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After Dark Horrorfest: 8 Films to Die For III
As a new annual tradition, my boyfriend and I make an effort to see ALL After Dark Horrorfest movies in the theater (and it IS new, this is just year II for us).
http://www.horrorfestonline.com/ I'm not sure how many other people are doing the same, but if you are, let's post movie reviews, thoughts, recommendations, etc. Maybe talk about previous years' movies and the whatnot. I know that not all After Dark movies are great cinema per se, but I think that it's actually a pretty important medium to introduce indie cinema to the general public. I support the indie horror film maker all the way, for better or for worse (and I DO know that there is a worse - Mark and I currently have a deal with the Industry, knowing full well that, if we go into a movie without any expectations or knowledge of it, there is a good 70% change that it will be awful; I call it the 70% Deal). SO On to the MOVIES. My biggest complaint of the Fest so far is that, unfortunately, there aren't a whole lot of options for Horrorfest theaters. The closest one to us is in Revere, MA, which isn't even the arm pit of Massachusetts - no, it is the asshole of Massachusetts. After weeding through the insipid pedestrian cretins riddling the main lobby, we reached the designated horrorfest theater to see... Autopsy http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...rl/autopsy.jpg Hershel Gordon Lewis, eat your heart out. Literally. What began on a rather derivative and boring note (teens on Mardi Gras Break get into a car crash on their way home and are immediately taken to a backwoods hospital where the atmosphere is just... off) soon turned into a phantasmagorical promenade of blood, guts, and gore that made even the most jaded horror movie fan grin in veritable glee. I hesitate to describe this movie as "splatter punk" as it has a macabre element of exploitative realism that diverges from the over-the-top splatter humor that generally emerges from your classic splatter punk films (i.e. Evil Dead II or Dead Alive). Autopsy instead pays homage to classic schlock and Grindhouse cinema that came before - The innards and entrails of Hershel Gordon Lewis escalated to a level that, surprising, left both me and the boyfriend cringing - with happiness. The story is basic: Teens on break get kidnapped and taken to an abandoned hospital where they are tortured by a sadistic doctor (Robert Patrick, by the way, is BRILLIANT in this role), an iconic and creepy nurse (an obvious and well-done nod to the iconic Nurse Ratched), and two believably fearsome cronies (played with Grindhouse vigor and excellence by the veterans Michael Bowen and Robert LaSardo). But this is not just torture porn. While I was wary at first, Director Adam Gierasch has an obvious eye for composition and a mind for all schlock that has come before. Autopsy is a fun if not disturbing romp into the modern splatter genre with esoteric nods to influences that came before. What's truly impressive about this movie is not just the scenes of gore, but its surprising ability to maintain a high level of pure shock throughout the entire film. I was also impressed that amidst this Grindhouse homage, our antagonists are so well acted that they create a true atmosphere of fear and suspense - our villains were truly threatening. The downside: While this film was fantastically grotesque, it did take a while to get there. For the first half an hour or so, I thought that the director was overreaching, the story was derivative, and the atmosphere muted and ineffectual. In retrospect, these "gaffs" were obviously intentional and meant to purposefully surprise the viewer when the actually horror sets in (both the gore AND the suspense). WARNING: Not for the faint of heart. There was some TRULY disturbing imagery in there. However, if you're a fan of Grindhouse, schlock, splatterpunk, Hershel Gordon Lewis, etc. - Then this movie will absolutely delight you. It is SO refreshing to see modern filmmakers reinvisioning the genre and raising the shock bar to new heights. 4.5/5 (This is almost a 5/5, BUT while the movie was fantastic, it took a little while get there - now that I know where it's going, I think that subsequent viewings will only get better and better though). ... Slaughter http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...laughter-2.jpg I think that I would classify Slaughter as an urbanoia slasher film. Faith (Amy Shiels) is a teen who has moved to Atlanta to escape her abusive boyfriend. LUCKILY, she quickly runs into Lola (Lucy Holt) a teen seeking club life and partying to escape her abusive dad and makes a fast friend. Thus the victimized duo lives and works on Lola's farm while Faith explores the suspicious goings on in Lola's dad's slaughterhouse. What really stuck out to me immediately about Slaughter was the believable and sympathetic characters in Faith and Lola. I thought that the dynamic, story, and portrayal of the two girls was well-done and I found myself truly caring for both of them. I was impressed by the performances from both actresses and, in a way, wished that this was a coming-of-age film instead of a horror film. Slaughter was extremely well-directed. Director Stewart Hopewell has an eye for composition that makes most of this film truly beautiful. Also, I thought that the soundtrack to the movie was fantastic. From somber indie tunes to blue grass, I want to OWN this soundtrack. Great for building the lonely mood of the film, I thought that it was successful and gorgeous. HOWEVER The horror aspect of this film was derivative, predictable, and, ultimately ineffective. I think