Continuing my short reviews of
semi-obscure horror films. Listed in alphabetical order, I hope you
find a good suggestion or two in one of these lists to haunt your
dreams.
Dead Silence
(2007) (Supernatural) - I've been fascinated with maniacal dummies
ever since I saw the 1978 film Magic
and not one, but two great Twilight Zone episodes about dummies
coming to life. So I was delightfully surprised when I stumbled upon
this entry on Netflix. I was more surprised when I found out it was
from the creators of Saw.
This movie definitely has some interesting concepts and a couple of
fun scenes, unfortunately, the characters are dull and flat and the
overall story is just too boring. Skip. (Currently on Netflix.)
The Bay
(2012) - A found footage film directed by Barry Levinson (Rain
Man, Good Morning, Vietnam).
Made as a documentary after the events, this found footage film
works better than most as we have a few good shocks, a
pseudo-scientific explanation, and a fairly interesting narrative.
It's about a small community that is ravaged by contaminated water.
There's more to it than that, but I don't want too reveal much.
Partial recommend. (Currently on Netflix.)
House of the Devil (2009) (Supernatural) - A college girl in
desperate need of rent money takes on a strange babysitting job.
When she arrives at the house, she finds there's no baby, but an
elderly woman she's not too bother. The couple only want her there
in case of an emergency. They offer a ridiculous sum of money for a
few hours service. They need someone so they can go out and enjoy
the unusual lunar eclipse. Of course, things aren't as they seem and
our college girl soon becomes hunted as a Satanic sacrifice. This
film is by Ti West, director of The Innkeepers another
in the genre of slow burn horror. As much as I enjoy subtlety
and find most modern horror films too over the top, this film is
simply too slow. It takes so long for anything to happen, that by
the time it does, I no longer care. I wanted to like this film, but
instead I almost fell asleep watching it. Skip.
(Currently on Netflix.)
Splinter (2008)
(Supernatural) - A young couple is kidnapped by another couple on a
murderous spree through the backwoods somewhere when they all
encounter a strange alien force that grows in living tissue until it
takes over the being. The group finds themselves trapped in a remote
gas station with no escape as they try to keep the entity out. This
is a fun film that I quite enjoyed. Recommend.
Would You
Rather
(2012) - Eight people are gathered together at the behest of a
wealthy benefactor who offers them the financial solutions to their
problems if they just play a little game. Unfortunately, the game
has some deadly consequences and there can only be one winner. This
is an incredibly uncomfortable film and for that reason, I enjoyed
it. Recommend.
You're Next (2011) - A family gathers at a large estate only
to find themselves hunted by men in masks. Despite the all too familiar horror opening , this movie switches
gears and reveals a few simple, but fun twists. I enjoyed it.
Recommend. (Currently
on Netflix.)
(To be continued...)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment