my thoughts on.... 'The House That October Built'

Everyone keeps complaining about how the found footage genre is dead. However, every new film maker out there seems to want to take a stab at the genre. (All puns intended.) You get big budget film makers wanting a piece of the pie too and soon you have an over saturated marketplace. Where everyone seems to think that the whole thing is just played out. There's still a few of us die hard fans out there that are hoping that there is still life in this half dead horse. 'The House October Built' was making some pretty big promises that I wasn't sure it could keep. It also had some reputible critics behind it, championing it. Saying that it was bringing something new and different to the world of found footage. This peaked my interest. I mean, I've watched as many of these as I can find. Good ones, bad ones and ones that just didn't need to be made. They're like that meth habit that you just can't quit. One more hit. Maybe this one will be the one that satisfies me forever, but that hit never comes and that high never lasts. Was this the movie that finally caught the red dragon? Answers lie below.

The basic premise of this movie is simple, a group of 5 people are out to find out if the underground haunted houses are real. The ones that are hands on, in your face, realistic haunts that are only one step away from a real life horror film. Filming the entire adventure, they document the quest for the unknown. As they start their journey, they learn that it won't be as easy as they thought to find one of these mythical houses. But each and every mile that passes and the more haunted houses they attend, the deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole they go. Soon they're being harrassed by some of the workers from the haunts. They seem to be following them from town to town. Eventually the harrassment becomes all too real, but at the same time.... they get the invite to what they've been waiting for. On Halloween night, it finally happens. With one crew member already missing, they soon get split up and thrown in the nightmare they were looking for, but never really expected. What happens next, is something only you can find out.... if you're willing to take the journey.

It sounds good on paper, right? Well.... in actual execution, not so much. This is part of the reason I keep coming back to this genre. There's so many neat ideas that would work really well, but that just seem to fail time after time. Found footage is the new zombie movie. It used to be that the zombie movie was the type of movie every young film maker wanted to do. They were cheap, simple make up's and seemingly endless script ideas. Now, found footage is the way to go. It's even cheper, no make up needed for most of them and endless ideas. The problem is, anyone and everyone can make a movie like this. All you need is an off the shelf camera and some actor's. That's it. You're a film maker! However, that doesn't mean you've made a good film. It just means that you've edited a bunch of stuff together and created a narrative.... sometimes not even that much. The other problem is that no matter how unique and cool the idea sounds on paper, getting it to play out the way it was in your head and to have a satisfying finale, is a tick most can't pull off. So many movies (even big budget ones) fall flat on their faces in the third act, therefore I can't blame this movie for having the same issue. But if you're going to set out to make your dream project come true, make damn sure you have all the pieces of the puzzle. Otherwise, you're wasting your time and the viewers.

With all of that in mind, maybe the creators of this movie, Bobby Roe, Zack Andrews, Jason Zada and Jeff Larson thought they had an air tight finale. You'd think that the 4 of them would have come up with something more original. Something less 1st year film student. I'm not saying I have the first clue what that would be or that my view might not be warped because of being a jadded horror film lover. If I had all the ideas, talent and skills to make a movie, I'd be doing that instead of this. I fully aknowledge that I'm not on the other side of the lens and don't know all of the in's and out's. I competely respect anyone that loves an idea so much, that they invest themselves 100% in bringing it to life and this movie had a lot of good things going for it. Based on those factor's, I would still recommend this movie to the horror fan looking for something a little different. I'm giving it a solid 3 out of 5 stars. Concept, execution and overall tone were there.... it was just the ending. Go out, spend some time with it and I think you'll find something enjoyable there. Even more so on Halloween night, before you go out to the local haunted house. You might just think twice.

If you like this, check out some other smaller found footage movies: 'The Poughkeepsie Tapes', 'Atrocious', and 'The Tunnel' (2011)

my initial thoughts on.... 'V/H/S'

I'm calling this my initial review, as I feel that upon further viewing of this movie, I may change my rating.

Found footage. A sub-genre that has people who love it or hate it. There seems to be no real in-between. I, personally, am a fan and have been since 1999. That was the year that Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez introduced the world to 'The Blair Witch Project'. I still put this film in my top 50 films of all time and will stand by that statement. The marketing, the use of viral videos and the sheer brilliance of using the internet, made this film a world wide phenomenon. After that, there were several imitators, but Oren Peli turned it into a franchise-able concept with the 'Paranormal Activity' films. Smooshed in-between those two trendsetters, Fred Vogel gave us the ultimate series found footage films to date.... 'August Underground'. His home video style horror films, brought the whole sub-genre into a new world of realism. I believe he did it more out of the lack of funds, than to out do his predecessors. But his cinema-verte style of film making created something so horrifying that I still place this trilogy as one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen. He's never had the distribution that the other found footage flicks have had, but that makes his films even more legendary. It takes work to track them down and you really have to want to see them, if you want to find them. Granted, the internet has made it much easier, but if you're curious.... start digging now. You will question why you ever wanted to see them and if they're really just a movie. They are that realistic and disturbing. Anyway.... the point is, there have been so many takes on this sub-genre and so many hits and misses.... that there really isn't much more to be said. However, 'V/H/S' wanted to try.

In this review, I'm going to dissect the movie as a whole and go through each individual segment. This way, I can tell you what I thought about each part and then sum them up at the end. The logic here, is that each part is directed by someone different and therefore, each segment should be treated as it's own individual movie. 'V/H/S' is presented as a single piece or work, but it is a patchwork of ideas and executions. I'll provide you with a screen cap from each segment, who directed it and a previous movie to reference for them. I've also included the standard trailer for 'V/H/S', to give you a chance to see what you think. I was honestly stoked after seeing the trailer and it's a big reason that I was eager to see it. The trailer may also be part of the reason I had overly high expectations. That is the power of the trailer. I also am a fan of a few of the directors represented here and wanted to see what they could do with the material. Not to mention that the reviewers of this movie seemed to endlessly heap praises on it. This movie was EVERYWHERE. Any horror film site you went to, prior to its release, had tons of things to say about it. You would have thought this was the expected second coming of horror itself. Despite all of that, I kept the flood of information to a minimum and when I finally saw it.... I had no idea what to expect. The only thing I knew was that the stories were loosely tied together. So, before we get into the meat of this review, I will warn you that there may be *SPOILERS* ahead. I hate to be one of those types of reviewers, but I feel that it's almost necessary here. That being said.... here we go!

