The Canyon (2009)

What comes to mind when you think of the Grand Canyon? Wide, expansive spaces? Majestic views? Awe-inspiring vistas? Certainly fear and/or tragedy isn’t one of the first things you think of (well, I hope not anyway!), but the Grand Canyon has had its share of shocking deaths within its deep walls.

According to Wikipedia, “About 600 deaths have occurred in the Grand Canyon since the 1870s. Some of these deaths occurred as the result of overly zealous photographic endeavors, some were the result of airplane collisions within the canyon, and some visitors drowned in the Colorado River. Many hikers overestimate their fitness level, become dehydrated and confused, and must be rescued.”

The Canyon preys upon people’s fear of being lost in the wilderness and of nature in general. It tells the tale of city slickers and eloped newlyweds Nick (Eion Bailey) and Lori (Yvonne Strahovski) who decide to spend their honeymoon taking a mule ride down to the Grand Canyon’s floor. Problem is, they need a permit and permits have to be booked months in advance. They think all hope is lost, but then they meet weathered tour guide Henry (Will Patton), who promises he can procure the necessary permits and guide them down the Grand Canyon. Things start off well, but when they reach the canyon floor disaster strikes when Henry suffers a nasty fall off his mule and is bitten by rattlesnakes. Without their mules and no way to reach the outside world for help, Nick and Lori must find their way out of the canyon…before it is too late.

I’ll be honest, I was intrigued by the trailers for The Canyon. I thought there was a chance for the film, a take on the nature-run-amuck subgenre, to actually be good. Unfortunately, the film is as bland as vanilla and never pushes boundaries.

The best part of the film, the beautiful setting, is the most fleeting and ill-used. Sure, the characters are constantly surrounded by the towering canyon walls, but the Grand Canyon’s vastness isn’t quite captured. I wish director Richard Harrah and cinematographer Nelson Cragg had tried to make the titular character a bit more menacing and scary. It would have been nice to see the Grand Canyon become a character onto itself, but it became secondary to the other natural horrors experienced by the married couple.

Also, the script by Steve Allrich was painfully generic. The only thing that really stood out was the wily character of Henry (which also yielded the only stand out performance, by Will Patton). The characters of Nick and Lori were boring and I couldn’t really root for them because I knew so little about them. Plus, they make some truly bone-headed decisions (hey, let’s climb this cliff that goes hundreds of feet straight up! Hey, let’s not backtrack our steps but try to find another way out!). And, again, the biggest underdeveloped character was the Grand Canyon itself. It was supposed to be this formidable opponent of the married couple, but it really felt like the film could have been set anywhere and it wouldn’t have made that much of a difference. It really is a pity, because the Grand Canyon definitely has the potential to be formidable, but this film just didn’t capitalize enough on its location.

I kept waiting and waiting for The Canyon to become thrilling, but the moment never came. There were some shocking scenes (including a pretty tense amputation scene), but they never amounted to much. The Canyon is just far too safe and generic for me…and wasted a perfectly frightening setting!

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Pontypool (2009)

Every day we are bombarded by people communicating around us. Just think about how prevalent the English language is and how often you hear it every single day. Whether it is through the television, the radio or just stepping outside and hearing people conversing, we are exposed to thousands of spoken words every day. Now, what if the words themselves were infected and speaking certain words could turn people into blood-thirsty, raging lunatics? Think about how easily a virus like that could spread and how easily people could become infected!

And that clever little premise, my fiends, is the basis for the fantastically fun and eerily intelligent horror film Pontypool!

Radio personality Grant Mazzy is known for his confrontational and brash attitude. In fact, he was recently fired from his big-city DJ job and the only work he could find was in the tiny town of Pontypool, Ontario. He isn’t happy about being stuck in the middle of nowhere and having to drive through cold, snowy weather to get to work, but it was the only station that would take him. He begrudgingly arrives at the small radio station one morning and things start off pretty normal – he riles up the locals, argues with his producer Sydney Briar (Lisa Houle) and has the station assistant, Laurel Ann (Georgina Reilly) spike his early morning coffee. Then, he talks to the station’s “eye in the sky,” Ken (who isn’t really in a helicopter, but in his car driving around) for the weather report. Ken informs him that there is a mob forming around the local doctor’s office…and things go downhill from there. Grant, Laurel Ann and Sydney are holed up in the station when more disturbing reports come in from callers and weatherman Ken. The reports all say that people are making strange noises, speaking gibberish and turning violent, including eating other people. As the mob gets ever closer to the radio station, can the survivors inside figure out what is happening or is it already too late?

Finally! A horror film with an intelligent and original premise! This is exactly the kind of smart horror film I’ve been waiting for and Pontypool definitely delivers! I love how the film plays with something that hasn’t really been explored much in horror films – the English language. Everyone fears biological and chemical weapons, but what if someone developed a virus that spread through our language? Now that’s scary!!

The film was adapted for the screen by Tony Burgess from his story Pontypool Changes Everything. Now, I haven’t read the book, but I imagine Burgess stayed relatively true to his highly original story, which he must be given kudos for because it translates so well to the screen!The story cleverly builds from the initial mystery of what is going on outside the walls of the radio station to the startling revelation that people are acting violent and cannibalistic to the conclusion that the virus is transmitted via words in the English language. Though the story gets the tiniest bit befuddled towards the end (repeated viewings might clear up some of the confusion), I thought that overall it was a smart, unique script.

I was also impressed at the high levels of tension and dread, especially since the film takes place in mostly one claustrophobic location (the radio station) and we hear the carnage as opposed to actually seeing it. Hearing the strange gibberish of the infected as well as the sounds of screaming and violence over the phone really puts your imagination into hyperdrive and I think this was much more effective than just showing the audience explicit gore (though Pontypool does feature a one noteworthy scene that is cringe-worthy!). Again, this shows just how inventive Pontypool is and hearing the horror unfold as opposed to seeing it reminded me of old radio shows that my grandma used to listen to. I was always amazed at how effective those radio shows were at sending cold shivers down my spine, and Pontypool works in much of the same way.

I also liked how the one location of the radio station gave the viewer a sense of claustrophobia, especially when the infected surround the building and it seems like there is no way out. Director Bruce McDonald did a fantastic job at building dread and tension with the isolated and claustrophobic location.

