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13/13/13

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13/13/13 is a 2013 American horror film written and directed by James Cullen Bressack for The Asylum productions. It stars Trae Ireland, Erin Coker, Jody Barton, J. Scott, Bill Voorhees, Tiffany Martinez, Jared Cohn, Calico Cooper.

For millennia, calendars have added an extra day every four years. In doing so, they violated the ancient Mayan calendar. Now we are in the 13th month of the 13th year of the new millennium, and the few who survive will battle a world of demons.

Reviews:

” …  a bloody intense film that has shades of a family drama as well as apocalyptic overtones. This is a sharp, gory horror film with star making performances by Barton, Ireland, and Coker and an eye popping  cameo by Jessica Cameron. Worth a watch for all involved.” Christopher M. Jimenez, Sinful Celluloid

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13/13/13 stretches itself out by having the leads kill more time than they do infected humans. The rest of the space is filled with more moments of maniacal laughing than an army of funhouse fat ladies at a supervillain convention. Between that and the absurd overacting, one wonders if the film might be trying to drive the viewer as batty as the cast. Anyone left with any sanity by the film’s end will learn that the movie is a schizophrenic zombie itself.” Culture Crypt

” … those looking for on-screen deaths should look no further because this film has a metric ton. The special effects are hit and miss but it does not take away from this bloody flick. Overall, Bressack delivers another film that feels like a punch to throat and does not let up.  I highly recommend this one!” Blacktooth, Horror Society

 … a take on The Crazies with supernatural twists. Unfortunately, it’s The Asylum’s take on that film, which means a tiny budget, brief shooting schedule and lack of quality talent, which results in the failure to deliver a compelling story. When the dialogue isn’t groan-inducing, the neverending score is just as grating to listen to. The filmmakers spend too much time showing people sitting around and laughing at each other because, well, they’ve gone bonkers.” J.D. Smith, Fangoria

13/13/13 is typical The Asylum style film making. It’s silly. It knows it’s silly. And if you got it, flaunt it. All in all this movie will appeal to many of the same people who liked the movies mentioned previously. You’ll find plenty of cheesy dialogue, terrible acting, buckets of blood, and moments that will have you laughing out loud. Just one memorable line: “we’re all a little bit Asian”. GraveDave, Life After Undeath

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Buy 13/13/13 on Blu-ray from Amazon.com

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Zombie Night (2013)

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Zombie Night is a 2013 American zombie film produced by The Asylum and directed by John Gulager (Feast, Piranha 3DD), written by Keith Allan and Delondra Williams from a story by Richard Schenkman, and starring Anthony Michael HallDaryl HannahJennifer Bini TaylorAlan Ruck, and Shirley Jones. The film’s distinctive score is by Alan Howarth (Halloween II). 

Plot:

Zombies come out at night and two families must survive until morning…

Reviews:

“The ridiculous script would make a night in with friends a blast, and some great gore effects elevate this beyond pure B schlock. It’s not going to make the top of a favourite list, but this is a bloody head and shoulders above most of the zombie films out there.” The Film Reel

“What makes this movie all the worse is the potential behind it: directed by John Gulager, who certainly knows his stuff from the FEAST movies (and occasionally blinks and misses it with PIRANHA 3DD), it wields a decent cast of veteran actors, including ex-Breakfast Clubber Anthony Michael Hall, ex-mermaid Daryl Hannah, ex-Starfleet Captain Alan Ruck, and ex-Partridge Family mother Shirley Jones, and the make-up is practical rather than all CGI. And the plot is as basic as rice and peas: the undead rise one night, people die, society collapses, survivors bicker, die and/or survive. How the hell do you screw that up?” Anything Horror

“The cast is an 80s dream with Anthony Michael Hall, Darryl Hannah, Alan Ruck, and Shirley Jones- Wait a minute! Shirley Jones, what are you doing here? Oh, you’re trying to break the world’s record for overacting? Good luck! Some of the zombie makeup is pretty good and some is really bad. Speaking of inconsistent, the movie sets up some strange rules for the zombies. Does a zombie bite make you turn into a zombie or not? Why does the sun coming up mean that the zombie apocalypse will be over?” Doomed Moviethon

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Wikipedia | IMDb

 

 


Sonno Profondo (aka Deep Sleep)

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Sonno Profondo (aka Deep Sleep) is a 2013 Argentinian neo-giallo horror film produced by Nicolás Oretti and written, directed and scored by Luciano Oretti.