*SPOILERS!*

'Tape 56/frame narrative' by Adam Wingard ('Home Sick')

This mini-movie was designed to be the common thread to all of the mini-movies. It was done by Adam Wingard, who most people may recognize from his movie 'Home Sick'. I've seen 'Home Sick' and there were quite a few good things about it, but it seemed like Adam was still trying to find his voice. 'Tape 56' is a simple story about several "questionable" characters who've stepped up from amateur porn into the world of burglary. From the minimal information provided in ALL of the movies, this one leads us to believe they're hired to steal a VHS tape from an old mans house. Upon entering the home, they find that it's basically empty and that the man is dead. After a search of the home, they find a stash of VHS tapes. However, once they find the tapes, strange things start happening. They see a figure moving about the house. The old man in the chair, who's dead, keeps disappearing and reappearing. It all ends up in a big bloody mess, when the old man kills everyone.

Now, you'd think that this story would run throughout the entire movie, but it only goes 85% of the way. It actually ends before the last story does. It is actually kind of a let down. If this is to be the tie that binds, then why does it fray at the end? Again, perhaps it was meant to be ironic? I don't know. Overall, my biggest problem with 'V/H/S' is that each of the stories is basically stringing together tidbits from other movies that used the same ideas. By putting them together out of sequence and using the VHS tape ploy, it's intended to create something new. To me, it just created a mess. This was a good example of that. Granted, I've never seen a group of thieves trying to steal a single VHS tape and being killed by a zombie/ghost/killer guy, but I've seen thieves going to steal something and being killed by something other than each other. (BTW: I took a quick second to hop around the internet to check out some other reviews, to see if I'm alone in my initial distaste for this movie. I'm kind of alone in my thinking.) Anyway.... on to the mini-movie:

*SPOILERS!*

'Amateur Night' by David Bruckner ('The Signal')

This is the first VHS tape that the thieves watch. It's done by David Bruckner, who made the awesome film 'The Signal'. It was a low budget film that went way above and beyond it's budget. I loved 'The Signal' and was excited to see that he was involved with this project. 'Amateur Night' tells the story of 3 guys out on the town, trying to get laid. The catch is, one of the guys is wearing spy glasses. Glasses that have a camera in them, so they can video him having sex with an unsuspecting woman. It's a simple plan, but it goes terribly wrong. They find two women at the bar that are willing to go back to their hotel room. One of them is rather strange and keeps telling our "hero" that she likes him. Her eyes are huge and creepy, but it doesn't stop the three boys from going back with the girls. The first girl passes out, before one of the guys has sex with her. He isn't happy with that, but has some morals and won't date rape the girl. His solution? To have sex with the weird girl his friend brought home. When things start to get hot and heavy, she attacks him and starts to eat him. She then attacks the second friend. Out "hero" escapes and falls down some stairs. With his wrist broken, the girl catches up to him. She still tries to establish a relationship with him, but he wants nothing to do with her. In the end, she grows bat wings and carries him away.

This is probably the most interesting of the bunch, primarily for the lead actress Hannah Fierman. She plays 'Lily' and she is hypnotizing. She reminds me of Angela Bettis, back around the era of 'May'. Despite Ms. Fierman, this mini-movie still feels stunted. We've seen something like this before and the end flight sequence is very b-grade. It honestly reminded me of the special effects from 'Evil Dead 2'. I'm guessing it was supposed to be the crown jewel at the end of the movie, but it ended up just blowing the whole mystique for me. In hindsight, I'm doubtful this could be a full length movie.... but if I was to compare it to a full length movie that's already been made, I would say it's kind of similar to 'Splice'. Moving on....

*SPOILERS!*

'Second Honeymoon' by Ti West ('The House Of The Devil')

This was the only reason I was originally drawn to this movie. Ti West is one of the more interesting horror directors working today. I won't say he's the best, but he seems to have an interesting take on things. Granted, he is the one that made 'Cabin Fever 2', but that wasn't entirely his fault. This installment in 'V/H/S' is also the one that most of the reviewers talk about as well. It seems to stand out for a lot of people and I can see why. When I watched this movie, I made sure not to check out who made which mini-movie. I really didn't want to bias my opinion ahead of time.

The basic plot line here, is simple. A couple is on the road. They stop at a hotel. A young girl comes to the door and asks for a ride, they deny her. She's seen outside their room, but eventually leaves. During the night, the camera is turned on, but it's not either of the couple filming. Soon, a switchblade is seen and things get a little tense. Ultimately, it ends with the cameraman putting a toothbrush in the toilet and stealing some cash. The next day, the man is wondering where his cash has gone. They spend the day out and then come back to the hotel. That night, we again see someone filming the man while he sleeps. Soon, the switchblade appears and instead of nothing happening.... he's stabbed in the neck until he's dead. The next shot is of the masked killer, a woman, kissing the other member of the original couple.... also a woman. She then asks if the tape has been erased. That's it.

This one was well done. No supernatural here, just a simple and almost 'Hitchcockian' style story. When I first saw this, I didn't catch the fact that the two people in the end were both women. Not that it really changed the overall feel of the mini-movie, but it was a detail that was missed. I think that the main reason this story works, is how simple it is. All of the other stories in this anthology are not overly complicated, but this one is cut and dry. That to me makes it stand out and I don't think it needed much more time than it had in the movie. It was the right length for what it was. Simple.

