After Dark Horrorfest 8 Films to Die For (Borderland / Unearthed / Tooth and Nail / Crazy Eights / Nightmare Man / The Deaths of Ian Stone / Lake Dead / Mulberry St.) Review

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(More customer reviews)I haven't seen these actual DVDs so I can't comment on the quality of the transfer or how badly they chopped the pan-and-scan. (And keep in mind that most of the films, with the notable exception of the two bigger-budget flicks, look like the directors were prepared for them to be chopped for TV presentations.)
This assortment is all over the map. I reviewed all the films in detail on my blog (the bit maelstrom) but of course those are just my opinions. I've noticed people have wildly different reactions to all the films. So whereas I was very favorably impressed by "Borderland" and thought "Lake Dead" would've been stale in the '70s, you might have the exact opposite reaction.
A short capsule:
The Unearthed: A small group of people is terrorized by a monster. High point: Lots of great outdoor shoots of southwestern desert. Low point: The actual monster. It's a CGI mess. It was about as convincing as "Large Marge" from "Pee Wee's Big Adventure".
The Deaths of Ian Stone: A man is repeatedly killed, and reborn into new life situations by mysterious demonic creatures. High point: Effective SFX and a deliciously evil performance by Jaime Murray. Low point: A "Buffy"/"Angel"-esque/superhero feel to the ending.
Borderland: Surprisingly taut thriller about some American boys who run afoul of an evil Mexican cult/drug cartel. High point: Sean Astin as the movie's Dennis Hopper. Low point: Based on a true story. Also, torture porn.
Lake Dead: Inbred hillbilly psychos terrorize college-age city kids trying to collect inheritance. High point: No shocking twists and turns to upset those of a delicate constitution. Low point: They're dead serious about this.
Mulberry Street: Brooding, atmospheric tale of New York taken over by wererats. High point: Strong characterization, film treatment radiates a claustrophobic, humidity, feels like summertime in a slum. Low point: 28 Days Later Youse Guys.
Tooth and Nail: Campy post-apocalyptic survival story. High point: A lot more humor than your average post-apocalyptic film and it can't ALL be accidental, can it? Low point: As badly thought out as every other post-apocalyptic thriller. Also, a lot of the humor probably IS accidental.
Nightmare Man: Man tries to check crazy wife who believes she is possessed by demonic spirit into hospital. Car trouble ensues, adjoining cast of college-age students end up holed up with crazy lady in isolated cabin where murder and mayhem ensues. High Point: Fairly brisk treatment of topic. Some might be surprised by ending (I wasn't). Low point: Still pretty constrained by ideas that were old when Sam Raimi did them in Evil Dead.
Crazy Eights: Relatively "big budget" cast (Frank Whaley, Dina Meyer, Gabrielle Anwar, Traci Lords) return with childhood friends to the asylum/laboratory/habitrail where they were raised. High Point: Good editing highlights the good acting. Low Point: Unfocused story makes the whole thing feel static.
There ya have it folks. I watch these things so you don't have to, folks. But most of the movies have something to recommend them, though I'd be hard-pressed to say that about "Lake Dead". That and the very professional, not low-budget at-all feeling "Unearthed" struck me as particularly boring.
Suggested serving: Get together with 6-10 of your similarly deranged friends and buy the set between you for the cost of a movie ticket each. Hold your own "After Dark" film festival (with popcorn! and hookers! In fact, forget the movies and the popcorn.)

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AFTER DARK HORRORFEST - DVD Movie