U.S. distributors BrinkVision has announced plans for VOD, as well as Limited Edition DVD and VHS, although no date is confirmed.

Plot:

The 1970s: A young woman is murdered by an unidentified assailant. Having committed the murder, the mystery killer – who is still traumatised by his childhood memories – receives a mysterious envelope slipped under his door. The hunter becomes the prey when he finds out that the envelope contains photos that show him killing the his female victim…

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Reviews:

“Lo-fi, ambitious and hypnotic, the film is certainly meant for those with giallo-inclined taste and previous experience. Sonno Profondo unfolds largely from the killer’s POV (though it’s not found footage), giving a sort of constricting tunnel vision feel. This is heavy, specific style and it wants you to strap in.” Samuel Zimmermann, Fangoria

Interview at Hollywood Investigator

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The Paranormal Diaries: Clophill

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The Paranormal Diaries: Clophill is a 2013 British horror film directed by Michael Bartlett (Treehouse) and Kevin Gates (The Zombie Diaries; Zombie Diaries 2) from a screenplay by the latter. It stars Mark AndrewsMichael BartlettCriselda Cabitac.

Plot synopsis:

In March 1963, a black mass was held at The Church of St Mary The Virgin, a ruined church in Clophill, Bedfordshire by a coven of dark witches. Tombs were looted, animals sacrificed and human bones arranged during a macabre ceremony. Further defilements continued at Clophill in the following years, with cattle in nearby fields found mutilated, evidence of necromancy discovered and perpetual sightings of paranormal activity witnessed at the isolated ruin. 50 years on from the original incident, the Clophill legend remains etched on the psyches of the local populace.

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In 2010, a documentary team was assembled to investigate the legend of the Clophill witches and to try and uncover the truth behind the paranormal events. What followed during that long weekend was a terrifying journey into the unknown…

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Buy on DVD from Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

” … a movie that’s definitely not for everyone – it’s for those of you out there with a genuine curiosity of the paranormal and the supernatural, and it’s also for those who can appreciate a good ghost story with deeply laid roots in reality. Suffice it to say that all of the participants in this project – including Gates and Bartlett – got more than they bargained for. A lot more. If looking for truly spine-tingling shivers is something that’s on your agenda, then this is without question your hot ticket!” Steve Barton, Dread Central

“It’s fair to say, however, that despite my losing patience during the second half, I enjoyed Clophill and it proved remarkably effective when seen late at night, alone in an empty house. There is a lot of low-budget ingenuity on show here from the use of night-vision – which naturally makes everyone look like a demon – to Pete Renton’s low-key and ominously rumbling music track. Indeed, the sound design of the film is immensely important and I strongly recommend that you watch the film on high volume.” Mike Sutton, The Digital Fix

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Clophill takes the bare bones of the now-exhausted found footage genre and gives it a desperately needed new lease of life by crafting a movie which is part-genuine documentary, part horror fiction. The real thrill for the viewer is that Clophill is put together with such inventiveness that it blurs the line between what’s real and what’s imaginary and it’s hard to tell where the documentary ends and where the fiction starts.” Paul Mount, Starbust Magazine

“There’s something slightly Blair Witch about The Paranormal Diaries: Clophill, but without the excessive snot and unfortunately the tension, acting skills or audience engagement. The film screams originality; however it is a real shame that it is executed in such a terrible way. We were expecting a lot more.” Faye Ducker, Bring the Noise

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” … major credit should be given to the directors for taking a gamble on mixing fact with fiction. It could have backfired spectacularly, but it didn’t and because of that ambition we have an eerie, atmospheric movie that hopefully will be the first of many Paranormal Diaries.” Dave Wain, UK Horror Scene

“While PD:C may alienate a portion of the modern horror audience that has grown used to jump scares and gore the more discerning fan is likely to appreciate its attempts to do something different, shunning the predictability that this sort of film usually emits in great, stinking waves. One of the freshest and most enjoyable entries into the found footage genre we have seen in years, and one of the stand out horror films to come out of Britain in many years.” Ryan Tandy, Zombie Hamster

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Zombie Desert (aka The Desert)

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Zombie Desert (aka The Desert, original title: El Desierto) is a 2013 Argentinian science fiction horror film directed by Christoph Behl. It stars Lautaro Delgado, Victoria Almeida, William Prociuk, Lucas Lagré.

