Horror Movies

[Blackshirts BLVD]

View attachment 263249

That is not me lol. I look like the left for 99% of all deaths lol.

 

[returnofjakedog]

I tried again to watch V/H/S, and at least made it through all of the way this time, for better or worse.

The good:
*The stories are generally good (minus the framing narrative). Amateur Night is pretty awesome, and a couple others are also generally positives.
*Some of the actors were decent (certainly not all though).

The bad:
*I understand why the genre of 1st person cam movies that erupted post-BWP. It has allowed many film makers to produce on a budget when they wouldn't otherwise have been able to. But these fuckers abused it and it pissed me off.
I understand that the theme of the movie was to "highlight" the use of this technology but they seemed to intentionally make the shakiness overbearing and chaotic, as well as adding static, intentionally unfocused, quick flashes and cuts in the shakey cam footage. It was distracting, unnecessary, and actually made me slightly physically nauseous at times (which never happens to me).

My advice is to watch the individual tales seperately, and skip the framing narrative story entirely as it is complete shit in every respect. Even then the shakey cam bullshit in the individual stories is overbearing at times, and some of the tales drag out way too long (do I really need to see 10 minutes of bad vacation in a single story?).

Using the 1st person cam is excusable when it is used within the framework of the story, and can allow for production when budget might otherwise hinder it. But when you intentionally go overboard with it as much as guys did (I'm not clear why they did, or why they all did since several film makers worked on different segments) it is distracting and annoying to where it approaches it being unwatchable.

Very frustrating. I don't know that I've ever seen a movie that I really enjoyed certain aspects but other aspects pissed me off so much that I wanted to beat the shit out of the film makers.

The entire movie needs to be recut. You can remove at least 50% of their intentional shakey cam stuff and maybe you would have a watchable movie. It would only be about 40 minutes long though.

The good news is that we have gotten some good stuff out of some of these guys since then, like The Ritual, and Ready or Not. So maybe there is a positive in all of this.

I give it a 4 out if 10 overall. A 7.5 to 8 for Amateur Night, a 2.5 for the framework narrative, and everything else falls inbetween.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

I tried again to watch V/H/S, and at least made it through all of the way this time, for better or worse.

The good:
*The stories are generally good (minus the framing narrative). Amateur Night is pretty awesome, and a couple others are also generally positives.
*Some of the actors were decent (certainly not all though).

The bad:
*I understand why the genre of 1st person cam movies that erupted post-BWP. It has allowed many film makers to produce on a budget when they wouldn't otherwise have been able to. But these fuckers abused it and it pissed me off.
I understand that the theme of the movie was to "highlight" the use of this technology but they seemed to intentionally make the shakiness overbearing and chaotic, as well as adding static, intentionally unfocused, quick flashes and cuts in the shakey cam footage. It was distracting, unnecessary, and actually made me slightly physically nauseous at times (which never happens to me).

My advice is to watch the individual tales seperately, and skip the framing narrative story entirely as it is complete shit in every respect. Even then the shakey cam bullshit in the individual stories is overbearing at times, and some of the tales drag out way too long (do I really need to see 10 minutes of bad vacation in a single story?).

Using the 1st person cam is excusable when it is used within the framework of the story, and can allow for production when budget might otherwise hinder it. But when you intentionally go overboard with it as much as guys did (I'm not clear why they did, or why they all did since several film makers worked on different segments) it is distracting and annoying to where it approaches it being unwatchable.

Very frustrating. I don't know that I've ever seen a movie that I really enjoyed certain aspects but other aspects pissed me off so much that I wanted to beat the shit out of the film makers.

The entire movie needs to be recut. You can remove at least 50% of their intentional shakey cam stuff and maybe you would have a watchable movie. It would only be about 40 minutes long though.

The good news is that we have gotten some good stuff out of some of these guys since then, like The Ritual, and Ready or Not. So maybe there is a positive in all of this.

I give it a 4 out if 10 overall. A 7.5 to 8 for Amateur Night, a 2.5 for the framework narrative, and everything else falls inbetween.

To be perfectly honest, I cannot stand found footage films... well, most of them. The shaky-cam annoys the hell out of me because it makes it difficult to identify things throughout. Stationary camera style found footage is much better as it allows me to look around, such as Paranormal Activity or Searching. Searching was done exclusively from the perspective a desktop screen which was interesting and cool.

