, Michael Pena, Ryan Phillipe, Matt Dillon, Loretta Devine, Terrence Howard, Thandie Newton and the list goes on. Everyone pulls their weight and the performances alone, are reason enough to watch it. The score is hauntingly beautiful. Everyone is struggling with their own demons in this and it’s depicted perfectly throughout the acts of the film. I love this and there is something for everybody here.

(For fans of Crossing Over and 360)

Crawl        8.5/10

Twin brothers, Paul and Ben China’s Crime/Suspense film “Crawl” is likely to be the only Australian film to ever appear in my top section of films. This fantastic intensely written Crime/Thriller that’s in the vein of Blood Simple is just a lesson in pure tension filmmaking. Drawing on inspirations from Polanski, The Coen Brothers and Hitchcock the China’s have created their own original low-budget film. With minimal set designs and locations and only 3 main characters, the brothers manage to deliver the best Aussie film I have ever seen. This has fantastic cinematography and sound effects, great pacing and a truly eerie score. If not for a couple of small loose plot issues this would be the definition of a perfect suspense film. If Hitchcock were alive today he would throw a nod the brothers way.

(For fans of Blood Simple and No Country For Old Men)

The Cure      8/10

1995 seemed to be a pretty good year for films. Peter Horton’s “The Cure” is no exception to that. It stars Brad Renfro and Joseph Mazzello who play two young boys that are neighbours who quickly develop a friendship. Dexter has the AIDS disease and despite warnings from his mother, neighbour Eric continues his friendship with Dexter. The two hear about a doctor who may have found the cure for aids, so the two boys head off down the river to New Orleans looking for answers. This is just a wonderful heartfelt story about friendship. It’s humourous and it’s also sad at times. Both boys deliver fantastic performances. There is some wonderful cinematography throughout the film too. Ultimately it shows the innocence of children and the fact that friendship is so important regardless of someones situation. It’s such a great little independent movie that should have received far more recognition than it ever did.

(For fans of Lorenzo’s Oil and My Sisters Keeper)

UNDER THE BED

My good man Steven C. Miller, (director of “The Aggression Scale” and the fantastic “Silent Night” reboot), returns with his latest full length feature “Under The Bed”. UTB is a horror film about two brothers, Neal and Paulie Hausman (Jonny Weston and Gattlin Griffith), who team up to battle a terrifying creature that lives under their beds. The film also stars Peter Holden and Musetta Vander. The premise of this little indie horror flick is really cool and kind of takes me back to being a kid. It really has that 80’s Spielberg vibe with a more horror orientated basis.

It’s a very well acted film. The dynamic of the brothers and the ways in which they clash with their father (played by Holden) was very realistically portrayed. The majority of the film is carried by Jonny and Gattlin. The two have a little bit of acting experience but haven’t done anything like carry a film which was a risk. In the end it paid off because both of their performances were great, some good realistic dialogue in Eric Stolze’s writing would have helped them sell it. The films strongest aspect is the amazing score and clever use of effective sounds. It’s very tense in certain scenes throughout the film. And as the events start to escalate the score gets more hectic. I can remember 2 or 3 jump scares in particular that were fantastic. To accompany the sound of the film there is a great aesthetic look. Steven’s camera work has always been really solid. Independent filmmakers often get the rudimentary basics wrong and everything else falls apart. The technical aspect is half the battle. The use of smoke and fluorescent light when the creature threatens the boys was also very cool.

I thought the opening 5 or 10 minutes was a little slow, a few scenes lingered somewhat. Although I think it was more the confusing nature of why Neal was returning home and what had actually happened in the past, Why was he sent away? etc. Of course the details are revealed later in the film but some details at the start would have helped you get into it. The film has a fairly slow build up and not a lot of action until the last act of the film. I have read that people said the change in tone in the last act is really drastic and the film doesn’t know what it wants to be, I disagree. I think Steven has used the love of 80’s and 90’s creature feature films and crossed it with his love for intense and gore based horror. I think this knows exactly what it is. There were a few anti-climactic scenes here and there, just when things would build up and get interesting the camera would cut to a new scene, that was a little weak.