that Hopewell would have done well with some serious editing (take a little off the beginning to get to the horror sooner and take a little off the end to get the belabored Last Battle over with). While I was fascinated by the lives of Faith and Lola, most of the initial "suspense" of the film was caused from Faith's curiosity as opposed to circumstance. The classic DON'T GO INTO THE WOODS turned into DON'T GO INTO THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE which, of course she did. As a viewer, I have little sympathy for a horror character who is doing something so blatantly STUPID to the extent of losing my sympathy for them. Hey - Curiosity killed the proverbial cat. Another issue I had with the film was its overt heavy-handedness. Both girls live on a farm with pigs. The pigs are DIRTY and FILTHY. Meanwhile, all of the men in their lives are EVIL. EVIL MEN. DIRTY PIGS. Yeah, I get it. Overall, the movie was just... boring and flat. I'm tired of Urbanoia themes and equally as tired as the DON'T GO INTO THE WOODS syndrome. While this movie isn't the worst that After Dark has had to offer (definitely still a leg up over last year's Nightmare Man, Lake Dead, and Unearthed put together), it's definitely not the best. I have a difficult time completely panning this film as the direction, cinematography, and acting were so compelling, but, overall, I was disappointed. 2.75/5 ... On the plate for tonight: The Brøken Du saram-yida (Voices) Perkins' 14 |
I have all 8 films o die for I & II,all on dvdr and thank God for that.
Cause they just about all suck givne maybe out of each series realease. this is nothing Im thriller about,will see if I can get them on disc with out paying somehow,then i will view them,other words i will pass. Thanks for the reviews,atleast. |
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I think that the previous Horrorfests were actually not that bad. Mark and I had the "All Access Pass" last year and we actually were fairly impressed with three of the eight films. All three of them I highly recommend. These were actually the reviews that I wrote for them last year, but I will repost as they are on topic... Best films of 8 Films to Die For II Crazy Eights http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...hts_poster.jpg Session 9 meets The Grudge. In a good way. A ghost story involving 7 old friends, an old found box, and an old building. The present time is confronted by the mistakes and shortfalls of the past. Definitely not a novel concept, but the execution was so incredibly clean that it left me digging my nails into my poor boyfriend's hand throughout the entire film. Crazy Eights takes a similar setting as Session 9 with the cast dealing with ghosts of their past (both metaphorical and literal) and couples it with the slow, methodical, hauntingly creepy suspenseful direction similar to Takashi Shimizu and other Japanese directors (the ghost aspect also follows similar themes). The writing and acting were incredibly vivid and captivating. This was definitely the scariest film of the After Dark Horrorfest and a must-see for horror fans. 4.5/5 ... Mulberry Street http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...l/mulberry.jpg Mulberry Street is another modern variance of the monster/zombie infection formula. Very obviously influenced by 28 Days Later, this film uses gritty filtering and a well-directed shaky cam to create believable suspense and paranoia. Mulberry Street takes place primarily in a New York City neighborhood and follows the tenants in an apartment building as they strive to survive a spreading mysterious infection. The writing is smooth, the acting fantastic (the characters believable and charming), the special effects and make-up, though obviously low-budget are truly horrifying. Definitely a successful chapter in the increasingly growing zombie mythos. Loved it and plan on owning it. A must for zombie/monster movie fans. 4/5 ... Borderland http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...borderland.gif Borderland is slow-going at first but with a fairly speedy and climactic build-up that will remain emblazoned in the back of your mind. In terms of "genre," I would classify it as the branch of horror that treads the waters of investigative noir with some elements of torture porn and revenge. The issue with this film being classified as a horror movie is that it definitely leans into the broken detective fighting his own personal demons plus investigative revenge epic plus drug cartel/cultish themes. With a little bit of lost Spring Breakers thrown into the mix. Ok... Maybe that description doesn't really sell the film... The honest truth about the film is that it's gritty, honest, and truly horrifying. Spring Breakers run across a creepy cult who are part of a drug cartel. There are various questions between what is real and what is supernatural. Throughout the entire film, I wasn't sure where it was going, but I was excited to get there. Part of the pure horror of the film is the feeling of alienation and isolation (Spring Breakers across the Border in a world with a language and cultural barrier). Not an original theme, but done really well there. Also, I wanted to clarify the "supernatural" aspect that I spoke of... I don't think that I was particularly clear... What I meant was that it's not really clear whether or not the assailants are supernatural entities or not, and that's definitely part of the purpose. Good juxtaposition to different cultural themes. I honestly recommend this film. Just keep in mind: It starts slow with an increeeeeeeeeeedibly cliched set up: But, oh, it gets good. REALLY good. 4.5/5 |
This is great Chrono.
