Horror Movies

[Chef99]

Unfriended (2015)


Finally got around to watching this since it was posted online recently. I wrote a preview a long time ago in this thread somewhere. I'll start by saying the plot was interesting, original, and the progression keeps you hooked. So in that sense it accomplished its mission. But I found a lot of 'knocks' which kinda diluted the entire experience for me. It could just be how my brain operates, so don't take it as a blanket negative and not give it a chance. The acting was typical of teenaged kids, but they were at least believable. Teenagers are in & of themselves, stupid... We all were at some point. So it was to be expected. The filming was innovative, but to me it could have been a much better film if they varied from "computer screen" to actual filming (watch The Den if you agree). Watching everything through the eyes of the girls computer kind of dulled the suspense. However, I will say that it implemented a lot of old fashioned scare techniques into new methods. Kind of cool to see how people are integrating technology into the horror genre. But don't get your hopes up for a really good horror flick, because it will disappoint you.

Innovative, but dull... 6/10

Yeah, this is an apt analysis. The "horror" scenes almost look like they were added as an afterthought. To me, the interaction and unveiling of the teens' motivations was the interesting stuff.

 

[Johnnydollaz89]

I liked Unfriended, it was different.

Watched "A Christmas Horror Story" the other night after seeing good reviews, it was awful. Waste of money

 

[DJ]

Watching The Haunting of Molly Hartley. It's not the best but it is a decent horror flick.

 

[DJ]

The Haunting of Molly Hartley (2008) - IMDb

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

I liked Unfriended, it was different.

Watched "A Christmas Horror Story" the other night after seeing good reviews, it was awful. Waste of money

I don't know why I enjoyed that movie. But I remember the irony of expecting Krampus to be done in the way that Michael Dougherty was known for, which was exactly what A Christmas Horror Story turned out to be. Multiple storylines that all tie together in the end. It was a little silly, but entertaining!

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Yeah, this is an apt analysis. The "horror" scenes almost look like they were added as an afterthought. To me, the interaction and unveiling of the teens' motivations was the interesting stuff.

Exactly. I think the director/writers got too carried away with integrating technology into the entire plot. Took away from the suspense. But we are starting to see more and more films surfacing that are using this technique. The Den & Open Windows to name a few. I think those 2 films were much better than Unfriended.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Lost After Dark (2015)


Got this as a recommendation from a buddy of mine. Didn't have very high expectations for it but the 80's-throwback idea was too hard to resist. Some of my all-time favorites are from that era. Sadly, this one missed its mark. One of my favorite things about 70-80's horror is the score. This movie's score was a little too disco for my comfort. In a sense I think this movie was meant to be more of a horror comedy. The lines get too blurred for me to make out the difference sometimes. But overall it was cheap entertainment. Bad acting, the usual predictable slasher plotline, character stupidity, high school stereotypes, and horror cliches. They stuck to the 80's throwback era, so kudos to that. Never heard much about the director, Ian Kessner, other than he is known for his short films (both written & directed). I wouldn't recommend it by any means, so be warned! If your looking for a cheap horror comedy then maybe give this one a thought. Rates a zero on the boobmeter, sorry chef!

Pays homage to the 80's... 5/10

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Dawning (2009)


After perusing the horror film aisle we came across this unknown film. Saw it had received multiple film festival awards so I figured, why not? About 5 mins in I was immediately regretting it. I wouldn't even call this low budget, rather no-budget. If a group of friends got together and made a horror film on an iphone then this is what you would expect. The entire movie didn't make any sense. The antagonist came in the form of some "unknown" supernatural presence outside the cabin and you never see or hear it. And just when you think its not supernatural but psychological then the climax happens which leaves you wondering WTF just happened? Poor effort on every account. How this movie won some sort of film festival awards is beyond me. Some fact checking should be done for false advertising.