The last act of the film is the best. When the creature finally shows itself and the chase sequences begin, its great fun. The special effects are great. A couple of really well done kill scenes. One that really stands out as being mind-blowing (so to speak), I won’t spoil it for those who haven’t seen it. The creature looks pretty good, shame we didn’t see a bit more of it, but the saying that less is more probably applies here. The only disappointing thing about the last act was the build up with the chainsaw. Sadly it never amounted to anything, I was hoping to see a brutal decapitation or something effective with the chainsaw. “Under The Bed” achieves its suspenseful old school 80’s vibe. It has some really good acting and some great practical gore effects. Obviously the parents can’t see the creature and just think their sons are going crazy. Things in the story aren’t really explained all that well. However, with a good fun film like this every detail doesn’t have to surface for you to enjoy it.

Is it as good as Steven’s other films, Silent Night or The Aggression Scale? It’s hard to say because they are 3 different genre films. But I can tell you, all of Steven’s films are a blast, so check it out!

My rating for “Under The Bed” is 6/10

V/H/S/2 

V/H/S/2  is the sequel to last years V/H/S, an anthology horror film that was made up of several segments. I thought the original film was quiet good but it lacked a bit of punch and was a little inconsistent. This time around 7 directors created a 5 segment follow-up to last years film. Adam Wingard (You’re Next), Simon Barrett, writer of (You’re Next, A Horrible Way To Die) and Jason Eisener (Hobo With A Shotgun), were 3 of the directors I recognised directing segments here. Because this is an anthology film I will discuss each of the stories and then give it an overall assessment. There is a big cast list and due to the amount of people appearing in the stories, I won’t make mention of all their names (check the Imdb page).

The first segment “Tape 49” is directed by Barrett as well as the segment that follows. Tape 49 introduces the audience to two private investigators. They have been asked to search for a missing student. They break into his house looking for clues to his whereabouts. They find a whole collection of video tapes which they begin to sift through with hopes of finding clues about his disappearance. They realise there may be a darker motive behind the investigation. The audio in this segment was a little hard to hear. Obviously it’s found footage so that can be an issue. However, I liked the way it was shot and I think it was a great improvement on the opening 10 minutes of the original film. It doesn’t offer much in the way of the story though, we basically watch the tapes with the characters and that is pretty much the film.

“Phase 1 Clinical Trials” is the second segment. It is directed by Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett. Herman (Wingard) has just had an artificial eye implanted in his head, I assume he has been blinded or lost his eye in an accident, it’s never divulged though. Shortly after the operation he starts to experience haunting visions and hallucinations of some very scary things. Wingard’s acting in this is really solid, considering he is more comfortable behind the camera. There is wonderful use of sound effects in this segment. We get intense and loud heartbeats and lots of bass in the audio mix that builds the suspense really well. I like that the camera we see through is actually his eye, that was a really unique experience. The things that he can see are pretty damn scary, I jumped a few times. It’s a good one to watch late at night!

“A Ride In The Park” is the next part of the film. It’s the inevitable zombie portion of the anthology. Jay Saunders plays a young guy who is supposed to be at home with his girlfriend but has instead, decided to go for a bike ride in the park. While riding he stops to help a girl who is coughing up blood. Before he can help her he is bitten on the neck, what follows is one of the best POV (point of view) zombie shorts I have ever seen. I don’t want to give anything away about this segment because it’s really good fun. The makeup, prosthetics and gore are all fantastic. The action sequences are lengthy which is exactly what you want when things start to get hectic, I loved it.

As was get half way through, the film changes drastically in its mood and tempo with the segment called “Safe Haven”. I was well aware I was watching a movie during this part but I say beware to anyone who is a bit “squeezy” they may want to give this one a miss. It’s incredibly realistic and you have to continually tell yourself that it’s not real. This was directed by Timo Tjahjanto. Safe Haven follows a reporter, his assistant and the camera crew. They have the job of interviewing a very disturbing middle-aged man. I’m still not sure of what his role is or what his “society” represented. I am going to say that he is the head of a cult of some sort. He believes sacrificing himself and all his disciples etc, will lead to glory (or something to that effect), any who he is one crazy bastard! This is just downright vicious and brutal. It’s a very intense segment that doesnt let up. It has some truly graphic images, obviously it’s not something that could ever happen but it’s very heavy. I wasn’t sure what to think about it at first but it’s so professionally done, I couldn’t help but enjoy it. The prosthetic and gore effects are among the best I have ever seen in a horror related film.

