The Alphabet Killer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'll admit, I have a morbid fascination with serial killer movies. They harness a raw energy that is almost overwhelming. There is often a strange connection with the victims, the detectives, and sometimes even the killers themselves(or is it just me?). Plus there is a stark fear generated by recognizing a pattern and watching people struggle to prevent further mayhem.
THE ALPHABET KILLER is a pretty well-crafted, fictional tale. It's derived from some unsolved murders that took place in Rochester, NY, during the early 70's. A few young girls with matching initials would turn up dead in nearby towns that were spelled with the same first letter (i.e. Carla Castille in Churchville, Wendy Walsh in Webster).
A female detective(Eliza Dushku) is on the case, and she quickly becomes obsessed with cracking it. Actually, she's the one that starts to crack. She gets completely consumed, the mystery eats at her mind as she starts talking to herself and hallucinating (same thing happens to me when I watch reality TV shows).
Anyway, the movie takes a pretty dramatic shift early on when this woman loses control and attempts suicide. She is diagnosed with scizophrenia and admitted to a mental hospital.
Several times throughout this movie, we're shown the visions that this crazy woman sees--ghastly dead children that constantly haunt her. This is done for shocking effect, but I thought it was completely overdone. Kinda seemed like a ripoff of a Japanese ghost story film.
The story then proceeds as the police are completely baffled by the subsequent Alphabet murders. The mentally unfit cop is put back on the case, possibly due to her past romantic relationship with the chief. And of course, crazy is not something you can just sell on amazon.com.
Director Rob Schmidt does a decent job at mounting suspense. This film attempts to be dark, but doesn't completely succeed. It is interesting as a psychological descent into madness. I thought the cast did a very solid job. This has no gore or reenactment of the murders themselves, so some might get bored. Worth a rental.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Alphabet Killer

A ten year old girl is found brutally murdered outside the small blue-collar city of Rochester, New York, and obsessed police detective Megan Paige (Eliza Dushku of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and DOLLHOUSE) suffers a mental breakdown while trying to solve the crime. But when the child-killings resume two years later, Megan’s return to the investigation also brings back her own horrific hallucinations. Even if she can prove a ‘double initial’ connection to the slayings, will she hang onto her sanity long enough to catch a psychopath? Cary Elwes (SAW), Michael Ironside (STARSHIP TROOPERS), Bill Moseley (THE DEVIL’S REJECTS), Carl Lumbly (ALIAS) and Academy Award® winner Timothy Hutton co-star in this chilling thriller directed by Rob Schmidt.

Get 40% OFF

Click here for more information about The Alphabet Killer

The Midnight Meat Train (2008) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I caught The Midnight Meat Train for free on FearNet On Demand through my cable company. I was shocked to see it available, especially since the DVD isn't due out for months. Clive Barker can be proud of this film because other than Hellraiser, this is the best flick taken from his stories.
Vinnie Jones when used properly in roles like this, is one scary dude. He only has one line towards the end, but his stare alone says everything his mouth isn't. Bradley Cooper is likeable as the lead and the rest of the cast is decent.
You gotta love the gore here. It would make any fan of old school horror films proud. There was a little CGI used, but it didn't really get in the way. The visual style and cinematography are very good as well.
The only negatives would have to be that some of the dialogue is below average and certain characters do some really dumb things, but this is a horror movie, right? It comes with the territory.
The Midnight Meat Train deserved a wider release and will likely gain a strong following on DVD. One thing is for sure, I won't even think about riding on a subway train again.
3 and 1/2 out of 5 stars

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Midnight Meat Train (2008)

Item Name: The Midnight Meat Train; Studio:Lions Gate

Get 27% OFF

Click here for more information about The Midnight Meat Train (2008)