*SPOILERS!*

'Tuesday the 17th' by Glenn McQuaid ('I Sell The Dead')

Okay, let's take a minute now to talk about this one. This mini-movie is probably the least original story line of the bunch. However, the killer is the hook here. I believe that every horror fan out there is looking for that next Freddy or Jason. We all want an iconic character that we can latch onto and make them our own. At this point in horror, it's become more and more difficult to do something new. You can change their mask and you can change their weapon, but you can't make them have that spark. That little bit of magic that makes them go beyond the screen. What Glenn McQuaid has done here, is take the typical stupid kids in the forest idea and threw a new wrench into the story. Not unlike 'Tucker and Dale vs. Evil', this one is trying to provide a breath of fresh air in a stale and worn out world. Glenn did a great job with his previous film, 'I Sell The Dead', in giving us an original and fun story line. This mini-movie was lacking the humor, but it still had the originality. (It also starred Jason Yachanin, of 'Poultrygeist' fame!) But let's talk plot real quick:

Alright, stop me if you heard this one before. 4 young people go into a secluded spot in the woods. They talk about sex, do some drugs and one of them brings up a mythical killer in the woods. One of the other friends starts going on and on about some scary stuff too and soon.... people start dying. The differences are two fold: 1) The main girl in the story confesses that she's brought them all back into the woods as bait. It would seem that she escaped he killer before and came back to prove he was real and to kill him. 2) The killer itself. He appears to be some kind of walking and breathing "glitch". What I mean is, he looks like the tracking on your VCR isn't working properly. It's like a cross between the stealth mode 'Predator' and some TV static. It's kind of bizarre and yet it works. Even stranger still, when he gets close to the camera, you can make out some details in his body, but never anything specific. Ultimately, she fails at her goal and everyone dies. The End.

Now, all that being said, I feel like this installment could use a bit more exposition about the killer. He may not be the 'iconic' Freddy or Jason, but it could fill out a well done horror film nicely. This mini-movie was like an appetizer before a really big meal. Sadly, the big meal never happened. I would hope that they would take the time and sit down, in order to create a smart and interesting 'one off' film. It doesn't need to be a franchise, just something great. My biggest problem with this installment, was the acting. It felt so cardboard and bad that it actually hurt the overall mini-movie. Not that this needed Oscar worthy performances, but a little more realism wouldn't have hurt. Overall, a fairly decent entry.

*SPOILERS!*

'The Sick Thing That Happened to Emily When She Was Younger' by Joe Swanberg ('Silver Bullets')

So, this movie is called 'V/H/S', right? The whole premise is based on out of date tapes that have middle to low grade quality. This installment is all, basically, footage from a series of Skype type webcam calls. Does that make sense? Taking that as it is, this really wasn't terrible. My biggest problem with this one, was the payoff. It started out so strong and actually had some scares to it, that it gave me some really high hopes for something more. That never happened. For this installment, I think the mini-movie anthology concept hurt more than it helped.

The story revolves around a couple talking over their computer webcams. The girl is concerned that her apartment is haunted. Over the course of several conversations, things get weirder and weirder. Eventually, it leads up to her confronting her 'ghosts'. Then, while she's knocked out, her boyfriend enters the room. He's been close by the whole time, but she never knew it. She's surrounded by children of various ages and he then cuts her open, pulls out some kind of fetus thing and hands it to one of the kids. There is a one sided conversation about alien type things and how she's been used as a 'host' by this guy for a long time. Cut to another conversation with the couple and the girl is all beat up and said she's been to the doctor and diagnosed with some psychological issues. Their conversation ends and the man switches to another conversation with another woman and things seem to be identical with her. That's all we get.

For me, I felt cheated and didn't like this one at all. Perhaps it was the fact that I missed the alien part? Perhaps it was too subtle or perhaps I just wasn't paying attention? Either way, it was just kind of a lame finale. Nothing about this one seemed to make sense with the overall anthology. Sure, it had some initial scares, but who really cared at the end of it all?

Oddly, the man behind this one.... Joe Swanberg,was the star of Ti West's 'Second Honeymoon'. Yup, he was the guy that got stabbed in the neck.

*SPOILERS!*

'10/31/98' by Radio Silence aka Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Justin Martinez, Tyler Gillett and Chad Villella ('Interactive Adventures')

By this point in the movie, you've made your way through all but one story line. Some people say they saved the best for last, others say they blew their load on the first story. I'm probably more in the camp that they didn't save the best for last. I won't say this was the worst, but it felt really cliched. I have to admit that the first 2 acts of this story were well done and actually kind of creepy. It, sadly, fell apart in the 3rd act and just ended like a student film.... in my opinion. Again, this one didn't explain too much and I'm not sure if that ultimately helped the overall story line. What really was going on in the attic? I think that the guys behind this one have some potential, either in the found footage sub-genre or with a normal horror film. Perhaps with a little more flushing out, this one could have been the crown jewel of the series. I'll look forward to seeing what they do next.

In this final story, 4 guys head out for a Halloween party at a big, scary old house. Upon entering, it's strangely empty and things are not looking to positive. Regardless of that, they begin wandering around looking for the party inside. As they spend more and more time inside, strange things begin to happen. Soon, the guys end up in the attic.... where some men are holding some sort of ritual with a woman who's tied to the rafters. As the confused friends survey the situation, they quickly decide to rescue the girl. When they do, all hell breaks loose. The men performing the ritual begin to get sucked into the roof and the whole house seems to begin to attack the friends. They rush to get the girl out as the house starts to seal up. Eventually, they get to the basement and escape through the cellar doors. They get the girl to the car and speed away. Soon, the car dies and the woman disappears. She re-appears in front of the car, screams and is gone. Then the friends realize they are on the train tracks.... with a train coming right at them. The doors are locked and the car is dead. As the train is about to hit, credits roll.

Does that sound a bit recycled? I do. This 'cute' little ending took something that was fairly frightening and made it feel like we were all kind of cheated. And because the story that tied all the stories together has already ended, this is what we get for a nail in the coffin.... so to speak.

There is an alternate ending to this story and the movie, which shows the friends escaping the car at the last minute and walk away talking about how great a Halloween night it was. Would that have been better? What say you?

