Category Archives: Horror
YellowBrickRoad Movie Review
YellowBrickRoad was essentially The Blair Witch Project revisited minus the shaky-cam. While it had some good ideas going forward, the execution of it was dismal at worst and mediocre at best.
Cast
Cassidy Freeman, the most recognizable star, stars as Erin Luger. Teddy Barnes, the leader of the expedition group, is played by Michael Laurino. Melissa Barnes is played by Anessa Ramsey. Clark Freeman stars as Daryl Luger. Liv McCann is played by Laura Heisler. Walter Myrick, the group psychologist, is played Alex Draper. Tara Giordano stars as Jill. Cy Banbridge is played by Sam Elmore. The Clerk/Usher of the movie theater is played by Lee Wilkof.
Plot
In 1940, in Friar, New Hampshire, the entire population of 572 people walked together up a winding hillside path and disappear except one. With the recording of the one person available, it gives incentive for an excursion group to explore the “YellowBrickRoad.” However, upon taking the winding path through the hillside, events don’t go as planned.
Review
This movie was severely lacking in the cast, the plot and the entire film in general. Overall, for those seeking anything resembling horror, look elsewhere as nothing is particularly salvageable in this film. With Cassidy Freeman killed early in the film, the rest of the cast lacked the talent or the charisma to carry the movie. The rest of the film essentially became fodder — and boring fodder at that.
Verdict (Out of 10)
YellowBrickRoad deserves a 1 out of 10. Cassidy Freeman salvaged this film, but without her, the film spiraled downward quickly.
Related articles
- Cassidy Freeman joins The Vampire Diaries (houseofvampires.wordpress.com)
Final Destination 5 Movie Review
Horror. Comedy. These two words pretty much sum up Final Destination 5 in a nutshell. The deaths are gruesome for certain, but the Rube Goldberg method in which the people die in this film is admittedly comedic. As a side note, Final Destination 5 is the prequel to the original Final Destination.
Cast
Nicholas D’Agosto plays Sam Lawton, the lead character in this film. Sam sees the original vision of the death of the entire group. His girlfriend, Molly Harper, is played by Emma Bell. Peter Friedkin, Sam’s best friend, is played by Miles Fisher. Nathan, Sam’s other friend, is played by Arlen Escarpeta. Ellen Wroe stars as Candice Hooper, and Olivia Castle is played by Jacqueline MacInnes Wood. Isaac Palmer, the tech support, is played by P.J. Byrne. The boss, Dennis, is played by David Koechner.
As for the other two characters, Agent Jim Black is played by Courtney B. Vance, and Tony Todd reprises his role as William Bludworth.
Plot
As Sam Lawton approaches the suspension-bridge in a van for a business group retreat, he has a vision of the death of the entire group with each member successively impaled, burned or other means. He warns them of the danger, and all of them escape. However, as they find out, they cannot cheat Death.
Review
This movie was definitely horror-comedy. The Rube Goldberg manners in which the members of the business group died was entertaining and comedic. Additionally, I wish to preface this review by saying that I have never seen any of the previous Final Destination movies. This movie does have some solid entertainment value, but it won’t any awards. It’s worth a rental but not much more than that.
Verdict (Out of 10)
This movie gets a 6 out of 10. It does have some salvageable entertainment value, but the cast and the plot won’t get any awards. That much is for certain.
Related articles
- FINAL DESTINATION 5 Blu-ray Review (collider.com)
- Final Destination 5, DVD review (telegraph.co.uk)
- Blu-ray Review: Final Destination 5 (blogcritics.org)
The Ward Movie Review
Since Ghosts of Mars, The Ward is John Carpenter‘s most recent full-length film about a ward of psychiatric patients dealing with a ghost of a little girl. This movie does provide some decent horror moments and an overall decent horror movie worthy of a watch. However, the horror in of itself is a bit antiquated (that is, from the 1980s).
