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The Haunted Studio (2024)
A likable enough bit generally problematic genre effort
Trying to prepare for his next film, a sketchy producer who's taken over a film studio but can't find the necessary ingredients necessary for them to perform a special spell that will allow them to control a ravenous demon that was summoned by accident and are in the process of trying to control.
This was a fun if somewhat problematic genre effort. One of the better elements here is the lighthearted tone and atmosphere that makes the goofy setup feel intriguing. The initial back-and-forth conversations that take place come together quite nicely to make this intriguing enough to stay on board with where the vagueness of their antics starts to signal the direction of the film heading. With a lot of the questions being answered by the flashback to the disastrous film shoot that reveals the predicament they're in and how they're handling it with the current conversations that lead into the fun finale where they finally confront the creature, this is all quite likable. That said, there are some issues with this one being really obvious. That's the overall dreadfully dull and lifeless pace that takes place during all these conversations as the back-and-forth sniping that occurs isn't all that interesting. While the film makes for a great showcase of the chemistry they all have with each other since the snappy dialog and one-liners do bring up some comedic value at points, this is all done at the expense of action with the low-budget roots being exposed rather obviously. Seeing the couple arguing over anything from food preparations to their lack of success with the film shoot and the general downward spiral of their life makes for a dull time that makes this hard to get into. As well, there's also the convoluted and twisting story that never really makes sense. With the whole point of the demonic summoning getting revealed nearly an hour into and far too much time spent trying to play up this light-hearted atmosphere with the put-upon director, his headstrong wife, and the sane niece trying to be secretive about the creature's presence in their midst and how to stop it, it never generates a strong ability to care about it with these issues all preventing that connection. The low-budget charm that runs through this does manage to overcome a few of these factors but not enough to make this one somewhat of a disappointment.
Rated Unrated/R: Violence and Language.
Nest of Vampires (2021)
A decent enough indie effort that has some big drawbacks
Several months after his wife's murder, a special agent arrives in a small British town to follow up on leads involving his daughter's kidnapping at the same time, eventually leading into the small-town human trafficking ring at the center of everything and forcing him to fight vampires to save her.
This was a rather solid if troubling genre effort. When this one works best is mostly around the intriguing setup involving the rather mysterious backstory that sets everything in motion. The opening home invasion and eventual abduction provide a fine motivation to get him involved in the hunt to track them down as the scenes featuring the abductors toying with his daughter or trying to steer him clear of their activities highlight the kind of setup at play here. The series of double-crosses, as the multitude of individuals armed with their own agendas and stakes in the situation getting involved in what's going on as well as the series of reveals about their real identities creates an intriguing enough setup focusing on this spy-style introduction to a traditional vampire effort. The other really likable factor here is the vampire action which emerges strictly in the final half. With the only real vampire action here being a surprise reveal on an unsuspecting victim, the next time something vampire-based comes into play is the attack on those holding him hostage and trying to question him before they kill him. As this leads nicely into the series of quick action scenes showing the gang getting killed off by the creature around the village, this has some cheesy fun to be had here as it leads into the finale where the big confrontation occurs t the big house where the final battles with the remaining henchmen take place as well as the big reveal of their identity that all gives this a lot to like. There are some issues to be had with this one. Among the biggest problems here is that this one is so convoluted with so many side characters and subplots it's incredibly confusing at times. Since everyone here is deep in the espionage game, the cryptic threats and pleasantries exchanged by everyone make it easy to forget character relationships and points to take place here. As well, the need to focus on that aspect of the film quite prominently, the film's pacing is incredibly sluggish as very little happens for a long time other than these vague threats and double-meaning conversations as everyone implying others know more than they're letting on also adds to the confusion here. Combined with the somewhat obvious and flimsy-looking gore that's messy in concept but stumbles in execution, these are the film's drawbacks.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Violence.
Amityville Ripper (2023)
A rather fun and enjoyable indie slasher comedy
Preparing for a special party, a woman and her friend decide to use the opportunity to covertly conduct a seance with Jack the Ripper through a knife of his acquired from the destroyed Amityville house, but when the actual killer crashes the party forces them to stop the deadly killer.
This was a fairly fun and enjoyable genre effort. One of the better aspects here is the decent enough setup that allows for a fun way to bring everything together with a solid series of storylines. The main setup about the party taking place and how everyone is clearly on opposite ends of everything, with the brother trying to find a person to hook up with, the cheerleader being way too enthusiastic about getting everything put together, and the goth girl trying to find the chance to get together with her friend and do their thing while the others are off doing their thing is a fun way to go about this kind of setup. With the way the fabled knife gets involved and the eventual release of the killer during the party, this is all worthwhile enough to tie together the various connections here which is what provides this one with a solid enough setup. The aftermath of the setup here is the main rampage where the combination of cheesy comedy and indie stalking offers some fun scenes. The sense of comedy here is rather fun, offering up a decent mixture of quips showing off their stupidity while also going for a stellar type of fourth-wall-breaking commentary that also includes input from the production team to help things along. As well, the stalking and slashing here is quite fun with the release of the killer in the middle of the party making everything into a solid series of ambushes with random partygoers which has the usual formula of approaching an unnamed extra and graphically killing them off in a silly enough sequence. Full of silly scenarios with some silly gore along the way, there are some rather fun positives to help this one along. There isn't much to dislike here but it does have some issues. The main drawback is the heavy use of dialogue present in the first half where it's far talkier than it needs to be for something of this length. Rather than go for the kind of expected premise involving the party taking place at the beginning of the film and featuring the killer going through the guests during the night, this takes quite a while before that point with the different storylines spelled out that there's the need to get the rampage off the way it does because it's wasted the time it did on these other factors. The other issue here is the obvious low-budget origins featured here, with the commentary on its budget not being the only factor here but the lack of action and overall presentation also giving off that particular impression which can all be enough to bring this one down.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language, Graphic Violence, and Brief Nudity.
Nundead (2023)
A really enjoyable nunsploitation indie anthology
Following centuries of torment, a group of nuns present several stories about nun-centered horrors
The Good Stor(ies): Talk to the Deaf-Tasked with trying to investigate his missing son, a priest heads to a brothel reputed to be home to a coven of vampires luring victims to their deaths and must stop the deadly creatures. This was a rather solid outing that has a lot to like about it. The main setup of the priest being sent to the strange brothel to stop a potential series of vampire-related disappearances in the area serves to merely introduce a solid bout of sleaze and depravity involving the nuns feasting on their targets in the brothel or feeding on their unsuspecting victims which provides some cheesy indie gore. That extends to the final battle between them which is rushed and appropriately silly enough for what it is, leaving this to be a solid opener that features just enough flaws to be let down by its low-budget origins.