That is probably the reason I have not see V/H/S... but also probably the reason I have not seen REC. With that said, idk if you have seen The Fourth Kind with Mila Jovovich, but that has some 'found footage' stuff mixed in that in the context of the movie made my hairs raise lol.

 

[returnofjakedog]

To be perfectly honest, I cannot stand found footage films... well, most of them. The shaky-cam annoys the hell out of me because it makes it difficult to identify things throughout. Stationary camera style found footage is much better as it allows me to look around, such as Paranormal Activity or Searching. Searching was done exclusively from the perspective a desktop screen which was interesting and cool.

That is probably the reason I have not see V/H/S... but also probably the reason I have not seen REC. With that said, idk if you have seen The Fourth Kind with Mila Jovovich, but that has some 'found footage' stuff mixed in that in the context of the movie made my hairs raise lol.

I am not a particular fan of the found footage genre but it does have some good moments. The aforementioned Rec, also Rec 2, Quarantine, As Above So Below all stand out as pretty good.

I appreciate the avenues that using handheld filming devices has opened to amateur filmmakers, but the genre is littered with lazy shit. We know it will be cheaply done but that doesn't excuse other crap, and unfortunately V/H/S fucking abuses it.

It is really sad because some of the storys are actually decent, and Amateur Night is damn good despite the shakey cam shit. But I can't remember the last movie that I was so fucking angry at after watching, and usually that is because of shitting on classic material, like Indy and the Crystal Skull. This one I just hated their massive, massive over use of hand held shakey cam periodically blended with static and quick shot stuff. It made me want to hit something.

Hey @FaCe-LeE-uS ! Here is a challenge for you: A definative list of good found footage horror.

 

[returnofjakedog]

To be perfectly honest, I cannot stand found footage films... well, most of them. The shaky-cam annoys the hell out of me because it makes it difficult to identify things throughout. Stationary camera style found footage is much better as it allows me to look around, such as Paranormal Activity or Searching. Searching was done exclusively from the perspective a desktop screen which was interesting and cool.

That is probably the reason I have not see V/H/S... but also probably the reason I have not seen REC. With that said, idk if you have seen The Fourth Kind with Mila Jovovich, but that has some 'found footage' stuff mixed in that in the context of the movie made my hairs raise lol.

Post Script:
I haven't seen The Fourth Kind but Mila has been known to raise more than my hairs!

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Come on Ace, I thought you had a challenge for me.

Find video clips by quote. GetYarn.io now.

memes.yarn.co

Are we talkin full-on found-footage? Or are blends ok? (ones that mix found-footage with normal). And what about the found-footage subgenre where they film everything through the PC? Archival footage?

Man, found-footage has a lot of different considerations lol

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

As requested @returnofjakedog @Blackshirts BLVD ... I'm probably forgetting about a handful but this should get you started. If I didn't list it here, then its safe to assume its garbage lol. But feel free to ask if theres one you're curious about and i'll shake my memory to see if I remember it.

Upper Echelon

• Cannibal Holocaust (1980)... The father of found-footage horror
• The Blair Witch Project (1999)... The mother of found-footage horror
• REC (2007)/Quarantine (2008)... Spanish film & its American remake. Pretty much the exact same movie. Debatably top 5 viral Zombie flick.
• Creep (2014), Creep 2 (2017)... These ones are all about Duplass' performance. @Blackshirts BLVD - if you loved Split, you gotta see these.
• As Above, So Below (2014)... Probably the most unique FF that you'll find. Great story.
• Devil's Pass (2013)... One of my favorites. Story is a bit confusing & gets clunky, but great thrills.
• Trollhunter (2010)... European monster hunter film. Honestly ahead of its time for the amount of CG it used. Still well done.
• The Tunnel (2011)... Sort of drags, but it's well worth the wait. Good atmosphere & fx. If you liked AASB then you'll like this.
• The Pyramid (2014)... Loved this movie, even if the climax featured a cheesy looking monster.
• Frankenstien's Army (2013)... Bizarrely epic. Practical fx & costume designs were outstanding.
• The Fourth Kind (2009)... As mentioned, not pure FF, but the archival footage scenes are awesome.