I don't know ANY of the movies from ADH II & III. Interesting stuff. Keep the titles coming, honey. :) By the way, is Autopsy much like Hostel? |
Nice review, Chrono! I'm now eager to to see Autopsy. I have read some positive reviews about The Broken also.
http://img394.imageshack.us/img394/8492/autopsy4yl8.jpg A screen shot from the movie. Quote:
Crazy Eight = 2.8/5, Mulberry St.=3.3/5 & Borderland=2.7/5. |
I really liked BORDERLAND. I have a copy of Broken i've yet to watch. I mgith give Autopsy a look too.
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I really enjoyed the first round of After Dark but I have to admit I didn't like a single film from last year's festival. I probably won't make it to theaters for this set, but I'll give them a look when they're released to dvd.
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I actually have reviews lying around somewhere for the rest of the ADH II films - I'll pull them out and repost them here. In terms of Autopsy, it's interesting that you bring up Hostel because I spent a great deal of time comparing the two with my boyfriend after watching the film. To give some background: I'm not a huge Hostel fan, so when I look at the two and compare them, it's more about the merits of Autopsy and how it succeeded where Hostel failed. Now, if you're a fan of Hostel, that critique won't help you as much. Just a warning... I look at Hostel to be not exactly torture porn, but more of a modern attempt at the exploitative genre while bringing back torture into horror in a big way. I think that part of the reason why it was so successful is that it was truly shocking to those who have little to no background in horror movies. Sure, there were some cringe-worthy parts for me, but if one is going to pin that movie as "torture porn," then I WANT MORE TORTURE, DAMNIT! It takes t far too long to get to the hostel and by the time we were there, there was really only two or three truly torturous scenes. Maybe I'm a jaded movie-goer, but it wasn't the "badass fucked up film" that my friends had told me it was. Going out of Autopsy I found myself saying to my boyfriend, "Man. People think that Hostel is fucked up. Now THIS is a movie that they should see." Essentially, Autopsy succeeds everywhere that, to me, Hostel fails - it keeps up a constant level of shock and awe through gore and horror while, simultaneously it doesn't take itself too seriously; it KNOWS that it's pulp and it has some fun with it. As I said before, I wouldn't necessarily pin Autopsy as "torture porn;" to me that term belongs to the failed exploitative experiments in Hostel and Toristas. Autopsy definitely pushes the envelop SIGNIFICANTLY more and truly challenges its viewers, as opposed to catering to them (I honestly felt as though Hostel held back). So, I guess the short answer is, no, Autopsy is not like Hostel; it's a paradigm of what the splatter and exploitative genre should be. Are you a Hostel fan? Quote:
Re: Reviews of ADH II: I have to admit - I DO inflate the grades a bit, not going to lie. The truth of the matter is that I'm not going to hold a movie like Mulberry St. to the same criteria that I would a movie like 28 Days/Weeks Later, or hold Crazy Eights up to the same criteria as, say, Ju-on. I look at these films as truly independent and what's striking to me is that, though they have budgetary constraints, they have created a story that is new, refreshing, and definitely contributes to the horror genre. Sure, there is definitely something derivative in all three films, but I think that it's highly important that there are indie filmmakers out there that can WOW me, with no budget. That and I really was truly impressed with the films. While Mulberry St. doesn't hold up after repeat viewings (I watch it again and it IS a little heavy-handed and the low budget seeps through), I think about my initial experience with the film and how utterly impressed I was that a director created believable and sympathetic characters as well as some pretty scary (though admittedly cheesy) beasties. Sorry to go on a rant, here, but I feel as though people sometimes pan ADH too quickly; I think that there definitely IS merit in there. And I still stick to my recommendations. :D |
Great job on the reviews Chrono.
