Horror Movies

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Harbinger Down (2015)


On Netflix! I'm not sure if they were purposely trying to or not, but this movie is almost exactly like The Thing. But IMO it had a low cgi budget for this day & age. The subpar effects could have been overlooked if the film had a decent script and actors but it really didn't. With the exception of Henrikson, the acting was pretty bad. The effects weren't bad by any means, but like I said, in this era of tech they could have made something better. Sadly I think they missed the mark with this one. They could have made a really suspenseful and disturbing film along the lines of The Thing, but what they ended up with was a pretty average monster movie that will quickly be forgotten. All in all, this is an average movie for something independent & without a budget. I still think it's worth a watch, at least for the effort.

Subpar version of The Thing... 6.5/10

 

[Chef99]

Hey, on a positive note about Krampus - I'm lovin' the cast. Looks like a bunch of favorites from shows like The Office and Parks and Recreation. That's all good imo.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Hey, on a positive note about Krampus - I'm lovin' the cast. Looks like a bunch of favorites from shows like The Office and Parks and Recreation. That's all good imo.

I'm sort of confused about the choice of casting David Koechner though. I don't think that I have ever watched him be serious in anything lol. Should be interesting to see him in this sort of role. He'll probably provide some comic relief, but will eventually be Krampus fodder.

 

[Chef99]

I'm sort of confused about the choice of casting David Koechner though. I don't think that I have ever watched him be serious in anything lol. Should be interesting to see him in this sort of role. He'll probably provide some comic relief, but will eventually be Krampus fodder.

There is no way in hell he will NOT be Krampus fodder.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

There is no way in hell he will NOT be Krampus fodder.

 

[Chef99]

View attachment 52901

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Another World (2015)


Haven't seen many zomb films in a while so I decided to see what sort of new material was out there. Ended up with this pile... This was just plain bad. I feel sorry for anyone that had to give money for making this. It's bad in literally every aspect: bad acting, bad filming, horrible plot, too much dialogue... This list goes on and on. The movie is basically a bunch of random events that a group of survivors go through with little to no correlation, but somehow they string it all together with a shitty plotline and massive amounts of dialogue. The trailer makes it seem action packed, but it was far from it. I would say this movie is 90% dialogue, 5% B-roll, and 5% action. Do yourselves a favor and do anything else but watching this.

Here's your participation ribbon... 2/10

 

[jakedog56]

Just now back from 3 weeks of vacation. I will see if I can dig up a flick over the weekend to add!

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Just now back from 3 weeks of vacation. I will see if I can dig up a flick over the weekend to add!

I have a whole mess of movies to review... 10+

T'was a good holiday week/weekend!

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Bait (2012)


I have to admit, my expectations were rock bottom for this film. Most shark movies are ridiculously cheesy, too far fetched, filled with cheap thrills and unbelievably bad. However, this film was a pleasant surprise. There was genuine tension, some unpredictability, average to good acting, and had a cool location for a shark movie. Most importantly it had characters I actually cared about! There was some cheesy cgi but they kept the usage pretty small so that it didn't ruin the movie. The plot was a tad bit of a stretch, but it made for decent entertainment!

Remarkably watchable! 7.5/10

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Curve (2015)


I'm going to go out on a limb and call this an underrated survival horror. This film takes a very simple plot, but delivers much more. This one is for those WWID (What Would I Do) fans on here. I think what truly makes this a great film is the acting. Julianne Hough & Teddy Sears put on a great performances. There are moments where you will be screaming at the TV saying "do this" or "why haven't you tried that", but that is the beauty of these WWID survivalist films. At least that means you somewhat care for the character which is a win for the director! For the most part, the girl does everything necessary to survive, which is a breath of fresh air considering what most females do in these types of roles. My only real critique is the ending. I thought they could have had a stronger, more satisfying finish. Once she gets to his little house of horrors, it's fairly conventional, but it won't irritate you. Considering the small budget & tiny setting (only 1-2 different scene locations), this was a homerun in my book!

So, what would YOU have done differently? 8/10

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Aftershock (2012)


Another survival thriller/horror film. The movie starts out like a typical survival thriller (man vs. elements), but eventually turns into horror (man vs. man). Eli Roth had a part in the writing & directing (and acting!) of this film so you get some over-the-top gross and/or wtf moments. But not without his comedic touch! Also, this was directed & featured in South America so there is a lot of Spanish language being thrown around sans subtitles. The film delivers on the blood & gore, but gives you a lot of other unwanted horror cliches (bad acting, horrible decision making, etc). It's a little cheesy, has ample blood and gore, and plenty of Eli Roth atmosphere (warning! uncomfortable r*pe scene). Generally, I found it was a decent flick. It's a little dark but has moments that will make you laugh, too. It's not going to win any awards, but if you know what to expect from Roth and/or are a fan of his films, you'll find it enjoyable enough.

Disaster nightmare! 7/10

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

In The Blood (2014)


Not horror, but a badass thriller with a crazy WWID situation! This is primarily an action thriller first & foremost, but it does have some horror elements. This movie was action packed and really entertaining. You follow a very strong female role on her quest to find her kidnapped husband. What makes this movie so different is the male & female roles are reversed. Usually its the badass husband/boyfriend that goes on a blood quest to find his mate. Don't be fooled, this woman is brutal! She kicks the shit out of these macho dudes and makes everyone pay. I'm really glad they didn't cast some unrealistic eye-candy type bimbo. The plot has some holes, but it at least provides well-placed background to provide explanations. The plot, setting, acting, progression was all good! Solid entertainment!

