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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Pretty Good Year!, February 10, 2010
This review is from: After Dark Horrorfest Vol. 4 (Dread / The Final / The Graves / The Hidden / Kill Theory / Lake Mungo / The Reeds / Zombies of Mass Destruction) (DVD)
Kill Theory: This is an above average slasher, with a sort of "Saw" flavoring (though nowhere near as gory). A group of graduating college kids holed up in a cabin are told only one of them can survive till the morning or they'll all be killed. The rare slasher where the character development actually pays off.
The Graves: Mal-direction and less-than-tight editing make the actors look bad (even Tony Todd!) in this "Texas Chainsaw" meets "The Devil's Rain" story. Two girls are stalked by maniacs in mining town, then by crazy culty townsfolk. Standout performance by Bill Moseley. The Grave sisters themselves are easy on the eyes and had good chemistry. Marred by run-of-the-mill-ishness and some unbelievably bad choices.
Zombies of Mass Destruction: Sharp, funny, campy, gory, and fast-paced for the first two thirds. A Persian-American woman and a gay couple return to their hometown in time for a zombie invasion. Very left politically, but okay until political bent takes over last third, when movie bogs down with torture scenes, and a church confrontation. With "Dread", Best in Show.
Hidden (Skjult): Broody Norwegian film about a crazy guy who goes back to childhood home and the bodies start stacking up. Is he doing it? Or is it the changeling who he left to his abusive mothers' devices on the night he escaped? Almost had me believing it wasn't going to end in the obvious way.
Dread: Clive Barker produces first-time director Anthony diBlasi in this tense adapation of Barker's short. Little boy Quaid sees his parents murdered with an axe and grows up with nightmares--fear of the axe murderer's return. Two film students are seduced by the idea of studying dread for their final project, but when the results don't deliver what Quaid wants, he goes to greater and greater extremes to get them. Disturbingly violent, with plenty of typically Barker-esque mixing of sex and horror. Best in Show with "ZMD".
The Reeds: English movie about something haunting the Norfolk Broads. Many attempts to distract from actual story (which is run-of-the-mill) tend to dilute the effect it should have. A rather typical, somewhat muddled ghost story, with some very good moments.
The Final: Boorish kids are punished by their oddball classmates. "Breakfast Club" meets "Silence of the Lambs". Or something. Extreme stereotypes clash. Movie depicts terrible torture, but in an oddly bloodless and detached way.
Lake Mungo: Not a horror movie. Realize that going in. If "The Reeds", "Hidden" and "The Final" feel low key, they're high-powered adrenaline-fueled thrill rides compared to Mungo. This movie is a documentary about the family and friends of a missing girl, with the family being semi-sorta haunted by the missing girl. Since it's all happening in the past, with the people relating in the present, a great deal of potential menace is gone. Since it's all secondhand, it's also a little abstract for anything really visceral. if you can stay awake, it's not bad. Stunning video of Australia.
Kind of a low-key year, but not a bad one.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
AD4: None of them are BEST in the Afterdark series, but overall there are more good than bad this year. THE REEDS: Four Stars!, March 25, 2010
This review is from: After Dark Horrorfest Vol. 4 (Dread / The Final / The Graves / The Hidden / Kill Theory / Lake Mungo / The Reeds / Zombies of Mass Destruction) (DVD)
SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM FOR MY FULL REVIEW OF "THE REEDS" - for some reason, the entire Afterdark set and THE REEDS are linked, so I have to put both reviews together . . .
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AFTERDARK HORRORFEST COLLECTION - YEAR 4
For the fourth year running, the Afterdark Horrorfest (AKA "8 Films To Die For") throws eight movies our way and says, "WATCH THESE!" Originally billed as "too terrifying for mainstream release," I think the cat is pretty much out of the bag by now that these are more like, "too lackluster for mainstream release . . ."
But, mean-spiritedness aside, I actually thought this year was a step up after the last two years. While none of these best some of the better films from years past (such as THE ABANDONED, BORDERLAND, or FROM WITHIN) - I would still say that overall, these were each interesting at least in some way, and with one or two exceptions, seemed to be much higher level productions.