I eagerly await the rest. |
i'm trying to collect these sets - apparently they're sold as box sets in the us . but not here in canada - so i've been doing it in bits and pieces..
only have about 4 from each of the 1st 2 sets so far |
Last night the two of us ventured out to Revere again to see...
The Brøken http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...grl/broken.jpg So far, this is the movie that is getting the highest rating from IMDB. It's also causing a bit of buzz in the horror community. And I can see why: Sean Ellis is a meticulous director with an eye for subtle suspense thriller that I immediately pinned "Hitchcockian." His composition is elaborate, his gaze steady and slow, and his ability to create a creepy atmosphere is successful. Couple that with the absolutely stunning Lena Headey (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), the seasoned Richard Jenkins and a talented cast of lesser-knowns, you have solid, believable acting set within a well-directed atmospheric piece. So why did I hate it? To tell you the truth, I found it utterly boring. At first I thought that it was just me: Maybe I just wasn't in the mood. Maybe my attention span is shot. Maybe I just don't know how to appreciate intellectual cinema... Nah - That can't be it. While Ellis is clearly a meticulous director (Hitchcock, Miike, and even Lynch come to mind in terms of purposefully long drawn out single shots), there's a point where enough is simply enough. What started out as intriguing well-composed horror film soon turned into a self conscious pretentious attempt at an intellectual thriller. The "horror" of The Brøken revolves around the derivative and cliched doppelganger syndrome - broken mirrors result in our doubles literally hunting us down. Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets Mirrors in a predictable portrayal of a horror vehicle that, quite frankly, has been done. If you're going to be a derivation, at least add a new spin on it. The Brøken, unfortunately, does no such thing. I was disappointed. 2.5/5 ... Du saram-yida (Voices) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...grl/voices.jpg It was refreshing that ADH once again decided to bring a foreign film into the mix (ADH I, after all was the vehicle for 2005's gem Rinne). Voices is directed by amateur Korean director Ki-hwan Oh. The story centers around a high school girl whose life takes a turn for the worse when her Aunt is almost murdered on her wedding day and then all of a sudden her friends, family, and confidants seem to want her dead. Not your typical Asian ghost movie, Voices examines the human monster in all of us: jealousy. How often do you say to yourself, "I could KILL them!" either in rage or in irony - There's a point where the phrase "I'll KILL you/him/her" has become an expression of speech and, incidentally, has lost all meaning. Voices considers the concept: What if that urge became real? What if you couldn't control that urge? What if those around you couldn't control that urge? A base, everyday emotion (usually ignored and taken for granted) suddenly becomes a legitimate threat. I thought that concept in and of itself was brilliant. There are also some well-done supernatural aspects to the film. Ki-hwan Oh creates some truly haunting imagery and suspense that literally caused me to jump in my seat. I felt true horror and threat for the plight of our heroine; what would you do if your friends and family suddenly tried to kill you? Perhaps what is most striking about Voices is Ki-hwan Oh's ability to truly put the audience in the shoes of our heroine; when she's in love at the beginning of the movie, you're surrounded by cheesy stereotypical Asian flourishes while, when she's haunted in the end you are caught up in a truly suspenseful and atmospheric film. An innovative addition to Asian horror, Voices has been a true highlight of the festival. I highly recommend. 4.5/5 ... Perkins' 14 http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...rl/perkins.jpg If you're the winner of Massify's Ghost in the Machine After Dark Horrorfest contest you would think that the least thing Massify could do is give you lighting. I'm not joking; low budget is low budget, but putting out a movie that doesn't have a SINGLE well-lit scene is absolutely inexcusable. It's a shame that the winners of the Ghost in the Machine contest had but a short victory before becoming the laughing stock of Horrorfest III (literally: quite a few people were chortling in the film last night). What I CAN give them credit for is actually a pretty fantastically pulpy concept: Pharmacist Ronald Perkins is arrested and kept in jail when it's revealed that, over the course of 10 years he has been abducting the town folk's children (14 of them to be exact) to keep them in his basement, perform experiments on, AND THEN UNLEASH THEM TO THE UNSUSPECTED TOWN!!! This is the kind of thing that actually might have been a BLAST if taken up by innovative indie splatter director John Gulager (Feast, Feast II); characters should have been more extreme, deaths more ridiculous, and so on. INSTEAD, this movie is so poorly done it's comical. The lighting is so dark that in no scene can I actually distinguish what is going on, the writing is laughably insipid, and the acting is just... bad. Don't bother with this one. 1.25/5 ... Coming up THIS evening: Butterfly Effect: Revelation Dying Breed (unfortunately it appears as though we're going to miss From Within, though since it is ONLY being shown during the week at 6:00, that tells me that they don't WANT people to see it... well, not working people anyway) |
Thanks Crono.