Cast
Amber Heard stars as Kristen, the runaway who is captured and brought to the psychiatric ward for counseling. Mammie Gummer stars as Emily, one of the psychiatric patients. The other psychiatric patients are, as follows: Sarah is played by Danielle Panabaker; Laura Leigh stars as Zoey; Iris is played by Lyndsy Fonseca; and lastly, Sali Sayler stars as Tammy. Doctor Stringer is played by Jared Harris. Nurse Lundt is played Susanna Burney. Lastly, Ghost Alice is played by Jillian Kramer.
Plot
In 1966, in North Bend, Oregon, runaway Kristen is captured by police officers and brought to the North Bend Psychiatric Hospital for counseling after she had committed the crime of burning down a farmhouse. After the use of experimental therapy by Doctor Stringer, Kristen begins seeing a ghost of little girl, Alice. The ghost of Alice pursues each of the psychiatric patients in the hospital, torturing and killing each one until Kristen.
Review
This horror movie wasn’t half-bad, but it wasn’t fantastic either. If you’re a fan of 1980s horror movies, this film is a bit more enjoyable, but this horror movie does not present anything new. Amber Heard and Jared Harris played their parts well. The lackluster plot of this film is what ultimately brought it down however, but there are some jump-out-of-your-seat moments throughout this horror movie. (On a side note, if you can’t tolerate the rest of the film, please watch the surprise ending. It will make you surely jump, if just for that moment.)
Verdict (Out of 10)
This movie gets a 7 out of 10. This film has sufficient entertainment and horror value to make it worth watching. However, the plot and most of the horror elements are derivative.
Related articles
- John Carpenter’s The Ward (2010) (noeltanti.com)
- Top 10 American Horror Movie Rules (fringefiction.net)
- The Red Shoes (2005) Movie Review (fringefiction.net)
- Top 10 European Horror Movie Rules (fringefiction.net)
Shadow (2010) Movie Review
Survival horror. Psychological trauma. How does one cope with the tragedies of war while lying upon Death‘s doorstep? Shadow examines this.
Cast
Jake Muxworthy stars as David, the Iraq War veteran. Angelina, his friend, is played by Karina Testa. Fred, the hunter, is played by Ottaviano Blitch. Chris Coppola plays Buck, Fred’s friend. Nuot Arquint plays Mortis, the sadistic butcher.
Plot
Upon recommendation of a friend, a soldier bikes in Europe and finds a woman Angelina being harassed by a couple of hunters, Fred and Buck. In attempt to protect her, they find themselves being hunted — and then captured by a sadistic butcher. They eventually find a mean to escape, but it was too little too late.
Review
This hour-long movie had solid survival horror elements as it discussed the issue of post-traumatic syndrome. Mortis was solid as a sadistic butcher, and his presence was felt through the movie once introduced. However, David failed to capture the essence of a soldier in this movie. As the main character, he was the biggest flaw in the movie. Although this film had a few intense moments, it could have been much greater.
Verdict (Out of 10)
This movie deserved a 7 out of 10. Mortis was the only salvageable character of the film, and David did not possess enough charisma to hold the film or the necessary survival skills to be deemed a soldier.
Wind Chill Movie Review
Two college students return home for college during winter break. However, the driver is not as expected. An unfortunate crash does not help things either as they fight for survival and against wandering ghosts. Wind Chill was a good attempt at a horror movie, but this is more a retelling of the Woman in White story (see Supernatural: Season 1 for reference). (On a side note, for a better Woman in White experience, please watch What Lies Beneath instead.)
Cast
Emily Blunt stars as the Girl. Ashton Holmes stars as the Guy, or her classmate. The Highway Patrolman is played by Martin Donovan. Chelan Simmons stars as the Blonde Girl. Lastly, the Snowplow Driver is played by Ned Bellamy.
Plot
A young woman from a northeastern college seeks to return home from college to Delaware and takes a ride from a classmate of hers. They take Route 606 as a shortcut, but when their car gets run off the road by another, things only go downhill from there as they fight the bitter cold and ghosts of the past.