Good (Has the plot & suspense, but has pitfalls)

• Paranormal Activity (2007), Paranormal Activity 2 (2010), Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)... So simple, yet surreal. The movies that followed in this franchise get messy, but the first 3 are worth it.
• The Possession of Michael King (2014)... Possession movie done right.
• Cloverfield (2008)... Camera work gets obnoxiously shaky at times, but the cg/fx are top notch. That subway tunnel scene!!
• JeruZalem (2015)... Pretty cheesy, but effective. Characters are annoying, but the demons are worth it.
• The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)... Typical possession film, but Jill Larson stole the show.
• Beneath (2013)... Be careful here, there were multiple movies with the same title that year. This one I liked was about the trapped coal miners.
• The Borderlands (2013)... Good acting & chemistry with plenty of good scares (not jump scares). Atmosphere was top notch.
• The Conspiracy (2012)... Good story. A little slow, but worth it.
• Lake Mungo (2008)... Psychological horror doesn't translate as well in FF, but I remember this being decent.
• The Bay (2012)... Parasitic invasion... Great low budget horror & practical fx.
• The Visit (2015)... This one was annoying to me, but it has good reviews almost everywhere you look.
• Man Vs. (2016)... Good potential. More suspenseful than most.

Decent (has its moments, but weak plot & cast)

• Chernobyl Diaries (2012)... Pretty wild ride. Frightening experience too.
• Hollows Grove (2014)... Typical ghost hunter mockumentary, but better than most.
• Grave Encounters (2011), Grave Encounters 2 (2012)... Same as Hollows Grove.
• The Den (2013), Unfriended (2015), Unfriended: Dark Web (2018), The Host (2020)... PC horror (aka skype horror). Parlor tricks, but decent.
• Hell House LLC (2015)... Ignore II & III... The original is the only one worth watching.
• Blair Witch (2016)... Better production values, but I remember being annoyed with it.
• Assimilate (2019)... Invasion of Body Snatchers clone but with FF mixed in.
• They're Watching (2016)... Spoof/parody FF film. Concept was good, but execution was meh.
• Sacrament (2013)... Cult movies are inherently creepy.
• The Vatican Tapes (2015)... Meh. Tiresome but sitll has some moments.
• Hungerford (2014)... Zombie thrill ride.
• Apollo 18 (2011)

Cheaper Thrills (worthwhile but gimmicky, lower expectations)

• V/H/S (2012), V/H/S 2 (2013), V/H/S: Viral (2014)... Very hit & miss anthology horror. First couple had some really good highs though, but lots of lows that drag the overall experience down.
• The Gallows (2015)
• Always Watching: A Marble Hornets Story (2015)
• The Gracefield Incident (2017)
• Found Footage 3D (2016)
• Digging Up the Marrow (2015)... Very cool creatures, but the story is largely slow.
• The Borderlands (2013)... Also known as Final Prayer
• Evidence (2012)... Creature feature.
• Dark Mountain (2013)... Superstition mountains
• The Hangman (2015)... Slow & creepy, but lacks suspense.
• Houses October Built (2014)... Slow moving, & very cheap thrills.
• Mr Jones (2013)
• Alien Abduction (2014)
• Nightlight (2015)
• Area 51 (2015

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Post Script:
I haven't seen The Fourth Kind but Mila has been known to raise more than my hairs!

LILU DALLAS MULTEEEE PASS!

 

[R.J. MacReady]

Good write-up. Some solid points.

*I thought that the creatures themselves were kinda cool, but that the cgi had some "rough patches" (as it typically still does. Maybe in another 10-15 years they will perfect it?). Overall I thought they were decent but couldn't help but think that blending in some practical stuff would have really improved them.

It isn't the cgi or the fast-cuts alone that is an issue with modern day horror, but the combination of both being overused. It is a Catch-22 situation where they go full cgi for budget reasons, realize it isn't quite "realistic" enough, then try to cover it by making fast-cuts (which are often also just jump scares) to cover it up, which almost always makes things a mess.

The audience wants to see the monsters. Many movies make you wait, and IF done right it can build suspense (a big IF).

An example of how to shoot a creature scene: The xenomorph in Alien (yeah, I'm back on Alien. Surprised?) was so great because they had such a great design down to small details, and were able to hold close up shots for several seconds on it. Combined with the sets (all the water!) and the lighting, this is incredibly effective.


