THE DESCENT (2005) Movie Review

THE DESCENT (2005)

After a tragedy one year before, six female friends gather in the Appalachian Mountains to explore a cave system together. Soon after they enter the caves, a collapse blocks the path behind them and they are forced to venture forward, hoping to find another way out. As tension and fatigue begins to put a strain on the group, they discover to their horror that they are not alone in the dark. That is all the synopsis you're going to get, and all that you need.

This was bar none the best horror movie to hit the United States in 2006, even with its truncated ending (more on this later). Anyone who will try to argue this point simply hasn't seen this movie. It is that scary. So scary in fact, that your intrepid writer, who usually goes out of his way to keep the writing in third person and remain somewhat objective, is going to slip into full-on first person narrative for a moment.

No movie has done to me what THE DESCENT did since I watched the Japanese film PULSE. That was in 2001. As I watched this movie, alone at night on my couch, I could not help but move from one uncomfortable position to the next as the tension ratcheted up and the carnage spilled out on the screen. When the screen went black, my heart rate was bumping, my fingers were shaking and gosh-darn-it if I didn't pause just a moment before going into a dark room to turn on the lights.

This is Neil Marshall's second full-length outing as director. His first film, DOG SOLDIERS, was a unique take on werewolves and pitted them against a small band of military soldiers in the woods of Scotland. He returns again to the similar themes in his writing, only this time around six females discover what goes bump in the shadows and learn what goes bump within themselves. The film has a feminist agenda, without being preachy at all, and allows these women to let loose an inner strength that is too often in this world suppressed.

Throughout the entire film there is some very active camera and sound work going into creating a very specific mood and subconscious feeling within the viewer. In the beginning of the film, great pains are taken to use as many full and wide angle shots as possible, to give an open and airy feeling. But once inside the cave systems, the camera closes in on the actors and thus closes in on the viewer which brings about an uneasy and claustrophobic sense.

There are many shots where most of the screen is "dead" space, as the characters climb through the tiny tunnels, as if the blackness were swallowing them up. Speaking of blackness, lighting takes an interesting and sinister turn once they go underground. The second part of the film is lit purely from source light, i.e. torches, flares, glow sticks and a camera's infra-red lens, which washes entire scenes in strange hues of red and green, and can be quite disorienting at times.

While watching this film, the average horror fan will be able to easily spot several references and nods to past horror films, which in include ALIEN, THE THING, CARRIE and even the not so horrific GOONIES. Marshall does not try to hide the fact that his film includes these references. It is almost as if to say: remember the terror you felt when watching those other movies? Well I'm going to try and give you that same visceral reaction.

And now onto the "two" endings. This film was originally released in Great Britain, and the original end of the film had a much more bleak and somewhat open end. When Lion's Gate got the rights to the film, they literally stopped the movie halfway through the end. The truncated ending created a more happy ending for a movie-going American audience that would not be able to accept the true implied fate of what happened. Sadly this downbeat ending, which implied that no one made it out alive and was seen in full on the US DVD release, was overridden with the release of THE DESCENT: PART 2.

THE MORGUE Movie Review

THE MORGUE (2008)

Life moves at a pretty repetitive rate for Margo, and that is just how she likes it. Every night, she rides her bike over to the local morgue and mausoleum to vacuum the rugs, give the night watchman his liquor and try once again to get that pesky stain off the bathroom floor that is said to be blood from one of morticians when they committed suicide. But tonight, her peaceful routine is interrupted when a dysfunctional family comes in looking for gas and to use the bathroom. Margo does her best to help them, but when a pair of men burst into the morgue badly injured, Margo knows that something is very wrong.

Things go from bad to worse for the group when they discover that not only are the phones dead, but that there seems to be something stalking and hunting them in the shadows. Margo tries to take the lead of the perplexed and confused group, but whatever it is in the darkness seems to know their every move before they make it. With hours to go till the sun rises, will any of them live to see the day?

No matter how exciting this synopsis may sound, rest assured in knowing that THE MORGUE may just be the most boring haunted horror film of 2008. Even at just under ninety minutes, and with a denouement that begins a full fifteen minutes before the end credits role, waiting for this movie to finally fade to black is a chore. While it may have some reaching for the remote to fast forward to something that may be interesting, the majority of those who self-inflict this movie on themselves will be fighting just to keep their eyelids open.