Friday The 13th (1980) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was working in a cinema in 1980 when this film was first released, No one expected it to take a light and it opened in one of the complex's smallest screens. Big mistake. From day one queues formed for this film and many wannabe punters were somewhat peeved for being turned away. Those who got in though experienced a genuinely scary horror film and it remains one of the best audience participation films that I have ever seen. Throughout the film, the suspense runs along and builds up to a crescendo prior to each slaying or to a false moment of fear.
The ending, however is something else. Sure it ain't exactly original but boy is it effective. I have never seen an audience scream so loudly and in total unison, and have some people visibly shaken and in tears sometimes afterwards.... Night after night, the result was the same and Friday The 13th became one of the 'sleepers' of 1980. Watch out too for a young Kevin Bacon as one of the teens in peril.
The passage of time has seen it take its place in the pantheon of really scary horror films and deservedly so. If you have not yet seen this film, then give it a go. Enjoy and be prepared to be scared.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Friday The 13th (1980)

Terror and suspense abound in this 24-hour nightmare of blood. Camp Crystal Lake has been shuttered for over 20 years due to several vicious and unsolved murders. The camp's new owner and several young counselors are readying the property for re-opening despite warnings of a "death curse" by local residents. The curse proves true on Friday the 13th as one by one each of the counselors is stalked by a violent killer. This film is widely acclaimed for its horrifying and creative murder sequences.

Get 35% OFF

Click here for more information about Friday The 13th (1980)

Monster (2004) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I watched Monster without any expectations, save knowing that it was a movie about two women. At the end of the screening, i was totally blown away. One, Charlize Theron gives a spectacular performance as 'serial killer' Aileen Wuornos. Her facial expressions and bodily movements strongly resemble that of the actual person (based on what i read). Secondly, the 'human' aspect of Aileen was brought out in the film, and despite her brutal killings, one can symphatise with aspects of her life which brought her to this point of no return when she started killing her johns. Thirdly, although Monster is primarily about Aileen the killer, yet the viewer is treated to a love story between Aileen and her lesbian lover. This is in many aspects, the driving force of the film and which makes the film memorable. Some prison psychologists had diagnosed Aileen as having Borderline personality disorder, which explains her behaviour of wanting to keep Selby Wall, her girlfriend (in real life, the girl's name is Tyria Moore) at all costs, despite the fact that Selby was at times a selfish, immature person who ultimately betrayed Aileen. The final scene of the 'confession' phone call (which basically nailed it for Aileen) is heartbreaking. Aileen basically took the fall for everything and absolved Selby of any blame. Even though the audience may sense a taste of Hollywood drama here, one must remember that in real life, Aileen did take the blame for everything, and even went to the extent of sending Tyria money while she was on death row. Perhaps this is a glimpse into a rare aspect of her life (which traditional documentaries on her never cover), which shows us that at the end of the day, she is a human being like the rest of us and despite her heinous crimes, she too longed to be loved and feel love. The betrayal scene will stick in my mind for a long time to come. I welcome emails on this film as i am interested to know more about the film as well as Aileen and her lover.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Monster (2004)

A SHOCKINGLY MOVING FILM THAT BURROWS DEEP BENEATH THETABLOID-SIZED HEADLINE STORIES OF AILEEN WUORNOS, THE MAN-HATING SERIAL KILLER EXECUTED LAST YEAR IN FLORIDA.

Click here for more information about Monster (2004)

Righteous Kill (2008) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Two veteran cops, Turk and Rooster (Robert De Niro, Al Pacino) work to solve a string of murders in which the victims are criminals that they have previously arrested and have been acquitted of their crimes. Something's seems a bit fishy, at least that's what two younger cops, Detectives Riley and Perez (Donnie Wahlberg, John Leguizamo) start to think. Furthermore, they suspect it's a cop. Anyway you splice it, the decorated members of the NYPD are looking for a killer. One who leaves a bit of poetry at every scene and happens to murder the filth of society that has slipped through the cracks of the judicial system.
"Righteous Kill" is only a slightly above average thriller given the big name talent. De Niro and Pacino both put forth great performances; De Niro as the hot headed, do whatever it takes to get a conviction cop and Pacino as a much calmer, honest detective. It seems a bit cliché, the whole good cop bad cop, but nonetheless it worked well and the duo's performances were very well balanced to convey not just an occupational partnership, but also a friendship. While the film will leave the audience thinking they know all the answers within the first twenty minutes, the plot does take some interesting turns.
It's great to see the two legendary actors are still performing. "Righteous Kill" is not completely predictable nor is it unwatchable. Give it a try.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Righteous Kill (2008)

Turk and Rooster, two aging NYPD detectives who have been longtime partners are faced with a serial killer who is murdering sociopathic criminals. They both have personal issues, and when they start working with a younger team, Perez and Riley, tensions between the pairs of partners is inevitable, especially since Turk is now living with Perez's ex-girlfriend, also a homicide detective.

Get 60% OFF

Click here for more information about Righteous Kill (2008)

Dexter: The First Season (2006) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The most disturbing movie I ever saw was "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer". In its portrayal of a man who lived physically among his fellow human beings while existing completely outside the orbit of human emotional interface, I thought I had seen the definitive screen rendition of a serial killer's psyche.
Then along comes Dexter who, with 12 episodes and a carefully-crafted life of friends, family, and career at his disposal for telling his tale, paints a portrait of sociopathic existence far more detailed and more disturbing than anything attempted by "Henry". That's accomplishment enough. But to do it with the droll wit and endearing demeanor of Dexter is downright amazing. TV seldom gets odder than this . . . and never more profound.
The real horror of each episode lies not in the killings by Dexter or by his victims. It lies in the horror of watching a man having to tread his way among his fellows in full knowledge that he is a hollow shell -- a body and brain devoid of a soul, with the only emotions being a fascination with blood and the driving hunger to kill. None of the means by which other people assuage their physical or emotional needs are available to Dexter, at least in the context in which others pursue them. Sex is a threat to Dexter, an act which can open cracks in the facade of humanity he has crafted and through which people can peer into the inner void. Friendly gatherings are obstacle courses, full of little bumps that could cause Dexter to trip and let his mask momentarily slip. Even eating, from which most people derive some emotional pleasure, is simply a necessity to which Dexter submits, preferrably combined with another necessary task, such as driving.
Clever. Interesting. But 12 episodes of this, no matter how well done, would soon get boring. So what sustains "Dexter"? Well, it turns out Dexter is neither who nor what he thinks he is. It takes him some time to figure this out, and it takes some help from rather interesting quarters. But Dexter has depths below the depths, voids within the voids, and substance where he was certain there was only nothingness.
But does it matter? Well, that's why I'm already pacing for the second season to start. It could go either way. Or, given this show's creativity and skewed viewpoint . . . neither, or both. Dexter -- and "Dexter" -- simply defy prediction.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Dexter: The First Season (2006)

Dexter is based on the compelling novel "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" by Jeff Lindsay. Orphaned at the age of four and harboring a traumatic secret, Dexter Morgan (Dexter Morgan (Emmy- and Golden Globe- nominated actor Michael C. Hall from "Six Feet Under") is adopted by a police officer who recognizes Dexter's homicidal tendencies and guides his son to channel his gruesome passion for human vivisection in a constructive way - by killing those heinous perpetrators that are above the law or who have slipped through the cracks of justice. A respected member of the police force, a perfect gentleman and a man with a soft spot for children, it's hard not to like Dexter. Although his drive to kill is unflinching, he struggles to emulate normal emotions he doesn't feel, and to keep up his appearance as a caring, socially responsible human being.

Get 35% OFF

Click here for more information about Dexter: The First Season (2006)

Harper's Island: The DVD Edition (2009) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)We are so hooked on this show it isn't funny, which must be a tribute to the writing and the direction. The producers certainly know how to get you going, though it takes a few episodes before they can start reeling you in and playing you the way they want to.
At the very beginning there are too many characters--if you have ever seen Robert Altman's film A Wedding some of this will look familiar, but add into it a maritime setting, a fantastic yacht, and a culture of working class people trained to anticipate the needs of the wealthy, and you have a recipe for tension right there, and that's before you get the murders going. The families of Trish Wellington (Katie Cassidy) and Henry Dunn (Christopher Gorham, often looking oddly like lean, lanky, nutty Anthony Perkins) invite you to a destination wedding, one held at Harper's Island somewhere in the Puget Sound, where you will be staying at the incredibly glamorous Candlewick Inn, but there will be plenty of time for slumming and seeing how the other half live.
Chief among the main characters is our heroine, played by Elaine Cassidy, the Irish actress who made a splash in Atom Egoyan's Felicia's Journey ten years back. As Abby, the daughter of the local sheriff (Jim Beaver), Cassidy plays the tragic survivor of a mass murder that rocked the island seven years ago. Could the killer, John Wakefield, thought to have been shot down by Abby's dad, still be alive? Has he gone back to his ways of hanging his victims from the trees? For many episodes Fate and the unseen killer arrange it so that one by one, victims die but nobody really realizes it, thinking they have just gone back to Seattle and will return for the wedding ceremony. That got a little hard to swallow, but during this period we began to sort out who was who, who's sleeping with who, who resents the power of who, who seems irretrievably scarred by the earlier murders, and something of the sociology. Now we know the characters and it hurts when one of them dies.
The show's gory in spots, soapy in others. So violent is it that the individual episodes are named after comic book signifiers ("Ka-Boom," "Thwack," etc) and after a few weeks you learn to wait for the act of violence each one stands for. The "Sizzle" is particularly gruesome, though nothing yet matches the shocking death that takes place in the island's lovely old church. I still get headaches when I think about that one! Every cliché of this kind of slasher film is rehearsed here, but expertly and often with a twist. Even the one where a medium reads the heroine's Tarot cards and suddenly sees something in them too horrible to put into words and she runs out of the room mumbling, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." -Like the beginning of Agnes Varda's Cleo from 5 to 7!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Harper's Island: The DVD Edition (2009)

A horror-inspired drama, this CBS series is about a group of friends and family who meet to celebrate a wedding on an island just outside Seattle, an island that is famous for a streak of unsolved murders seven years ago. Suspense ensues when they end up dead one by one; has the killer returned or is someone else to blame?

Get 31% OFF

Click here for more information about Harper's Island: The DVD Edition (2009)

The Cell (New Line Platinum Series) (2000) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews){WARNING: There might be some spoilers here!}
First of all, let me start off by stating the obvious: this is not your average suspenseful cop chases killer kind of movie (it has far more substance than that). As well as achieving the understandable squeal or two (often because of grotesque things happening, such as flesh being stretched from suspension and intestines being pulled out), The Cell's visionary special effects is pure eye-candy that will undoubtedly thrill and excite you...
The film at first is divided into two different storylines. You have child therapist, Catherine Deane (played by Jennifer Lopez), who has devoted her life in trying to awaken a young boy by the name of Edward whom has lapsed into a coma. Then there is a swarm of FBI agents and criminal investigators (primarily Peter, played by Vince Vaughn) searching for clues to hunt down a serial killer that drowns his victims (all beautiful blondes), bleaches them to look like dolls once dead and then puts collars on them to make them feel that they belong to him.
Eventually these two storylines merge together...
When the FBI discovers where the suspect Carl (Vincent D'Onofrio) is living they immediately raid his house, but what they find is him lying unconscious on the kitchen floor. They rush him to the hospital and are crushed to learn that he has fallen into a catatonic state that is non-curable due to a mental illness of severe schizophrenia. He, unfortunately, is the only one who knows where his latest victim Julia is, so during the next 40 hours they must figure out where that is before the tank she's captured in fills up with water. The FBI then recruits Catherine to use an experimental device that links the two and enables her to travel within the killer's dark, perverse mind. Thus we enter imaginative worlds that intertwine reality with fantasy. Here Carl is a King in a very twisted kingdom, but as she delves deeper into his abusive childhood to better understand why he's the way he is, she tries to get him to trust her so that he'll reveal Julia's whereabouts before it's too late. Things get way out of hand, though, and when Catherine confuses reality with Carl's nightmarish dreamworld, Peter must go in to remind her that this is "not real" so that his mind doesn't become her prison...
'The Cell' is not quite a masterpiece but it is brilliantly unique nonetheless and is definitely one of the more original thrillers I've yet to see. And believe me, this is coming from a person who is not a big fan of Jennifer Lopez. I, however, truly feel she put on a good performance here. Therefore I recommend at least renting!

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Cell (New Line Platinum Series) (2000)

A therapist (Jennifer Lopez, Out Of Sight) uses an experimental treatment to enter the mind of a serial killer (Vincent D'Onofrio, Men In Black) to learn his secrets. An FBI agent (Vince Vaughn, Swingers) must rescue her from the killer's nightmare mind

Get 23% OFF

Click here for more information about The Cell (New Line Platinum Series) (2000)

Dexter: The Second Season (2006) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Season two of this Showtime piece of excellence is just as good as the first season, if not better. If you haven't already met Dexter Morgan (played by Michael C. Hall), he's a Miami police forensic expert - he specialises in blood spatter - with a taste for murder all of his own. By twist of tale, Dexter's past comes back to haunt him this season and Dexter the hunter becomes Dexter the hunted. This takes the excitement and suspense up to new heights.
Dexter is still coming to terms with the season one's shock ending and initially finds (to his horror) that his killing skills are not what they used to be. And as if he didn't have enough worries, Sergeant Doakes (played by the lovely Erik King), the only one around who senses that Dexter is not all that he seems, is still very much on his case. Add to that the fact that his sister Debra (played by Jennifer Carpenter), who is still recovering from her own trauma from season one, is asked to join the FBI manhunt for him. The team is being led by Special Agent Lundy (played by Keith Carradine) and this is a development, Dexter remarks sardonically, that "makes for an awkward family dynamic".
Also very interesting to see this season, is the relationship between just-demoted Lt. Maria Laguerta (played by the brilliant Lauren Velez) and the new Lieutenant parachuted in over her head to take over her shift command, Lt. Esme Pasquale (played by Judith Scott). The cracks in Dexter's seemingly perfect relationship with girlfriend Rita (played by Julie Benz) that began to appear in season one, also begin to get wider this season so look out for Jaime Murray, fresh off her stint on BBC's drama "Hustle", playing the sexy, free-spirited Lila.
There's much more but I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen it. Twists and turns abound and each episode seems to bring a new shock for the viewer to take in. The humour is dark but it is hysterically funny - a shock in itself, considering the over-arching subject matter. Unless you're someone who gets squeamish easily (most of the violence is implied rather than shown but there's still violence and there's still plenty of blood) this is a definite must-see. I never thought the day would come when I would be rooting for a serial killer - even a fictional one - but here we are. That I'm doing so is more down to the excellent writing and Hall's easy charm, than to anything else. I'm as happy as Larry to know that there's already a season three on its way and I hope they take this series as far as is logically possible.
I say long live Dexter!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Dexter: The Second Season (2006)

DEXTER:COMPLETE SECOND SEASON - DVD Movie

Get 39% OFF

Click here for more information about Dexter: The Second Season (2006)

Blackout (2007) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)If a good thriller calls for isolating a group of people with a killer in their midst - the scriptwriters of this film found the ultimate setting. Three people are trapped in an elevator here. And one of them is a serial killer.
However, this is no slasher-thriller. It's a more intelligent psychological thriller with an emphasis on character. Actually, I think this movie has an even better premise and unfolds in a more interesting way than its producers intended.
There's no full Director's commentary on this DVD. However, there are interviews with all the people primarily involved in the making of "Blackout." These people seem unanimous in thinking their movie is about "fate" or "destiny." They see the finger of fate at work in the fact that their movie's three lead characters all have unusually urgent reasons for getting where they are going - yet find themselves infuriatingly bound inside the elevator. I can't see the sense of that. It could be said that any three people being trapped together in a dangerous dynamic would similarly represent fate at work. Or more generally, any of the trillions upon trillions of daily, shifting configurations of people, things, and events could be designated "fate."
No, I think the value of this movie is in the way it limns the obsession of a serial killer. There have been so many movies and TV episodes featuring ever more far-fetched serial killers. But this film makes the viewer feel what must surely be the arrogance, the hatred, and the ravening, voluptuous intensity of most real serial killers.
You can tell "Blackout" is going to be something special with its opening credits. These are filmed over an extreme, lingering close-up of human skin - papillae, pores, blemishes and all. It's clearly the sort of intrusive fascination that a killer probably feels when he sets his sights on a victim.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Blackout (2007)