I'll stay the hell away from Autopsy then. ;) |
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Which ones do you have? And do you like them? Quote:
Glad I could help. :D |
So I've talked about the BEST of After Dark Horrorfest II and NOW...
The WORST of After Dark Horrorfest II - A Look Back Nightmare Man http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...-man_small.gif There's B-Grade horror and then there's b-grade horror. This film is about a woman who receives a creepy mask and then thinks she's haunted by the Nightmare man, a demon that comes to her in her dreams... And then it becomes her reality... I honestly have no issue with monster/slasher films, but the production value of this film was so incredibly low that everyone in the theater couldn't help but give way to laughter. The demon's mask was absolutely pathetic, and attempts to catch the victim were just... poorly choreographed... The dialogue was stereotypically bad, but not so bad as to be self-conscious parody... Just an all around bad movie. As in, I want that hour and a half back. WOW. 1/5 ... Lake Dead http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...l/lakedead.jpg I mean, with a quality title such as this, how can this movie possibly be bad?! ... So three sisters find out that the grandfather that they thought was already dead, wasn't until, well, he actually died and left them a motel in a remote location. They travel up to the motel for the weekend... And are hunted down with such poor direction that there is no suspense, horror, or slashing at all... Bad writing, TERRIBLE direction, and a really horrible poorly executed storyline. .75/5 What truly offends me the most about both Nightmare Man and Lake Dead is that there have to be SCORES of indie horror filmmakers out there trying to catch a break, but it's this awful low-budget tripe that was hooked onto the festival circuit. At least Perkins' 14 has the excuse of being a "contest winner" - After Dark actually sought out and PURCHASED Lake Dead and Nightmare Man. Cinematic abortions that came too far into term. They truly should NOT have seen the pale lights of the cinema. ... Tooth and Nail http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...othandnail.jpg So the Earth has suffered through the apocalypse; fuel has been completely depleted and for some reason, the world's population is decreased by 2/3 in a matter of, oh, three years... yeah... So a group of local tools (seriously - tools; if you survive an apocalypse, I'd imagine that you'd be pretty badass... But not in Tooth and Nail) hole up in a hospital and are targeted by a gang of cannibalistic rogues. The film covers SUCH quintessential horror themes as Post apocalypse and Society vs. Anarchy / Cannibalism... But... Yet... Executed... So... Poorly... I find it difficult to believe that the Earth would be cut down by 2/3 in a matter of 3 - 5 years and that the survivors would be pathetic cultish victims (there are possibilities in here!)... Michael Madsen had a very, very small role... But not enough to keep this thing interesting. The redeeming value of this film are the action scenes... The rogue cannibals adorned themselves in viking gear and yielded delightfully pointy objects (spiked clubs and that whatnot)... They definitely tear through the hospital and turned this movie into a siege film... But not a good siege film. Not really worth your time. 2/5 ... The Deaths of Ian Stone http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...l/ianstone.jpg The Matrix meets Dark City meets Groundhog Day... But not in a good way. At first glance, the concept seems intriguing and well thought-out. The scares are fantastic. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the first 2/3 of the movie was possibly some of the best horror film bits that I have seen... ever. The last 1/3 however... The movie seems to tack on inconsistent Hollywood themes as well as HORRIBLY written exposition and a poorly-designed and executed Monster. Considering how great the beginning of the movie was, the end was just... Terrible to take and ruined the rest of the film for me. 2.5/5 (and that's being generous) ... Unearthed http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...earthed2-1.gif This movie doesn't try to do anything novel; Monster movie ripping off Alien 3. Yes, Alien 3. Didn't bother ripping off either of the good ones... The script was poor, the direction horrible (the director made up for lack of budget by over-using the shaky cam), and the special effects were pathetic. I consider this movie essentially Alien 3 with slightly better CGI but in the desert on an Indian Reservation. In short, Unearthed is a B Grade monster movie. Nothing more, nothing less. If you LIKE B-Grade monster movies and Unearthed happens to be on television and you have nothing better to do... then this is your movie. Not exactly my bag, though. 2/5 |
Coulnd't agree with you more on Deaths Of Ian Stone.