Najla Ann Al-Doori is a short story writer who makes her screenwriting debut here, and if she has any sympathy for the horror community, she will stay far away from cinema here after. Al-Doori’s story is completely uninspired, with wafer-thin characters and a plot that can be guessed by basically anyone within the first ten minutes. And this does not even take into consideration of the marketing, but perhaps we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

What little potential there is for some suspense and maybe one or two good scares is completely eviscerated by co-directors Halder Gomes and Gerson Sanginitto who take a stab at horror after each directing a few low budget action movies. Gomes and Sanginitto test their audience’s patience early on by going completely overboard with jump cuts and double exposures as if to warn us that there is something mysterious about this particular morgue, but only manages to irritate the viewer's eyes. If this is what they feel passes as spooky foreshadowing, then they need to hit the video store and do some more research.

Meanwhile, things aren’t looking to good for the cast either. Lisa Crilley takes her first shot in a lead as Margo and just barely holds the role. It’s not clear if it is the material or Crilley who is to blame, but at least she’s got a great scream, which certainly holds some weight. Poor Bill Cobbs is reduced to stumbling around, muttering a few words and taking long drags of liquor, while Chris Devlin shows off his abilities to make you want to punch him through the screen. And hey, is that Heather Donahue of THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT fame being completely wasted in a few scenes? Why yes, yes it is.

The one thing that THE MORGUE does succeed in is having a set design that is too good for this movie. The labyrinth-like corridors of crypts and coffins that twist and wind seemingly for infinity offer up the only place where some interesting camera work and lighting is even attempted. So kudos to the production design team, who at least offer up something to keep our attention during the bleak emptiness of this movie.

Now, a word on the marketing in conjunction with the Lionsgate DVD release. The whole point of a twist ending is that we are not supposed to know it is coming. In a post-Shyamalan world, if you put “There is an astonishing twist ending” right there are the back of the DVD box, chances are we’re going to spend the whole time trying to figure out what it is. And in the case of THE MORGUE, viewers will be abysmally disappointed when the astonishing mundane twist that Al-Doori has to offer can be deciphered mere minutes into the film.

Need something to help fall asleep tonight and C-SPAN just isn’t doing the trick? Well then you’re in luck because Halder Gomes and Gerson Sanginitto have concocted the perfect remedy. Sweet dreams!

KILL BABY KILL (1966) Movie Review

KILL BABY KILL (1966)

After the death of a young woman in an isolated village in the early 20th Century, coroner Dr. Iswai is brought in by the inspector to do an autopsy to try and determine if the death was suicide, accident, or homicide. Circumstantial evidence rules out suicide, but the townsfolk are terrified to speak about what has happened. The town's burgomeister intones that the supernatural is involved, and that there is a conspiracy surrounded the local Villa Graps. After Dr. Iswai performs his autopsy, much to the town's disapproval, he returns to the inn he is staying at and witnesses a magical protection ritual performed on a young woman, who claims to have seen the ghost of the dead girl that haunts the village.

After seeing the sorcery performed, Dr. Iswai becomes obsessed with bringing logic and reason to a town he believes is merely being crippled by poverty, ignorance and superstition. Meanwhile, the inspector has gone missing after taking a trip to Villa Graps, and Dr. Iswai follows in his footsteps to the crumbling mansion. It is there that he crosses paths with Melissa, a little blonde girl who seems to disappear before his very eyes. When he once again returns to the village, the story about the little girl is finally revealed. And as the night slowly slips by, with death floating through the foggy air, Dr. Iswai soon discovers that not all things can be explained with science and reason.

Filled with classic imagery of gothic horror, from cobwebs and candelabras to shadows and yellow light, KILL BABY KILL (originally released as OPERAZIONE PAURA which translates to Operation Fear) is made unique by director Mario Bava's use of color schemes and a perpetually moving camera, which swirls, pans and dollies through the scenes like an ghost. Bava also filmed mostly on location in several small Italian villages, which adds a level of creepy authenticity to the period piece, in that such places do exist, and such events could very well take place within the cracked and crumbling buildings.

Beyond the set piece atmosphere, subtle practical effects play an important part generating and maintaining the uneasy mood that drifts along in the picture. It should be noted that Mario Bava's father, Eugenio Bava, was a cinematographer and the father of Italian special effects. Mario, who worked for Eugenio before making a name for himself, uses the many secrets of the trade he learned as a cameraman to create the full array of effects that seep into all of the viewer's senses, from reverse photography to swinging cameras, and colored gels to warped glass. They are inexpensive, yet effective tricks that create a very unnerving feeling.