The final story is called “Slumber Party Alien Abduction”. This one really appealed to my inner kid, mainly because of the real fun 80’s vibe I got from the plot. It’s basically about a bunch of kids having a sleepover and the brothers of the main girl are pretty much being little buggers (haha). They play a prank on the girls boyfriend but before he can get any revenge the group are attacked by aliens. This had a real M Night Shyamalan (Sixth Sense, Signs) feel about it, the suspense was fantastic. Even though the acting felt a little forced it had some good humour in a few scenes, the aliens looked fantastic and it gave me a few real frights with the sound editing. It was a bit of a disappointment to see the poor little dog in the wrong place at the wrong time though.

V/H/S/2 really works as an anthology film. I feel that any one of these segments could be made into a full length feature at some point. It’s the first consistent horror anthology that I have seen. I’m impressed that the aspects that made the original a little dull were fixed with this sequel. Overall, I love every one of the stories, it’s suspenseful, gory and a lot of fun. The final segment (which I haven’t mentioned), had some great blood and gore effects but not a lot else. The story is the beginning of the film and the end it was also the weakest of the bunch. If you decide to give one anthology a go at some point in your life, make sure that it’s V/H/S 2. It’s a fantastic addition to these types of films and just to horror in general.

My rating for “V/H/S/ 2” is 8/10

STATIC

“Static” is a new suspense/thriller from first time director Todd Levin. The film follows Jonathan and Addie Dade (played by Milo Ventimiglia and Sarah Shahi). The two are facing marital problems after the recent death of their young son. Their situation becomes more complicated with the arrival of a young woman at their door named Rachel (Sara Paxton). Rachel’s car has broken down and she is being stalked so she asks the Dade’s for help. All is not what it seems on this quant lakeside property.

I want to talk about the aesthetic look of this film because it’s very rare that a first time filmmaker get’s the incredibly polished look that this has. There is some beautiful still shots of the lake, the house and the countryside all in the opening scene. This is accompanied by a beautiful piece of piano music that we hear several times throughout the film. The set design and layout of the house is really old cottage style and it looked great. The personal up close camera work is fantastic too. It’s really intimate and helps add to the suspense when things start escalating. The sound effects are used carefully and creatively as well. From the chirping of crickets, to creaking doors and music through a cd player, it was great.

Moreover, I thought that the acting was really consistent and realistic. Milo and Sarah really do look like a married couple so kudos on the casting. Both performances require a level of subtlety and these two deliver that. The best thing about the writing is the connection you can make with the couple. They are going through the worst situation and nobody should have to experience it. Anybody who has, will know exactly how they feel. We get some nice flashbacks to their lives before the incident, it helps us to see what type of people they are. Initially things feel a little bit slow but it’s only a short time before the plot starts getting interesting. The score could have used a little bit of work during the stalking and chasing scenes, just to help make it more suspenseful. I wouldn’t describe this as a predictable film but I had my suspicions when I realised the masked strangers weren’t in any hurry to attack the couple. i figured there was more to the story then meets the eye. I’m not sure how else things could have been done to try to avoid that connection.

I think what Todd has created here is a great little indie suspense thriller. I commend him on the aesthetics and technical aspects I think they only need minor adjustments. I admire the ending and the confidence in taking a specific direction. However, I think it would have worked a little better as a pure home invasion movie. I really believed this couple and their chemistry, I also loved the masks the intruders wear. I congratulate Todd on a solid first film. This felt very similar but better than the foreign film called “Them”, crossed with another little indie gem called “The Frozen”. Two films I really liked and this one is every bit as good!

My rating for “Static” is 7/10

THE WORLD’S END

“The World’s End” is the third and final part of director, Edgar Wright’s series of films involving actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz). Pegg plays Gary King, the once fearless leader of a group of misfit highschool friends. The group consists of Gary, Oliver (Martin Freeman), Peter (Eddie Marsan), Steven (Paddy Considine) and Andrew (Nick Frost). As teenagers the group attempted to complete a 12 hotel pub crawl in the quant little town they grew up in. They could only complete 9 of the different pubs. Now years later as adults they have reunited in the hopes of finishing the entire pub crawl. I say they, it’s mostly Gary’s idea. Everybody else in the group has a job and a family life except for Gary so he’s clinging to the notion that he will have made something of himself if he completes the pub crawl. Gary and the gang return to the small town but they have no idea whats in store for them until it’s to late.