That's it. That's what 'V/H/S' turned out to be. IT wasn't quite what I expected, but it also wasn't terrible. It had some really good stuff, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth. I really wanted something so much more and I think that all of the previous reviewers kind of ruined it for me. They hyped it up so much to be the second coming of horror and the re-birth of the found footage sub-genre that there was no way it could ever live up to the hype. It also suffered from a bit of a bloated running time. Perhaps one less story would have made the overall movie stronger? Even with that being done, the stories themselves felt like they were a bit slap dashed. Kind of like when you get a bunch of friends together and you come up with a great idea. You hash out the details, but for what ever reason, you never bring the idea to fruition. In this case, those guys sitting around, had the time, money and motivation to finish what they started. The only issue was, they didn't take the proper time to go beyond the brainstorming stage. Just because an idea sounds cool on paper, doesn't mean it'll translate to the screen. Maybe it was better on the page? Who knows? Maybe I'm just so jaded by the sheer amount of films I've seen in my lifetime, that I'm being overly critical. Whatever the case may be, this movie rubbed me the wrong way and I'm being honest about that fact. On the flip side of that, I have a rule. If a movie sticks with me and won't leave my mind after I've seen it, then there is something more going on that I need to explore. 'V/H/S' is a prime example of that. The minute after I turned it off, I started replaying it all in my head. I kept going over and over what I saw.... dissecting it and analyzing it. It's like I was trying to pick it apart, either to love it or hate it. This doesn't happen too often, but when it does.... I end up loving the movie I've seen. That's why I started this review by saying that it was only my initial review. I have a gut feeling that this movie will eventually either live to become a part of my collection or a part of my list of movies I hate.

Okay, with all of that aside, something else was bugging me about this movie.... even before it ended. I don't understand why all of these stories, take place in modern day, however all of the people are still using VHS tapes and cameras. So, either the movie was intended to be anachronistic.... or I'm missing something. It was confusing and I kind of doubt they were trying be 'ironic', as there was a huge lack of Pabst Blue Ribbon and handlebar mustaches. If someone can explain this little oddity to me, I would appreciate it. And just so you don't think I'm not paying attention, check out the cars used, the fact that cell phones are being utilized and that one whole story is based on a Skype type internet chat. Is that even really considered VHS? Anyway.... I've already covered that earlier.

In the end, I will give this 2 out of 5 stars. I'm being a little harsh, but something really bugged me about it overall. Keep your eyes peeled though, I may re-write this whole thing in the near future. I'm funny like that. I mean, look how long this review is and how much time I spent on it.

This movie really has no peer, but for anthologies or found footage movies, I'd recommend: 'Creepshow', 'The Blair Witch Project', 'Trick r' Treat' and 'Paranormal Activity'

my thoughts on.... 'Apartment 143'

Good lord, where do I begin? First off, I really dig the 'found footage' movies that are out there. There have been a few pieces of garbage, but overall, they're pretty solid. 'Apartment 143' was suggested to me by a friend and falls vaguely into the 'found footage' sub-genre. Secondly, It was billed as a 'Paranormal Activity', but with the action those films were missing. Sadly, it was missing all the good stuff from those films and the action they were talking about was horrible.... at best. It showed its low budget shortcomings loud and clear. I've seen countless films that had little to no budget that have pulled off amazing things. This one obviously had some money behind it, but they must have spent it on milky white contacts, instead of a good script or decent actors. Everything felt stiff. It was like watching paint drying on cardboard. This movie was really just an exercise in trying to cash in on a proven sub-genre. The only really new things it brought to the table were.... nothing.

The plot was centered around a guy and his two kids that moved to an apartment. The house they used to live in became haunted after his wife (the kids mother) died suddenly. However, once they moved.... the spirt moved with them. So, they got involved with a paranormal investagative team and soon the team was hunting ghosts. There's some vague sub-plot about murder and possilbe incest. None of it ever really goes anywhere. There is some backstory with the investagators that is bland and unfinished. That's about it. Good guys win.... or do they?

All in all, this movie was a turd. Maybe I missed the hidden nuggets of candy that were wedged in the middle of the movie? Maybe I was not in the right mindset to watch a movie of this type? Maybe it just sucked? I think so. I didn't care about the characters. I lost interest in the movie after about 20 minutes in. The special effects were poor. They location was okay, but there are tons of apartments out there that are kind of creepy. And to top everthing off, there's a little 'surprise' at the end. I only wish I'd turned it off before that part happened. It made an already terrible movie, that much worse.

I think what the reviewer must have missed about the difference between this movie and the 'PA' films was the stuff you didn't see. I hear that said a lot about movies and films that rely on your brain over CGI. 'PA' is so successful because it plays on our fears and only we know what those fears are. So, if you have a fear of spirits or the things that go bump in the night, then you can relate to the films. And since you never really see what's haunting the characters in the film, then you can make that horror anything you want. 'Apartment 143' laid all its card on the table and left you with no room to imagine the horror within. Because what you are afraid of in your mind is FAR scarier than anything a guy behind a computer can create. But if you are someone that has to SEE the scary parts, the maybe 'Grave Encounters' is more for you. It falls into the same sub-genre as 'Apartment 143 and the 'PA' films. It also shows you the stuff you're scared of. The big difference between 'Apartment 143' and 'Grave Encounters' is, the ghosts in 'GE' are unique and actually quite frightening. There's suspense and terror there. 'Apartment 143' just re-hashed every ghostly cliche you've ever seen. Another one that is in the same boat is 'Paranormal Entity'. It's really just a 'PA' knock-off, but it succeeds on so many more levelas that 'Apartment 143'. It feels like something you've seen before, but it still creates tension and horror. I'd recommend that one over this one any day of the week. That's it.... plain and simple. 'Apartment 143'....it sucked.

All in all, I give 'Apartment 143' a 1 out of 5 star rating. It's a ghost story with no real scares and no re-watchability. If you decide to watch it, keep your expectations low and you bottle of Jack Daniels even closer.