As for the acting, it was phenomenal! Because there is only one location and only a few characters, we must rely on the three actors playing the characters of  Grant, Sydney and Laurel Ann to capture the feelings of their predicament. All three actors were incredibly believable in their roles, from acting incredulous to stunned to afraid. The absolute stand-out performer was Stephen McHattie as Grant Mazzy. He goes from weary and cynical but brash and incredulous radio DJ to concerned and scared citizen in the blink of an eye. When he realizes that the mob of people isn’t a practical joke or a stunt but truly is dangerous and blood-thirsty, the fear in his eyes is haunting. Lisa Houle as Sydney and Georgina Reilly as Laurel Ann both do a spectacular job as well. They both appear very natural and real in their characters.

Pontypool is an extraordinary film that is as smart as it is entertaining. It has everything going for it, from a strong story, surefire direction to excellent acting. It defies all preconceived genre notions and runs with its unusual storyline. Though Pontypool has some strong similarities to traditional zombie films, I think that comparison sells this highly intelligent film short. Though the infected in this film tend to mob like typical zombies do and eventually eat human flesh, the infected are not reanimated corpses and thus are not traditional zombies. They are something completely different, just as Pontypool is a completely refreshingly unique film.

If you are looking for one of 2009′s most original and intelligent horror films, look no further than Pontypool!

Available from Amazon!

Shuttle (2009)

When you think about it, we entrust our lives to random drivers on a daily basis. We rely on the drivers of taxi cabs, buses and shuttles to take us where we need to go. We are confident that once we step into their vehicle that they will take us to our desired location. We don’t ask questions if they take certain “shortcuts” and place our full trust in the driver to get us there in one piece. What if, though, a driver decided to kidnap you and make you his or her prisoner?

This is what happens in Shuttle, when two girlfriends, Mel (Peyton List) and Jules (Cameron Goodman), arrive back home after a weekend getaway in Mexico, only wanting to return home as soon as possible. The airline loses Mel’s luggage, so they are the last ones waiting for a shuttle that will take them home. They flag a shuttle down, but another driver (Tony Curran) offers them a ride at half the cost so they accept. Two guys, Matt (Dave Power) and Seth (James Snyder), from the same flight also decide to take the shuttle, and the four join the lone passenger on board, a jumpy businessman named Andy (Cullen Douglas).

The five passengers soon realize that their driver isn’t taking them to their desired destinations, but has much more nefarious plans…

Shuttle is an amazingly well-done and tension-filled film. I was surprised that it wasn’t just another standard slash ‘em up horror flick, but actually had depth and kept you guessing the whole way through! It also benefited from sympathetic characters, realism and some cringe-worthy scenarios (and I’m not just talking blood and guts here).

The story, written by Edward Anderson (who also directed) is simple yet extremely taut. Like the characters, we never know exactly what is going on or why they are being kidnapped. Anderson adds odd little clues as to their destination, but nothing is revealed until the end, where all the puzzle pieces come together to reveal the true tragedy of the situation. The suspense created by the mystery of not knowing what was going on was fantastic, and my eyes were glued to the screen for the entire running time. I kept trying to guess what was going on and why, but nothing could prepare me for the impact of the devastating ending.

I also liked how Anderson addressed an important issue with his film (one that I can’t mention specifically without giving too much away). While people might assume it happens only in third world countries, Anderson brings attention to the fact that it happens right here in the United States. He also doesn’t try to exploit the issue at hand, but shows just how horrifying and terrible it really is.

Anderson also does a fine job of developing the characters. While he doesn’t go too much in-depth with them, we still feel for them as they try and try again to get out of their terrifying situation. It was refreshing to see characters that fought back and tried to get away, yet still had the decency to not leave their friends behind. The fact that they were at the “wrong place at the wrong time” also adds to the sympathy you feel for them.

The acting is very well-done, especially by Tony Curran who plays the Driver with surprising restraint while still managing to come off as dangerous and menacing. He doesn’t take sadistic pleasure in brutalizing his passengers, instead portraying the Driver as a weary worker just trying to do his job. Peyton List was fantastic as Mel, who was the backbone of the group of passengers. With few exceptions, she fought back every chance she took while protecting her friend Jules. She really elicited the viewer’s sympathy, especially when you think she is getting away only to be re-captured by the Driver. Cameron Goodman as Jules took an unlikable characters, a spoiled little rich girl, and actually made her likable! As the characters get deeper and deeper into the Driver’s plan, you can’t help but feel for the whimpering Jules. With a lesser actress in a role, Jules could have just come off as annoying, but Goodman turns it around so you are sympathetic for her character.

The direction by Edward Anderson is extremely solid for a first-time director! Most of the action takes place on the cramped space of the shuttle, but Anderson utilizes the small space well, giving it a claustrophobic feel. Most scenes are also bathed in grimy, florescent lighting, adding to the grim menace of the film. The direction also has a certain fluidity that keeps the action moving on relentlessly.

My only problem with the film was that the driver was seemingly impervious to mortal wounds. The passengers fought for their lives against him and certainly left their mark. The driver was bludgeoned, stabbed, involved in a nasty traffic accident and even shot, but every time he got up and was as good as new! While this certainly hurt some of the film’s believability, it still didn’t effect my overall enjoyment of the flick.

Shuttle is a horror film that travels in the fast lane, moving at a break-neck speed toward its devastating conclusion all the while keeping you guessing as to what is going on. Its thrilling, well-written story, sympathetic characters and sure-fire direction make this a very smart choice for savvy horror viewers who crave an intelligent, psychological horror film.

Available from Amazon!

Eden Lake (2008)

Kids today are an awful bunch. Not only are most of them spoiled brats, but they also don’t seem to care for anyone (or anything) except for themselves. Across the world we are seeing their selfish behavior spreading…and even turning violent. It seems that not a week goes by without a news report of a child (or a group of children) shooting someone, stabbing someone or stealing something. How have supposedly innocent children fallen so far? Some people blame parents, while others blame DNA, ADD, violent video games/movies/music or just the environment the kids were raised in.

