Feast

Synopsis: The calm of an isolated, sleepy bar is broken when a stranger runs thru the doors carrying a shotgun and the head of something big and mean. He warns them that something is coming and that they had better prepare by locking the bar up tight. So begins the movie and the siege of the bar. What is outside and will anyone make it thru the night?

The Good: This is a great movie. The film moves along briskly, keeping the action and blood coming at you. There isn’t a wasted moment, which makes for an entertaining running time. The acting is perfect for this type of film, not too serious. It is pretty clear that the actors in this film know what they are doing, and in what kind of movie they are doing it in. Henry Rollins is especially good as a motivational speaker who has an incident involving the creatures and the loss of his pants. Finally I can’t say enough about the gore and special effects. This is an old school guy in a rubber suit kind of movie, and it is done to perfection. Not only are the creatures scary, but at times they are funny as well. I also believe that the cast was helped by actually having something on the set to play off of. The gore effects are also nearly perfect. Heads and legs come off and one of the actors slowly melts over the course of the last 2/3rds of the film. This is all done without the use of CGI. They just don’t put this sort of care into horror films anymore, and it is a damn shame.

The Bad: The worst that can be said about this film is it’s lack of budget shows at times. A couple of the characters go outside to get a truck for the group to make their escape. Things happen outside that we as the viewer don’t get to see. I felt a bit cheated by that.

The Score: 3.5 out of 4

This is a great “old school” style horror film. It is a must see for any fan! Go out an get it now!

Feel free to contact me at horrorfanreview@aol.com

After Sundown

Synopsis: The movie begins in 1883 in an old west town. We see the townsfolk arming and waiting on the arrival of someone, as well as another scene in which a woman is in labor. The thing about the woman is that she is clearly a vampire. After much mayhem we flash forward to the present day where a group of workers is moving an old cemetery so that a housing development can be built. Of course they find the body of the vampire woman and her child. After taking it back to the mortuary one of them pulls the stake from her chest and all hell starts to break loose.

The Good: The pacing of this film works very well. There isn’t a dull moment as the script moves the story along briskly. Much of the story is told in a series of flashbacks, which in many other films I’ve seen appear to be forced, but it is done here very well. The acting is quite good considering that this is a low budget horror film. I really enjoyed the take on the vampire myth, adding to it the ability to create and control zombies.

The Bad: The makeup effects on the two vampires are pretty bad. In the close-ups you can actually see the edges of the appliances, which is very distracting. Also the filmmakers chose to use CGI to add the gun flashes and didn’t follow them up with bullet hits on the zombies. It really looks awful, which given the rest of the film is a damn shame.

The Score: 2 out of 4

If you are a fan of low budget films I think that will enjoy this movie. It has its flaws, but there is talent as well as an interesting story to be told.

Feel free to contact me at horrorfanreview@aol.com

Let’s Scare Jessica to Death

Synopsis: A couple and a friend arrive in a small town to take over a farm that they have just purchased on a small isolated island in upstate New York. As soon as they arrive they meet a young woman that is staying in what she thought was an abandoned house. Strange things begin to happen as they begin to deal with the locals. We also find out that Jessica, the man’s wife has a history of mental health issues. What happens to them? Will they survive their stay?

The Good: The cinematography on this film is pretty good. There are some shots of the lake that look great. Another thing that the film has going for it is the location. The house and town that they filmed in is very creepy in that small town sort of way. Other than that there isn’t a whole lot going for this film.

The Bad: This isn’t a very good film. I can’t imagine that anyone could read the script and think that this film had to be made. The pacing is terrible, with many slow parts that will just bore you to tears. The logic of the characters or lack thereof boggles the mind. The dialog is laughable, and not in a good way. The acting is passable at best, and in some cases just not at all believable.

The Score: 1 out of 4

I consider myself a fan of horror films and I was looking forward to seeing this movie. Many very talented people have praised this film, including Stephen King. I was to say the least very disappointed.

Feel free to contact me at horrorfanreview@aol.com

Blood Diner

Synopsis: This film begins with two young boys playing in their living room when their uncle bursts thru the door. We find out that he is on the run from the police and has come to the boys to make sure that they will continue his work. After leaving them he is shot down. Flash forward twenty years to his nephews resurrecting him so that he may help them return the evil goddess Shitar to life. What follows is a twisted story of blood sacrifice, cannibalism, and torture. Are the boys successful or do they fail as their uncle did before them.

The Good: This is a really fun movie. If you are a fan of Herschell Gordon Lewis you are going to love this film. The gore is pretty well done and what isn’t works well with the comedic overtones of the film. The acting is a bit uneven, but again it works well in this movie. Some of the bits are incredibly funny, including an incident with a deep fryer and one of the victims. The movie is paced very well and the running time goes by without a lull in the action.

The Bad: At times Blood Diner can be a bit silly and over the top. This is the only reason that I didn’t give it a perfect score.

The Score: 3 out of 4

If you are looking for a serious horror film then this isn’t for you. But if you are looking for a good time then pick up a copy.

Feel free to contact me at horrorfanreview@aol.com

I'll have another review up on Saturday. You know I make my own deadlines and then miss them.......

Mulva Zombie ass kicker!

Synopsis: In this little film from Low Budget Pictures a frumpy chocolate obsessed girl and her morbidly obese friend do battle on Halloween night with the armies of the living dead. Along the way they manage to pick up a myriad of other characters including a guy in a monkey mask, and Bill Cosby obsessed neighbor who is played by a white guy in black face. Together they try to save Mulva’s Halloween.