Other films that 'Apartment 143' wanted to be like: 'Paranormal Activity' 1 through 4, 'Grave Encounters' and 'Paranormal Entitiy'

my thoughts on.... 'Hostel: part III'

As I sit here watching 'Hostel: part II' and writing this review, I'm reminded what it is about the 'Hostel' films that I enjoyed. However, that same feeling isn't felt in the 3rd installment of this unexpected franchise. Like the 'Saw' films, this concept never struck me as something that would go on and on. 'Saw' seems to have found a solid formula that blends the traps, with the character of Jigsaw and a rather obvious soap opera storyline. The 'Hostel' films just haven't found that groove. The 2nd film was still written and directed by Eli Roth, the man behind the 1st film. Because of that, it still felt the same and had a good storyline. This new chapter was directed by Scott Spiegel, the producer from the first two. I have to give him credit for taking the reins and feeling confident in his skills, but it just never seems to come together. The storyline is okay, the actors involved are pretty good and it looks okay on paper. Sadly, the writer, Michael D. Weiss just doesn't quite get the big picture of it all. He has a resume that reads like a bad day of watching the SyFy channel and that doesn't seem to matter to the people who paid to make this direct to DVD title. What he did, was to take out the "scary" part of the storyline. What makes 'Hostel' 1 and 2 frightening, isn't the torture and killing of random strangers, it's the fact that it takes place in remote and unfamiliar places. Anyone who travels can tell you that it can be rather scary when you're in a place you don't recognize and have no control over what's going on. Throw in the "evil hunting club" that seems to have its eyes everywhere and you've got something to work with. Michael D. Weiss put the story in a very familiar place, Las Vegas. He made the Elite Hunting Club, a very open organization who bet on the kills. It wasn't about an audience for the members paying to kill people. It was about the thrill of doing whatever you want to whoever you want and not worrying about getting caught. You could live out any single fantasy you've ever had. If you had money, you could be a murderer.... if even for one day. The original films also focused on the survival of the characters and their will to live. It also gave us a glimpse at what someone is capable of when they're pushed to their breaking point. It was about redemption. This all seemed to be missing in 'Hostel: part III'. And the ending? Well, let's just say it was cliche, unreal and downright stupid. It really ruined any other parts of the movie that might have kept me interested. Let's stop here and get to the plot.

This is taken from IMDB.com: "While attending a bachelor party in Las Vegas, four friends are enticed by two sexy escorts to join them at a private party way off the Strip. Once there, they are horrified to find themselves the subjects of a perverse game of torture, where members of the Elite Hunting Club are hosting the most sadistic show in town." This isn't 100% accurate. Only ONE of the guys is taken by the EHC from the bachelor party. The rest of the guys spend the next half of the movie looking for him and in the process, getting captured and killed by the EHC. There is a slight twist at the ending and, of course, Mr. Weiss felt it necessary to try and shove some redemption in for good measure. Again, this storyline had potential and might of worked if it took place somewhere in the Ukraine or in a tiny part of Japan or something, but Las Vegas? That's one of the last places to be subtle. It's like he thought that the "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" motto could carry the whole movie. He also thought that the one line quoted from the movie, "The house always wins." was clever. It wasn't.

I feel bad whenever I have to write a negative review. I especially feel bad when it's a movie that's part of a series I really enjoy and find myself defending regularly. I just can't defend this one, sorry. I wish the cast could have done more with what they had. I mean, they did their best I suppose. You have Kip Purdue, who recently did a great job in the movie 'The Wizard of Gore'. You also have, John Hensley, who was great in the short-lived TV series 'Witchblade'. When you add the interesting Thomas Kretschmann into the mix, you have a formula for something good.... but again, this didn't help 'Hostel: part III'. It was like everyone was sleepwalking for a paycheck. It's like this whole movie was thought up in a boardroom with 'Awesome-O' in the big chair pitching ideas every 5 minutes. This movie doesn't ring of something that was created out of love for the franchise, it stinks of money and boredom. I really wish, deep down, that either this movie would never have been made or that Eli Roth would have felt enough desire to come back one more time. Perhaps, he'll make a return for part IV? In the meantime, I guess I'll just have to live with 2 out of 3.

Before I finish up this review and give you my final thoughts, there is one more thing I wanted to touch on: the kills. In this chapter, the killers are almost 'cartoon-ish'. Take the "crossbow" killer. The character is listed on IMDB as the 'Japanese Cyber Punk Girl' and that is a VERY accurate description. If this was a post-apocalyptic action movie, she would have been perfect casting. However, this was a modern day cautionary tale.... she was grossly out of place. Her tactics were lame, her look was ridiculous and I couldn't wait for it to end. It was painful. There also is a scene involving a girl dressed like a cheerleader and some giant hissing cockroaches. It was the dumbest thing I've seen in years. It pretty much killed what Eli Roth created. It had horrible CGI and just felt like something created on MS Paint for a class project. Not too mention the 'climactic final battle' scene. I nearly threw up when it started. It was all I could do to not shut it off and watch 'The Wild Wild West' with Will Smith. That would have been far less painful. I stuck it out though and let me say, it wasn't worth it. The only other thing I have to say is that none of the original charcters were back. Not the front desk guy at the hostel or the 'bubblegum kids' or even any of the more minor characters. Basically, you take the "hostel" out of 'Hostel' and you make your audience hostile. (See what I did there? Far more cleven than this piece of crap.) My ultimate advice, stay away from this one. I give it 2 out of 5 stars. I wanted to do more, but I just can't find the heart to give it anything higher. Eli, you were smart to stay away from this one. At least I can still respect you in the morning.

Instead of watching this, watch the original films: 'Hostel' and 'Hostel: part II' and maybe even Eli's first outing, 'Cabin Fever' (Which had an equally awful follow up, NOT directed by Eli Roth. However, Ti West, who did direct it.... has skills. Watch 'The House of the Devil' and you'll see that he's not unskilled.)

my brief thoughts on.... 'Wrecked' (2010)

I like survival movies. 1 person against all the odds and very little chance for survival. With these types of movies, you truly never know until the end, if the hero will survive or not.... and there is a chance they won't. I like not knowing the outcome and I like seeing people get creative. That's why I love zombie movies so much. They're the ultimate survival movies. 'Wrecked' is in that category and had all the earmarks of a good survival movie. The problem with it was that I didn't really care too much about who he actually was. In order to spend about 2 hours with someone, you'd better make them likeable or at least pick a very likeable actor. Adrian Brody is a good actor and one that I am usually happy with, but he wasn't really right for this role in my opinion. But the biggest problem with 'Wrecked'? The ending. The answer to the question of who Adrian Brody was and the last 2 minutes, were lame. The last 60 seconds before the credits rolled, pretty much destroyed the rest of the movie. I am not sure why the director and writer chose to put one final clip into the movie, but they did. I guess that maybe they did it since the movie is kind of being pieced together and it was a missing part of the puzzle? But it didn't make a whole lot of sense in it's placement. If the story was in reverse, perhaps. (it wasn't) It was jarring and not needed. It just makes me upset to think about it. I, however, haven't thrown the baby out with the bathwater. I still found good things about this movie.