Intinction-Heading out into the woods for a special party, a group of friends hang out in a remote cabin that was the site for a strange series of deaths to a group of nuns years ago and find themselves caught in a horrifying scenario. This was a rather fun and enjoyable segment with a lot to like. The initial setup involving the massacre of the nuns and resulting cannibalism as a result of their original trapped status, starts everything incredibly well with a worthwhile starting point to set the myth and haunted location. The later scenes discussing the series of cursed activities that took place there bring about some gruesome fun in the final half when the new rampage starts in its cheesy glory, again leaving the film's lower-budget origins as the main drawback.
Dead Nun Walking-After meeting a deranged nun, a woman is forced to flee for her life when she realizes the nun's deranged state is hiding a more sinister purpose and that she needs equally sinister help to combat it. This bizarre segment, which comes about mainly because it takes way too long to realize it's a segment without the proper build-up or introduction from the nun like the previous entries, hides a lot to like. The fine setup before the turn with their cryptic conversation and veiled threats before the demonic turn and the eventual outcome comes about through a solid series of chases throughout the city where the back-and-forth advantage adds a nice bit of guerilla action here. The unusual finale is a choice and there are some instances where the budget shines through, but it's still got a lot to like.
Nundead Love-Living together in a convent, a pair of nuns in a secret love affair with each other are forced into extraneous circumstances to keep their affair a secret from others around them. This was a pretty solid way to end this one. The setup is more of an indie drama with the relationship that sets them up from the very beginning and the different interactions they have which provides a fine setup for its religious connotations in the final half which is where this one gets fun and cheesy enough. That this is quite hard to call a genuine genre effort with how it all plays out as it's bizarre but doesn't do much beyond that in its short running time so it's a fine entry in something like this but not much else.
The Bad Stor(ies): Chopper Bros vs. Zombie Nuns-Taking a woman hostage, a group of thugs head out to their hideout to partake in drugs and other vices which brings them into contact with a group of monstrous, demonic nun creatures who don't take kindly to the intruders. This was a bit of a misstep which does have some likable factors to it. What works well here is the series of interactions between the demonic nun-like creatures and the victims in the hideout which includes numerous fun scenes of cheesy gore and great make-up effects that bring about the fun massacre scenes. The rest of this one is a bit disappointing with no real point to things, a rather flimsy reason for why the nuns are there, and just no identifiable characters to immerse into this story which causes it to be a bit disappointing.
Beseiret Kirke-Finding a cursed relic, a holy order of nuns race to utilize its powers before a rival group of nuns can bring its dark powers for themselves This was a confusing entry to put together in this type of story. The story involving the interaction of the church and the surrounding intentions of the church in their fight against the other church which sets up the fight against the secondary cult group looking to bring about the second set of figures who are using the dark arts to bring everything together. With intriguing visuals and a bizarre structure, this has a lot to like while also highlighting the issue here with the presentation being given more of a trailer approach that feels more suited to a pitch video that could be expanded out into a feature-length film rather than being saved as an anthology short.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language, Violence and Nudity.
Vermines (2023)
A rather fun creature feature when it focuses on that
Looking for a special present, a man decides to help get over his lot in life by caring for an exotic spider to go along with the rest of the animals in his collection, but when it becomes apparent that the spider has escaped and begun reproducing more voracious creatures like it must get away alive.
This was a disappointing and somewhat underwhelming genre effort. The main part that works for this one is the highly intriguing and at times outright terrifying work of the spider being let loose in the community. With a fantastic opening giving the kind of stellar example of the ferocity and deadliness of the species, there's quite a lot to like with the gradual reveal of something loose in the building as their lives are interrupted by the discovery of dead residents, strange animal attacks, or the presence of strange webs found all over the building. The series of scenes here involving the swarm of ravenous creatures appearing out of the cracks of the building and attacking in basements, kitchens, bathrooms, or just about anywhere else throughout here while also given enough storyline context about surviving past the extermination techniques due to their rapidly-procreation style or invulnerability to any tactics employed against them. With the stellar pace present that keeps them far more intent in the second half so these terrifying scenes can come about at a frantic clip, these are what manage to provide its best moments. What holds it back is, unfortunately, everything else that transpires here. Most of that is the extremely sluggish and generally uninteresting first half that spends far too much time on the residents of the apartment and the go-nowhere lives they lead. Featuring a highly original series of urban stereotypes involving drug pushers, counterfeiters, sexual miscreants, or other forms of deviance that takes place in this kind of hoodlum environment, these all create a simple enough setup that provides all the necessary build-up to get to know the group but it's all cliches and uninteresting as a result. Very little of this makes the group stand out from any other community of down-on-their-luck individuals in a low-rent squalor and fearing for their lives due to the company they keep, stuck in a situation that only gets worse with the inclusion of the spiders here. That causes this to be a rather sluggish affair without offering any kind of genre work or interest during this point so it takes far longer than it needs to get to the spider action and thus the running time is inordinately longer than it needs to be, bringing this down overall.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Violence.
Life of Belle (2024)
A really solid and enjoyable found-footage effort
After a horrific disappearance, the release of footage from the affected family designed to help find out what happened to the missing daughter shows their typical family life which soon grows darker and more ominous forcing them to figure out what's going on to save themselves.
This was a fairly solid and intriguing found-footage effort. Among the brighter aspects to be had with this one is the great build-up that provides the kind of intriguing setup for how this one plays out. The first half here, spending as much time as it does detailing the family strife and their interactions with each other that does show them to be a fairly normal loving family that does have a dark secret hiding amongst them due to the glances and cryptic conversations that are shown to take place on the fringes of their relationship just barely captured by the camera. Since so much of the focus comes on her and her antics that are usually featured alongside her brother, the fact that the these subtle hints are dropped nicely alongside the footage taken from the security cameras that tries to suggest something else happening to the family, this one does a fairly solid job portraying the build-up of the family. As this one goes along and it starts to spell out the truth about the situation in a series of increasingly more ominous sequences, there's a dramatically more chilling tone and atmosphere that hangs over the film as the kids gradually find the behavior and outbursts to be far more concerning as they notice her increasingly crazed behavior. From ranting and raving in the middle of the night to bizarre crying fits in the oddest places around the house to seemingly harmless children's games that turn into psychologically terrifying experiences that highlight something not right in the whole ordeal, there's quite a chilling finale here that sets everything up quite nicely. This does take a while to get going as there's a rather low-key nature of what's going on takes the more reserved nature of the storyline into the main focus which keeps things at a measured but potentially sluggish tempo for some that might not be thrilled with the lack of action or overt explanations for what's going on.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language, children-in-jeopardy, and Violence.