Giacomo Rossi-Stuart, whose long and lustrous career has taken him across all of Italy's trademark genres from spaghetti westerns to gialli, is right at home here in the lead role. His crisp and striking features, coupled with the character's modern suits, fits the bill perfectly as the supernatural skeptic as he is set against his co-stars dirty peasant-like appearance. As the film goes on, he subtly brings out a spectrum of emotional nuances as his logic begins to lose out, before going for broke in the final sequences.

Much like SLEEPY HOLLOW would do almost thirty-five years later, the story here pits a man whose heels are firmly dug into science and logic against a town where curses and the supernatural do exist, and it is hard to deny that this film had an effect on Tim Burton. Likewise, it is hard to deny that the story here, which was co-written by Bava, was influenced by 1963's THE HAUNTING. Indeed the first half of the film here is set-up with masterful ambiguity, so that it is quite unclear whether there is anything supernatural happening at all.

For those unfamiliar with Bava's work, KILL BABY KILL may be an ill-advised place to start. Despite the title, there is very little killing in the film, and despite the fantastic and grisly opening murder, almost no gore. Bava's more accessible BAY OF BLOOD or BLOOD AND BLACK LACE would be a good place to start, before returning to and appreciating this one. What this film does offer, however, is pure atmosphere that will have fans of ghost stories and slowly-unwinding plots sleeping with their lights on. Bava himself was a firm believer in ghosts, and his love of the supernatural permeates each oddly-angled scene and multi-layered image.

Whatever title you may know this film as, with the film featuring several name including CURSE OF THE LIVING DEAD, it is an important piece of cinematic history and an influence of filmmakers over the last quarter century. Much of Bava's work was steeped in the supernatural and the unexplained, and among them this can easily be ranked as one of the highest. Bava made films that he would personally enjoy as a viewer, and thus was able to turn his movies into personal art pieces, regardless of the finance gain or loss. For that, he is truly to be respected and remembered as a filmmaker.

THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL Movie Review

THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL (2009)

Samantha is a beautiful college sophomore desperate to earn some extra cash for her new apartment. She accepts a mysterious babysitting job at the creaky Victorian mansion of Mr. and Mrs. Ulman who soon reveal to her that it is not actually a child they need her to care for but rather Mrs. Ulman's elderly mother. Against the advice of her best friend, Samantha accepts their offer to take care of the old woman and as a total lunar eclipse darkens the sky it becomes clear that Sam will end this night in a bloody fight for her life...

If you want to get a true feeling for the style and tempo of late 1970s to early 1980s horror, look no further than director and writer Ti West’s THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL. The film takes place circa 1983, and West gets as close to an authentic reproduction of then-contemporary film production and realistic recreation of the era as you’re likely to see in the modern age.

While current films like PLANET TERROR and DEATH PROOF sought to recreate the drive-in experience and provided over-the-top action and effects beyond anything capable during the “grindhouse era”, and the recent HOT TUB TIME MACHINE took a poke at the wacky zaniness that was the 1980s, West goes in the complete opposite direction. West seeks out the complete mundane of the time period, and while Rodriguez’s and Tarantino’s films were a blast, West succeeds even more with his ability to replicate the era’s move aesthetics.

The set design and attention to detail is simply breathtaking in its normalcy. That pizzeria used to be up the street from you. Your parents used to watch that local UHF news report. That walkman Samantha listens to is in your attic right now collecting dust. And the crown jewel, the titular house is a maze-like labyrinth of rooms, hallways and staircases that sits on the outskirts of town that you were in once, and just once.

Filmed with a shoestring budget on 16mm film to give it just the right look, West and his crew hearken back to a time of freeze-frame credit sequences, well-planned extended takes, and slow and methodical camera movements where babysitters are in peril and the kind but slightly awkward old man is anything but harmless. West takes all of this and more to turn THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL into a slow-churning, slow-burning horror film almost to the point of madness, with the audience surely expecting that the next pan or cutaway to the shadows or a window is the jump scare we’ve been waiting for. Except it just… never… comes, and continues to build and build that unrelenting tension.

But for all this dedication to authentic reproduction, is the actual movie any good? The answer is a resounding yes, with West going well beyond proving to the audience that he has done his film history homework. But for all of the technical aspects that West pieces together from the weaving of light and shadow letting the viewer fill the voids to the proclamation that the film is based on “true and unexplained events”, it is Jocelin Donahue as Samantha that must be given praise for the film’s success.

The film spends an extraordinary time just watching Donahue walk from one place to another, and then even more time following her from one room to another in the massive mansion where a bulk of the film takes place. Much like the pace of the film, Donahue also builds up a mental and physical tension that is almost imperceptible to the audience until it is too late and they have been infected as well. It doesn’t hurt that Dee Wallace and Tom Noonan are Donahue’s co-stars, who again provide that authenticity in screen presence and acting style of the time period.

THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL provides chills, thrills and goosebumps in the most traditional sense that a horror film can provide. It is certainly not for all, and will best serve those that are looking for a little more substance than just blood and guts dripping down the screen for ninety minutes.

TRAPPED ASHES Movie & DVD Review

TRAPPED ASHES (2006)

In the late 60’s and early 70’s, anthology horror movies poured from low budget production houses throughout Europe, including the time-honored BLACK SABBATH from Mario Bava and EC Comics inspired Tales From The Crypt by Freddie Francis. Anthology horror on the big screen took on new life in the US in the 1980s with CREEPSHOW and sputtered out in the early 1990s with TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE: THE MOVIE. Meanwhile in Hong Kong, a ghostly anthology series called TROUBLESOME NIGHT has been going strong since 1997 and most recently the East Asian anthology films THREE and THREE: EXTREMES have been chilling audiences around the world.

But is there hope for a revival of this horror niche here in the United States? Writer Dennis Bartok would like to think so. Bartok, who has spent much of his career on the fringes of the film community as the head of programming at American Cinematheque in Los Angeles and as an interviewer for DVD featurettes, makes his screenwriting debut with TRAPPED ASHES, and with the help of some Japanese financing has brought along some top-name talent to back him up.

TRAPPED ASHES concerns six sightseers on a tour of a dilapidated Hollywood backlot, who convince their tour guide to let them explore on of the studio’s grandest sets – a haunted mansion where all the built-in practical effects are still fully functional! But when the group gets stuck inside, the kindly tour guide reminds them that the plot for the mansion setting involved trapped visitors who must each tell a personal horror story in order to be released, and suggests that in order to escape they must do the same. Reluctantly, the tourists begin to spin their tales…

In “The Girl With Golden Breasts” (directed by Ken Russell of THE DEVILS fame) a desperate actress gets breast implants in hopes of landing a part. Though she indeed starts getting cast, she also must deal with a very disturbing side effect. In “Jibaku” (directed by Sean S. Cunningham) a husband recalls how on a recent trip to Japan his wife became the latest victim of a demon that drags her into Hell, and what he did to get her back. In “Stanley’s Girlfriend” (directed by Monte Hellman) a director from the 1960s tells the tale of his best friend and how a mysterious woman how enters his life changes things forever. Finally in “My Twin, The Worm” (directed by THE MATRIX visual effects supervisor John Gaeta) a Goth woman remembers how her mother had a tape worm she was pregnant, and now feels a special connection with it.

Bartok, who wrote all four episodes as well as the wraparound segments (which was directed by Joe Dante), certainly has an enthusiasm for the underused sub-genre that is the horror anthology, but as a first time writer, is unable to deliver a knockout here. While each director does a descent job with the material they are given, the stories themselves are uneven and lack the power they need to propel from one to the next. The stand out episode is “Jibaku” with its interpretation of Japanese Hell and usage of animation, while “Stanley’s Girlfriend” has slow burning mood and subtle punch line but feels out of place amongst the others. “The Girl With The Golden Breast” essentially exists for Rachel Veltri to show off her ample boobs, while “My Twin, The Worm” is practically ruined by embarrassing CGI, especially given its director’s resume.

The material would feel much more satisfying in a television horror anthology instead of a movie, so that each segment could either be appreciated or written off independent of one another. The stories have a small screen appeal, and with their zinger endings and dark humor, would have been welcome on the Tales From The Crypt TV series. This comparison is made all the stronger by the elderly guide who pushes each of the tourists to tell a story, while the twisty-winding rooms and hallways of the haunted mansion seal the deal.