First, here's the plot: (taken from IMDB.com) "A man awakens in a mangled car-wreck at the bottom of a steep cliff. Injured and trapped inside, with no memory of how he got there or who he is, he must rely on his most primal instincts to survive. But as he attempts to free himself from the carnage and escape an impossible situation, a darker side is revealed. Even if he manages to survive, the man may have to face the horrible consequences of an earlier, forgotten life." That is basically the plot. There is some other things going on that are kind of confusing at first, but get explained later in the story. There is very little dialogue and most of the movie is centered on Adrian just trying to get away from the wreck. Anyway....What have we learned so far? The movie doesn't have a likeable lead character. (not Mr. Brody's fault) The ending is terrible. It felt like an hour and a half wasted. What else is there to say? Well....

It started out really well. I was engaged and very curious what happened to the main character. He was trapped in a car in the middle of a forest and you could feel his claustrophobia. I could put myself in his place. It's one thing to be stuck in the middle of nowhere or to be injured there, but to also not even have a remote chance of helping yourself try.... is frightening. He could barely move, let alone go anywhere. Once he finally escaped the car, that's when things got even more difficult. The man had a broken leg-something and there wasn't anyone nearby to hear him yell. He also is being visited, regularly, by a hungry mountain lion. The tension and hopelessness in the story are very tangible. It's just that once the hallucinations and back story start to unfold, I really began to lose interest. It almost would have been more effective to just leave it up to the viewers to figure things out. The man finds clues all along his way towards rescue and each one of them leads you to believe something different. I don't know if it would have worked better my way, but I think I would be writing a better review if it had been done that way. And not just because it's my way.

I have seriously debated how much the ending tainted my thoughts on the overall piece. As of right now, I have come to the conclusion that it pretty much ruined it for me. I'm going to give it 2 out of 5 stars and I think that's fair. I really wanted to like it from the get-go and I tried to keep my interest throughout the entire thing. There just wasn't enough content in this movie to make it what it really should have been, a great film. Adrian Brody did the best with what he had and the only other real characters were his dog, the mountain lion and the phantom lady. They also did the best with what they had. That's really all I can say about this movie. It's OnDemand right now from Netflix, so if you're really bored and want to see if I'm right.... check it out. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Right? Perhaps.

my thoughts on.... 'Grave Encounters'

Hoooo boy, another 'found footage' movie! I know that's what you're saying right about now. However, before you jump to the usual conclusions, let me tell you a little bit about 'Grave Encounters'. First of all, it's got a bit more going for it than the average 'found footage' movie. The Vicious Brothers, who wrote and directed this, took their time to get some nasty special effects going on. Instead of relying on sound and things that aren't there, these two show you EXACTLY what you're facing. These ghosts are creepy and scary. When they turn on the 'BOO!' factor, it's on full blast! Secondly, they've taken a new twist on an old theme. What we have is a movie based on all those 'ghost hunting' reality shows that are out there right now. But in this movie, they say that 'Grave Encounters (the show) was way ahead of its time. You see a lot of behind the scenes stuff that probably happens on the real shows, but we never get to see it. That alone makes this movie fun to watch.

Here's the basic plot from Netflix.com: "In this horror flick, the stars of a paranormal-investigation TV show spend the night in a derelict psychiatric hospital, hoping to uncover what's been going bump in the night. As their cameras roll, they find themselves trapped -- and hunted." The last sentences there is what really sets this apart in the end. In the beginning, it feels like very familiar territory. Low budget scares and night vision shots or things moving or opening and closing. In the second act, things change. Suddenly, the TV crew realizes that everything has changed in the building and it seems that the building is not going to let them get out.... alive. Everything keeps shifting and moving so they can't ever find an exit. The crew goes round and round for, literally, days trying to get out. In the end, will anyone make it out alive? You have to see it to belive what happens. (That last part is showmanship, the ending is kind lame actually.)I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. It's by far, NOT the best movie in this sub-sub-genre.... but it's a whole lot better than most. It kind of makes me wonder what The Vicious Brothers have next on their plate? I can honestly say that I'm anxious to see whatever else they put out in the future. This was a strong indie movie that shows great promise. I couldn't see myself giving it more than 3 stars. The ending was so poorly thought out, that it almost seemed like an afterthought. However, don't let that distract you from the good things in this movie.... like the scares. This felt like a new movie to me in a very saturated market. You all may have already seen the commercial or the YouTube.com trailer for 'Grave Encounters'. It gives away a few of the high points in the movie, but there is so much more than that.

'Found footage' is never going to go away and I feel that over time, it's going to become more and more common. These kind of movies are cheap and make a profit, it's the indie zombie movie of this next generation of film makers. Whereas, you can find 1,000 indie zombie films to watch because every first film maker wants to start that way. Now, it's the found footage movies that are taking their place. Is that a good thing? That remains to be seen. This movie gives me hope, as there are glimmers of hope sprinkled throughout.

If you like this, check out similar titles like, 'Paranormal Activity', 'Paranormal Activity 2', and 'Paranormal Entity'

my thoughts on.... 'In My Skin aka Dans Ma Peau'

This film is in French, despite the trailer included below. FYI.

'In My Skin aka Dans Ma Peau' is a disturbing trip through one woman's mental collapse and obsession with herself. This film is written, directed and starred in by Marina de Van. I had never heard of her before this, but I know want to pursue her other films. She has a unique quality to her that is both untouchable and very approachable. I can't quite put my finger on it, but she commnands your attention when she's on the screen. Not too mention that she is a very good director, actress and writer. My only complaint about this film was that the ending was a bit ambiguous and lacked closure. If she could have tightened it up a bit, I would be saying that this would be a part of my library some day.... as it stands now, only time will tell. As mentioned above, this is a French film. (You are all aware of my feelings on the French cinema, if you've read my blog before.) The reason this film even showed up on my radar was because of the outstanding reviews I've been reading for a while now. It was listed on several lists including the most disturbing films of recent and the best "horror" films of recent. I think it qualifies on both lists, but not in a traditional sense. What Marina has created here is something beyond horror and beyond a thriller or drama. It's mostly what I would call, a psychological horror. What's disturbing and horrifying about this is not so much what's happening due to outside factors, but what's inside. Her mind is the villan and she is a willing victim. I think that's why it was such a refreshing chance of pace from the usual fare that's out there right now. Thank god for people like Marina who are willing to take risks on screen.