Frogman (2023)
A genuinely effective found-footage creature feature
Desperate to uncover a burning mystery, an aspiring filmmaker returns to his hometown with his sister and friend to find proof of the existence of a legendary creature rumored to haunt the outskirts of the area, but when they find there's more going on in the swamp try to get away alive.
This was a rather enjoyable found-footage creature feature. Among the main factors to be featured here is the rather fun setup that provides the impetus for the guy to go back and try to capture proof of the creature's existence. The initial video that was taken back when he was a kid showed the potential sighting of the fabled beast and the resulting folklore established about its presence in the community since the footage is a fine way to show off the lackluster world he's been thrust into since. With the failing prospects everywhere around him and finding himself on his last legs to make something of himself using the fame from the footage to try to find it, this sets up the desire to go back out with his crew and get the conclusive proof he can to find it. That allows for the fun to be had when they arrive at the particular point in the woods where the creature is set to be hiding. These scenes are provide far more intriguing and impactful sequences where the folklore established earlier plays off incredibly well, with the eerie sounds in the distance, physical secretions being left behind, or the one team member arriving at a spot in the woods seemingly possessed or under its influence simply like the stories relayed to them. That sets up the big final half where the revelation is given not only about it's presence in a genuinely terrifying ambush sequence perfectly playing up it's found-footage origins but a nice reveal about the origins and connection it has to the locals which are quite shocking leading to a fine series of scenes that end this on a high note for quite a lot to like about it. There are some factors here that hold it down. One of the main issues is the rather sluggish first half that manages to include some unnecessary elements here that don't need to be included in a film in this particular style. Working at this already abbreviated running time, the exaggerated recruitment scenes show how he grabs the cameraman and his sister into the trip, much less the scenes of the group goofing around at the clothing store or reminiscing in the car along the way. Thankfully, none of these are too long individually and don't impact this one too much, but the fact that it all comes together to keep the group from getting into the woods to find the fabled creature until later in the running time is the main issue. As well, there's also some expected issues involving the found-footage format as well as the low budget on display, these few factors are what hold this one down.
Rate Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Mild Violence.
Alien Swamp Beast (2018)
An incredibly fun indie creature feature
Living in a small community, a discovery involving a strange glowing orb in the area brings a group of residents into the woods to look for it, but when a band of bank-robbers use the area for a hideout find that the meteorite has spawned a vicious beast to hunt and kill those in the area.
This was a pretty fun if somewhat flawed indie creature feature. One of the bright spots here is the strong setup that provides this type of feature with the kind of worthwhile starting points possible. The early work involving the family living on the edges of the swamp and the different residents who are caught up in the concurrent robbery that was also featured at the same time as the meteorite landing gives this a solid starting point to bring the personalities together at a single location. With that also providing the needed build-up to understand who the family members, the residents, and the chasing agents who are looking for the robbers before bringing them into the area with the creature, the setup here is decent enough for this type of genre effort. This allows the film ample opportunity to have plenty of cheesy genre action usually found in this type of feature. Mainly focused around the chase for the robbers, this provides some exciting and quite fun shootouts here as they not only take hostages but battle the agents chasing after them which is silly enough for what this type of film is. Other scenes focus on the creature running wild in the woods to take out the various robbers and others it stumbles upon which have a typically fun series of cheesy, low-budget indie-style kills to showcase the appropriately silly effects featured here alongside the equally-silly costume for the creature which blends an intriguing design with the surroundings rather well to give this one an enjoyable series of positives. There isn't much to dislike here as this pretty much has just the one lone issue with it. This one is pretty much let down only by that one factor involving the obviously apparent low budget throughout here which never shies away from its roots the entire time here. From the constant mentions of CGI for the gunplay, the weekend-warrior nature of the setting and the overall production value of the whole thing that's quite cheap and goofy to the point of not being able to get past it for some out there. The type of digital filter running throughout here might also be another big issue for some here which is where the other big detriment will come from as the look of this one could throw people off before anything else that occurs here which are the main detriments to this one.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.
Last Night at Terrace Lanes (2024)
An immensely enjoyable slasher with a lot to like about it
Trying to hold a dare night, a couple of friends decide to sneakily hold a date at a bowling alley where her dad works where they find the festivities interrupted by a gang of ravenous cultists looking to fulfill a special prophecy and force them to rely on their survivalist skills to stay alive and stop them.
This was a fairly fun slasher with a lot to like here. Among the better features here is the solid and likable setup that puts everything into place with enough elements to have a solid starting point. The initial start here with the group arriving at the closing facility to try to have the chance to hook up with each other since the couples are secretly in love with the other against their knowledge but she can't let them know the truth about her dad being a worker there sets this one up rather well. It's enough to enjoy the human drama of the situation as the couples try to make their moves on each other in the date which makes everything with the intruding cult looking to use the inhabitants to fulfill a prophecy in their order and begin to slaughter everyone for that purpose that all propels the film along nicely. That allows the film to feature a wide variety of encounters with the cult trying to take over the facility killing off the various guests. The initial ambush when they emerge from the bowling lanes in unison and take out the guests in gruesome, brutal encounters all throughout the central lanes as the surprise of the whole scenario allows them to take advantage to great effect. The later scenes, where the group are able to fight back against the cult with their survivalist tactics or the cult trying to overwhelm the group with their superior numbers as they try to complete their mission statement behind the slaughter, not only generate several solid gags based on the location for it's kills but has enough to like with the light-hearted atmosphere to keep things moving along to a fantastic pace, providing a lot to really like about it. There's not much that holds this one down. The main issue with this one is the seemingly underwhelming structure about the cult itself who are pretty much left to the barest of threads to figure out what they're all about. Given just a glimmer of their purpose in the cold open that never really answers anything about them or what they're all about, the entirety of their assault at the bowling alley is glossed over as well and is pretty much given a barely there explanation about needing bodies to finish this special event in their lore but that is never spelled out. This makes everything feel quite confusing and rather underwhelming about who they are and what they're doing, and it highlights what happens in the finale which is quite confusing to see plat out with no context as it serves to conveniently get everything sorted out without doing anything so there's just a few issues here to being it down.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.