BLACKOUT - DVD Movie

Get 47% OFF

Click here for more information about Blackout (2007)

Dexter: The Third Season Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)"Dexter" never disappoints! As a big fan of the show, I was concerned how Season 3 would play out now that one of my favorite characters, James Doakes, is out of the picture. I never should have worried, because the third season of "Dexter" was just as fabulous as the first two. This season mainly focuses on Dexter's (Michael C. Hall) personal relationships. He's working through some major issues with his deceased father, Harry (James Remar), and his relationship with Rita (Julie Benz) takes a surprising turn when she announces that she's pregnant with Dexter's child. All of these emotions cause Dexter to turn to an unlikely person...Assistant District Attorney Miguel Prado (Jimmy Smits), who takes a liking to Dexter and makes it his personal mission to become Dexter's BFF. No one is more surprised by this than Dexter, who discovers that he has more in common with Miguel than he possibly imagined. For the first time in his life, Dexter has a friend whom he can rely on and share (some) of his dirty little secrets with. After a while, however, Dexter realizes that there's much more to Miguel than he originally thought, and decides that the ADA may not be BFF material after all.
This is a great season chock full of twists, turns, and excitement. In addition to Dexter's storyline, there are great subplots involving a new serial killer ("The Skinner"), Deborah's (Jennifer Carpenter) relationship with a CI, Angel's (David Zayas) recovery from his divorce, and Maria's (Lauren Velez) coping with the death of her former partner in Season 2. I am always impressed by the way this series constantly surprises its audience and keeps evolving these dynamic characters. The whole concept of Dexter making a friend was so simple, and yet carried the entire season extremely well (thanks in part to an outstanding performance by Smits). My one complaint about Season 3 is that it's already over, and I have to wait a long time before the arrival of Season 4! However, I have a feeling it will definitely be worth waiting for.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Dexter: The Third Season

Dexter is an American television drama series that airs on American premium channel Showtime. Set in Miami, the series centers on Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall), a serial killer governed by a strict moral code who works for the Miami Metro Police Department as a blood spatter analyst.

Get 34% OFF

Click here for more information about Dexter: The Third Season

Criminal Minds - The Second Season (2005) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This season starts with a bang, following the last season shooting of Agent Elle Greenway, and completes that story arc. The actors are again all in good form and give excellent performances. This is a more cerebral series than most other police/mystery dramas. It centers on the functions of the FBI's Behavorial Analysis Unit (BAU) and its role in solving the most difficult of cases throughout the country. Interesting, believable stories with excellent acting and solid characters make for a very watchable, suspenseful TV show. A very well done drama.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Criminal Minds - The Second Season (2005)

CRIMINAL MINDS revolves around an elite team of FBI profilers who analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. Special Agent Jason Gideon (Mandy Patinkin) is the FBI's top behavioral analyst and he joins the Behavioral Analysis Unit lead by Special Agent Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson), a family man who is able to gain people's trust and unlock their secrets. Also on the team are Elle Greenaway (Lola Glaudini), an agent with a background in sexual offenses; Special Agent Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore), an expert on obsessional crimes; Special Agent Dr. Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler), a classically misunderstood genius whose social IQ is as low as his intellectual IQ is high; and Jennifer "JJ" Jareau, (AJ Cook), a confident young agent who acts as the unit liaison for the team. Each member brings his or her own area of expertise to the table as they pinpoint predators' motivations and identify their emotional triggers in the attempt to stop them.

Get 27% OFF

Click here for more information about Criminal Minds - The Second Season (2005)