The story here involves a woman who seems to have her life together. She has a good job and is looking at a promotion, she has a good boyfriend and they're relationship is growing and she knows who she is. While at a party with a friend, she wanders off outside and stumbles onto some rubble in the yard. She is injured, but doesn't know to what extent until she realizes she's bleeding all over the house. She quickly heads off to a restroom and finds out she's suffered a rather serious gash to her calf muscles. She hides it and goes to the ER after the party. The doctor finds it odd that she wouldn't have noticed it sooner and that it only hurt several hours after the fact. He fixes her up and she's on her way. Over the next several days something strange starts to happen.... she begins to fixate on the wound. This fascination grows and grows until soon she's cutting herself in other places and re-opening the original wound. Things get worse and soon she's suckling her own blood and eventually eating her own flesh. Each time she does these things to herself, she is almost in a stupor. It's like she's sleeping and doesn't realize what she's done until afterwards. Everything in her life begins to crumble. Until a horrific climax and the semi-unsatisfying ending.

I feel like I've already said about as much as I can about this film. I recommend you check out the trailer below, but it's in English. They avoided any speaking parts from the film and just overdubbed the background voice in English. The film is available to rent from Netflix, but I'm not sure how available it is elsewhere. If you like to take risks with your film going experiences, then I would recommend this film without hesitation. If you like your films safe, easy to comprehend and without those 'icky' moments.... this is NOT the film for you. This is what Andrew Zimmern would call, "The deep end of the pool." I look forward to whatever Marina de Van has to share with us in the future. I think she has the potential to push the barriers of our fears and to delve in the mind in a unique way.

A 4 out of 5 star attempt from our friend across the pond. A frightening journey to take, but one that's worth the effort. I can only wonder if there is anyone out there in the world who's ever ended up in the position she ended up in within the film. What a dark place to live. Afraid of being alone with yourself, unsure of what you're capable of and unsure how far things will go before you either injure yourself beyond repair or injure someone else. My only suggestion to you before watching this is to make sure you're not eating anything that falls into the 'rare' category. Stick with things that are well-done.

If you like this, watch other psychological based horror: 'Spiral', 'The Silence of the Lambs' and 'High Tension aka Haute Tension'

my thoughts on.... 'Nine Dead'

ever want to see a movie where a bunch of people are trapped in a room and must fight for their lives to get out while trying to solve a puzzle....? oh wait, you've already seen 6 of those....? well, not this one.

the premise sounded interesting to me.... and i found it available to watch instantly on Netflix.... and later available at Redbox.... and i decided to invest the hour and a half to see what it was all about.... and i hate to say it, but i didn't hate it.... it's not going to win any awards..... it's not all that original.... and it's fairly simple in it's overall excecution.... the basic idea is: 9 people are trapped in a room and must figure what they all have in common or one of them will die every 10 minutes.... ie: 90 minute movie.... the killer is kinda of creepy in his s&m mask and hoodie.... and he's not joking about his threats.... so don't watch the movie and get too attached to anyone, because you never really know who's gonna die next....
the characters are all interesting to watch and the actors do the best with the script that they can.... and i enjoyed learning along with the rest of the characters as to what the hell was going on.... the writers do a good job of building suspense and not letting the cat out of the bag too early.... my only regret or problem with the movie is the ending.... its sloppy and unrealistic.... or maybe that's just me.... the killer isn't super hard to figure out and what happens in the last 10 minutes is so over the top it borders on silly.... either way, i'd recommend watching it on a rainy Saturday night.... it's worth that much....

oh and Melissa Joan Hart is in it.... if that does anything for you.

if you enjoy this movie, check out: the 'Saw' series....plain and simple.

my thoughts on.... ' Triangle'

i had zero expectations and no clue what to expect from this movie..... i just thought it sounded interesting and it got 3 stars.... which is enough for me to invest my time.... plus i love movies where people are trapped in or on places where they can't get out and there's some kind of killer stalking them.... and this was all that and a bag of chips.... not too mention, the fact that it took place on a deserted boat made me more intrigued.... after the AWESOME first 10 minutes of 'Ghost Ship' and the other 80 crappy minutes, i figured this had to be better.... and i was right....

the story isn't so simple.... however, at first it seems just that.... 5 people go out for a cruise on a sailboat.... the sailboat capsizes.... they see a large oceanliner and climb on board.... the weird thing is, nobody is there.... simple, right....? that's when things take an acid trip for the better.... soon they find out that they're being hunted by a killer and that killer turns out to be someone they know.... but without giving away the plot as it will ruin the movie.... it's just bizarre enough to be interesting and just weird enough to make some kind of trippy sense.... i was fixated on the screen through the entire movie wondering how it would end and what was going to happen next....
this movie creates some interesting scenarios and scenes that stick with you well after the movie has ended.... and present some morality questions and put thoughts in your head that really make you wonder.... granted there are some HUGE jumps in logic and a lot of mistakes in the overall storyline, but it really doesn't matter because you're just so engrossed.... and Melissa George sells her role as if she was gunning for an Oscar nod....

the killer was interesting.... the plot was interesting.... the motives and methods were interesting and the overall movie was just a fun movie going experience that i do not regret in the slightest.... my only complaint, if any, was the ending left you with a few big questions.... and kind of left you to decide why the person at the end does what the do.... rather than something else.... either way it all comes full circle and ties up nicely.... i would give it, i think, 4 out of 5 stars.... for effort and execution.... it might honestly just be high 3 stars, but i'm feeling generous.... it's on Netflix OnDemand.... check it out while you can.... you won't regret it....

if you enjoy this movie, check out: 'The Thirteenth Floor', 'Dark City' and the first 10 minutes of 'Ghost Ship'

my thoughts on.... 'The Stepfather' (2009)