Founders Day (2023)
A wholly underwhelming and barely worthwhile genre effort
After a series of strange attacks, residents of a small town on the verge of a heated mayoral election are thrust into a deadly race to stop the maniac responsible for the actions as the sides of the debate turn into a sideshow trying to be the main culprit to follow through the whole affair.
There's very little to this one that's worthwhile. Among the few positives to be had here is the potential setup to be had with the relationships between the culprits in the middle of the election. The idea of the various characters enjoying a clandestine romance and trying to follow through with their plans to be together while the figure goes around knocking people off trying to incite a slew of high-intensity clashes between the two different factors in the political sphere that keep growing throughout the film. This is enhanced by the various attack scenes where an impressive mask and costume to hide their identity springs into action with a nice collection of ambushes involving a brutal death manner for its scenes that are pretty much the only positives to be had here. There are plenty of issues to be had here that are massive detriments to this one. The main factor is the utterly asinine storyline that tries to take the political leanings of its setup but is grossly mishandled. Trying to set up the warring factors of the debate as caricatures of the political spectrum who are more concerned with their standings in the days leading up to their election makes everyone out to be immensely unsympathetic due to the unrealistic nature of this behavior. It comes off as incredibly forced trying to make sure that they're grandstanding is seen as the key to their election rather than trying to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding them as it leads to several ill-timed points trying to keep this going. As well, there are plenty of issues to be had with the inability to properly work as a slasher film. The majority of the kills here are immensely brutal and gruesome in concept but the execution is grossly lacking, being shot so haphazardly that it's impossible to tell what's going on or just taking place off-screen to the point that it's impossible not to get any enjoyment out of these scenes. Since the kills are done with an impressive weapon and design, the inability to focus on this factor makes for a disappointing time here since the lack of focus on the kills is a factor that could've saved this one but due to the general lack of focus, it makes for a highly uninvolved time. The other factor here, which also ties into the lack of slashing, is the wholly disjointed and petty reasoning for the motivation behind everything. Due to the revelations made at this point, the idea of instigating the rampage as a way of getting revenge on the unscrupulous ex to get back at them for cheating on them is a backward plan much like the idea of killing off the friend for trying to better their lives without them. The means do not justify the results here, offering up tons of plot holes throughout this plan that get revealed along the way to put such a plot into motion, and with the whole affair being wrapped up in an ugly production scale, unlikable characters that we're supposed to follow, and way too long a running time there's a lot to bring this down.
Rated R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.
Baghead (2023)
A massively underwhelming effort without much going for it
Following her father's death, a woman learns that she's inherited a pub he used to own along with a bizarre creature locked away in the basement with the power to assume the dead with conditions attached, and the more she tries to play with the figures' rules the deeper into the darkness she falls.
This was enjoyable enough for what it is but still has some big drawbacks. Most of the positives to this one manage to come from the rather strong setup where it features a strikingly original premise. The initial idea of the pub being haunted by the mythical creature who's found tied up and locked away in the basement with what seems to be a ritualistic ceremony for visitors looking to utilize the strange powers it possesses for their own purposes is a fine enough idea of what can come from the exploitation of power and greed. Realizing that she can control it and hoping to use that power for herself to help her out of her financial constraints offers a fine starting point here. The introductory scenes to bring everything together are fine enough and show off the gruesome ability makes for a rather solid time here with getting this unleashed and turned into something quite creepy in concept although this is really about all the film has going for it. There are a few factors to be had here that really bring this one down. The main drawback here is the seemingly unbelievable nature that she has with how easily the entire process can win her over. Rather than spend the time to learn the rules of what's going on in the basement or who she is, the immediate acceptance of the situation is incredibly hard to believe as the scenario where it occurs is so outlandish that to not have it phase her makes the whole thing even more unrealistic doing this without learning of the rules or reacting to what's going on is immensely frustrating since it really grains a lot of the fear out of the constant attempts to communicate with knowing the entire time the main character is being this irrational and stupid. The contradictory nature of her relationships throughout here where she's such a hypocrite that it's just impossible to care or feel sorry for her with this kind of starting point. The other factor against this one is the wholly underwhelming and confusing final half where it just becomes a series of underwhelming twists and betrayals that have long since run the point of care or interest. Since we've already lost the point of caring about what's going on with the figure's powers corrupting the clueless owner, the series of exploits here figuring out the series of twists and turns that take place involving the motivations for what goes on here as that turns everything into a rather solid attempt at setting up a thrilling finish but it just plods along with barely any interest. As well, there's also the wholly underwhelming CGI use here which is absolutely shoddy and dreadful-looking for what's going on, taking some of the most pitiful imagery possible using the flames to try to cover up the action being presented here and completely destroying the illusion presented. These factors all manage to hold it down overall.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.
Late Night with the Devil (2023)
A wholly spectacular genre effort
Having recently been unearthed for viewers, the exploits of the unaired final episode of a beloved late-night television host trying to provide a Halloween special for viewers including a live exorcism to combat a skeptic only to realize too late that there's something wrong with his chosen participant.
Overall, this was a rather fun genre mockumentary. The first half here, not only getting a hint about the history of the show and his intentions to be the best in the field only to be hit with a series of tragedies and setbacks that hindered it all before his comeback makes for a solid enough story. As this one goes along and the exploits of the shelved show start to come about, the hints that something's about to go wrong as the skits and interactions gradually start to go off the rails with bizarre outcomes for each of the guests show off the idea rather nicely that something isn't right with the episode. That all leads into the celebrated sequence at the end of the show where everything goes haywire as the interactions start to become incredibly more violent and intense. These include unnatural actions, some full-on intriguing supernatural fare involved in the series of questions brought about to determine what's going on, and involving some wholly intriguing questions about the nature of what's going on since everything here is supposedly being questioned at the same time. This one does go quite far into the realm of the period that it might be lost on younger viewers and stumble at times, but that's really the only issue here.
Rated R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.
Murdaritaville (2024)
A disappointingly underwhelming and unfunny slasher spoof
Deciding to honor a friend, a group of friends gathers for a special celebratory concert for an impersonator's show but when they start to disappear one by one while having fun at the concert, they find that a bird-headed killer is killing them off for not being true fans of the musician.