I was a big fan of Hot Fuzz (the last film of Wright’s, that had Pegg and Frost together). I thought it would be interesting to see what these two would get up to in the final chapter of the series of films. Pegg and Frost definitely steal the show in this one. There characters have such different personalities and naturally that causes them to clash. They clash in the best kind of way, there is a bunch of quick-witted and humorous back and forth dialogue between them. I don’t want to ruin any of the laughs for people who haven’t seen the film, but its a funny one that’s for sure! It’s really well shot too. It’s brisk pacing and clever script make for a very entertaining film. The rest of the group has their moments as well, the best stuff comes out when the entire group are in the scene together though. The movie has a sci-fi element when robots start taking over the town. The second half of the film feels more like a cheesy 80’s action film.

I thought I would have a difficult time relating to this idea because I’m not a drinker. The pub crawl isn’t really the heart and soul of the story or even that much of the comedic aspect. It’s more about humans and the mistakes we make. The fact that we all need friends to help us through life. Of course this is all shown in fairly random and obscure comedic moments, but none the less I found it easy to enjoy. The sci-fi aspect of the film was pretty good as well, although this would have worked just as well as a pure comedy. I didn’t like that the robots blood was blue and that they could be decapitated and still attack you, that’s taking “stupid” a bit too far. The action sequences were pretty cool so I think if the blood was red, it could have made for a truly gory element to accompany the comedy. The last ten minutes of the film was a little long-winded too and I thought it would have ended with the group all together that was a bit of a disappointment.

The small issues aside and for what it is, this is a very good film. Frost and Pegg’s chemistry has always been great and that shines through again in this film. It’s a little crass in a few spots with certain jokes but it’s very witty and genuinely funnier then most of the comedies I’ve seen in the last 18 months. This is exactly what Seth Rogan and Adam Goldberg’s film “This Is The End” should have been. Sadly Americans have never been as funny as the English and that’s glaringly obvious if you look at both of these films. Check out The World’s End!

My rating for “The World’s End” is 7/10

STOKER

Chan-wook Park, director of “Old Boy” takes on his first American film called “Stoker”. The script was written by Wentworth Miller (star of the tv series Prison Break). I have heard many fantastic thing’s about Old Boy and Park’s directing style. I’m looking forward to eventually watching the aforementioned. Stoker is about a young woman named “India”, played by the young actress Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland, Lawless). After her father passes away, Her uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode), who India never knew about comes to live with her and her mother Evelyn, played by Nicole Kidman. Over time India becomes suspicious with the mystery surrounding Charlie and what his ulterior motives might be for coming into India’s life.

The film has a really solid cast, sadly we don’t see the potential of Nicole or Mia’s acting ability due to the writing of their respective characters. Matthew Goode does a solid job as Charlie, he seems a little vacant at times but that’s probably due to the mystery of the character. Chan has created some fantastic sound effects here. Throughout the course of the film we get indistinct dialogue at times as well as the sound of a metronome and classical opera on the radio. Combine this with the great use of natural light and shadows in certain shots and you get a very atmospheric film. However, this feeling evaporates as quickly as it begins.

The structure of the scenes is incredibly poorly executed. It’s thrown together without any continuity or separation of events. The narration in the beginning is something meant to be profound and artistic but comes off as simply trait. A girl who is that young hasn’t had the life experience to understand her place in the world yet. People commend the camera work, which I thought was horrible. The steady-cam shots were anything but steady. Single frame shots were even shaky. Slow motion is used several times during the film, not for any real purpose other than to add to the “artistic” aesthetic look of things. The score is completely generic, a mix between something you would hear in a Michael Haneke (Cache) or Steven Soderbergh (Side Effects) film. It was also labelled a “slow burn” film, its honestly that slow that I felt it actually stop moving at some point. This matter is made even worse by its painfully predictable second and third acts that you could see coming ten minutes into the film.

The most frustrating aspect about the entire thing is the lack in realistic and obvious questions one would have. Questions are never asked by any of the characters and therefore answers are never given. India doesn’t know she ever had an uncle. I can handle that, even with the flashbacks showing her and her father were close. I can understand if he was ashamed of his brother that’s realistic. However, when Uncle Charlie arrives at the family home surely India would question her mother about who he is? Something like “Did you know about him?” or “What happened? Why didn’t dad ever tell me about him because we were close?”, she never even asks a single question and It doesn’t end there.