To begin with the story was simply amazing. Really original, and i remember constantly thinking "How the hell will they manage to pull this one off with success?". Sadly, they didn't. For shame... Think i gave it a 7/10 for the effort nevertheless. |
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***SPOILERS*** And what the HELL was with him transforming into a giant, poorly-CGI'd Fabio-monster??? ***/SPOILERS |
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I've happily forgotten that part. :D |
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We're both pretty tired and decided to stay in and watch Oldboy and Unforgiven as opposed to travel an hour to the asshole of Massachusetts. SO THE SCORE SO FAR:
The Unseen: Unfortunately, what's playing tomorrow are three of the films that I've already seen and the FEST is over on Wednesday (which is my HOLIDAY PARTY - yeah, talk about good timing!). I wish that the films had been organized in the same fashion as last year (you could go Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and see all 8; this year the film timing was pretty awkward - and it's getting to a point in my old age that I just don't feel like driving to Revere on a Monday night). Oh, well. I'LL have to wait to catch those three. In the meantime, let me know what, if any you've been able to catch - I want to know your feedback. Who LOVED Autopsy? Who LOVED Broken? Who was more forgiving about Perkins' 14? And let's continue talking about past FESTS. |
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i downloaded a bunch but i want to replace them with origionals .. havent watched any yet .. i cant remember when i watched a horror movie last - never get a chance ... it's bugging me. |
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I.E. If Hostel WAS "torture porn," there should be more TORTURE. Quote:
I actually really want to see the Voice that you mentioned - Have you seen it? Is it worth viewing? |
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Nevertheless I'm very much interested to see one particular Asian horror that has some quite good reviews at imdb.....Neighbor No. 13and Noroi the curse. |
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but thanks for the reviews!! I didn't watch any of the 2nd film fest... they just looked ridiculous... but with your reviews, the 3rd seems uber awesome... thanks!! |
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And also, I still maintain that Mulberry St., Crazy Eights, and Borderland from Film Fest II are worth checking out. :D I'll have to put together some reviews of Film Fest I. |
i diddnt know they were doing this right now. thanks. they never bring them to my area though..
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Last year 'luckily' we got the whole collection of ADHF 2 in a single disc! The dvd print quality was excellent...just like the original.:)
http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/9043/adhf2do3.jpg ..Our local dvd cover of ADHF 2! I hope this year also they'll manage to market the dvd of ADHF 3 like that.:D |
Not only ADHF, last year there was also the GHOST HOUSE UNDERGROUND Collection available here.;)
http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/7162/ghuih9.jpg My grades for the movies of this collection: Dark Floors: C- Dance of the Dead: B No Man's Land (Reeker II): C Brotherhood of Blood: C+ Room 205: D The Substitute: D+ Trackman: C The Last House in the Woods: B- |
Thanks for the grades, Roshiq.
Dance of the Dead was the only one that I've seen, and it was a LOT of fun (and it's the kind of thing that, with time, the director could really develop and create fantastic horror fun). Maybe I'll wait on seeing the other ones. |
So I'm bumping this thread because time has past, SURELY more HDCers have seen this years Horrorfest films, and now I am catching up on them myself.