Overall, this was a seriously flawed genre effort. The central setup of the film about the group of fans coming together to celebrate the idea of a tribute concert taking place and everyone getting targeted because the killer assumes the target isn't as big of a fan of the performer as they should be is a perfectly silly and goofy idea. The type of jokes and confrontations that are in place here are perfectly suited to fill this type of setup as the absurdity of the whole thing is so over-the-top and outrageous that they come about naturally in this type of environment including some of the kills in the second half which are somewhat fun. Still, the whole thing is undone by a slew of issues including the lack of comedy in this type of film. As the whole thing is based on a one-note joke that's incredibly stupid to begin with, the fact that it's not fleshed out in the slightest makes for an infuriating time with the more amount of time spent on the group who are simply going through a series of lame, horrendously unfunny jokes. The inability to fix this shows off the kind of flimsy story structured around these jokes where the one-note joke of everything is highlighted to a point where the overall feeling is such that it should be kept as a short film rather than this feature-length one. The other problem here is the inability of the film's stalking scenes to delve into any kind of overt stalking scenes. Far too much of the few scenes show the creature coming up behind the unsuspecting victim to then either kill them off-screen or drag them into a position that renders it impossible to tell what's going on. As none of it has any kind of blood or gore of any kind here due to these situations and a goofy, cheesy look to the killer which might be in keeping with the type of film that presents itself but doesn't help overcome the appearance of it, these are what bring this one down.
Rated Unrated/R: Violence and Language.
The Sluagh Awakens (2022)
A highly effective indie effort without much to hold it back
Years after his wife's death, a distraught man heads off into the woods to search for the legendary beast that killed her, and when he comes into contact with a group of friends he tries to save them from the vicious creature and its minions when he discovers the deadly intent behind its appearance.
This was a fairly solid and enjoyable genre effort. One of the finer aspects of this one is the rather strong use of local folklore and customs that offers up a wholly unique spin for the holiday. With the use of the specific holiday itself is the first sign that something unique is about to happen due to the infrequent use, that it goes on from there with the local folklore being featured here involving the different customs and beliefs about the creature and how it connects to the specific location. This ties together incredibly well with the concurrent backstory involving the man's quest for answers about what happened to him and his wife years ago as they manage to set up the idea of the creature being real and hunting the community. This works to bring him into the story as well as the main group of friends out celebrating the holiday for a rather fun main storyline in this type of feature. That allows the film to become quite fun once the creature and its minions arrive to start doling out a series of cheesy confrontations. The initial setup with the couple getting attacked at the beginning is a fine way to get this going as the darkness and confusion make for a solid beginning which has a lot to do with the emotional and mental trauma of the situation going forward. The later encounters that take place here with the group stranded at the remote house in the woods where the creatures appear and attack is incredibly fun, with the majority of the scenes involving the zombie-like minions appearing to carry out a slew of vicious ambush-style confrontations and some decent attempts at a defense that doesn't always work well. It all comes to a head at the creatures' ceremonial ritual where the true purpose for their arrival and abduction of the group results in some great battles back-and-forth between the survivors on the rescue mission trying to save their friend and the encounters that result here which has some fun moments, a lot of action and some great gore thrown in to give the film a lot to like. The film does have a few minor drawbacks. The biggest issue is a slightly overlong running time that has a bit more than necessary going on here. With a lot of the first half here revolving around the group going through the countryside meeting the locals and getting to meet the main group that we're supposed to be following, it does so at the expense of getting the creatures involved in anything else here so it spends a lot of time going from the opening attack to the later sequences at the house when they arrive there so it takes quite a long time before anything remotely genre-related starts to occur. Moreover, that also highlights a secondary issue where the film has spent so much time on the group coming together and getting a hand on the cast that it hasn't spent enough time on the purpose of the creature being there. Instead of what should be a chilling reaction to its mission, that almost feels like an afterthought based on the reaction the creatures have been performing beforehand based on this lack of build-up to what it's trying to do. It's not a huge issue but it does come about to lower this one somewhat alongside the usual indie efforts like its obvious low-budget and flimsy CGI work.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, Nudity, and a brief sex scene.
Doctor Jekyll (2023)
A rather solid genre effort but not without some problems
Having just been released from prison, a former inmate takes a job looking after the estate of a disgraced cosmetics mogul while they're out of town, but when he begins to suspect something is wrong with her realizes the deadly truth about her condition and must try to save himself from the threat.
This was a generally fun and enjoyable effort. Among its greater facets is the endearing psychological building that attempts to take a rather unusual approach to the formulaic material. Instead of offering more of a look at the creation of the fabled potion, the onus here is more on the use of the differing personalities coming to the forefront without much knowledge or warning of who they're dealing with. The constant mood swings, the various instructions that are given out only to be ignored or contradicted moments later, and enough quips make for a generally uneasy time the longer he's there. Since there's a massive amount of doubt established as the root cause of the whole switching back and forth about her various personalities and he's given an extremely motivated reasoning to stay, this becomes worthwhile enough to give this a great starting point. That lets the second half come into more overt physical threats, which is a nice change of pace as it leads nicely into the finale. With the exploits firmly established as being more in line with a dangerous procedure from the past that comes into pass more than a rather comically underexplained attempt at saying the chemical imbalance she has is responsible, there's a fine touch here to present a more overt physical explanation for everything that comes alongside the secondary storyline about the ex-girlfriend trying to score money from him to screw his life over. As none of this is explained but still goes about trying to accomplish that with a daring robbery attempt that goes south when the true nature of what's going on is revealed, there's a nice bit of action here that's immensely fun and provides the film with a fun finale full of action and several twists to have a lot to like about it. There are some minor issues here that hold this back. The main aspect of this one bringing it down is the rather underwhelming pacing that takes quite a lot of time to get going as the emphasis on more cerebral and psychological factors means very little happens. With his duties at the house and the mood swings or other bizarre outbursts taking up the majority of the time, there's a rather sluggish tempo on display here waiting around for the inevitable. What makes it even worse is the fact that this could've been used to do something beyond repeatedly going back to the same well of mood swings blamed on a chemical imbalance rather than trying to bring up the idea of the different characters inhabiting her personality since all the figures here are based on this explanation rather than go for the more logical one that would add a terrifying outcome. With a lame coda on the finale that gives this a wholly unnecessary finale with a silly tone that ends on a sour note, these features are the ones that hold this one down.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Violence.
The Camp Host (2024)
An overall fun if somewhat slightly flawed feature
Taking a trip together, a married couple staying at a remote camping site in the woods are shocked to learn that a series of disappearances around the area is the result of a tyrannical camp host who kills off those that break her rules about staying there and must get away alive.
This was a rather fun and solid genre outing. One of the finer features here is the way this one brings about the kind of starting point necessary to follow through with the premise. Getting an early taste of the type of character she is with their arrival at the site hoping for just a simple way to enjoy the sights while relaxing off the road during their journey, the fervent way she tries to defend the sanctity of the forest around her is rather fun. It all manages to bring together the type of storyline present here where the two of them are shown to be a somewhat understanding type that are willing to go along with the rules but are a bit more freer with following them outside of her sphere of influence which is a factor that goes against the rest of the denizens camping around the forest which is where the main setup comes together quite nicely. This makes for a fun time when it starts to turn into a slasher effort where the punishment for failing those rules means the participant is killed off in gruesome fashion. Featuring a slew of strong attacks with the opening scene in the tent on the couple, the attack in the bathroom on the disrespectful camper, or attacking the one friend in their tent through an attack witnessed in the distance through shadows makes for some rather intriguing moments for some decent brutality along the way. The final half here, featuring a solid inverse of the type of confrontations normally associated with the genre as the discovery of her actions provide a rather different type of action against the killer than expected which allows this to have quite a lot to like about it. There are some factors here that hold this one down. The main issue to be had against it is the overly dramatic way this one tries to make the killings justified, as even though they come off that way there's still so much unnatural action taking place to try to make that the case. The majority of these encounters do feel more like pettiness and vindictiveness than anything, especially for the way most of the attempts are done even when characters do show remorse or are guilted into doing what she wants so it doesn't make any sense why that occurs. Other times, the fact that her challenges to them are done for immensely petty motivations is as lame as the actions being committed causes everything to feel somewhat underwhelming, especially once the killings start since that just makes it so obvious she's insane that something should've been done much earlier about it. Still, these are the factors that really hold it down.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.
All You Need Is Death (2023)
A solid concept but wholly misses the mark in every other regard
Learning of a potentially intriguing story, a pair of documentarians committed to recording long-forgotten folk songs learn of a potentially long-forgotten song in the Irish countryside and set out to capture it against the wishes of the locals, unleashing a bizarre curse that envelops them both.
This was a rather problematic genre effort. Most of the film's positive points stem from the central setup and atmospheric touches running throughout here which provide a genuinely engrossing sense of mystery. The main idea of relying on the power of traditional and even sometimes generaltional customs, in this case regarding the nature of the mythic song in question, offers the kind of fascinating insight into the past that this one relies quite heavily on. With the majority of the middle half devoted to how this plays out regarding how to honor the traditions of the past that has used a specific medium over time, this kind of corruption makes for an intriguing setup looking at the way it unfolds involving the king of unraveling curse thtat takes place. That allows for some rather chilling scenarios to take place here as a result with the way it all comes to include various gruesome attacks and cofrontations to let the curse play out. Outside of this, though, there's just not much going on here to remain interesting. Far too much of the film is reliant on the idea of the curse coming to fruition but it's never given much of any care of orinterst in what that means or why they're interested in getting the song recorded. The whole concept is so wacky and bizarre that there's no real grounded form in play here to make things have an emotional attachment to it so that comes off rather flimsy and awkward, especially as this one goes along with the aspects of the curse as that doesn't get explored in the slightest so it all makes for a confusing time. When it's not concerned with the aspects of the curse, it's just flat-out dull as very little happens so the pacing here is completely stiffened to the point of plodding blandly along to where it's nearly impossible to care about the story going forward. There's so little life or energy in what's going on that it just doesn't register anything but boredom, all of which hold this down overall.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Violence.
Sting (2024)
A wholly missed opportunity of a creature feature
Living in a cramped apartment, a teenager and her broken family trying to blend together with their new relationships find themselves under attack by what was initially thought to be a pet spider only to discover it's actually a ravenous alien being and must try to stop it before it takes over.
Overall, this was a decidedly decent if somewhat underwhelming creature feature. Among the positives here is the genuinely chilling atmosphere of the setup as the location allows this one to play nicely with the imagery of the concurrent phobia surrounding the situation. Knowing full well the idea of the massive, mutated spider is a creepy one, this one takes on the rampaging spider in the darkened hallways and ducts of an apartment complex trapped in with a raging snowstorm, this one creates a nice bit of fun in the last act when it goes for some rather solid confrontations with the creature. As there's plenty of fantastic stalking scenes offering the massive creature stalking residents throughout the complex emerging out of the shadows to spin massive deadly webbing, inject them with deadly venom, or other debilitating antics that provide plenty of fun and chills. With the practical effects-driven sequences letting this have some great kills due to this section of the film, it makes for a lot to like and lifts this up the most. That said, this one is somewhat flawed and problematic. One of the main issues here is the immensely underwhelming first half where the entire first half here is spent on nothing interesting with all the focus on their strained family dynamic. The issues at play here with the daughter trying to bond with the new stepfather and failing, the husband and wife trying to raise a mixed family in a cramped, falling-apart apartment, and the bizarre cast of characters living in the building with them creates a wholly effective starting point but just goes on way too long to the point the storylines border on cliche. The well-meaning stepfather who can't do anything right, the moody teenager who does things to endanger others but doesn't care because her attraction outweighs common sense, and kooky dialog for the sake of kooky dialogue keep this so sluggish and bland it's hard to stay invested here. Given that the spider hardly ever appears and doesn't do much of anything until the final half makes this stand out even more, and the whole effect manages to stand out enough here to hold this down.
Rated R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, infants in danger, and violence-against-animals.
Isleen Pines (2023)
A really fun and likable Halloween-themed genre effort
Getting together for a Halloween party, a group of friends looking forward to hanging out together and enjoy the festivities present grow increasingly more concerned as their friends disappear over time and eventually find the connection between a weird neighbor and a mysterious alien beast around the house.