After a conversation with Charlie, the head maid of the household disappears indefinitely.  You’d think someone would mention the maid at some point wouldn’t you? At one point Evelyn (Kidman) says something about the maid because she herself has no experience in cooking, then they just pretend the maid never existed, it’s laughably bad. Not a single aspect of anything to do with the characters in this film is ever questioned or answered. It makes it impossible to watch or to have the possibility of connecting to any of these characters. Once India finds out the unbelievably obvious nature of Uncle Charlie she then has sexual fantasies about the people he has killed while pleasuring herself, that makes sense.. yeah right. I don’t find any artistic merit in seeing something like that, I just think it’s sick and not a positive thing to be depicting in a film. I know the young girl is a little strange right from the beginning due to her father passing away but her sudden change is without warning. Sadly, her ability to not question a single thing and then think “oh it’s okay, he’s just killing people, it’s completely normal” is just utter garbage.

This is pretty poorly acted, incredibly slow and overly arty and for the sake of what? It accomplishes nothing. I still can’t get over how underwhelming this film really was, I’ve never been so disappointed. It felt like a terrible cross between “The Talented Mr Ripley” and whatever Lars Von Trier (Antichrist) is passing off as art these days. I can’t get over the glowing reviews this film has received. Honestly, I don’t say this to often but don’t waste your time it’s 100 minutes you will never get back again.

My rating for “Stoker” is 2/10

THE PURGE

James DeMonaco directed “Staten Island” which was a very impressive crime drama film with Ethan Hawke a few years ago. James and Ethan have joined forces again with a new suspense/thriller called “The Purge”. This was one of my most highly anticipated films of 2013. Over the past few months I have heard mostly mixed reviews and or no constructive criticism from other film reviewers about this one. The Purge is set in the near future with new founding fathers in the United States. Crime rates and unemployment are at an all time low due to the mandatory annual purge. A 12 hour period once a year, where any and all crime is legalized and emergency services are put on hold. We are introduced to the Sandin family in the beginning of the film. James (played by Ethan Hawke) and his wife Mary (Lena Headey from Game Of Thrones) and their two kids 16-year-old Zoey and her younger brother Charlie.

The family is preparing to have a quiet night inside there house, while everyone else cleanses their souls by taking part in the Purge. James sells security systems for a living, and has sold the same system that’s in his house to the rest of the suburb which is a gated community. Charlie is just a young boy who doesn’t really comprehend the purpose of the purge, he just see’s the violence and doesn’t think its right. Just as the family is settling down and relaxing preparing to wait it out, a young black man on the streets is calling out for help. Charlie realises that the man will probably be killed if he doesn’t help him, so he opens the security system and lets the young man inside. What follows is a wonderful cat and mouse game between young preppy college students wielding knives and guns and The Sandin family. The group who are led by “The Polite Leader” played with real enthusiasm by Aussie lad Rhys Wakefield, attempt to break into the house to kill the stranger who apparently killed one of their groups members.

I enjoyed watching James (Hawke) as the head of the house. Lately Ethan has been doing a bunch of genre films that have taken him out of his comfort zone and he really seems to flourish. Headey is very good as well, her character is the voice of reason and the moral focal point. It’s really Wakefield though that steals the show. We don’t know anything about this strangely polite yet menacing young man, much like the intruders in Michael Haneke’s brilliant film “Funny Games”. Rhys brings charisma to the role and at the same time such an eerie quality about the mystery surrounding his character. Did I mention the gimmicky mask element. I don’t care what anyone says, that look is effective and gives the audience very little comfort and that’s a good thing in a film of this nature.

I really liked the intro narrative, we are given some information on how The Purge has come to exist. The warnings and sirens were good too, I sensed a really eerie feeling. The films really close personal camera work helps put you in the shoes of the family. Accompanied by a great suspenseful score the end product is a fun thrill ride on this most dark of nights. I like it that our characters make realistic choices and experience real consequences to those choices. That doesn’t normally occur in films of this nature. People are saying that because of some of the family’s actions, they are in fact no better than the people taking part in the purge. I disagree, if your house, the place your supposed to feel most comfortable is under threat or your family is in danger most people will go to great lengths to protect that. There are a bunch of great jump scares throughout the movie too, another gimmick that’s taken full advantage of. The typical expected twist was not so expected this time around, I was actually surprised. I probably shouldn’t have been but I was.

Honestly, there isn’t to many bad things to say about this film. I think Charlie’s whole robot toy scenario and the fact it takes precedence in a few of the scenes was a little bit lame and it took me out of the film for a moment or two. The melodramatic teen love bit that plays out like an episode of the OC probably wasn’t need either. I guess the director tried to create another layer to the secondary characters. I also thought that our group of kids probably get inside the house a little to easy. With James (Hawke) as a security sales rep they could have made it a little more difficult with a more full proof system. The fact that the young son knows the security code is fairly weak too. If the Sandin family were that serious about keeping safe on the night of the purge only James would have the code.

Moreover, the young black man’s role in the film was a bit too predictable. They tried to mix it up with a twist to his character at the end but I saw most of the twists and turns coming. As well as that, he is also stabbed or shot (can’t remember), earlier in the film. Yet by the final act his wound isn’t bleeding anymore, not sure what happened there. They could have clarified that part a little bit better.

This entire concept is pretty farfetched and we are not likely to see anything like this in the near future (haha). However, for an entertaining and original idea along with the little dig the film has at Political officials and government surveillance and security etc, is quiet clever. After all, we do live in a big brother world and are constantly being watched. The message from this is like saying if you had one night a year for all illegal activity, no other crimes would be committed for the rest of the year. We know this isn’t true so therefore it falls a little flat in that sense. This is just 85 minutes of fast paced, suspenseful fun with some great action sequences. I like the fact this wasn’t overly violent nor does it rely on shock value, most of the fun was in the build up not the climax. The performances are good and the masks looked great. I can’t wait for The Purge 2!

My rating for “The Purge” is 7.5/10

THE CALL

Brad Anderson, director of “The Machinist” and “The Vanishing On 7th Street” returns to feature film with “The Call”. It stars Halle Berry as “Jordan Turner”, who is an experienced 911 operator that takes emergency calls. She takes a life altering call from a young girl claiming to have been abducted. Jordan has to confront her fears and insecurities in hopes of stopping a mysterious killer. Abigail Breslin (My Sisters Keeper, The Ultimate Gift) plays “Casey Weson” the abductee. The cast also includes Morris Chestnut, Michael Eklund and Michael Imperioli.

It’s a great cast here, Halle Berry immerses herself in the role of Jordan, who is normally very confident but when things change she has to step up. I like the fact that she has to dig deep and find something in herself to overcome her fear of the unknown. The acting across the board is really solid. Breslin’s character is in a high emotional state for most of the film and she plays it well. The standout for me though has to be Michael Eklund as “Michael Foster” the abductor. He puts on a real show, ranging from a calm mental state to intense and frenzy in a split second, I really liked his performance. The introduction to the aspects of whats involved in Jordan’s job was really insightful. The film is shot very nicely and the suspense in the opening abduction act was palpable.

However, it doesn’t sustain that tension as the film progresses, it gets a little Hollywood (for lack of a better word). A much-needed suspenseful score was probably the key in getting that atmosphere in the second and third acts. There are several plot holes in the film as well. A scene involving Imperioli’s character stumbling across a suspicious car that happens to be holding Casey (Breslin). He thinks that it’s a little odd so he does the right thing and calls the police but he does so sitting out in the open in a car park adjacent from the vehicle in question. That’s just dumb. If you think it could be a dangerous situation you could at least drive a few hundred metres away before making the call. The abductor wouldn’t leave things that can be used to attract attention for help either. Yet for some reason in the boot there are several tins of paint and a screwdriver. Is this guy kidnapping young women, or painting a house? I’m not sure (haha).

The aforementioned aspects are probably needed to aid in the development of the plot. I just didn’t think they were overly realistic. This is a fairly by the numbers and predictable film but it’s definitely still a fun one. The performances and development in the story are its two strongest attributes. It holds its momentum for most of the running time, although the ending is a little anti-climactic. Jordan just happens to stumble across a hidden manhole cover. I’m not saying it’s not a possibility that it could happen especially when it’s not even hidden that well. But I suppose that’s my point. Your trying your best to evade emergency services and you don’t hide your trap door properly, I think you’d be more vigilant wouldn’t you?