To emphasis the point, also in Alien they have Dallas crawling through the vents scene where he stumbles into the waiting open arms of the xenomorph:


Now this scene is still incredibly effective as they take their time building up the situation, we are at least somewhat invested in the Dallas character, and we empathize with the remaining crew members. But this scene is also criticized, maybe the most criticized of the movie, for that fast-cut jump scare, and the xenomorph not looking as good as in the rest of the movie.
It is highly forgivable for me as I think that Scott had backed himself into a corner as they could execute the lighting as he does in other scenes (dark tunnel with no light sources possible behind the creature, extremely confined space, black creature with black wall behind it etc). However this probably the only time in the movie that Scott does this. Underwater (and too many other modern movies) lived and died with the cgi/fast-cut combos. These need to be moderated or they lose their impact.

Another prime example is werewolves. Werewolves are hard monsters to make work effectively on-screen (depending on the type of werewolf) so modern movies often turn to cgi, which isn't perfected so it doesn't always look great, so they cover that with the fast-cuts.

People want to see the horror at some point. There are exceptions to this and building tension by making you wait a bit is commendable. But particularly in monster movies, we want to the the slimey, hairy beast mangle people and rip off some limbs, and we want to see it. Underwater just didn't show us enough of that.

It's also the little things too .....

Like the shot showing how calm and relaxed Jonesy is as Harry Dean Stanton gets eaten.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Hell yea... @Chef99

So Godzilla goes Rogue... Kong is our savior? I'm sure they will just have Kong knock some sense back into 'Zilla.

 

[returnofjakedog]

It's also the little things too .....

Like the shot showing how calm and relaxed Jonesy is as Harry Dean Stanton gets eaten.

Lol!

As we all know, cats can be a little evil sometimes and Jonesy was like "Yeah, well that's what you get for not feeding me on time!" while HDS gets his head ripped off.

That is just cold Jonesy. Just plain cold.

 

[returnofjakedog]

As requested @returnofjakedog @Blackshirts BLVD ... I'm probably forgetting about a handful but this should get you started. If I didn't list it here, then its safe to assume its garbage lol. But feel free to ask if theres one you're curious about and i'll shake my memory to see if I remember it.

Upper Echelon

• Cannibal Holocaust (1980)... The father of found-footage horror
• The Blair Witch Project (1999)... The mother of found-footage horror
• REC (2007)/Quarantine (2008)... Spanish film & its American remake. Pretty much the exact same movie. Debatably top 5 viral Zombie flick.
• Creep (2014), Creep 2 (2017)... These ones are all about Duplass' performance. @Blackshirts BLVD - if you loved Split, you gotta see these.
• As Above, So Below (2014)... Probably the most unique FF that you'll find. Great story.
• Devil's Pass (2013)... One of my favorites. Story is a bit confusing & gets clunky, but great thrills.
• Trollhunter (2010)... European monster hunter film. Honestly ahead of its time for the amount of CG it used. Still well done.
• The Tunnel (2011)... Sort of drags, but it's well worth the wait. Good atmosphere & fx. If you liked AASB then you'll like this.
• The Pyramid (2014)... Loved this movie, even if the climax featured a cheesy looking monster.
• Frankenstien's Army (2013)... Bizarrely epic. Practical fx & costume designs were outstanding.
• The Fourth Kind (2009)... As mentioned, not pure FF, but the archival footage scenes are awesome.

Good (Has the plot & suspense, but has pitfalls)

• Paranormal Activity (2007), Paranormal Activity 2 (2010), Paranormal Activity 3 (2011)... So simple, yet surreal. The movies that followed in this franchise get messy, but the first 3 are worth it.
• The Possession of Michael King (2014)... Possession movie done right.
• Cloverfield (2008)... Camera work gets obnoxiously shaky at times, but the cg/fx are top notch. That subway tunnel scene!!
• JeruZalem (2015)... Pretty cheesy, but effective. Characters are annoying, but the demons are worth it.
• The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)... Typical possession film, but Jill Larson stole the show.
• Beneath (2013)... Be careful here, there were multiple movies with the same title that year. This one I liked was about the trapped coal miners.
• The Borderlands (2013)... Good acting & chemistry with plenty of good scares (not jump scares). Atmosphere was top notch.
• The Conspiracy (2012)... Good story. A little slow, but worth it.
• Lake Mungo (2008)... Psychological horror doesn't translate as well in FF, but I remember this being decent.
• The Bay (2012)... Parasitic invasion... Great low budget horror & practical fx.
• The Visit (2015)... This one was annoying to me, but it has good reviews almost everywhere you look.
• Man Vs. (2016)... Good potential. More suspenseful than most.