This was a generally fun genre effort. The fun premise, resulting in the type of party at the start that shows a group of friends coming together to hand out and enjoy the holiday season with the various group members at the party being shown undertaking the games or other general festivities has quite a lot to like here. The friend group that emerges here is quite enjoyable with the various costumes and other festivities that provides for a great time overall. The lighthearted atmosphere that comes about from the setup carries over incredibly well to the general sense of the festivities setup here that has an impeccable Halloween feel established. That provides the kind of framework needed for the strong action on display with the alien beast coming into play and attacking the guests. These are full of impressive effects-work that has quite a lot to like with the series of attacks taking place throughout the house where the bodies are ripped to pieces in grand style even though this does seem to be quite random with no real idea why it's there. That may not matter as the action itself is incredibly fun showing the actvities around the house trying to keep the party going while finding ways to combat and confront the creature as there's some really enjoyable aspects involved here.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.
Followers (2024)
An underwhelming and generally bland genre effort
After surviving an encounter with a killer, a group of women trying to live their lives afterward gather together at a remote house in the countryside to try to heal, but when they find a cult of psychos has invaded the house in retaliation for their actions, they must try to escape them.
This was a rather troubling and underwhelming effort with very little to like about it. The main aspect to be had here is the immensely fun second half when the actual invasion occurs at the house. While there are a lot of issues surrounding everything else, the type of action featured here is quite fun as there are some decent attempts at stalking and chasing around the house before turning into the more barbaric pieces that take place with the captive group. This is all handled with a grim tone and some nice brutality in the interactions here as this has the kind of energy and tempo to make for an interesting time, being the only likable quality on display here. There are a multitude of issues bringing this one down. One of the biggest drawbacks against it is the absolutely moronic main concept on display that's absurdly over-the-top and not in the slightest bit realistic for anything that goes on. The whole idea of the influencer culture mindset to take the incident and capitalize on their popularity in the aftermath of surviving everything is fine enough but just makes everyone so unlikable it's hard to imagine anyone being won over into the line of thinking that would generate a popular documentary on the experience making fur such a thorough slough that the first half might put people off before anything happens. On top of that, the utterly non-intimidating or threatening group of psychos trying to carry everything off. The type of loser mentality that they try to preach as a form of empowerment is so haphazardly explained and introduced that it tries to make a grand statement on the nature of this type of figure but just comes off so overtly lazy that it's hard to feel anything from them. Combined with the flimsy masks, propensity for using guns during the invasion, and laughably unimposing physiques for trying to accomplish the physically intense material required, these factors all manage to hold this one down the most.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.
Everwinter Night (2023)
An absolutely abysmal effort with virtually no positives
Trying to have a weekend trip together, a group of girlfriends are coerced into joining a group of frat guys at a mountain lodge where they're holding a special party, but when they start to believe the men have invited them there for a different reason must try to solve it and leave before it happens.
This was an abominably awful genre effort without much to like here. The only positive to be had here is the final few minutes where it actually has something going on that requires genuine genre thrills. Realizing what the full extent of the gathering is about, the occult ritual and demnic creature being summoned has a grat atmosphere to go along with some frenetic action involving the bodies getting ripped apart in gruesome fashion. The imagery and atmosphere of what's going on makes for a fun time here with this being the only part where something happens and the bloodshed occurs, but it's still not enough with it being too little too late. There's quite a lot to dislike with this one. The irritating characters that are impossible to care about or root for with their braindead banter or holier-than-thou attitudes, mysterious dialog that's supposedly meant to be funny or the sheer lack of anything thrilling happening makes this one excruciating to get through. As none of the characters are unlikable, with the girls being obnoxious party-girls willing to do anything at the drop of a hat because their company has money and the sensible one is a wet-blanket worry-wart upset over any change of plans while the men are hierarchy-focused beta-males trying to carry out this secretive ritual that is never explained so the group here is immensely hard to get behind. On top of that, there's nothing here that's really all that focused on the antics of the group that it doesn't have much of anything interesting happening. With the majority of the running time spent on getting the group established, what the ceremonial gathering is about and the different interactions possible, it takes so long before anything gets spelled out and revealed that it's just not entirely exciting anymore. With so much of the running time spent on aspects not even remotely interesting at all and a group of characters we're not in the slightest bit interested in, these elements all manage to drag this one down incredibly well.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.
Bag of Lies (2024)
Decent enough for what it is
Trying to care for his dying wife, a husband willing to do whatever he can to care for her finds a controversial method that could potentially save her only to be unaware of the true cost it will take on him to do so, and as he condition unravels he finds the cost eating away at his sanity.
This was a fairly solid effort overall. One of the better elements present here is the genuinely likable and sympathetic storyline that takes place here which brings everything into play. Getting enough of a backstory on his wife's condition that has been going on throughout the first half where the outcome of her condition affects both his way of life and their relationship together where the debilitating sickness that has him running his life taking care of her as well as the medical professionals trying to help take care of her makes for a great starting point. The implication towards using the black magic means to try to help out further is thus ably explained and has enough logical implications that it feels introduced quite nicely into this setup as a result. That setup allows for the more genuinely chilling genre elements to have a solid baseline to work with going forward. After this drama-centric approach. Knowing the truth about what's going on with the boost in health due to this strange ritual he performed and how it correlates to the strange figure he sees hanging around the two of them, these scenes manage to generate a rather fine air of unease between them. Being unable to tell her what's happening as the visuals and sudden appearance of the figure freak him out despite knowing the rules to the situation, the way the figure begins taunting and tormenting him to drive him over the edge creates a highly unnerving scenario the more this plays out, managing to provide this one with some fine positive points throughout here. There are some issues with this one that holds it down. The main drawback present with the film is the excessively overlong running time for this type of story that, despite not appearing egregious in the general sense, is still way too long for the type of story being presented. With far too much of the first half devoted to the relationship issues struggling with the condition she has and the care required to control it, it makes for a somewhat bland time waiting around for something to happen with the specifics of the ritual hidden so that it has a central idea but the general means it works kept away until the end. That also causes the second half to be incredibly redundant and repetitive watching him go through the same thing over and over again knowing full well that the whole thing is supposed to take place in a specific way which he's ignoring. This does tend to undo a lot of the positive points and hold it down overall.
Rated Unrated/R: Language and Violence.
Beware the Boogeyman (2024)
A rather fun anthology that has a lot to like
Arriving at a remote psychiatric hospital, a new resident doctor tries to learn more about her patients who share a specific delusion about the same supernatural entity.