While the film was released in 2006, it has taken until now to finally arrive on DVD. The film features an anamorphic widescreen transfer and a soundtrack in both Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Stereo with accompanying English and Spanish subtitle. A commentary track is included with Bartok and several of the actors, with Bartok taking the reigns as he recalls making the movie. A deleted scenes reel features over twenty-five minutes of snippets and scenes that were trimmed from each segment. A five-part making of entitled A Look Inside peels back the layer of each segment, with their respective directors discussing their story.

Also included is the director’s cut of “Stanley’s Girlfriend”, which includes several additional scenes plus a different voice over, which allows to simmering eeriness to come to full fruition. The original cut of “The Girl with Golden Breasts” also includes several additional scenes including a quick glimpse that alters the story. A selection of previews from Lionsgate rounds out the disc.

Trapped Ashes DVD Review originally published on Geeks of Doom.

Opening Scene of MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN

Ryuhei Kitamura's latest film MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN starring Vinnie Jones may be hard to find when it hits theatres thanks to its limited release, but right now you can watch the opening sequence in this promo from Korea.

THE EYE 3 (aka THE EYE INFINITY) Movie Review

THE EYE 3 (aka THE EYE INFINITY) (2005)

When a group of friends from Hong Kong visit another friend, Chongkwai, in Thailand they are taken on a fun tour of Bangkok’s sights and sounds, but on their way back to Chongkwai’s house they see a person who had been killed by the side of the road. Morbidly fascinated by the death, the five friends begin to tell ghost stories, and that is when Chongkwai pulls out a book her purchased that goes through ten steps to actually see ghosts! The friends decide to try a few of the tricks out, and lo and behold, they are visited by ghosts from the Spirit World! Things take a turn for the worse, though, when one of their friends seemingly disappears during one of the ghost “games.”

Devastated by Gofei’s disappearance, the others return to Hong Kong, but the ghost games keep on going, and the horrified teens keep seeing spirits at every corner. Reluctantly, they return to Thailand where Chongkwai believes that they will have to go through all ten ghost games in order to make them stop. To the teens’ horror, the final game involves pretending to be dead in order to cross over to the Spirit World. Donned in funeral dressings, May and Tak boldly cross over to the other side, but what they discover will stay with them for the rest of their lives!

Read my full review on Geeks of Doom!

DEVIL TIMES FIVE Movie Review

DEVIL TIMES FIVE (1974)

In a remote and snowy mountain range, a bus loses control and crashes down the hillside. The survivors, four kids and a nun, collect their belongings and head into the woods to try and survive. Their expedition leads them to an isolated mansion, where a dysfunctional collection of family and work associates have gathered for an awkward mixture of business and relaxation. At the head of this group is a gruff man whom everyone calls Papa Doc, and these hanger-on’s are at the mercy of his short-temper and entrepreneurial wealth.

The children play innocent, even though by this time they already have blood on their hands, and quickly integrate themselves with the adults. While at first showing only childlike behavior, they quickly escalate to a series of twisted mind games and begin exhibiting some very strange characteristics. One of the adults, Rick, begins to suspect the kids are up to no good, and when the groundskeeper is found dead his only conclusion is their unexpected visitors. But Rick is too late in putting the pieces together, and along with the rest of the adults, is soon caught up in the terrible tykes’ vicious game where there are absolutely no morals and the only rule is that the kids will do whatever they need to in order to “have fun.”

Read my full review at The DVD Lounge!

THE BACKWOODS Movie & DVD Review

THE BACKWOODS (2006)

In the summer of 1978, two English couples head off into the forests of Spain to spend their holiday. At the head is Paul, whose family home is where the four will be staying, and who is all to eager to soak up nature and begin hunting again. Following his lead is Paul’s wife, Paul’s business partner Norman, and Norman’s wife. After being sized up by the locals in the town’s pub, the group finally makes it to the house and begins setting up the gear.

At first light the next morning, Paul and Norman head off for their first hunting expedition. But on their way home, they discover what appears to be an abandoned house. However, inside is a little girl who has been locked inside a room. Paul and Norman bring the child back to their house, and devise a plan to get her into police custody. When the locals show up at the door, armed with shotguns and looking for the child, Paul makes a risky move by joining their party to look for her, and instructs Norman to sneak the child off to the police. But will Paul’s diversion give his friend enough time to make it through the forest undetected, or are the locals already well aware of where the girl really is?

Read my full review at The DVD Lounge!

NOW YOU SEE ME, NOW YOU DON'T Movie Review

NOW YOU SEE ME
NOW YOU DON'T (2005)

Little Alex is excited to have his father return home from the lab, and is quite curious as to a metal box he has brought home along with a cage with two mice in it. The following day, Alex’s mother discovers to her horror that Alex has become invisible. As fear and panic set in, she begs and pleads for her husband to undo what he has done, for she is positive it has something to do with a breakthrough at the lab. All of her horrors are realized though when he forlornly replies “I can’t.”

Read my full review on Geeks Of Doom!

THE VICTIM Movie Review

THE VICTIM (2006)

When struggling actress Ting is asked by the police to act as the victim in a string of police reenactments, Ting is at first worried that doing so may upset the spirits of those that she is to impersonate. But after an assurance by the police lieutenant that this is the right thing to do, she readily agrees. Soon Ting finds local celebrity for her ability to get inside the victim's personality, and she becomes more obsessed with doing research for her next role.

Ting's desire to portray the dead victims reaches its summit when a reenactment for the case of the brutally murdered Meen, who was a former Miss Thailand, is set up. Ting studies Meen's speech patern, her way of walking, and the way she dances. Ting even goes so far as to visit the alleged scene of the crime to truly try to understand her "character". But this is when Ting begins to feel an eerie presence surrounding her, and begins to see flashes of Meen's face, and even thinks that Meen is trying to physically direct her so that Ting can impersonate her better. But is it Meen trying to help in order to solve her murder, or is there a sinister ulterior motive to her interactions with Ting?

As with many supernatural Thai films, THE VICTIM taps into the Buddhist beliefs which hold a religious majority over the country for its inspiration in respecting spirits and fearing their wrath should the living ever anger them. Many of the Thai citizens take ghosts and spirits as matter of fact of life, even going so far as to present information given by ghosts as print and television worthy, and firmly believing the art of spirit photography whereby ghosts' images can be captures on film. Within these contexts, the prevalent fear of disrespecting the deceased by not honoring them with truthful representation offers the springboard from which director Monthon Arayangkoon leaps from.

Although Arayangkoon has only made one movie previous to this, the monster film GARUDA, he shows an eagerness to create a unique tale that will not only appeal to his native country but also be accessible to an international market. As with GARUDA, THE VICTIM certainly is at its most enjoyable for those that have a more thorough knowledge of Thai superstition and legends in general, and Arayangkoon wastes no time in exposition trying to get any outsiders up to speed. However, there are plenty enough spooks and scares that will elicit universal fears in newcomers to Buddhism, and at no time does anything get too spiritually "technical" to confuse or put off the general viewer.

The spooks and scares, by the way, are quite effective. While nothing is terribly groundbreaking in terms of what Arayangkoon employs, which is all pretty standard double imagery and atmosphere sounds and shadows, how he uses it gets right underneath your skin and stays there festering. And in many cases, it is the reactions of the characters on screen that evoke the true terror, rather than the build up. These are people who are believe without a shadow of a doubt that there are ghosts, and they are well aware of the consequences for disturbing them. There are no scenes in which one person tries to persuade another they a spirit. If they say they did, the response is not "you're crazy" the response is a wholehearted "well what do we do now?"

While Arayangkoon does resort to a few loud bang jump scares, the goosebumps are at their most effective during several key sequences that are sets up with lead actress Pitchanart Sakakorn. In perhaps the standout sequence of the movie, she is engulfed by a sea of souls, while a repeating motif of her dancing warns that her actions are not those of her own. Sakakorn has spent most of her young acting career in Thai horror, and with a face that was made to look fearful and terrorized, it is her slow realization that she is being possessed and there doesn't seem to be anything she can do to stop it will leave the hairs on the back of your neck standing.

THE VICTIM does take one huge leap of faith with its audience, and that is its make-it-or-brake-it twist which comes halfway through the film. It is a jarring sudden turn that practically restarts the entire movie and makes you question everything that you've seen up to that point. While the twist essentially slams the brakes hard and then has to accelerate back to cruising speed, Arayangkoon holds everything together while he makes you evaluate what has happened up until then as he dissects information and provides new insights before delivering a thoroughly creepy and satisfying ending.