Decent (has its moments, but weak plot & cast)

• Chernobyl Diaries (2012)... Pretty wild ride. Frightening experience too.
• Hollows Grove (2014)... Typical ghost hunter mockumentary, but better than most.
• Grave Encounters (2011), Grave Encounters 2 (2012)... Same as Hollows Grove.
• The Den (2013), Unfriended (2015), Unfriended: Dark Web (2018), The Host (2020)... PC horror (aka skype horror). Parlor tricks, but decent.
• Hell House LLC (2015)... Ignore II & III... The original is the only one worth watching.
• Blair Witch (2016)... Better production values, but I remember being annoyed with it.
• Assimilate (2019)... Invasion of Body Snatchers clone but with FF mixed in.
• They're Watching (2016)... Spoof/parody FF film. Concept was good, but execution was meh.
• Sacrament (2013)... Cult movies are inherently creepy.
• The Vatican Tapes (2015)... Meh. Tiresome but sitll has some moments.
• Hungerford (2014)... Zombie thrill ride.
• Apollo 18 (2011)

Cheaper Thrills (worthwhile but gimmicky, lower expectations)

• V/H/S (2012), V/H/S 2 (2013), V/H/S: Viral (2014)... Very hit & miss anthology horror. First couple had some really good highs though, but lots of lows that drag the overall experience down.
• The Gallows (2015)
• Always Watching: A Marble Hornets Story (2015)
• The Gracefield Incident (2017)
• Found Footage 3D (2016)
• Digging Up the Marrow (2015)... Very cool creatures, but the story is largely slow.
• The Borderlands (2013)... Also known as Final Prayer
• Evidence (2012)... Creature feature.
• Dark Mountain (2013)... Superstition mountains
• The Hangman (2015)... Slow & creepy, but lacks suspense.
• Houses October Built (2014)... Slow moving, & very cheap thrills.
• Mr Jones (2013)
• Alien Abduction (2014)
• Nightlight (2015)
• Area 51 (2015

Wow! When I said comprehensive you really took the vall and ran with it man!

I still haven't seen Devil's Pass or the Creep series, so I'll have to prioritize them. I've also been eyeing The Possession of Michael King lately.

What about Rec 2? Where does that one fall into the scheme of things?
I recall that Rec 3: Genesis was decent but was only partly found footage, and also moved into having a comedy bent to it.
There is also Rec 4: Apocalypse! Surprisingly I don't think I've seen it and it appears to have little or no found footage stuff on it. I see it brings back the actress from the first 2 movies after the tale of the kick ass bride in the 3rd.


I friggin love the first 2 Rec movies. Very well done. But the found footage combined with either subtitles or dubbing (Spanish films) can turn a lot of people away. Quarantine, the American remake is also very good.

 

[returnofjakedog]

Hell yea... @Chef99

So Godzilla goes Rogue... Kong is our savior? I'm sure they will just have Kong knock some sense back into 'Zilla.

The original King Kong vs Godzilla was actually scripted to be King Kong vs Prometheus in which Kong fights a giant Frankenstein monster. But the American writer sold the script to the Japanese who already had an established Godzilla mythos and a costume, so they switched it up.
*Kong is only a savior by default as he keeps getting drunk after eating fermented berries (Seriously! It happens 2 or 3 times! Kong is an alcoholic in this), he passes out and they raft him to where Godzilla is rampaging.

*In the USA version, the guy who sold the script to the Japanese retained the international rights so he added a bunch of fake news footage as a framing narrative. He also replaced all of the music. He then sold it off for a tidy profit. This is the version I remember.
Apparently there is also an English dubbed version of the Japanese version out there.

 

[returnofjakedog]

LILU DALLAS MULTEEEE PASS!

Lol! It is much sexier in my head when I associate it with Mila!

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Wow! When I said comprehensive you really took the vall and ran with it man!

I still haven't seen Devil's Pass or the Creep series, so I'll have to prioritize them. I've also been eyeing The Possession of Michael King lately.

What about Rec 2? Where does that one fall into the scheme of things?
I recall that Rec 3: Genesis was decent but was only partly found footage, and also moved into having a comedy bent to it.
There is also Rec 4: Apocalypse! Surprisingly I don't think I've seen it and it appears to have little or no found footage stuff on it. I see it brings back the actress from the first 2 movies after the tale of the kick ass bride in the 3rd.