The Good: Not a damn thing!

The Bad: Well for one the acting is just terrible. Not over the top or cheesy, but wooden and painfully amateurish at best. The story is lacking any real cohesiveness at all. It appears to be nothing more than a series of gags strung together loosely at best by the narrative of Mulva. Characters are introduced and then forgotten rapidly. The makeup effects are done poorly, even by the standards of a low budget movie. Not to mention that the sound drops in and out, making the dialog nearly impossible to understand at times, which in a way may be for the best.

The Score: 0 out of 4

Take my advice; don’t waste your time on this film!

Feel free to contact me at horrorfanreview@aol.com

Sars Wars: The Bangkok Zombie Crisis

Synopsis: Well I’m going to do my best to briefly describe the plot to this film. A wealthy young woman is kidnapped by a group of fairly inept criminals and secreted off to a large high-rise condominium. Her father seeks out the help of a mysterious old man, who himself sends his best student to rescue her. All while this is happening the Sars 4 virus breaks out in the building, which also houses a club populated by drug taking party kids. So everyone ends up locked in the building, which is quarantined by the government once they discover the Sars 4 outbreak, which by the way kills and turns its victims into zombies. Add to that a zombie cat’s tail and a mutant giant snake, and well all hell you get the idea.

The Good: Well this film isn’t boring. The “horror” aspects of this little gem are strictly played for laughs, and it does that well. The characters are funny, and they sneak many movie parodies into the story, but don’t linger on them. Over all the film is very tight and entertaining.

The Bad: CGI. I know that they are playing this for laughs, but the CGI is just terrible. I can understand the giant snake having to be CGI, but they also obviously used it to do many of the bullet hits. I mean how hard is it to use practical effects shots for bullet hits. The before mentioned snake is just terrible as well. It seems to me a bit more effort could have been made on the effects in this movie.

The Score: 1.5 out of 4

If you are a fan of Asian horror films you will probably like this one. Though at the current $25 cost I think it is a little pricey. If you aren’t a fan of Asian horror I would recommend staying away from this.

Feel free to contact me at horrorfanreview@aol.com

Evil Aliens

Synopsis: A crew from a television show head off to a small isolated island to investigate the reports of an alien abduction and pregnancy. Along for the ride are a couple of actors for a reenactment as well as a UFO “expert”. Do they get to the bottom of the mystery? More importantly will they survive their encounter with the Evil Aliens?

The Good: To begin with the cast is top notch. Many times when a Horror Sci-Fi comedy is made the actors will “ham” it up, this does not happen here. Along with that the filmmakers know that they are making a horror comedy, but they don’t hesitate on the horror aspects. No punches are pulled here; you get plenty of blood with your laughs. There was clearly a great deal of work involved with the Alien makeup effects and ship interiors because they look great!

The Bad: Sometimes I feel like I’m beating a dead horse here. The only complaints that I have about this movie involve the use of CGI effects. Really bad CGI effects! There are two shots in particular, one involving a ship crashing into a building. The other involves a gag with a piece of farm equipment chasing and catching aliens. These effects shots look terrible, and are noticeable enough to pull you away from what is happening in the movie.

The Score: 3 out of 4

This movie has yet to be released here in the United States yet. It is traveling around the country playing in limited runs in some of the larger cities. Check out the website to see if it coming anywhere near you. If it is really go out and see it, you won’t be disappointed.

Feel free to contact me at horrorfanreview@aol.com

The Redsin Tower

As an attendee of the Cinema Wasteland convention over the weekend of October 6th I was able to attend an advanced screening of the Redsin Tower from Toe Tag Pictures.

Synopsis: A group of friends decide to party at the supposedly haunted Redsin Tower when the cops break up the party they were going to attend. Included in this group are the requisite stoner, jock, as well as a pretty young woman who has just broken up with her boyfriend of 6 years. Will they survive the evening, or are they all doomed?

The Good: This film was clearly made by a group of really talented people. The acting is very good for a lower budget film, especially the female lead. Camera work and lighting are very well done, which gives this film the feel of a much larger budgeted product. I can’t say enough about the special effects in this film. They are outstanding! They stay away from CGI and do practical effects, including a particular scene involving a wrist and an axe that had me squirming in my seat.

The Bad: There are really only two issues that I have with the film. First it begins very slowly. It takes an hour for the main characters to actually arrive at the tower and for the action to start. I applaud the filmmaker’s attempt at character development, but it seemed a bit much. In addition to that the story can be a bit confusing at times. I’m not quite sure if they wanted this to be a ghost film or a “slasher” film. Also with the story it isn’t really clear how or why one of the characters towards the end makes this intuitive leap and knows how to save the day. I really don’t want to go into more detail and ruin the film, so I’ll keep it vague.

The Score: 2.5 out of 4

There are a few issues with this movie, but it is worth a viewing. The guys at Toe Tag pictures are very talented, and I’m looking forward to their next project. Keep an eye out for an advanced screening near you and check it out.

Feel free to contact me at horrorfanreview@aol.com

So this is something that I’ve been thinking about doing for quite a while now. You see I have two real passions in my life, writing and watching horror films. So I thought what the hell lets write reviews about the films that I watch. Since I had neither the skills to do a website or the time to learn I decided to use a blog to get it out on the net.