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House of 9 Review

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(More customer reviews)I was pleasantly surprised by House of 9. As the movie begins, I saw the premise unfold and thought... what a great idea... sort of SAW 2 meets BATTLE ROYALE meets SURVIVOR.
Although more of a ripoff of SAW 2 (or maybe SAW 2 was a ripoff of House of 9? Not sure, maybe it was unintentional), HOUSE of 9 approaches the subject with fresh ideas and MORE REALISM. Where Saw 2 struggles to be commercial and come up with BIZARRE and MORE BIZARRE ways to kill people with the funky contraptions and riddles, HOUSE of 9 keeps it real.
As 9 unwitting people are snatched off the streets and wake up in a house that is sealed and unescapable, they are told that one person will be allowed to leave the house, and that person will be given $5 million... that one person is the soul survivor... meaning... the only way out... is for them to kill each other.
Where Saw 2 wastes no time getting into the depravity and murder and the thin assumption that a bunch of criminals will want to murder the son of the man who put them in prison, HOUSE of 9 keeps it real. It explores human nature and the unwillingness to comply and wait it out. How long would it take for a house full of strangers to actually want to kill each other? And how? there is one gun, with few bullets.
The mostly unknown cast, with the exception of Dennis Hopper and Kelly Brook, deliver well. As time goes by, the food is minimal, the personalities are clashing and tensions are building. Violence is coming and you can feel it, despite the members of the house's relucatance to participate in the sick game.
Unfortuntaley, the director relied to heavily on a couple of MTV montage moments that seemed to go on forever, the movie is actually a really good comment on human nature, madness, survival and what happens to a person when they've taken the life of another.
I'll admit... 4 stars... may, just may be a little too strong, and 5 stars is WAY TOO STRONG... but the movie was entertaining and better than most of the little straight to video movies that hit the video store shelves. I never once wished I was watching something else. I wanted to watch it unfold and see what was in store.
Not to mention, the ENDING was FANTASTIC! The ending... the final scene when the winner picks up their money... was the best part of the movie.
Rent it, watch it, I only recommend to buy if you're a big Kelly Brook fan. And who isn't?

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Nine strangers wake up in a house with no recollection of how they got there and no way out.A voice on the PA introduces them to the grisly game they’ve been chosen to play – Last man standing wins $5 million in cash and their life back.When all attempts to break out together fail, tension turns to violence and violence to death and suddenly it’s every man for himself as they fight for their lives… Why are they here? Who will survive? And what will it cost them in the end?

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Vacancy (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you've seen every horror movie out there, maybe this one won't do anything for you. It definitely kept me watching for these reasons:
1. The couple, Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale, are having marital troubles. This is a nice twist on the formulaic "couple is in love, has sex, gets killed" theme. You won't find that here.
2. They end up in a really run-down motel run by a truly whacky guy.
3. Things get very frightening and it isn't the usual slasher flick. There are some nice twists and turns here...well, maybe not nice..but definitely riveting.
4. I was surprised several times and screamed my head off. You don't really want me to reveal much more, do you? If you're looking for a horror film, I assume you want to know if you're likely to get scared silly. Based on my reaction, I'd say yes. I also wanted to know how this was going to affect this couple's marriage. I mean, stick two estranged people in a motel with a psycho and see how that changes their perspective...
I do have to add that this isn't the BEST horror movie I've ever seen but it does the job.

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When David (Luke Wilson) and Amy Fox's (Kate Beckinsale) car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, they are forced to spend the night at the only motel around, with only the TV to entertain them... until they discover that the low-budget slasher videos they find in their room were all filmed in the very room they're sitting in. With hidden cameras now aimed at them... trapping them in rooms, crawlspaces, underground tunnels... and filming their every move, David and Amy must struggle to get out alive before they end up the next victims on tape.

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Wrong Turn (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)This movie is similar in tone to the recent remake of The Hills Have Eyes and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Although not nearly as gory as "Hills", the theme of mutation runs through both. During the opening credits, we see images and newspaper clippings reporting the mutations. This time, however, the mutations are due to good ol' fashioned inbreeding in the mountains of West Virginia, rather than from nuclear fallout.
The movie starts out with a decent scene. After the initial havoc is wreaked, you hear the haunting, maniacal laughter that will follow through the rest of the ride. Our main character, Chris, is running late for an appointment. He takes a "shortcut" and "runs" into a car containing two clueless guys, a redhead and two pieces of fine, stranded @ss. They go looking for a phone and stumble upon a shack that is reminiscent of the house in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: creepy, filthy, full of trash and hidden stashes of gore.. nasty.
This is where we get our first look at the maniac who is responsible for what we have been seeing in the woods. He is deformed and seemingly handicapped, mentally. We soon see, though, that he has two siblings (or friends) that join in on the fun. These three hideous grotesqueries spot the four remaining characters and the hunt is on!
These mutants are twisted. Their actions are as repulsive as they are unexplained. Stan Winston does a wonderful job of creating mutants that are not so freakish as to be ridiculous, but that are unsettling enough to make you cringe. You will very quickly despise these mutant characters for their lack of reason and unquenchable thirst for innocent blood.
The movie achieves a good level of suspense, with some good scares and a few nasty scenes. I will say that it turned out to be better than I was expecting it to be and for anyone who enjoyed "The Hills Have Eyes" or "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (not that this movie actually compares to TCM), you should at least check this movie out. The ending was not as strong or freaky as it probably should have been, but the movie is worth seeing.
The DVD includes a few very short featurettes.

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An indescribable nightmare begins when a group of young friends is stranded on an isolated road deep in the Appalachian hills of West Virginia, with no hope of rescue. Desperate and fearing for their lives, the horror surges as they find themselves relentlessly pursued by a force of evil beyond their imagination! Featuring a hip ensemble of up-and-coming young stars, this blood-curdling epic is a shock-a-minute horror rush that will leave you screaming for more!

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Saw IV (Unrated Widescreen Edition) (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)I could always sympathize with John Kramer(jigsaw) on some level because i watched my mother die from cancer. he has easily become my favorite character in the genre. seeing this installment just shows even more, the man was a genius. twisted as he may have been.
this movie focuses on the events in the aftermath of Saw III and Jigsaw's past. We see more of what drove him to the point he was at, and we get to see his first game.
the main storyline is about Detective Riggs trying to find Detective Matthews from Saw II. its now been 6 months since his disappearance. i dont want to give anymore info away, b/c realization is half the fun with this series. ill just say it goes back and forth between Riggs situation and looks into Jigsaw's past.
The overall story is by far the most interesting in my opinion, even if only for the better look into John's past. not that the rest of the movie falls short, this is possibly the most engaging in the series. the traps are very clever, and in a case or two the pons really seem to deserve their fates.
i dont know how they'll keep the series going after this entry. Tobin Bell(Jigsaw) is the face of this series and a future horror icon. excellent movie.

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Scream Triple Pack (Scream | Scream 2 | Scream 3) Review

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(More customer reviews)What a great deal - all three Scream films for one low price! The original Scream basically resuscitated the dead slasher genre in the 90's, with its stand-out cast, plot twists, and the fact that it never took itself too seriously. Scream 2, did an excellent job of keeping the series alive without looking like a pathetic cash-in on the success of the original. It was well thought out and wasn't rushed. The third installment almost went a little too far for me (but hey, its spoofing slasher films and usually by the time you hit the second sequel a series has gone way too far anyway). All three films are clever, scary, and even funny. You definitely do not want to miss out on this set!

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Scream:A crowd-pleasing smash hit with a sizzling cast -- critics are calling SCREAM the hippest thriller of the year! Afer a series of mysterious deaths, a seemingly peaceful community becomes a place where no one is safe ... and everyone is suspect! That's when an offbeat group of friends rally to unlock the town's deadly secrets ... and get caught up in a lively mix of thrills, chills, and surprises! With hot stars Drew Barrymore (CHARLIE'S ANGELS), Courteney Cox (TV's FRIENDS), Neve Campbell (54), Skeet Ulrich (AS GOOD AS IT GETS), and David Arquette (BEAUTIFUL GIRLS).Scream 2:Here's the incredible follow-up to the smash hit phenomenon SCREAM! Away at college, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell -- SCREAM, WILD THINGS) thought she'd finally put the shocking murders that shattered her life behind her ... until a copycat killer begins acting out a real-life sequel! Now, as history eerily repeats itself, ambitious reporter Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox -- SCREAM, SCREAM 3), deputy Dewey (David Arquette -- SCREAM, SCREAM 3), and other SCREAM survivors find themselves trapped in a terrifyingly clever plotline where no one is safe -- or beyond suspicion! Director Wes Craven (SCREAM) and hit-making writer Kevin Williamson (SCREAM, I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER) team up once again and deliver the big screen's hippest, coolest, edgiest thrill-ride ever!Scream 3:Stars Neve Campbell, David Arquette, and Courteney Cox Arquette are back for more in the chilling final chapter of this phenomenally popular and frightfully entertaining trilogy! While Sidney Prescott (Campbell) lives in safely guarded seclusion, bodies begin dropping around the Hollywood set of STAB 3, the latest movie sequel based on the gruesome Woodsboro killings! And when the escalating terror finally brings her out of hiding, Sidney and other Woodsboro survivors are once again drawn into an insidious game of horror movie mayhem! But just when they thought they knew how to play by the rules, they discover that all the rules have been broken! Featuring hot newcomers Parker Posey (THE HOUSE OF YES) and Jenny McCarthy (DIAMONDS) in another stellar ensemble cast, SCREAM 3 offers an unmatched mix of thrills, laughter, and suspense that bring this spine-tingling saga to an unforgettable conclsuion!

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