Review
This movie mirrors what movies in the past have done concerning the Woman in White ghost story. What Lies Beneath is one such movie (and much better done). However, instead of a professor like Harrison Ford, this one involved two college students. However, neither Emily Blunt or Ashton Holmes had enough charisma or acting chops to salvage this disaster of a film. The costumes for the ghosts were mediocre, if not laughable. The story failed to be engrossing at all.
Verdict (Out of 10)
This independent movie was quite a disaster. Neither Emily Blunt or Ashton Holmes could pull this movie out of the cold and into the fire…or is it vice versa? In any case, the verdict is a sad 2 out 10.
The Red Shoes (2005) Movie Review
A pair of red shoes.
A curse.
A child.
A pair of cursed red shoes drive this intense South Korean horror movie, but this simple prop has a deadly and twisted history behind it. The Red Shoes should not be missed for any fan of horror.
Cast
The cast basically consists of five major people. Sun-jae is played by Hye-su Kim. She is the woman who picks up the pair of red shoes in the train after the first incident involving the shoes. Park Yeon-ah plays Tae-su, Sun-jae’s daughter. Seong-su Kim plays In-cheol, Sun-jae’s boyfriend. Kim Mi-hee, Sun-jae’s friend, is played by Go Soo-hee. Lastly, Sung-joon, Sun-jae’s ex-husband, is played by Lee Eol.
Plot
One day on the subway, Sun-jae finds a pair of red shoes in a subway car. However, these shoes carry with it a deadly curse as it seeks to kill Sun-jae and her daughter Tae-su. As the mystery of the shoes unravels, ghosts of past owners begin to pursue her everywhere she walks, including her new apartment.
Review
This is one intense horror movie as one will lose time as the story deepens regarding these pair of red shoes. The gore is incredibly well done, and the ghosts mirror ghosts of typical Asian horror films (like Ringu). The simple tap-tap-tap of footsteps is immensely creepy in the subway as Sun-jae and other past owners wear the shoes. Those moments bring creepiness to a whole new level. In order to appreciate this film, one must enjoy horror movies, creepiness and simplicity.
Verdict (Out of 10)
This horror film, in my book, deserves a 9 out of 10. The ending is a bit ambiguous and thought-provoking as one must figure what the past events in the film ultimately led to and who Sun-jae is.
Related articles
- Top 10 Asian Horror Movie Rules (fringefiction.net)
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- Top 10 European Horror Movie Rules (fringefiction.net)
Parents (1989) Movie Review
Comedy. Horror. 1950s.
Parents is the directional debut by Bob Babalan of this cult comedy-horror film. It starts out slow but ends with a bang (literally).
Cast
Randy Quaid stars as Nick Laemle, the lab worker at Toxico. Mary Beth Hurt stars as Lily Laemle, his loving wife. Michael Laemle, their son or the “Boy,” is played by Bryan Madorsky. Sandy Dennis stars as Millie Dew, otherwise known aptly as the “Social Worker” in the film. Sheila Zellner, Michael’s “girlfriend,” is played by Juno Mills-Cockell, or London Juno.
Plot
When a couple arrives in 1954 suburban Massachusetts, Michael, their son, adapts to his new friends at school and their homelife. However, when he begins questioning the origins of their huge cuts of meat on the dinner table, his parents become less than responsive. Through nightmares and accidentally discoveries in the cellar, the situation ultimately boils and spills over in the family.
Review
The pacing of this film is incredibly slow through the first three quarters of this film. However, once Michael began exploring the cellar, the action and the horror picked up. There were nice tributes to The Shining throughout the film in Michael’s nightmares. Randy Quaid and Mary Beth Hurt played their parts extremely well, and the selection of 1950s music was appropriate. This movie had a certain element of campiness to it, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
(On a side note, in 1991, Bryan Madorsky earned the Saturn Award for this film, and in 1990, Randy Quaid earned the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead for this film.)