Well, I for one can’t stand most kids and think people should stop having so many if they can’t properly care for them. How many times have you been to the grocery store and seen an unruly kid causing a scene while their parent pretends nothing is happening? Take responsibility for your spawn, dammit!

The kids in Eden Lake aren’t much different…mouthing off to their elders, stealing things and generally harassing a young couple, Steve (Michael Fassbender) and Jenny (Kelly Reilly), who have decided to trek into the English countryside for the weekend. Steve picks an isolated spot next to a lake that is set to be developed into a sprawling housing community, but he and Jenny find they have company when they trespass on the hang-out spot of the local teens. At first, the kids only annoy them with loud music and their barking Rottweiler, but things soon escalate to the point where Steve and Jenny are fighting for their lives.

First off, after hearing so many good things about Eden Lake, like how brutal and shocking it was, I was stoked to check it out. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I found the film pretty dull, generic and banal. It’s just your standard “survival” horror flick featuring a couple stuck in the middle of nowhere who are terrorized by the locals. Only instead of crazy backwoods hicks after Steve and Jenny it’s just a group of snot-nosed kids. Even then their only real threat is the ragtag group’s sadistic leader, Brett (Jack O’Connell), who bullies his blokes into hunting down and torturing the couple.

The story, written by James Watkins (who also directed) just kinda limps along, staggering towards a finale that you totally see coming. I did like the fact that the ending wasn’t the typical “happy revenge” one, but by then I was too bored to really care. The script just seemed too generic and could have been lifted from previous horror movies (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Just Before Dawn, etc., etc.). The script is also peppered with clichés and I nearly spent the entire time yelling at the screen, “No, stupid, don’t trust HIM!!” or “Don’t run that way!” or “RUN!” The script just felt stale and trite…the only “new” thing with the whole story was the inclusion of the villains being teenagers (this film’s big shtick) – but that just wasn’t enough for me.

There is a fair amount of violence and lots of blood, but I wouldn’t necessarily call Eden Lake a gory film. There are lots of stabbings, beatings, even a child that is lit on fire, with the special FX being quite well done. Still, even a few scenes of shocking violence did little to pique my interest or alleviate my boredom.

I will also say that I did enjoy the direction by James Watkins. The aerial shots over the forest were spectacular and I loved the contrast of colors from the opening scenes (bright and cheery) to the middle and end scenes (dark, muddy colors). Where Watkins fails in the script he (nearly) makes up for in his crisp shots, but it’s just not enough to save the film.

I don’t know what the big fuss over Eden Lake is…to me it is just a run-of-the-mill horror movie that fails to deliver anything new or interesting. I’d recommend it strictly for a rental only.

Available from Amazon!

Rogue (2008)

Despite my utter hatred for Greg Mclean’s first feature film, Wolf Creek, I was highly anticipating his next film, Rogue. I may have had disdain for the terrible Wolf Creek, but I can’t deny that Mclean certainly has an eye for stunning shots. When Rogue was denied a theatrical release by its studio, Dimension (thereby leaving legions of horror fans scratching their heads), I assumed it just wasn’t worthy enough for theaters. Then, Lionsgate dumped Midnight Meat Train into a few second rate theaters (with rumors that this will also happen with Repo! The Genetic Opera). So apparently it’s now become a fad for major studios to discard their actually good horror films and not give them a theatrical run! Way to go Dimension for starting the trend! Anyways, after watching Rogue I can honestly say that this film did indeed deserve a theatrical run and it’s a pity that fans weren’t able to experience it on the big screen.

In the stunningly rugged Northern Territory of Australia, a group of tourists board a river boat to see the spectacular sights and hopefully catch a glimpse of some killer crocodiles that the Territory is known for. The group consists of a wide range of people, including a family consisting of father, daughter and dying-of-cancer mother, a man who wants to scatter a loved one’s ashes, a photographer, a middle-aged couple and even an American travel writer (Michael Vartan). Leading the river tour is experienced and spunky guide Kate (Radha Mitchell). After lazily drifting down the river and spotting more than a few crocs in action, the tour is nearly over…but after seeing some distress flares Kate decides to follow them. When they finally arrive to where the flare signal came from, there is no one around except for a half-sunken, overturned boat. Uh-oh…

Suddenly, the tour boat is rammed hard from something in the water and pretty soon everyone finds themselves stuck on a small island in the middle of the river. The group quickly figures out that they’ve trespassed on a giant crocodile’s territory and it’ll stop at nothing until all of its prey is dead. With the tide quickly coming in and night approaching fast, the group must figure out how to survive and out-wit the killer crocodile to make it off the rapidly-disappearing island.

Finally horror fans get a chance to catch this killer croc movie, although on DVD instead of in theaters. All I can say is that it is extremely disappointing that this fantastically thrilling film was not given a theatrical release. It is so tense and suspenseful on the small screen that I imagine on the big screen it must be downright terrifying!

The high caliber of Rogue is just remarkable, from the spectacular cinematography to the fantastic acting to the imposing and frightening crocodile. The first 30 minutes of the film play like a loving homage to the Northern Territory and should be used for their tourism board! The vast vistas of the Outback will leave you speechless and yearning to visit Down Under. There are also many great wildlife shots of crocodiles, birds, insects and other animals. The emerald river the river boat drifts down sparkles in the sunlight and contrasts against the high, red cliffs that border it.

And, then, after you’ve been dazzled by all that beauty…POW! Nature strikes! Things take a very hair-raising turn with the brazen killer crocodile stalking the marooned tourists. Not only that, but their safe haven (not much more than a mound of dirt) is quickly disappearing under the rising tide. The great acting by all involved really makes us care for each and every character (very well-developed by writer/director Greg Mclean). Each and every action they take is believable and expected in such a high-stress, life-or-death situation.

As for the crocodile, it looks unbelievably realistic! Director Mclean wisely only gives us quick glimpses of the croc in the beginning, but by the end we’ve seen its entire massive body (as well as more than a few frightening close-ups of its toothy maw) and it still looks amazing! I loved how when we first see the croc it is just a shadow underneath the water and we’re not sure what we’ve just seen until it suddenly strikes. There are also several moments that’ll make you jump out of your skin they are so unexpected, like the first tourist it decides to snack on!

Though this film ratchets up the tension and suspense in a thrilling manner, it doesn’t really have that much gore. We seen a few people get chomped on, but it mostly happens so quickly with the croc and its prey disappearing under water, so we don’t get a whole gory show. We get to see some nasty bite marks, but the film is a little lacking in the gore department. Despite this, it still manages to work extremely well even without copious amounts of blood.

The direction by Greg Mclean is utter perfection. Rogue opens showcasing Australia’s wide open spaces, but once the croc attacks ensue, the scope becomes entirely claustrophobic. This only adds to the fear factor of the film and Mclean pulls it off effortlessly.

One thing I felt could have been done better was the ending. Despite the realism that the first part of the film had, the ending felt kind of fake and hokey. A certain character’s actions just didn’t ring true with me and the finale was a bit unbelievable. Still, if you can overlook that Rogue is a damn fine film and along with killer croc movie Black Water, it is one of the best killer croc features ever made.

Available from Amazon!

Black Water (2008)

I’ve never really been a big fan of the “when animals attack” sub-genre. The characters in these films are usually stupid (and deserve to die) and they usually end up getting killed by an animal much smarter than them. I always hated how this far superior animal was simply killed in the end, even though the characters were so much less intelligent than it. It’s hard to enjoy or even be scared by a horror film if you hate the characters and can’t relate to their actions and are rooting for the “villain.” Yet, every once in a while a horror film in this sub-genre comes around that I particularly like…

How does the Australian film Black Water rate? You’ll have to keep reading to find out…

On holiday, sisters Grace (Diana Glenn) and Lee (Maeve Dermody) and Grace’s boyfriend Adam (Andy Rodoreda) take a road trip into the Australian countryside. They visit a crocodile farm before deciding to take a fishing tour on the flood-swollen river. Their guide (Ben Oxenbould) takes them out in a small metal motorboat, taking them all the way to an isolated mangrove lagoon. Before you can say “Gone Fishin’,” a big croc capsizes their little boat. Adam and Grace scramble for a nearby tree, but Lee gets stuck on the top of the overturned boat. The massive crocodile pokes its behemoth head out of the water to say hello, then dives back under to try and knock Lee off. Soon, the three friends realize that the croc has dragged off their guide and that they are miles away from anything and anyone. Can the three friends escape the croc’s clutches and make it out in one piece as opposed to in pieces?

For a killer croc movie, Black Water is a surprisingly tense and taut picture! It’s got high production values, great direction, likable characters and a scary crocodile! It’s based on a true story (read about it http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/story/0,,2241705,00.html) and actually stays pretty close to it. It’s also interesting to note that the filmmakers used real crocodiles for the majority of the film instead of CGI or other special FX. This lent a level of realism that was downright frightening! When I was watching the film, I marveled at the realistic-looking crocodiles, but it was only after the film did I find out that they were actually REAL!!

Speaking of the crocodile in the film, it takes on a persona all its own in the film. It is extremely menacing and seems to be psychologically playing with its prey and relishing their fear. In one scene it emerges from the water to show the survivors a chewed up corpse and the croc does it tauntingly, rubbing it in. In another scene, the croc pops out of the water to block the way of the survivors, kinda like he’s saying, “I don’t think so!” As for the rest of the characters, we really don’t get to know them all that much, besides the fact that one is pregnant. Despite the shallow characterizations, we still end up caring deeply for the trio. They are likable and their situation unimaginable, so it is quite easy to feel sympathy for them (yes, even when they do make stupid mistakes).

I thought all the actors did a good job with acting frightened, especially because for the first half of the film you don’t see the crocodile that often. Their confusion, panic and desperation feel very real, though I will say that some of the initial whining and crying gets old fast. Still, the actors did convey fear, anger, determination and more while still maintaining their believability.

Of course, some of the characters’ actions were a bit unbelievable. Why didn’t the group ever try and distract the crocodile by using one person as bait to lead it away from the boat while someone else went for it when the croc was preoccupied? And why did they always use the thinnest, most spindly branches to try and grab the boat’s rope? These and many other questions plagued the film, but the character’s sometimes silly actions didn’t ruin the entire film.

Overall, the film was nail-bitingly intense. Three people stuck up in a tree sure doesn’t sound like a very engaging movie, but the writing-directing team of David Nerlich and Andrew Traucki managed to create an ominous atmosphere full of tension. The two directors utilized several spectacular shots that put the viewer directly into the action. One scene in particular involved showing the point of view from a victim during the crocodile’s “death roll” – a roll that involves them biting their prey and dragging them underwater while the croc spins around several times, trying to drown its prey. I really thought this was an inventive and exciting shot that captured the ferocity of the predator. It felt like National Geographic on steroids! There are also lots of scenes of the murky swamp water that’ll have your toes curling imaging what lies in those depths.

I will warn you, though, Black Water is seriously lacking in the blood and guts department. All we get is a severed arm, a chomped-on body, a not-very-bloody croc bite, various scratches, etc., etc. There are no big bubbling pools of blood a la Jaws here, kiddies. In the context of the movie, though, the lack of gore works just fine. The tension and suspense are what really keep the film moving along.

Black Water is a pleasant surprise amidst the standard stupid “when animals attack” films. It delivers tension and suspense without having to resort to gore for entertainment and will put you on the edge of your seat!

Available from Amazon!

Wrestlemaniac (2008)

There’s something about the mystique of Mexican wrestlers that always gets to me. With their faces covered by colorful masks and their identities hidden, Mexican wrestlers remind me a lot of superheroes…or supervillains. Wrestlemaniac is a new film that prominently features a fictional legendary wrestler, El Mascarado, in its plot with entertaining results.

A group of amateur pornographers is driving down to Old Mexico to shoot a little film, but somehow lose their way and wind up lost. At a run-down gas station, the attendant (a great cameo by Irvin Keyes) tells them they are but a few miles from the town of La Sangre de Dio, where the Mexican wrestler El Mascarado was banished when he snapped and started killing his opponents. The story goes that El Mascarado was assembled from body parts of Mexico’s four top wrestlers so that Mexico would have the greatest wrestler in the world. Things went awry when El Mascarado started killing his opponents in the ring and the government was forced to lock him away in the isolated town of La Sangre de Dio, where legend says he remains to this day.

Most of the group incredulously brushes the story away, but Steve (Jeremy Radin), a big fan of Mexican wrestling, believes the gas station attendant and knows the story. Still, they all head on and soon enough come across the seemingly abandoned town of La Sangre de Dio. The director, Alphonse (Adam Huss), decides it is the perfect location and the girls, Dallas (Leyla Razzari), Debbie (Margaret Scarborough) and Daisy (Catherine Wreford) start getting down to business while geeky Steve films and stoner Jimbo (Zack Bennett) stumbles around the deserted town.

Pretty soon, though, the numbers of the group dwindle and the remaining survivors realize they are not alone…El Mascarado is present and he is ready to hit the mat…to the death!

Though Wrestlemaniac follows the familiar formula of a slasher film (leave a group of 20-somethings in an isolated location and watch ‘em get butchered by a masked psycho), its character of El Mascarado is intriguing and fun! The story, written by Jesse Baget (who also directed), moves at a quick clip and is entertaining throughout. I really think it was genius how he used a mythical Mexican wrestler as the killer and the back story behind the character was well thought out and explained thoroughly.

The only thing that seemed too much of a stretch was the whole “let’s drive ALLLLL the way down to Mexico to film a porno!” It just didn’t seem believable. Also, the characters were pretty one-dimensional and most of them were annoying, from the chauvinistic director to the useless stoner…good thing they all died pretty quick. I did like seeing that Dallas could handle herself, though, and Steve was a very endearing character. Both Leyla Razzari (as Dallas) and Jeremy Radin (as Steve) were both standouts in the film. And let’s not forget about the masked wrestler himself, played by Rey Misterio, Sr.! He was certainly an imposing figure and made for a kick ass villain!

The gore was another great thing about the film. El Mascarado likes to unmask his victims just like a wrestler would unmask an opponent to finish him completely. Only, most of his victims don’t wear masks so he must make due with taking off their faces! That’s right, he cuts and peels the skin on their faces off! There are a few wicked scenes that brutally feature this, El Mascarado’s signature move! By the end of the film, the remaining survivors are literally drenched in blood!

Besides the blood-red gore, the film also looks fantastic. Director Jess Baget really has a great eye and all the shots have something interesting in them, whether it’s the stifling heat of the Mexican desert or interiors of an old abandoned town, Baget captures the feel of the moment. Though there are quite a few sleazy scenes towards the beginning with the three girls, these gratuitous scenes quickly fade as the real action kicks in. I also forgive Baget for all the shots trained on the actresses’ asses as well (or towards the end when a survivor’s short shorts get ripped off, leaving her in only her panties and thin tank top with no real point except to titillate) because of the overall entertainment Wrestlemaniac offers.

Though not without its flaws, Wrestlemaniac is an entertaining good time. It has an imaginative killer, great kills and a story that moves at a fast pace and is actually cohesive. Wrestlemaniac is the perfect party movie, one that you don’t have to pay much attention to and yet you’ll still be entertained.

Available from Amazon!

The Ruins (2008)

After being wholeheartedly consumed by Scott Smith’s The Ruins, I was eager (and a little apprehensive) to check out Carter Smith’s (no relation to Scott) visual interpretation of the novel. I was both pleasantly surprised and a bit let down with the film, though it did follow the novel closely. The differences (like different things happening to different characters) and a lackluster ending may have dulled the film a little, but I felt that overall the panic and desperation of the characters was translated quite well into the film.

Two couples are enjoying fun-in-the-sun on a vacation in Mexico when they befriend German tourist Mathias (Joe Anderson). While lounging around the pool, Mathias tells them that in the morning he is heading to an archeological dig of some hidden ruins to find his brother, who followed a girl out there. Eager for something other than margaritas by the pool, Eric (Shawn Ashmore), Stacy (Laura Ramsey), Jeff (Jonathan Tucker) and Amy (Jena Malone) all decide to go with Mathias. Mathias also invites a group of Greek tourists whom he has befriended, but only one named Dimitri (Dimitri Baveas) is sober enough the next morning for the trek.

After leaving a copy of the map to the ruins with the passed-out Greeks, the six tourists are on their way, first taking a bus, then a taxi to their isolated location. When the taxi takes off, they take a small trail into the jungle. They come upon some Mayan children who won’t come near them and it appears that the trail stops abruptly. Mathias discovers that the remainder of the trail was purposely blocked by some palm fronds and they continue on, coming upon a clearing with the beautiful ruins in the middle.

Seconds after reaching the clearing, a Mayan on horseback bursts out of the forest and starts yelling at them. He is armed, and soon two more Mayans join him. The group backs steadily up to the ruins and are forced to climb to the top. More Mayans surround the ruins and start building camps, intent on keeping the group quarantined. There is no sign of Mathias’ brother or any archeologists…just seemingly abandoned tents and the dig, a deep, dark hole that goes directly down into the ruins.

There’s something else about the ruins…there are no birds, no insects, no living things…just a profusion of vines that grow there. Vines that can think, vines that move quickly, vines that mimic noises and vines that are deadly…

The Ruins is an entertainingly gory film, one that is much needed amid the crappy teenybopper “reimagings” of Prom Night and the like. Horror fans should be seeing and embracing films like The Ruins that aim for more genuine scares, better acting and a MUCH better storyline than these blander-than-cardboard remakes.

I truly appreciated that The Ruins stayed so true to the novel, because the novel worked! It had the spectacular gross-out moments (bones stripped bare), shocking moments (“the cell phone cover is cracked…”) and surprises (“I didn’t mean to!”). All of the action felt more accelerated in the film than from the novel, but that also worked as things just keep getting quickly worse and worse for the wayward tourists. My only real complaint was the ending, which differs from the book. I didn’t think it worked as well as the novel and left things a bit too open-ended for one particular character.

Still, despite that, I enjoyed everything else about the film. The gore was absolutely cringe-worthy and definitely brought the images from the book to life. We get broken bones, severed appendages, a bloody brain blow-out, stabbings, cuttings and one nasty little vine that loves burrowing into open wounds. It’s not all gore all the time, though, which leaves room for building tension and establishing empathy for the characters.

As for the characters, they aren’t very developed but they don’t need to be. It’s easy to imagine yourself in the same situation – a tourist hoping to catch a glimpse of some hidden attraction but ending up trapped in a situation you cannot control. When all hell starts to break lose, you really feel for the characters. Credit should also be given to the actors for this, also, and I think they all did a fantastic job. I especially like Jonathan Tucker as the take-charge Jeff. He actually made him more likable in the film than he was in the book.

While The Ruins probably won’t knock your socks off, I still found it to be a pretty enjoyable film, especially in light of other horror films that are in theaters right now. For the love of horror, don’t waste your hard-earned cash on tripe like Prom Night or other half-assed horror films; quite complaining and go see a decent horror flick like The Ruins! While it may not be the best horror film ever made, it’s definitely not even close to the worst and it’s a solid effort and well-worth seeing in theaters!

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Book Review: The Ruins by Scott Smith

Have you ever become so wrapped up in a book that it consumes you, it won’t let you put it down? Upon the conclusion you’re left slack-jawed and worn out. A few days later, you still can’t shake the feeling and the story continues to eat away at you from the inside out?

Well, having finished Scott Smith’s horror novel The Ruins (in preparation for the upcoming film adaptation), I can attest to those very emotions. Like a vine, The Ruins wraps itself around you, slowly at first, then tightening and tightening its hold so that it is near impossible to put down until the very last page.

Things start lazily enough in the book. Couples Jeff and Amy, Eric and Stacy are having one last fling together before they each head off to college. They are enjoying three weeks in Cancun, relaxing on the beach and drinking their cares away. They become friends with a German named Mathias as well as a group of Greeks, who don’t speak any English but go by Spanish names. One day, Mathias tells them about his kid brother, who set off into the jungle to follow a girl he had met to an archeological dig. The two couples, along with “Pablo” from the Greeks, decide to accompany Mathias into the jungle to try and find his brother.

After a long bus and taxi ride, they come to the jungle path they must take. They encounter some indifferent Mayans before eventually finding the ruins. There is no sign of Mathias’ brother or an archeological dig, but the group soon discovers the horrifying truth about the ruins when they remain trapped there.

I haven’t been so taken and enthralled with a book in quite some time, but The Ruins blew me away. Smith writes simply at first, but keeps buffeting the reader with an ominous feeling, one where you know something very bad is coming very soon. When trouble finally arrives, it’s far worse than you ever could have comprehended and it just keeps getting worse!

The characters are likable and relatable; I found a piece of myself reflected in each of their personalities and moods. The way Smith is able to capture both the good, the bad and the ugly in his characters makes them that much more real and “alive.” They each have their faults and make mistakes, but this is what makes them so relatable and their fates all the more horrifying.

The story itself and how it unravels is terrifying and even believable. Who hasn’t had the fear of being lost and trapped in some faraway place with no contact to the outside world and little hope of rescue? Who hasn’t been afraid of strange sounds or things in the dark? Of creepy crawlies? Of not being able to communicate when it means life or death? The characters’ realistic reactions to all these fears are very believable, their choices make sense and you can easily imagine yourself caught in the same situation making the same dreadful decisions.

As for the gore, there is plenty of it! Things get (literally!) under the characters’ skins and there are broken bones, bodies skinned to the bone, self-mutilation, strangulation, regurgitation and a fair amount of blood flow. Certain descriptions in the book had me covering my mouth in disbelief and disgust (in a good way, you know!) all the while feeling as helpless as the victims. I am definitely holding back because I don’t want to give anything away, but horror fiends will not be disappointed!

The Ruins is an emotionally intense experience, a book that manages to coil itself around you and draw you in. If you decide to read it before going to see the upcoming film that releases April 4th you had better set aside a few days, because once you pick it up you’ll find it extremely hard to put down!

Available from Amazon!

The Mist (2007)

After a long history with the Stephen King novella The Mist, Frank Darabont has finally seen his dream of making it into a feature film realized. Darabont had planned on adapting it into a feature in the early 1980’s, just after it had been published, but other projects, like his adaptation of King’s Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile, took precedent. After years of waiting for one of King’s fans’ favorite short stories to make it onto the big screen, has Darabont succeeded with The Mist?

After a particularly destructive storm, David Drayton (Thomas Jane) and his young son (Nathan Gamble) head into town to stock up on supplies. While in the local grocery store with a good number of other townsfolk, a thick mist quickly rolls into town, heralded by a bloody man that runs into the store and warns everyone that there are “things” in the mist…things that kill. After everyone is witness to the mist’s destructive nature when a lone man runs to get to his car just as it descends on the town, they lock down the grocery store until they can figure out the situation. When all attempts at escape or calling for help fail, the local “fire and brimstone” woman, Mrs. Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden), takes it upon herself to warn everyone that the end of times has come. Soon, the people in the store are not only threatened by monsters in the mist, but the human monsters in their midst.

Going into The Mist, I really wasn’t expecting much more than a CGI monsterfest. When I came out, I was pleasantly shocked. Darabont has created a tense and frightening film that will leave you stunned. Like his non-horror King adaptations of Shawshank and Green Mile, The Mist is a classy affair that boasts impressive acting and classic chills and thrills.

From the dramatic opening the film will have you hooked. Once the characters make it to the relative safety of the grocery store, the tension only mounts. After the mist hits the town, the chaos and confusion within the store feels extremely realistic and you can’t help but be as shocked as the townspeople are. To assist in the realistic feel, Darabont utilizes hand-held cameras to give a sense of immediacy to the dramatic proceedings. I found this to be a bit too “television crime drama” for my tastes, but it does give you the feeling you are right alongside the panicked patrons.

The characters trapped in the store are all strongly characterized. From the unlikely hero of Ollie (scene-stealer Toby Jones), a grocery store clerk, to the reluctant leader David and the zealous and hateful Mrs. Carmody, you can’t help but feel for all the characters. Each character is flawed and therefore made more human and easily relatable because of that. My only problem with the characterization was the portrayal of Mrs. Carmody, which quickly turned into an exaggerated caricature. She was a bit too over the top for me.

The acting was very well done from everyone involved. Thomas Jane proved himself as a very capable leading man. Marcia Gay Harden gave Mrs. Carmody some much needed humanity, though her character did come off as a bad caricature at times. All of the supporting actors, including Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher, Jim Grondin, Chris Owen and many more, did a fantastic job as well.

The special FX in The Mist are impressive as well. I don’t understand the naysayers who have said that the CGI work is shoddy; from where I was sitting, it looked great! The monsters in the mist are vicious, and include a creature with blood-sucking, barbed tentacles, pterodactyl-like monsters, huge spiders that shoot acidic webs and have large spines on their backs, crab-like creatures that are several stories tall and a truly behemoth creature straight out of Lovecraft’s stories. Besides great creature effects, the film also boasts several nasty gore scenes, my favorite being when a man, who’s become a spider snack, bursts forth hundreds upon thousands of baby spiders.

These scintillating special FX aren’t just thrown in there to keep the audience awake because the rest of the film is just as good! The pacing is excellent and kept my attention the entire time, even though the run-time is over two hours. Between the threat of the monsters lurking in the mist and the growing threat of the fascist Mrs. Carmody, the tension is certainly kept taut. The action just keeps coming up until the end as David and a few others try to find a way out of their desperate predicament. The ending, which Darabont changed from King’s ambiguous one, is one that people will be talking about for a long time to come. It is appropriately tragic and dramatic, and will knock the wind right out of you!

Despite such glowing words over the film, I did have one other problem besides the caricaturization of Mrs. Carmody. The fade-to-black transitions used between scenes make The Mist look like another made-for-TV Stephen King flick. The awkward transitions were horribly out of place with the film’s otherwise high production values. These annoying fade-to-black transitions (I expected a commercial to come on each time they were used) chopped up The Mist and diminished my enjoyment a tad.

Of the horror films that have been theatrically released recently (30 Days of Night, Saw IV, etc.) the one I would recommend seeing the most would have to be The Mist. Despite the few problems I had with it, The Mist is an excellent monster movie and one of the best horror releases of the year. Its tense atmosphere, great creature design, wonderful acting and classic monster movie feel make it a very frightening and enjoyable horror film. It doesn’t have to rely on gore for entertainment (though it has its nasty bits), but instead frightens us with what is hidden – the monsters in the mist as well as the monsters within ourselves.

Available from Amazon!

Reeker (2005)

You know, when I first espied the movie Reeker, I immediately assumed it would be a cheesy monster romp, only good for a laugh or two. The plot seemed awfully familiar, as a group of college kids are stuck in the middle of nowhere while someTHING picks them off. So when I finally sat down to watch it, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Reeker is a much more entertaining and clever flick than I initially gave it credit for.

Five strangers all pile into a rickety car to share a ride to a desert rave. Everything is fine and dandy until the appropriately named Trip (Scott Whyte) brags that he’s got enough E (which he stole from maniacal drug dealer Radford [Ugly Betty’s Eric Mabius], who just happens to be following the unsuspecting kids) to keep the five of them, plus a few hundred of their closest friends, pretty happy. The driver of the ragtag bunch, Gretchen (Tina Illman, who looks an awfully lot like Beetlejuice’s Lydia) isn’t taking any chances and insists on leaving Trip at the last highway diner-gas station-hotel combo they stopped at not 30 minutes before. When they arrive back at the diner, Gretchen’s old car decides to call it quits so they all troop inside to ask for help. One problem – the place is deserted. Half-eaten meals, overturned chairs and smoldering cigarette butts are all that remain to prove that just a little while ago, the joint was jumping. The hotel and gas station are also devoid of anyone and the kids can’t get anyone on the phone, much less on their signal-less cell phones. As nighttime settles on the stranded strangers, things get even more eerie. A creepy, and especially putridly pungent, specter appears and begins picking them off one by one…

I may not have had high hopes for Reeker, but I definitely got my money’s worth. Writer/director David Payne may have started with the stereotypical, kids-stuck-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-with-the-boogeyman-killing-them-off storyline, but by avoiding character clichés, throwing in some genuinely funny moments and creating a spooky, engaging mystery, he has created a pretty engaging flick!

First off, the characters are very believable. They aren’t caricatures of college students nor are they the stereotypical jocks and bimbos that seem to populate horror films. No, every character feels real, like you might know someone like them in real life. The actors do a decent job of bringing their characters to life, and you’ll even notice a few of them from other films and television, like Michael Ironside, playing a fellow stranded traveler and Derek Richardson from Hostel.

Secondly, the mystery they find themselves wrapped up in (has some catastrophic terrorist attack occurred? a natural disaster? something more sinister?) is entirely engaging. You might be able to guess the ending, but you’ll still enjoy sitting through the rest of the movie to see if you are right. Payne keeps the pace moving along with some additional characters that pop up, like the previously mentioned Ironside as an RV-driving vacationer and Mabius as the crazed drug dealer.

Reeker pays off again in the gore department. While blood isn’t generously splashed across the screen every second, there are some pretty shocking moments throughout the film. For example, the opening scene shows a family driving down a deserted bit of road, only to hit a deer and splatter their entire front windshield in grue. That’s not all…the family stops to inspect the damage and the family dog runs off to explore. A few minutes later the father goes off in search of the dog while the mom and son wait by the car. The whimpering dog emerges a few minutes later…dragging its broken and bloody body behind it. While the wife tries to help, the husband stumbles out of the brush, the whole half of his head missing! This opening scene is quite a lot to live up to, but Reeker delivers the blood ‘n’ guts in more than a few surprise scenes that’ll have you jumping out of your seat.

Unfortunately, this film does have its share of negatives. The one thing that bugged me the most was the overall appearance of the Reeker creature. The creature itself was pretty wicked and scary looking, but every time it was about to appear, hazy fumes, like the kind you see reflected off the pavement on a really hot day, would announce its arrival. I think the filmmaker’s aim was to produce something akin to the stink lines that wafted off of the dirty Pig Pen from the Peanuts comic, but here it just looked plain silly. Also, it’s never quite specified whether the Reeker is solid or amorphous in nature. In one scene, it appears that the Reeker can move through walls and be invisible, but in another it is affected by bullets. Bullets? Against a rotting and putrescent corpse-like creature? Seemed more than a little far-fetched…

All in all, though, Reeker is a rather solid effort that features an interesting premise, realistic characters, good performances, a nice twist and good-lookin’ gore. And thankfully, it doesn’t live up to its own name!

Available from Amazon!

Vacancy (2007)

I had skipped Vacancy in theaters, partly because I was sick of slick Hollywood horror and partly because I just felt “meh” about it. When it was released on DVD this week, I decided to give it a shot because I had heard some positive reviews on it. Big mistake…now I’ll know to trust my gut instinct on horror releases in the future, because, as I suspected, this movie was just “meh” bordering on bad.

A soon-to-be-divorced couple (Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale) is driving late at night when their car starts having trouble. A friendly mechanic (Ethan Embry) helps fix it, but they only get about a mile down the road before it completely breaks down. Of course the husband of this less-than-dynamic duo took a shortcut off the interstate and now they are stuck in the middle of nowhere. They grumpily trek back to the gas station, but the mechanic has left for the night. Lo and behold, there is a questionable looking motel right next to the gas station. When they decide to spend the night, the odd motel manager (Frank Whaley) upgrades them to the honeymoon suite, complete with unwashed sheets and a serious layer of dirt covering the place. The bickering couple decides to pop in a few unmarked VHS films for a desperately needed distraction and end up face to face with snuff films that were filmed in their very motel room.

Soon, they are being terrorized by masked killers and they discover that they are also being filmed by hidden cameras. To paraphrase the film’s tagline, how can they escape if the killers are watching their every move?

Now, while this movie wasn’t a complete waste of time, I still felt underwhelmed by what I saw on screen. I appreciate that director Nimrod Antal tried to do something different with the horror genre, but the whole movie just felt so damn familiar that it failed to deliver any thrills.

Let me start by saying, Wilson and Beckinsale – not their best work to date. Now, these two aren’t known for their Oscar-worthy performances but their whining and fighting really took its toll here. Their characters weren’t at all likable or well-developed here, but that wasn’t a problem for me. I believe that it was Antal’s intention to keep us so detached from them. It’s like he wanted us to view them as if they were in an actual snuff film – with just a whiff of a backstory and no emotion towards the two. No, my problem wasn’t with the character development but rather how the characters were played and the unbelievability of their actions. I’m not sure these two downtrodden schmucks could face off against some backwoods snuff filmmakers. It just didn’t seem all that believable.

Next, the whole premise was, well, pretty boring. When the couple first arrived at the motel and the banging and rattling on the doors began, I was intrigued. But from there it all went downhill and fast. The next hour consisted of the couple running in and out of the motel room, trying to evade their attackers. And this was the point where I decided to do a little light housework and even bake a cake.

Yep, folks, I was that bored.

The constant musical cues that tell you something big and spooky is just around the corner made me role my eyes and keep reaching for the mute button. Egads, is it too much to ask to actually be surprised at a scare for once instead of being TOLD I’m about to be scared?? It was obvious from the opening credits that director Antal was trying to mimic some Hitchcock-style suspense, but, let me tell ya, Mr. Antal, you failed miserably.

Vacancy comes off staler than the air in a seedy, roach motel.

Available from Amazon!

Penny Dreadful (2006)

Penny Dreadful is the kind of movie that looks like it has potential from the trailer. I didn’t get to catch it at the After Dark Horrorfest, so I decided to give it a looksie now. I wasn’t expecting too much out of this one, but I was kinda hoping that it would surpass my low expectations.

After having suffered a traumatic car accident as a young child in which her parents died grisly deaths in front of her, Penny (Rachel Miner) has developed an intense phobia of cars. Her therapist (Mimi Rogers) decides that Penny needs to face her fears, and takes her on a car trip up to the mountains. On the way, Penny keeps having panic/anxiety attacks from every pot hole they hit. Her anxiety level goes through the roof when they hit a hitchhiker. After seeing that he is ok, they offer him a ride so he can get out of the bitter cold. He’s a little strange and freaky, so after dropping him at a desolate campsite, the women try to haul ass out of there. One problem – the hitchhiker slashed their tire and they can’t get further than a mile from him. The therapist leaves Penny alone in the car and walks out into the woods to try and get a signal on her cell phone. The hitchhiker has found them, though, and soon Penny is trapped in the one thing she fears, the car, as the sadistic hitchhiker delights in toying with her. Will Penny be able to face her fears and fight against the hitchhiker? Or will the car become her deathtrap?

It’s hard to pull off a movie that just has one primary location (in this case, the interior of a car) and Penny Dreadful doesn’t manage too well with this. Overall, I was bored with this flick, even though I really hoped it would be good.

What I did enjoy was the acting, especially Mimi Rogers as the therapist and Rachel Miner as Penny. Miner played the frantic and panicked Penny perfectly. She really came off like she really was in the grip of fear and had no control over it. Rogers is always a joy to see (remember her fantastic turn in Ginger Snaps?), and even though her presence is short-lived, she gives an air of credibility to the film. As for the hitchhiker (played by Liz Davies), the glimpses we do get are downright creepy.

Unfortunately, the rest of the film isn’t as good as the performances. It just kinda limps along through its 90 minute run-time. This could have been a great entry for a Masters of Horror episode, but as a full-length movie it just doesn’t work. The plot is just too skimpy and underdeveloped to support its run-time. Also, I hated how the whole subplot of the two locals played out. It seemed completely unnecessary, except for an excuse to pad the story. They could have either developed the characters a little more and made them work within the story or just gotten rid of them all together.

As for gore, you’ve got your standard stabbings, slitting of necks, severing of toes, etc. There is nothing too impressive here and certainly nothing to impress the gorehounds. I thought the best part was when they gave the hitcher a lift and he offered them some raw meat on a skewer…ummmm…wouldn’t you kick that person out of your car straightaway? That one had me giggling!

Penny Dreadful might spook your 14-year-old little brother or sister, but horror fans will have little to enjoy with this film. The well-done acting can’t make up for the thin plot and the lack of scares or tension.

Available on Amazon!