Terry O'Quinn sold the original 'Stepfather'.... LONG before he was ever on 'Lost'.... and that movie holds a small little place in my heart as one of the better slashers of that year.... then i heard they were re-making it.... so i figured i'd give the new one it's day in court.... right....? i mean, i treat all movies equally.... because sometimes you can find that diamond in the rough where you least expect it.... this really wasn't one of those times.... i mean, the cast and crew did it's best.... and i firmly believe that.... right down to the girlfriend of the son running around half naked most of the time.... but when it came down to it.... they never captured the essence of what made the original so great and spawned sequels.... this felt more like a movie of the week on CBS than a major motion picture....

in your typical slasher movie.... you expect a certain amount of bodies to hit the floor and usually some pretty original ways for it to happen.... this really never lived up to those rules.... the kills were low to none and the originality was just not there.... i do give the director credit for trying to keep the level of tension fairly high.... and he succeeded for the most part.... i found myself hanging on the edge of my seat for some of the scenes.... and i think that the actors had a lot to do with it.... they dragged out some quality b-grade actors.... and they took the script they were given and made the best of it....
the idea behind the story.... if you couldn't guess by the poster.... is about a stepfather who marries into a family and then proceeds to kill them after a while because that's what he does.... the big difference between this and the original.... is that Terry O'Quinn did it out of the fact that when things didn't turn out to be the perfect family he wanted, everyone died.... in this version, they just die.... it almost left the main character without a good motive.... supposedly this is loosely based on actual events.... and they even tie 'America's Most Wanted' into the mix.... i don't know how true it all is.... it makes for an interesting premise either way....

okay, the movies over.... i'm feeling like i'm a pretty darn good father.... and i'm rating this 2 out of 5 stars because it just didn't hold a candle to the original.... the ending was lame at best.... the 3rd act was disjointed and confusing.... all of the cliche's of every other horror movie you've ever seen all were kind of played out, but on a lower grade.... it's not something i would recommend for anyone but die hard fans of movies and is desperate for something to fill and hour and a half.... otherwise, stay away.... i watched it so you didn't have to.

you're welcome....

if you enjoy this movie, check out: 'The Stepfather' (1987), 'Disturbia' and 'Mother's Day'

my thoughts on.... 'Rest Stop: Don't Look Back'

so you really wanted a sequel to 'Rest Stop', eh....? oh wait, you didn't....? neither did i.... however, damn the people who make the DVD covers for this movie and the original because it makes me want to watch them for some reason....! not to mention i'm a slasher movie guy.... but in this film, you realize that perhaps the killer is more than your standard hack and slash kind of guy.... needless to say, i really didn't care for the first one all that much.... the killer was kind of lame and the people in the Winnebago were the only really creepy part.... overall it was just kind of lame.... but for some godforsaken reason i put myself through another one....

here's the deal.... people in Winnebago kill man in yellow truck. (not to be confused with the man in the yellow hat.).... they rip out his eyes and bury him after mutilating the body.... little did the world know that if you do that, the native american legend of them coming back to haunt the earth will happen.... and he won't rest until you burn his eyes.... sounds pretty cool, right....? nope. guy in the yellow truck kills all the people in the Winnebago and makes them suffer the same fate as him.... so people show up at this rest stop and never leave.... because he comes and takes them back to his big yellow school bus.... i'm not kidding about that.... and in this sequel, the brother of the original guy in the first film comes looking for his younger brother with his girlfriend and another guy.... and the rest writes itself....
the story is predictible.... but not without it's entertainment values.... i did watch the whole thing and was curious the whole time about how it would end.... don't mistake that for any desire to ever watch it again.... because it ain't gonna happen.... the ending is nothing new.... the story is a mess.... the supernatural element and horrible bad guy make this one for the lame movie books.... i dont' recommend it unless you really liked the first one and are just dying to see what happens next.... and i highly doubt you're that guy.

2 out of 5 stars.... plain and simple.... pretty people + violence + low budget sequel = this movie.... there is some nudity, but trust me.... it ain't worth the price of admission.... go rent some of the other movies i've reviewed instead.... and if you want a backwoods, dirty desert killer movie.... rent 'The Hills Have Eyes'.... the remake or the original.... they're both far superior to the 'Rest Stop' duo.... about all that the rest stop is good for is taking a poop on a long trip.... and writing something nasty on the bathroom stall with a sharpie....

oh and it's not just a clever title.... when they say 'Don't Look Back'.... they mean it.... seriously....

if you enjoy this movie, check out: ' Rest Stop', 'The Ruins' and 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning'

my thoughts on.... 'Laid To Rest'

last night i had the pleasure of watching a little low budget nasty called 'Laid To Rest'.... is it going to win any awards, no. is it going to re-invent the wheel, no. but it's an hour and a half of non-stop blood, guts, gore and icky stuff.... not too mention that the killer was fairly original and entertaining to watch and learn about.... and in a sea of less than stellar slasher flicks.... it's nice to find one that is a tad above the bar.... the basic premise is that a woman wakes up in a casket with no memory.... she soon finds out that she's being chased by a serial killer called Chrome Skull and we're off to the races....! she tracks down some help along the way and one random kill after another, more and more is revealed.... soon we've reached the climax of the film and you wonder where all the time went....? the stand out parts of this movie involve the gore.... the effects are above average and tend to overshadow the story, which is very simple in scope.... there are some violent kills, but nothing new or too inventive.... still, it's worth the price of admission.... one thing that left me feeling a bit let down by the end, was the lack of closure.... it seemed like we got a lot of build up to a slightly abrupt and unsatisfying ending.... it pays off, however not as well as i'd hoped.... i mean, they built up this killer so much that it would have left itself wide open for a franchise.... sadly, it probably won't happen.... but i've said too much.... (or not.) all that being said.... if you have Netflix, it's available OnDemand right now or to rent.... and i would say it's worth a night of popcorn and brainless slaying.... you won't find any great revelations and will probably feel slightly let down, but the rest of it is so strong that it holds up to the test of an above average slasher film.... and if this piece of bloody good fun is any indication of what the director and writer have in store for the future, then i'm eager to see what's next....

all in all: 3 out of 5 stars.... worth your time, but perhaps not worth repeated viewings.... check it out for yourselves and let me know what you think.... a killer for a new age.... one of cell phones, fast cars and video cameras.... but not for the faint of heart....

if you enjoy this movie, check out: 'Splinter', 'Scream' and 'P2'