Released under the Asia Extreme genre arm of Tartan Video, THE VICTIM is presented in an anamorphic widescreen transfer with its original Thai dialogue in Dolby Digital 5.1 along with English and Spanish subtitles. Among the special features is a curious featurette which has been dubbed a "Making Of" but in reality is a much more interesting documentary about ghosts that were supposedly on the set. Much like in the actual movie, still shots of footage are purported to show faces in the shadows as scene were being photographed, while filmmakers go on record saying they are being followed by spirits. Between the ominous voiceover and grainy footage, this is almost as creepy as the movie itself. The DVD is rounded out with Tartan's usual suspects, including the original trailer for THE VICTIM, previews for other Tartan releases, and the always thrilling Asia Extreme promo reel.

APARTMENT 1303 Movie Review

APARTMENT 1303 (2007)

On the first night that Sayaka moves out of her mother's home and into her first apartment, an evil within draws her to the brink of madness and she leaps from her 13th story balcony to her death right in front of her friends that had helped her move in. Sayaka's death devastates her mother, and it is up to her sister Mariko to pick up the pieces and deal with moving her stuff out. While finishing up with the apartment, Mariko feels a dreadful force, but can not quite place it.

Her fears gain a focal point when a local detective clues Mariko into the fact that over the past two years five women have committed suicide in 1303. She also discovers that books have been written about the original jumper and her horrific ordeal with her abusive mother, and that the authors believe she has placed a curse on the apartment. Mariko tries to gain the attention of the company that owns the building, but her pleading falls on deaf ears. It is only after learning that the apartment has already been rented out again, that she realizes the deaths will continue to happen, unless she tries to put an end to it.

From Ataru Oikama, the writer and director of the TOMIE film adaptations, comes this mish-mash of supernatural horror and haunting cliches. It should come as no surprise that given the cramped lifestyle of Japan, if you are going to have a haunted dwelling, it would be a tiny apartment in a high rise. Oikama wastes no time in setting up this apartment by lathering on the groaning and bass-heavy droning soundtrack and the "unseen horror" not once, but twice plummeting the first two victims of the high body count to their doom before finally locking onto the main protagonist.

Oikama utilizes a slew of camera tricks and special effects to bring his revenge seeking spirits to the life. As a director who has been behind the camera four times already dealing with the supernatural, Oikama brings out the best work early on, as he focuses on creeping angles, in-camera ghosting effects, and simple double exposures to build up a suspenseful atmosphere. This fragile mood though is all but shattered as one by one victims are thrown out the window, as digital green screen effects are implemented to follow the soon-to-be splattered girls in their descent. The effect all but gutbusting laughable, and the victims' twisted over-expressive faces during the sped-up plunge do nothing to quiet those giggles.

The base story is decent, with lead actress Noriko Nakagoshi holding a strong screen presence and is equally easy on the eyes, while the detail-oriented origin story that starts the haunting deals with an abusive parent and offers up some of the film's best "scares" with its torment and verbal torture. His origin also plays on the fact that many of the most horrific legends and horror stories of Japan stem from real events, and a public all too eager to eat it up. However, the weak and plot hole-riddled third act of the script is filled an abundance of unresolved set-ups that make the story rather frustrating to get through. And the need for Mariko to be conveniently in just the right place at just the right time so that the story can moved to its conclusion will roll more than a few eyebrows.

While Oikama is clearly a fan of the horror genre, it is equally clear that he grasp the creativity to cull his own original story, and must borrow from other sources fill his page and screen. Take for instance his ghost, which is right out of the classic Hong Kong series A CHINESE GHOST STORY with its long hair whipping out in all directions as tendrils and bluish white light working its silhouetting magic. The all-too-easy reliance on a quiet and creepy looking little girl to get some of the exposition out of the way, or the use of cell phones for communication from the spirit world.

Playing out like a lesser episode of Masters Of Horror, APARTMENT 1303 tries to bite off a bit more than it can chew with its obviously limited budget. Instead of focusing on the subtle strengths of mood and atmosphere everything is continually blown up to over-the-top proportions, and almost seems tailor made for riffing with a couple friends that have seen one too many long-haired-ghosts. At the very least, Oikama has the courage to end it all with a downbeat ending.

BAD BLOOD Movie & DVD Review

BAD BLOOD (2006)

When Xavier Monteiro inherits his an estate deep in the countryside of Portugal, he decides to move his family, including his three children and grandchild, out of the city that they have known all of their lives to the rural village to start a new. Although his family is less than thrilled about the prospect of country living, they go with Xavier without a struggle. When they arrive at their new home, they find a town that is still deeply beholden to Catholicism and rooted in superstitious beliefs, who are not accustomed to change, further dissuaded by Xavier's lack of faith and devotion to scientific thinking.