As always, the question is whether I would like these outside of the festival circuit - would any of these warrant independent release? Of the eight, I would say KILL THEORY probably would have the best chance of theatrical success, if only for its SAW-esque plot. Also, LAKE MUNGO follows in the footsteps of recent "reality" horror films like PARANORMAL ACTIVITY And QUARANTINE.
But the others, while in same cases better than these two, probably wouldn't do well by virtue of having the stigma of being indie horror, or foreign film - two things that don't play that well in American theaters. But I digress . . . let's look at them one by one, from least to greatest . . .
8) THE GRAVES: No question this is the loser of the bunch. Nonsense about smoking-hot sisters (who also like comic books, yeah right) checking out a ghost town in Arizona, only to be chased by local cult/demon worshippers. The nonsensical plot and constant running around, coupled with cheap After Effects blood and seemingly missing shots combine to make this near unwatchable - if not for the competent acting (unusual for a B-film), it would be a total loss. (gave it 1 out of 5 stars)
7) THE FINAL: Production value is the only thing keeping this one afloat. The premise goes that some bullied teens have had enough, and decide to teach their tormentors a lesson by luring them to a party at a ranch, drugging them, then torturing them - all while spouting what is meant to be deep psychological musings on the whole situation. The melodramatic writing and performances draw more eye rolls then nods of assent. Worst of all, an early line about how many horror movies they have watched over the years apparently justifies BLATANT rip-offs of better films like AUDITION and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. (1 out of 5)
6) ZOMBIES OF MASS DESTRUCTION: This one looked and felt the most low-budget of the entire set - and yet for its first half, it was actually looking to be one of the best of the set! The acting was better than I would expect, and the gore effects are outstanding (especially that first kill!) Unfortunately, the second half turns into a farce of a film - deviating from the main "story" and instead reveling in extreme stereotypes to blow-up preconceptions about homophobia, racism, religious extremism, and right-wing politics. Satire and political commentary, I got no problem with . . . but if you can't do it without extremely broad stereotypes, then don't bother - you just end up looking unintelligent. Nevertheless, the quality gore and first-half of the film make it worth at least one watch through. Easily the stand out splatter-fest of the eight. (2 out of 5)
5) LAKE MUNGO: A "Shock-umentary" using faux interviews and "found footage and photos" to tell the story of the supposed haunting of an Australian family following the drowning of their daughter. I praised the film's quality production, realistic feel, and the boldness to eschew the typical jump scares and sudden loud noises (think the LAME final shot of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY). I also liked the misdirection it employed throughout its running time - things you thought you knew aren't what they seem in the end. My problem was, in the end, the story didn't really go anywhere - you're left scratching your head saying, "sooo, why is this story interesting enough to make a documentary (albeit, a fake one) about it?
4) DREAD: I'm very torn on this one. For starters, this film has hands-down the best performances of the eight. The concept is interesting in a psychological thriller sort of way - three college students do a study on what people dread and fear and why they do so - but one of them begins to take the study to dangerous lengths trying to "find the beast" as he calls it. I have often thought many of these Afterdark films would have made better shorts - this is one of the few times I felt the film might have benefitted from being LONGER. The psychological journey of the lead character is very interesting, and I would like to have had more time for it to develop, rather than shifting like the flick of a light switch. Regardless, its a fascinating watch - deep without being patronizing, unnerving in the process, and with some of the sickest/cruellest displays of dehumanization in its final act - this one will disturb you, even if it feels a little short shift! (3 out of 5)
3) KILL THEORY: A released mental patient, furious for having to have plead guilty to murder when he cut his climbing partners free to save his own life, decides to trap several 20 -year olds in a house and demand they all but one kill each other, or he will kill them all himself. Now, if you can overlook that improbable setup, and overlook some fairly pedestrian acting, you might find this to be a fairly decent little thriller. While it explores the idea of "how far would people go to survive" it doesn't beat you over the head with its philosophy or pathos the way THE FINAL does. Best of all, the characters are allowed to be decently smart - much more so than in most slasher films. (3 out of 5)
2) THE REEDS: The film has all the typical set-up of a backwoods hillbilly holocaust film - three couples take a boat-trip out in a swamp where they keep seeing a pack of unruly looking teenagers. However, the film takes a pretty big diversion midway through and turns instead into a supernatural thriller. While not particularly scary, it certainly has its creepy moments - and turns out to be a nifty little campfire ghost story. (4 out of 5)
1) HIDDEN: Titled SKUJLT in its native Norway, this foreign import deals with a man returning to his childhood home to take possession after his abusive mother dies. Once there, he begins having hallucinations - adding further to the question of his sanity is the sudden disappearance of several local hikers. Closely resembling the style and feel of THE ABANDONED (my favorite from the first Afterdark), the movie throws one too many "cheap jump scares" at you in the first act - but once it settles into its story, it takes several nice twists and keeps you guessing till the end. The only flaw is its slightly ambiguous ending.