Yikes... 2/10

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Train (2008)


Holy crap this movie was dark. This movie is the mobile version of the Hostel franchise. The director had very little horror experience so I think he jumped on the coattails of those horror films and this is the result. However I will say this was a pretty good movie. The gore factor is a full 10/10 and its not something you want to watch with kids. As I said before, it gets dark. The plot is straightforward but it keeps the climax hidden because you aren't exactly sure what the endgame is throughout the movie. I'm glad they did that because it keeps up the suspense. The main actress kind of irritated me. She reached a point in the movie where she came off emotionless. Not sure if that was supposed to be some sort of "shock" or what, but during the last quarter of the movie you start to wonder what the hell she is thinking. The ending could have been shortened because they threw in a few unnecessary twists and turns. And the very last scene should have been deleted alltogether. Overall its worth the watch if you're into the darker side of horror. Aside from one early club scene the boobmeter comes to a screaching hault lol.

Hostel goes mobile... 7/10

 

[Chef99]

Lost After Dark (2015)


Got this as a recommendation from a buddy of mine. Didn't have very high expectations for it but the 80's-throwback idea was too hard to resist. Some of my all-time favorites are from that era. Sadly, this one missed its mark. One of my favorite things about 70-80's horror is the score. This movie's score was a little too disco for my comfort. In a sense I think this movie was meant to be more of a horror comedy. The lines get too blurred for me to make out the difference sometimes. But overall it was cheap entertainment. Bad acting, the usual predictable slasher plotline, character stupidity, high school stereotypes, and horror cliches. They stuck to the 80's throwback era, so kudos to that. Never heard much about the director, Ian Kessner, other than he is known for his short films (both written & directed). I wouldn't recommend it by any means, so be warned! If your looking for a cheap horror comedy then maybe give this one a thought. Rates a zero on the boobmeter, sorry chef!

Pays homage to the 80's... 5/10

Sounds like it rates a zero on everything!

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Silent Retreat (2013)


This first half of this film started off really well. I really liked how things progressed and the multiple antagonist angle worked well. But then the film turns a corner in a jarring way that sort of kills all the momentum it had been building up. They needed some sort of transition or implementing more of the creature in some way. The performances are decent but nothing to write home about, and the production values are impressive for an indie film. It really comes down to the screenplay and the fact that the directing needed to be toned down a bit. Overall for whatever reason it just didn't work very well. I wasn't disappointed though, just left me wanting something better. And for an all-female retreat you would assume some sort of BM (boobmeter) activity, but sorry there wasn't.

Good momentum but turns on itself... 6.5/10

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Hangman (2015)


This was a fairly unsettling movie. If you can get past the unoriginal plot & the glaring holes, then its a half-way decent film. There is zero character building and zero background so the viewer is just a sightseer on this unsettling thrill ride. There is little suspense but rather an overall creepy vibe. The progression & climax were very predictable. Amy Smart made a cameo but it was very short-lived. Found that odd because the 2 main characters are relatively unknowns in comparison. The acting fit the roles but the characters were pretty oblivious. Typical with these "found footage" films. Not really much to get excited about with this one. BM: 0.

The usual horror cliches... 5/10

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Hollows Grove (2014)


First off, I get it... These films are far from appealing anymore. The idea has been beaten to death more times than anyone can count. But I have to admit this movie was done better than it looks. The acting was pretty awful, but the cgi & progression were pretty good. Most importantly they build up the characters (with decent amounts of humor too). There are some okay jump scares and a few creepy moments. Lance Henriksen was a pleasant & unexpected surprise. He's had a knack for popping up in unknown low budget horror films. Sadly he was only in the film for all of 5-10mins. I liked how they approached the "ghost-adventure" from a biased standpoint so it added a humor element that I thought made the entire film more enjoyable. I won't rave about this film because of the repetitive nature of them in general, but I would recommend it for those starved for more material. BM: 0

One of the better made films of its subgenre... 6/10

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Robert (2015)


Originally named "Robert the Doll". I'm no stranger to bad scripts and stupid characters in horror films, but this film had me thinking it was written on "bring your kid to work" day. The wife/mother character is an emotional mess that irritates the hell out of you, the son shows hardly any emotion towards anything at all, the husband is an odd stereotype that doesn't fit very well... How any man could or would deal with that type of woman is moronic. Every scene had me re-evaluating what I considered a bad movie, which is a shame considering the potential it had... Decent graphics coupled with the typical but always suspenseful killer doll story. But it just wasn't to be! With the victims typically all shown to be weak and the doll practically not even doing anything most of the time yet causing all sorts of terror... And how could any parent in their right mind let their kid keep something as creepy as that doll? No thanks! The entire film focuses on the wife which was a huge mistake. She is awful and about midway through the movie you find yourself hoping for her immediate demise. I'd give the doll an A+ for creepiness though lol. If you're lookin for a better killer doll story then watch The Boy, or Chucky. BM: 0

Waste of time... 3/10

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Open Graves (2009)


This movie starts out a little bit different from the repetitive ghost stories that were abundant around the time this one came out. It shares similar aspects, but remains somewhat different mainly through methods of death. Unfortunately not different enough. As one would suspect from the oversaturated cast from the get-go, several characters are going to die rather quickly. After the first few deaths you already know how everything will play out. Very predictable, and probably better suited for viewing around its time of release. Nevertheless, you're subjected to scenes of the remaining characters attempting to survive & figure it all out. Nothing innovative but it was still entertaining. The acting was typical of teenage horror films, and the fx is average. Not much else to say other than it was a time killer.

Ineffective, but entertaining... 5/10

 

[Johnnydollaz89]

Lost After Dark (2015)


Got this as a recommendation from a buddy of mine. Didn't have very high expectations for it but the 80's-throwback idea was too hard to resist. Some of my all-time favorites are from that era. Sadly, this one missed its mark. One of my favorite things about 70-80's horror is the score. This movie's score was a little too disco for my comfort. In a sense I think this movie was meant to be more of a horror comedy. The lines get too blurred for me to make out the difference sometimes. But overall it was cheap entertainment. Bad acting, the usual predictable slasher plotline, character stupidity, high school stereotypes, and horror cliches. They stuck to the 80's throwback era, so kudos to that. Never heard much about the director, Ian Kessner, other than he is known for his short films (both written & directed). I wouldn't recommend it by any means, so be warned! If your looking for a cheap horror comedy then maybe give this one a thought. Rates a zero on the boobmeter, sorry chef!

Pays homage to the 80's... 5/10

This was a decent movie. I bought it when it came out on Blu-ray, reminded me of 80's slasher movies. Pretty much agree with your points on the movie.

 

[Johnnydollaz89]

Hangman (2015)


This was a fairly unsettling movie. If you can get past the unoriginal plot & the glaring holes, then its a half-way decent film. There is zero character building and zero background so the viewer is just a sightseer on this unsettling thrill ride. There is little suspense but rather an overall creepy vibe. The progression & climax were very predictable. Amy Smart made a cameo but it was very short-lived. Found that odd because the 2 main characters are relatively unknowns in comparison. The acting fit the roles but the characters were pretty oblivious. Typical with these "found footage" films. Not really much to get excited about with this one. BM: 0.

The usual horror cliches... 5/10

Wife just made me buy this at Best Buy and we just turned it on now to watch it.

Also, Face, did you see the original Martyrs? I just picked up the remake

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Wife just made me buy this at Best Buy and we just turned it on now to watch it.

Also, Face, did you see the original Martyrs? I just picked up the remake

Not sure that I have? Not ringing any bells... Just looked it up and it doesn't look familiar.

 

[Johnnydollaz89]

Not sure that I have? Not ringing any bells... Just looked it up and it doesn't look familiar.

It was a very disturbing film.

And for Hangman, very sliw, very weird, but a bit creepy

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

It was a very disturbing film.

And for Hangman, very sliw, very weird, but a bit creepy

I'll check it out! Thanks!

Just get done watchin Hangman? I agree, creepy with dashes of disturbing. Made me want to check my attic.