Not soon after the family gets settled into their new home, they all begin to feel a strange presence and begin to hear voices when no one else is in the house. Xavier's students, who invite him to a seance as a form of entertainment and to try and lighten the mood, get the opposite effect when the psychic mentions a moment from Xavier's past that no one else is aware of. But the real shock comes when Xavier and his wife speak to one of the town's elderly priests, who divulge to them the history and truth of their new home, and the curse the seemingly haunts it.

Read my full review at Gorezone!

Available now on Amazon

30 DAYS OF NIGHT Movie Review

30 DAYS OF NIGHT (2007)

The town of Barrow, Alaska, is the most northern city of the United States. And for thirty days out of the years, the sun does not rise. On the day of the last sunset for the next month, Sheriff Eben (Josh Hartnett) finds a series of bizarre vandalisms that he can’t quite place why they would be done. It culminates with his meeting of a stranger in the town’s dinner, who is becoming increasingly hostile because they won’t serve him a bowl of raw hamburger. Eben believes that this stranger is the cause of the crimes, but has no idea that this man is merely the scout for something much, much worse.

On the outskirts of town, a clan of vampires gather, and they are planning to turn Barrow into an all-you-can-eat buffet. They quickly begin to work their way in, as they destroy the communications center, kill the power, and begin to ravage those that live on the border. Their massacre reaches crescendo as they hit the town center, and begin ripping, shredding, clawing, biting, and drinking their way through the citizens. In the chaos, Eben, along with his estranged wife Stella, his brother, and a few of the lucky ones that managed to escape, hole up in the diner. For the next thirty days, they will have to maneuver from hiding spot to hiding spot, grabbing food where they can, and hoping against hope that they will survive. But as the endless nights wear on and desperation sets in, what will the few brave do to ensure the survival of the rest?

Read The Rest Of My Revew At Geeks Of Doom

ROB ZOMBIE'S HALLOWEEN (2007) Movie Review

Rob Zombie's
HALLOWEEN (2007)

Ten-year-old Michael Myers, the product of a dysfunctional and broken family, has slowly been building up a terrible darkness inside him. Barraded by his stepfather, ignored by his older sister, and picked on at school, Michael finds solace behind a clown's mask and the killing of small animals. On Halloween night, after yet another run-in with bullies, Michael finally takes the next step in becoming a monster as he systemically murders everyone in his house. He is placed in Smith's Grove Sanitarium, under the watchful eye of Dr. Loomis, who try as he may, is unable to tap into Michael.

Almost seventeen years later, Michael has grown into an impossibly strong brute of a man, and has not spoken a word since he was eleven. He has grown fascinated with masks and makes countless paper mache ones in his cell. During a transfer, Michael makes his escape, and after massacring everyone in the sanitarium, escapes. Dr. Loomis, who had recently given up on Michael, knows exactly where he is going, back home to Haddonfield, Illinois. Michael's arrival quickly paints the town in dirty blood red, and he soon focuses his attention on Laurie Strode, his re-christened and adopted baby sister. Dr. Loomis knows that this is his target, but what he'll do once he catches up to her is anyone's guess. [Read My Full Review at Geeks Of Doom]

ALONE Review - Horror From Thailand

ALONE (2007)

When Pim's mother falls fatally ill, she is forced to return to Thailand from Korea to oversee her care. Along with her is her Thai boyfriend Wee. Pim (Masha Wattanapanich), who is the sole survivor of conjoined twins, is thrown face first into her old life as both painful and beautiful memories resurface when she and Wee move into her old house. In Pim's old room, her and her sister Ploy's clothes still hang, each set lovingly hand-sewed together by their mother.

But Pim's return brings back not just distant memories, but it seems as if Ploy's spirit has also returned to seek revenge against Pim. But Pim is the only one who has seen the face of Ploy in mirrors and reflections, and Wee believes that it is merely stress which are bringing upon these hallucinations. Pim visits Wee's psychologist friend, who comes to the same conclusion as Wee, but with Pim's visions become more frequent and more violent, she is utterly convinced that Ploy is after her. Has Ploy truly returned from the dead, or is Pim merely falling down a spiral staircase of madness? [Read My Full Review at Geeks Of Doom]