Let's have a little more fun:
-BEST PERFORMANCES: Shaun Evans as Quaid in DREAD definitely takes the prize, while his supporting cast also do outstanding work. I also liked Janette Armand as the tortured Iranian in ZOMBIES OF MASS DESTRUCTION, and the believability of the cast of LAKE MUNGO.
-GORIEST MOMENT: DREAD and KILL THEORY had some memorable gore, but ZOMBIES OF MASS DESTRUCTION blows them all away with sheer over-the-top splatter, all done very well. The first kill is outstanding, but the ickiest sequence involves the gay man's mother and her eyeball - I laughed and gagged simultaneously.
-MOST CRINGE-WORTHY MOMENT: A drawn-out impaling in THE REEDS takes the prize here. Not only is the man impaled, but as the boat keeps shifting in the water, the excruciating pain goes on and on - YIKES! Honorable mention to ZOMBIE for the "spike driven through the foot" scene.
-SCARIEST MOMENT: HIDDEN's cheap loud scares will make you jump, but the best creepy moment would be what you see on the drowned girl's cell phone near the end of LAKE MUNGO.
-BEST OPENING: Ironically, the two best openings come from my least favorite films - THE GRAVES with its energetic titles, and THE FINAL, with its compellingly forlorn opening sequence, shot in black and white.
So, while none of these are, in themselves, the best film the Afterdark franchise has released - I would say that, film-for-film, there are more winners than losers this year.
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THE REEDS
Stop me if this sounds familiar - group of young adults head out for a weekend of drinking out in the country, in this case, a boat on a river. Oh, and guess what! The boat they want is unavailable, but there is this one boat out in the OTHER shipping yard . . .
Typical set up for what I thought was going to be yet another "backwater hillbilly horror" flick. Thankfully, all this setup is really a nice bit of misdirection. In fact, what looks like a typical "group gets stranded on the water and attacked by local cult" turns instead into a supernatural tale as the characters, indeed stuck in the water, start seeing doubles of themselves and other strange visions.
By the end of the film, we will have learned the reason for these hallucinations - but for a good stretch, I was scratching my head in confusion. It seemed like the film was falling victim to really poor direction and editing. But, as I...
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
There's something in The Reeds, February 6, 2010
Set in the Norfolk Broads, a desolate but photogenic part of the UK, six attractive Brits go on a weekend boating trip on the Corsair Star to celebrate two of their number getting engaged to each other, little realising that there's more to the reeds than, well, the reeds. There's laughing, joking, high-jinks, and then some weird local kids appear and things start getting creepy. Suddenly the film turns, as most good horrors do, from nicey-nicey to oh-my-God-how much nastier can it get??? I think that the final act could probably have done with a little bit more thought, but I don't think the film suffers terribly from this. To the contrary, for the most part it's an extremely watchable horror. The slightly retro feel is very 'movie': you can tell this was shot on film and not digital, and the piece benefits from this.
The girl who plays the lead 'Laura' (Anna Brewster) is very good, natural and believable and the Brit TV actor Will Mellor makes a great, humorous and then horrific (in a good way) impression. The cinematography is good, very good in fact. From a directing/writing perspective there's certainly not too much fat on the story, and what is clever is that there's sufficient misdirection to keep the eventual outcome in the balance. I think this would deserve another half-star IF - and only IF - the last act had had a bit more thought, and maybe punch but then some will really love it and some won't.
Three point seven-five stars, which Amazon nicely rounds up to four for me.
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