Verdict (Out of 10)
This movie is a diamond in the rough and deserves a 6.5 out of 10. The slow pacing through the first three quarters was the major flaw of the film. If the pacing was a tad quicker, this film would have been phenomenal.
Doghouse Movie Review
A guys weekend in the woods.
With beer, stogies and bull.
With zombies.
This British zombie horror comedy was a bit of a pleasant surprise. Although the comedy in of itself is not the caliber of Shaun of the Dead, it does have some comedic moments. This movie was too harshly criticized by the media and deserved a better reception.
Cast
Danny Dyer stars as Neil, the “ladies man” of the group. Vince, the divorcee, is played by Stephen Graham. Noel Clarke stars as Mikey. For those familiar with the revamped Doctor Who, he played Mickey Smith, the boyfriend of Rose Tyler. Graham is played by Emil Marwa. Lee Ingleby plays Matt. Keith-Lee Castle stars as Patrick. Banksy is played by Neil Maskell. The last man of the group is Sergeant Gavin Wright who is played by Terry Stone. Candy, the woman driver, is played by Christina Cole.
Plot
Since Vince is depressed after his divorce, his boys decide to take him to the quiet town of Moodley where the women outnumber the men 4 to 1. This trip was designed to make him forget about women — more importantly, his recent divorce. However, a classified biological virus in the detergent affects only the female population turning them into cannibalistic zombies. These female zombies have a thirst for flesh and only made Vince’s and the boys weekend a bit hairier than expected.
Review
This zombie horror comedy did have comedic moments throughout the film, but this movie is not quite the caliber of Shaun of the Dead. Most of the comedy is a bit misogynistic which may turn a lot of people off, but it was part of the “charm,” if you want to call it that, of the film. It is not a great film but an enjoyable one. Given the British star power, this zombie horror comedy was pulled off successfully. The problem lied in the ending which fell a bit short.
Verdict (Out of 10)
This movie is a diamond in the rough. Although most women won’t like the message, this zombie horror comedy is enjoyable when taken at face value. I give this movie a solid 8 out of 10. Like the guys in the film, it does have its flaws, but don’t judge it too harshly based on a few blemishes. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised.
Phase 7 Movie Review
Survival. Thriller. Comedy.
Three words about a film that typically don’t go together, but in this film, it does. This movie had unbound potential to top even [REC] in depth, frights and intensity, but it remained unusually subdued.
Cast
Daniel Hendler stars as Coco, the main protagonist and husband to Pipi. Pipi, the pregnant wife, is played by Jazmin Stuart. Yayo Guirdi stars as Horacio, the paranoid man living inside the apartment complex. Federico Luppi plays Zanutto, the old soldier and main antagonist of the film.
Plot
Inside a quarantined apartment complex in Argentina, Coco and Pipi seek to survive as their neighbors become increasingly volatile. The neighbors compete for food, medicine and weapons as the world around them succumbs to a mysterious flu pandemic. Coco is forced to rely on Horacio for assistance, but soon, he realizes death changes people around him. And death is a more potent instigator than the depletion of resources.
Review
This movie is potentially a tale of two halves. The first half of the film is very slow as the film introduces the residents of the apartment complex, their intentions and their personalities. The first half had some obvious comedic moments, but that soon dissipated. As the second half begun, however, the intensity and action increased as Zanutto posed a threat to everyone in the apartment. As the killings increased, Coco and Horacio had to rely on each other to survive. However, their survival instincts can only last so far.
Like other Spanish movies that commented on the dangers of war, this movie continuously had former President George Bush reiterate that all countries should work together in times of crisis in a speech on the television sets. However, within the apartment complex, it was a different story as each resident fought for survival. Working together lasted only so far as resources dwindle and people begin dying. As these deaths continue, both Coco and Horacio were unusually indifferent to the situation. Their indifference did not elicit any sympathy from me and removed any sympathy for them as protagonists of the film.
Verdict (Out of 10)
This movie had great potential, but it never took off the ground. It is a 6 out of 10.
Related articles
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- Phase 7 Comes Home to DVD (dreadcentral.com)
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