I friggin love the first 2 Rec movies. Very well done. But the found footage combined with either subtitles or dubbing (Spanish films) can turn a lot of people away. Quarantine, the American remake is also very good.

Honestly I think I've only seen Rec & Rec 2... And I was pretty inebriated (shocker) during the 2nd. As I've said before I'm not too big on subtitled foreign films... And Found-Footage was always more miss than hit... So the combination just didn't ever allure to me.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

The original King Kong vs Godzilla was actually scripted to be King Kong vs Prometheus in which Kong fights a giant Frankenstein monster. But the American writer sold the script to the Japanese who already had an established Godzilla mythos and a costume, so they switched it up.
*Kong is only a savior by default as he keeps getting drunk after eating fermented berries (Seriously! It happens 2 or 3 times! Kong is an alcoholic in this), he passes out and they raft him to where Godzilla is rampaging.

*In the USA version, the guy who sold the script to the Japanese retained the international rights so he added a bunch of fake news footage as a framing narrative. He also replaced all of the music. He then sold it off for a tidy profit. This is the version I remember.
Apparently there is also an English dubbed version of the Japanese version out there.

Great stuff here. Never saw the original but its speaking to my inner spirit animal.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Watched The Death of Me about a couple on an island in the Indian Ocean waking up after blacking out the night before and trying to piece together what happened and things getting crazier. Honestly a hard pass. Any sort of jump scares fell flat and it wasn't done anywhere near well enough to be a good psychological horror movie.

Also watched Alone which I enjoyed quite a bit more. The preview/description pretty much explain the entire plot, girl gets kidnapped, escapes and the hunt is on. It had some Misery vibes to it, some questionable magical gps tracking abilities were relied on to move things along but definitely worth a watch.

Death of Me... Decent story & had a good premise & plot build in the beginning, but everything felt much too "convenient" for the plot from about midway & on. Too many moments where the protagonist easily triumphed or vice versa with the tribal cult. The husband was too blah for me as well. Felt like the writing got insanely lazy. Its been some months since I've seen it, but I don't recall anything scary about it lol.

Alone... Still in my queue. Good to know its worth the watch!

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

 

[returnofjakedog]

That looks horrible!! Lol!

...........but I'm guessing it has some "fan service" that @Chef99 will appreciate!

 

[returnofjakedog]

Mulberry St (2006)


Oh Hulu! Nicely done low budget horror movie. Shot in Manhattan and definitely creates a genuine NYC feel through long shots, local sites and color. Acting is surprisingly good. Gives good introduction to all the characters and actually produces some empathy. Interesting subplot of daughter returning from Iraq. A nice 28-Days-Later vibe done on a much smaller scale. Plenty of flesh-eating and blood and guts. The creatures were pretty cool considering the low budget. Overall I found it satisfying and a decent watch. Low expectations can produce a pleasant viewing experience. Not my favorite from the Afterdark horrorfests, but it is a good B-movie horror.

Low budget entertainment... 6/10

Watched it a couple of days ago. I agree with the synopsis.

The good:
*Acting is generally decent to good. This is surprising when you learn that they filled out the cast with family and friends. The guy that played the building super was a buddy who gave them $10k for production, and he was surprisingly good in the role!
*Storyline is solid and well executed.
*Some nice gore fxs.
*The setting is a gritty, dirty one and it is a major part of the story.

The bad:
*The movie is just too dark for long periods of time.
*In addition to the darkness, the overuse of the shakey cam stuff is an issue.
Note that both of these points are budget limitations, but it could have been done a little better.
*The movie plays it straight and serious but the transformation into the creatures can come off a bit comical. I understand wanting to be a bit different but the use of straight up infected humans always plays better than major physical transformations in very short time periods to me (unless you are going full on comedy, which this didn't).

The director/writer Jim Mickle also did Stakeland, which I really liked, and We Are What We Are, which is acclaimed but I don't think I've seen yet. He has manged some pretty decent flicks on low budgets with Mulberry Street costing only $60k, Stakeland $600k, and We Are What We Are at $80k so I am mildly surprised that no one is signing him up for slightly bigger budget stuff.

6 out of 10 seems reasonable for very low budget NY rat-zombies!