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Dying Breed http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ying_breed.jpg So I was pretty excited when I found out that one of this year's Horrorfest films was right out of Australia because I haven't seen all that many Aussie horror films (with the exception of Wolf Creek). Or maybe I just dig the accents. ;) Well, regardless, Dying Breed at least began to meet my expectations by taking advantage of the lush greenery down under by placing our heroes in a remote forest chasing after what they believe to be last remaining Tasmanian Tiger. So, the scenery was pretty, the actors all knew what they were doing, and I was settled down to enjoy a nice nature-based horror romp... But what I got was a fairly derivative urbanoia/backwoods rednecks film. Think Wrong Turn meets Timber Falls. With extra cannibalism. Don't get me wrong; Dying Breed was definitely a decent derivation of the aforementioned genre, but, quite frankly, I've seen it before. I think what disappointed me the most was using the interesting vehicle of hunting after a once-thought-extinct animal to isolate our victims. I figured that this guise would open us up to a nice monster film at least. But the monsters are just rednecks and our victims, though well-acted by the crew, are far too under-developed for me to even care of they are slaughtered (with the exception of our main character Nina). Where good horror direction and acting are hard to come by these days, I'm slightly disappointed that they were wasted on such an unoriginal film. In a word: Disappointed. But I'll give them extra points for the prettiness and the good acting. 2.75/5 |
From Within http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...thinposter.jpg What an absolute gem. Granted, I went into this movie with fairly low expectations, considering how well the previous Horrorfest movies from this year had fared in my eyes, but I was pleasantly surprised. From Within is a well-crafted, well-acted, and well-written little indie horror movie about a curse over-taking a small American town. And as the supernatural evil spreads, the very real religious evil spreads as well creating not necessarily a new parallel comparison of the evils "at home," but definitely a well-done one. There are definitely some good creepy moments in the film as well as some decent scares. Not necessarily anything ground-breaking, but a new twist on the supernatural evil vs. human evil concept. Great little twists and a fantastic ending to boot. Also, I really sympathized for our heroine, which is generally not something that I do. I definitely recommend this film if you're looking for a good, solid, indie horror flick. 4/5 |
The FINAL installment of this year's Horrorfest for me was...........
Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ect3poster.jpg I actually think that it's pretty lame that After Dark chose a sequel as one of the Horrorfest bunch. But be that as it may, despite my reservations, there was a bit of the movie that almost proved promising... Quite frankly, I like the concept of time travel consequences. Sure, it's not a new concept, but it's something that I like when done well. I also liked the way that Butterfly Effect 3 felt a lot like Memento at times; disjointed and confused main character with no linear memory who is trying to solve the murder of a loved one in their past. There was actually a while in the film where I thought that it would definitely be a breakout Horrorfest sequel hit. HOWEVER While the production value and direction were pretty good, the acting was pretty damn abysmal. And that wasn't even the worst part. Time travel can be pretty damn complex when using it to construct a non-linear story. And for us thinkers in the audience it's easy to pull apart the holes in its theory. Be that as it may, there were some surprisingly good kills and some successful mood-building parts of the story (our protagonist is trying to go back in time to find out who killed his ex-girlfriend, only to find that every time he goes back, someone else winds up dead, and his life is just that much worse). But what kills me is that I honestly feel as though the writer started out with a good concept (albeit the THIRD installment of a good concept) but didn't know what to do with it. The ending was so incredibly awful and contrived that I wanted to tear my eyes out. With the obvious money that they had for the production value, I think that they should have spent a little more on writers. Or maybe After Dark should have gone with something original. 2.5/5 |
At the convention this weekend i was lucky enough to meet Sara, the director of Horrorfest.
She asked me to email her after the con - which I did, after i told her that i knew there would be some folks here very eager to find out what was going on with the product from this company - so with any luck I'll have new information to contribute to this thread as it is made available to me .. unless Chrono - you'd prefer i seperate it into an After Dark news thread - and leave this one for your reviews ? |
Wish I could see them but age and location restrain me. I'm unaware of a single cinema that does this in England, and if they do, well they're gonna be pretty far away. I have about...three cinemas within a 60 mile radius.
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havent seen any of these films yet. i want to get a good one but i never know what one to pick. give me a good one to get and watch, i love really gory crazy shit. wassup?
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My favorite to come out of the three years of After Dark is probably Crazy Eights. Not necessarily gory, but a damn good ghost movie. You should also check out Borderland. Has more going on than your average indie horror flick, but definitely some intense gore scenes. |
for sure. what i probably will just end up doing is watching them all anyways. but i wanted a good one to start out with so i was letdown with the first one and not want to see the rest.
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After Dark Horrorfest 8 Films to Die For III
I actually cant wait for this, Ive liked all 3 of the Final Destination films. This is being directed by David r.Ellis who directed part 2 and I think thats a massive plus since I tihnk part 2 had the best premonition of the series and hopefully this one is even better than that one. The trailers supposed to hit the Weekend of Horror, but when is it supposed to hit online, hopeflly the day after. This is one of my 10 most anticipated films this year and I cant wait.
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