Can of Latin whoop-ass, anyone? 7/10

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Summer's Moon (2009)


Originally titled "Summer's Blood". This movie is a pretty disturbing psycho-thriller. The good... The plot is fairly well thought-out and presents a couple of unexpected twists that will leave you even more disturbed than you already were. The filming & setting were good, a little predictable though, and the acting was believable. And now for the knocks... The film gets a little winded and can be somewhat boring during brief stretches. The budget was shoe-string low so you don't get any cgi or fx. That also equates to almost no violence or gore. Basically it is pretty dull. It does enough to keep you interested, and delivers a decent climax, but don't get overly excited about this one.

Dull psycho-thriller... 5.5/10

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Tape_13 (2014)


I know the "found footage" flims are getting overplayed, but I thought the Europeans would bring something good to the table with this one so I gave it a shot. I was very wrong lol. This film brought nothing new or exciting to the genre. Its just another typical FF thriller that follows the same dead-horse-beaten plot of the stereotypical group of party-goers getting messed with. The recipe was a disaster... Very little suspense, bad acting with horrible english (usually expected from Euro films, but damn that was awful), copied scenes/ideas from previous FF films, lots of character stupidity, no cgi, and an uneventful & predictable climax.

Yikes... 3/10

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Nightlight (2015)


How do I keep getting myself caught in this mess? Another FF film. But before you stop reading, I should note this one had some decent creativity. Take that for what its worth lol. The plot is far from original. It follows a younger group of friends that go out into the woods to play scary games, but end up stirring up a vengeful spirit. I'd say this one was much more worth the watch than Tape_13 was. It has less character stupidity and less bad acting moments, so that's a step in the right direction! They implemented some pretty cool cgi, however limited it was. I liked some of the ideas they put in, but overall its still the same typical FF nonsense. It gets very winded towards the end too. There was probably 5 or 6 different times where you think the movie is over, but it just keeps going lol. I'll give them some credit for the creativity! And there was some good suspense, so it wasn't a failure IMO. But I doubt that I'll remember this one a month from now.

It's the effort that counts right? 5/10

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Deep In The Darkness (2014)


Netflix! For starters, it's a horror where the characters aren't making bad decisions at every step. Thank God. The acting was good & believable. The creature concept left a lot to be desired. But it was simple & wasn't far-fetched, so I can get past that. You get ample amounts of gore, good suspense, interesting background, and other variables surfacing throughout the movie. All of that made it more complex than the usual B horror. It has more to offer than most films: providing a good plot, execution and minutes are well spent. So overall, I think this was a winner. Not immaculate, but I enjoyed it and stayed for the entire ride. And I wasn't irritated or left trying to fill the holes.

Worthy of recommendation! 7/10

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Stung (2015)


Netflix! A horror comedy done right! This movie provides decent laughs from likable characters, good acting, some insane action, and over-the-top gore. Only things I wished for more of was suspense & scare. But being a horrorcom I guess those weren't exactly necessities. I think what sets this movie apart from other bug horrors, aside from the comedy, are the characters & acting. I really liked the majority of the characters and the acting was solid. Something like Eight Legged Freaks really lacked in those departments. The plot in this movie was very far-fetched, but I think it only added to the comedic value. It wasn't anything sensational, but it was good fun!

Buggy horrorcom, with loads of WTF! 7/10

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Open Windows (2014)


A lot of people really hate Elijah Wood, but I have to admit, within the horror genre he chooses his roles pretty damn well. This role is different from his usual psycho role in horror movies, as he plays the unsuspecting victim, but he plays it very well. With the advancements in tech we are starting to see filmmakers implement new tech concepts in horror which is pretty cool. Like The Den, and Unfriended, (to name a few) this movie is shot primarily through a computer screen window, and also provides other filming techniques such as 1st & 3rd person. But unlike those films, this one goes further into the tech world. Thankfully it doesn't get so crazy with the concepts that it confuses the viewer. You follow the victim that has limited tech knowledge so they explain all the necessities in a way that doesn't detract from the movie. The plot implements some ideas from stalker movies, so it isn't exactly original by any means. But the suspense is great! The filming, acting, plot, etc are all pretty good! It's a good thrill ride from start to finish. My only gripe was they got a little carried away with the climax twist, and i didn't care for the resolution/ending because of it. I think it would have benefited from something more simple.

Is techno-thriller a genre yet? 7.5/10

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Bound To Vengeance (2015)


Netflix! This was a pretty damn good indie horror! It's rare in horror films where the female character takes command and controls the destiny. I find it refreshing! The director takes the audience on a grotesque venture of sex trafficking as the protagonist discovers the harsh realities that it entails. The acting was great, the filming was good, and the plot was suspenseful. I was hooked from start to finish. It has a solid amount of gore without being over-the-top. While the film delivers the unsympathetic yet very much appreciated demise of the male antagonists, the underwhelming conclusion of the main villain left me craving for more justice. I think that added to the experience though, because you know he got exactly what he deserved, but you are left to your imagination with it. This movie is definitely one that I will remember because of that.

Powerful indie horror... 8/10