The Call is pretty much a cross between “Brake” a film with Stephen Dorff. It was about a man stuck in the boot of a car, along with “Chained”, a horror film about kidnapping. The Call is pretty predictable and there are some dumb actions to progress this story but ultimately it’s not to be taken to seriously. It’s easy and it’s fun. I was impressed that this wasn’t bogged down with the “Hollywood” aspect and that it was a little more gritty than I had first expected.

My rating for “The Call” is 6/10

TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 3D

John Luessenhop, director of the film “Takers” was given the opportunity to reboot the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. The film is a genuine follow-up and sequel to the 1974 original. It stars Alexandra Daddario as “Heather Miller” our main character and connection to the original Sawyer family. The film also stars Trey Songz, Scott Eastwood, Tania Raymonde and Shaun Sipos. We get a little nod to the original film by the return of Bill Moseley as “Drayton Sawyer” and Gunnar Hansen (originally leatherface in the 74 film) as “Boss Sawyer” another relative. These two appear in the opening 7 or 8 minutes of the film, that was a nice touch.

The story is about Heather (Daddario), who finds out that she is adopted and receives a letter informing her of her grandmothers passing. The letter tells her she has inherited a house in Texas and needs to come and discuss the matter. Along with her boyfriend Ryan (Songz), her best friend “Nikki” (Raymonde) and their other friend “Kenny” they set off across the country. Shortly after leaving they decide to help out a hitchhiker named “Darryl” (Sipos), who is needing to go towards Texas. This is another little nod to the hitchhiking scenes in both the original and 2003 remake. It’s not long after Heather arrives and the carnage starts, Leatherface is living in the basement of the house. He has lost his entire family and doesn’t know who these people are that are invading his house.

First off, I like the various nods that pay homage to the original 1974 film and even the 03 remake. It’s a very well shot film, good steady cam work. We also get some ceiling cameras and some lingering shots of empty hallways and rooms, that helped build the suspense. Some really cool homage shots like Nikki’s buttocks as she is walking up to the house, (straight out of the original film). As well as the inclusion of the slaughterhouse scene in the final act, that was great to see as well. I also really enjoyed the score and we all know the signature trait for the TCM franchise is the very creepy theme that’s been used in nearly all the films. I was glad to see they used it again here. I thought the girls looked stunning and they seemed to have genuine chemistry. As far as the acting goes I don’t think anyone had to test themselves all that much. I think the standout was Daddario, her character has the most emotional ups and downs and you can feel for her because she is innocent. I thought it was a little weak that she wasn’t more shocked with the fact that Leatherface existed, after all that’s a scary notion.

The kill scenes overall were pretty impressive too. I thought the opening bludgeoning scene was a bit lack lustre, all the build up for not much of a result. Once again though it was paying homage to the first kill scene in the original. Thankfully, as the movie rolls on we get some fantastic kills involving the chainsaw. One scene in the basement and the other in the slaughterhouse were the two that stood out as particularly impressive.

However it’s difficult to ignore the glaringly obvious issues with the film’s timeline. It’s been said many times before in other reviews and for hardcore fans of the original, it can be noticed immediately. If your new to the franchise it’s probably not going to bother you. This could never be a perfect film and loses merit based on this aspect. Heather, who is a baby in 1974 should probably be around 39 or 40 in present day 2013 right? That’s pretty much the consensus. The fact that Heather is only supposed to be 21 or 22 in this, isn’t credible at all and its stretching the boundaries of imagination. The one thing Luessenhop didn’t do (maybe a saving grace) was put 1974 and or 2013 into the actual frame. People are still smart enough to work that out though, with our technology it looks very modern-day. I think the two options were to cast a 35-40 year old in the role of Heather and risk losing your target audience. Secondly, the better option would be to have set the film around 2000. It’s a genuine sequel and could have been believable that way. People are giving really scathing reviews because of this mistake.

I’m not too sure about the details with Leatherface’s real name being “Jed”. I know Jed was the name of the little boy in the 2003 film, but I’m not sure how that fits into this. I don’t ever remember Sheriff Hoyt (sheriff from the 03 film) or anyone else calling him that. The details on Jed and his Grandmother escaping the fire at the beginning was very vague too. The addition of a scene depicting that would have made more sense, rather than things just being presumed. Some of the details surrounding the events and background information can get a little bit hazy. Leatherface definitely had a different look and feel about him. I didn’t necessarily dislike that, it was just very different to what I was expecting. The suspense that was created in the 2003 film (one of my favourites) just didn’t shine through in this one though. However, I really liked the last act and the cool little twist. This isn’t the type of franchise that normally has a twist so I thought that was original.