The Good Stor(ies): Case File 1-After bringing a date home to her remote house, a woman preps a clueless partner for an encounter with the boogeyman haunting the home. This was a fairly solid way to get things going. The fact that it tends to revolve around her actions hinting that something far darker than a hookup is the main intent gives this a solid bit of suspense as his clueless actions hint that it is just as much as the off-kilter colored lighting signaling the creatures' presence in the house. The resolution is expected but no less fun based on the setup provided, especially with the various backstories for each character used to give everything a bit more context, meaning this was a solid way to start the anthology.
Case File 2-Trying to get over her personal issues, a woman on a new medication regimen begins to suspect that a supernatural being might be stalking her. This was a solid enough segment even if it does suffer from a few flaws. The solid setup and series of interactions that she has with the painting she's working on in the house make for a fine time as the ever-changing images conform nicely with her burgeoning unraveled mental state. The lone attack is well handled but being one of the shortest segments doesn't leave this with a lot of time to go in-depth on anything, especially her history with the figure or why it's after her as the only interaction is the lone attack. Beyond this, though, there's still some fun enough stuff here.
Case File 4-Headed out to a remote house, a woman joins a strange man trying to capture evidence of the Boogeyman haunting the house to prove it exists. This was a pretty fun enough segment that has a lot to like. The early setup with the mismatched couple trying to drive out to the countryside to find the specific house, get their equipment sorted out, and get everything going is a fine touch here, especially the atmosphere within the house which looks suitably haunted which is a factor that comes into play the more they stay there filming. Most of these scenes are quite chilling despite the comedy of her interactions and quips about being there, and with the same theatrics present for the creature adds quite a lot to this one overall even if this does become quite predictable.
Case File 5-Trying to stay clean in life, a troubled young man with a drug problem finds his mother's warnings about the Boogeyman coming to get him might be true. Overall, this wasn't a bad way to end this one on. The series of interactions here give an idea of his history and trouble with his drug problem and the various interactions with his mother to get over that create a fantastic way to get things going that turn into some genuinely chilling encounters once the creature arrives to fulfill its promise as the action around the house is quite fun. That helps to cover the goofiness of the creature's look as this is the most obviously silly and low budget in the anthology and ends this on a positive note.
Beware the Boogeyman-Arriving at a remote psychiatric hospital, a new resident doctor tries to learn more about her patients who share a specific delusion about the same supernatural entity. On the whole, this is a rather fun setup that provides what it needs to in this type of story. As a means of working in a plausible method for the various stories, this comes off great as looking into the history of each individual who encountered it is a fine touch and the banter between looking at the next individual creates a fine way of moving things along as more pieces fall into place. Despite this being a wholly familiar setup that a classic anthology of the past utilized as well, which does make for a slightly familiar role, this still has a lot to like.
The Bad Stor(ies): Case File 3-Helping a family member with a special task, a young man waiting around a remote house in the countryside with him finds a supernatural being stalking him. This was a generally problematic entry without much going for it. The excess length isn't used to much good as it's more about the kids' unraveling psychosis being out in the wilderness with the shady antics trying to hint that the being is following them but to no avail. It's all pretty dull and not that exciting or scary until the lone scene of the creature attacking since that's the only part that's worthwhile, and in general, this one just meanders on way too long without doing anything to overcome that making for a segment that could've been trimmed down to come off much better.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language, Violence, Brief Nudity, and mild drug use.
Dagr (2024)
Fun enough for what it is but still hurting due to some big drawbacks
Trying to carry out a new prank, a pair of women on a massively popular prank channel decide to crash a commercial shoot in the countryside that looks abandoned, but when they go through the recovered footage from the shoot discover there's a deadly evil summoned to kill them and is now after them.
This was a decent enough effort if only let down by a few major factors. What works nicely here is the manner in which the reveal of what's haunting the house comes to be, which is quite effective and chilling. The occult rituals that were said to take place here with the past occupants of the house finding themselves battling this supernatural force only for the new girls to come across the same thing when they arrive makes for a fun time here. The encounters in the house that take place in the second half, where they not only face the robed figure but also see the influence of its actions on the film crew they thought they were interacting with makes for fun time as the use of a creepy location and chilling action makes for a frenetic and thrilling time. The main problem here is the exhausting and draining build-up to get there as this one really takes its toll getting to this point. Focusing on some of the vapidest and irritating social media personalities who are no more righteous than the people they claim to be committing these against makes for a tough time really caring about what's going on. That comes off even worse when they're positioned as the moral center of what's going on as the antics are said to be so popular, but given that hardly anything interesting is happening either with them or the other film crew on location before they arrive leaves this with little explanation or purpose and drains this one overall.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Violence.
Body Keepers (2018)
A generally dismal effort without much going for it
Forced to team together for a project, a group of clashing high-school students are tasked with participating in a group for their behavior to each other which soon causes them to come into contact with a special legend in the town and must race to stop it before it consumes them.
This was a generally awful and not that worthwhile effort. About the only thing that's interesting with the film is the setup of the abduction cases going on around the town which manages to introduce a solid enough small-town urban legend for this type of film. The opening abduction of the children and how it all connects to the legend found in the town about the dead body stored in the woods allows for the building of a fantastic urban myth about what's going on. The idea of using the legend to connect the disappearances has some workable motives for this one, especially as it goes along with the ghostly figures appearing to the survivors as they are potentially thrown off the case, but it's just not enough to keep this one interesting or watchable at all. There are some massive issues with this one that manage to hold it back. Among its most crippling issues is a tempo that's just absolutely dire and never once manages to provide any kind of interest in what's going on. Rather than drive people in with the idea of the creature running loose in the town following the build-up, this one tends to just meander around at a glacial tempo featuring all sorts of uninteresting and banal features to be had. The lives of the high-school students here are just not that interesting as the focus on their interactions and comebacks trying to live out their own melodramatic lives is plain brutal to get through and causes the film to rely on them to go through their paces instead of the horror elements which are kept to such a minimum that there's a chance to get so turned off and quit the film before anything happens. It doesn't help that not only are these scenes so bereft of genre action the pace is just off but the characters here are so awful it's impossible to even care what's going on with them. The football player is trying to nail down anything that breathes and openly cheats on his girlfriend hoping to get a chance with them, his girlfriend is the stereotypical mean cheerleader that bullies and picks on the goth girl because she's different from her, and the goth girl is the typical moody, angry at the world type who gets digs off at everyone around her when they're trying to help. None of the periphery friends are any better and this causes a series of generally unlikable people to wander around the film doing nothing of interest or feeling like its genre material so it's really hard to care about anything going on with this one.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Violence.