The way people were talking about this over the last few months I was expecting the absolute worst. I was impressed with the twist, to think all of it could have been avoided with one easy decision was unique. Its got some good blood and gore it’s really fast paced and it’s just fun. Yes I know the film has timeline issues galore and therefore it could never been a top-notch horror film or sequel. These types of films always follow the same formality e.g the unimportant one-dimensional group of friends that are just there to be killed off. I know this, I have come to expect it. I was happy enough with what I saw and I’m looking forward to getting the 3D version!

My rating for “Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D” is 6/10

SLEDGE

First of all, I have to say a massive thankyou to Kristian Hanson and John B Sovie who are the writers and directors of this low-budget slasher flick called “Sledge”. Kristian was kind enough to send me a screener of the film a few months ago. I haven’t watched it a second time as I have been busy watching other films, so I apologise if I make any mistakes in this review. I think I remember the film pretty well so I should be right (haha). The film stars mostly friends of John’s that include Dustin Bowman, Travis Hanson, Stephanie Tupper, Tina Faygo and of course the writer Kristian as “Adam Lynch”. This tale tells the story of “Adam Lynch” who is a crazy horror movie fan who has lost his grip on reality. He believes he’s in a video game of sorts. A young group of teens go camping in the woods only to discover Adam is stalking them and looking to do what he knows best, kill.

I know what your thinking, this sounds like the plot description for every other slasher film over the last 30 years. You’re right this is! It knows exactly what it is and doesn’t shy away from letting you know that. After talking with Kristian for the last few months I have gained more of an insight into what he was aiming for when he wrote this. For example this slasher is made on a shoestring budget. 800 dollars for actually shooting the film and approximately $1,200 in flights around the US. A total of $2,000 was spent on this film. Have you ever tried to purchase a motor vehicle for that type of money? You know what you get? Rubbish, I’m happy to say that’s not the case with Sledge.

We get a funny little introduction to the movie through a tv program called “Assly’s True American Horror” which shows your slasher movie of the week type of deal. A young woman sits back and watches the events that occur to our group of teens in the woods as they unfold. This is a clever little nod to the movie within a movie concept, I liked it. The entire cast does a very solid job, keep in mind these are people who have little to no acting experience and did it for the love of the genre. The audio for the most part is pretty good, it always seems to be an issue with low-budget horror films. Though several times it’s difficult to hear the one liners and banter from our killer, due to the mask muffling the clarity of the dialogue. It’s also shot very professionally, nice still shots and close personal camera work. Nothing ever appeared to be shaky. However, the editing was a little ugly in a few places and could just use a bit of smoothing out.

Some of the comedy throughout the film was solid too. I thought the references to some of our favourite films from years past (not necessarily horror either) were pretty funny. Adam Lynch’s one liners like ” I’ll just go around the other way and get you” were great. A few jokes pushed the boundary of political correctness and fell a little flat. A few issues with the lighting in the night scenes needed some work too, but the daytime shots looked glorious. Most of the film actually takes place in the day, that was a really nice change of pace for the horror genre. I think we needed to see a higher body count and more action. This isn’t a reflection of the script or the ideas Kristian may have had. I think it mostly comes down to the budget, there were probably just to many limitations with what could be achieved with such a small amount of money.

I spoke to Kristian several times about the kill sequences. They all take place off-screen and it’s just the aftermath that appears in the frame. I’ve seen low-budget films with amazing blood/gore and prosthetic effects but you still need money and a team of people with the know how to accomplish it. All the small issues aside, this film is just good fun. It’s production value is outstanding, the acting is solid and the humour in the character of Adam Lynch was something we don’t see in horror films these days. Kristian and John made the absolute most of what they had to work with.

If you’re a hardcore slasher fan and you like a few good laughs, you should check this out. Don’t expect a million dollar movie or critique it with that mindset, because you will be sorely disappointed. I would say that this is the best teen in the woods slasher film that could possibly be made for $2,000. You won’t see anything better. If you’re in LA check out the film festival premiere and if your elsewhere in the world, I guess you will just have to wait for Adam Lynch to come and get you!

My rating for “Sledge” is 5.5/10