Plot teaser:

Axel, Jonathan and Ana live together in a bunker-like home with views over the post-apocalyptic landscape. They once lived in a love triangle idyll, with strong bonds of friendship, but the arrival of the zombies changed that. Ana is with Jonathan and Axel is alone, slowly tattooing his body with images of flies, while developing an almost voyeuristic obsession with the couple’s relationship. However, everything changes when Axel and Jonathan go out on an expedition in search of provisions and return to the house with a zombie that they call Pythagoras, who they keep chained and muzzled inside the house. As the dynamic of the trios relationship changes it becomes clear that their new prisoner may not be the biggest threat to their survival…

Reviews:

“Anyone who wants to make a zombie movie should watch The Desert as it’s a film that gets what the genre has always been about – the characters rather than the action. This may be one of the greatest zombie movies of all-time and it features little to no undead set pieces. Everything is told visually and the cinematography is first class. The Desert is beautiful, touching, moving, gripping and simply outstanding.” Luke Oweb, The Flickering Myth

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“For horror fans who prefer the slow descent into madness as opposed to the gore of the undead, then check out The Desert. If that’s not really what you’re into, then who’s the REAL monster, huh?! It’s you. It’s probably you.” The Wolfman Cometh

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Delivery: The Beast Within

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Delivery: The Beast Within - formerly known as Delivery –  is a 2013 American found footage horror film directed by Brian Netto from a screenplay by himself and Adam Schindler. It stars Laurel Vail (The Night Caller – short), Danny Barclay and Rob Cobuzio.

The Collective have announced a limited theatrical release from May 30, 2014 with VOD available May 27, 2014.

Official synopsis:

Kyle and Rachel Massy, a young couple who agree to document their first pregnancy for a family-oriented reality TV show. The production spirals out-of-control after the cameras capture a series of unexplained events, leading Rachel to believe that a malevolent spirit has possessed their unborn child. Delivery is told through the show’s abandoned and unaired reality footage, as well as testimonials from friends, family and crew members, providing a first-hand account of the Massys’ tragic story…

Reviews:

” … makes such great use of modern day conventions and sentiments and uses those tools to take the story in different and unexpected directions. The film maintains a high level of tension and just the right amount of all out scares without going overboard. It’s engrossing and unsettling in all the right ways, and it proves that in skilled hands, the “found footage” style need not be reduced to a gimmick.” Alex Koehne, Twitch

“The final moments of this film are so intense, so frightening, and so real that even though you know it’s a movie, you’re going to be fooled by the reality of it all. The trailer below doesn’t do the film justice, as it makes the film feel like it’s a Paranormal Activity riff and while the haters will dismiss this film immediately, Delivery is more effective than the last three PA films combined. If the final moments of this film don’t affect you in some way, you must already be dead. I was hit hard by this film which feels more like a documentary than a true found footage film. The scares are intense, the mood is dire, and the people in danger are worth rooting for.” Ambush Bug, Ain’t It Cool News

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IMDb


Rigor Mortis

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Rigor Mortis - original title Geung si – is a 2013 Hong Kong horror film directed by Juno Mak, and also produced by Takashi Shimizu. The film is a tribute to the horror film series Mr. Vampire many of the former cast are featured in this film Chin Siu-hoAnthony ChanBilly Lau and Richard Ng, additionally Chung Fat who started in Encounters of the Spooky Kind is also featured.

Plot teaser:

A washed-up actor, desperate and suicidal, moves into a haunted apartment building where supernatural creatures, ghost hunters, taoist exorcists, and the souls of the undead walk among his neighbors.

Reviews:

“Mak has refused to go easy on himself with his latest artistic endeavor, venturing even further into the moody darkness that his earlier work, Revenge: A Love Story, suggested, while also embracing CGI and local horror iconography. Rigor Mortis is a slowburn by typical vampire movies standards, and never attempts to resurrect the humour of Mr. Vampire and its contemporaries, but proves a brave, confident and assured debut from a new independent voice in Hong Kong Cinema.” James Marsh, Twitch

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A lavish, heavy-handed retreading and reinvention of Hong Kong and Japanese horror-film tropes, saved from clinical inhumanity by its veteran cast.” Clarence Tsui, The Hollywood Reporter

“The film draws from a range of influences in the ‘Hong Kong’ or ‘Asian’ horror genres to create a tapestry of strangeness that willfully, stubbornly cannot be deposited into just one box. This both a good thing and a bad thing as the film is at its best when it doesn’t rely so heavily on the styles and looks of those who preceded it but, at the same time, feels anchored down by those same influences. It’s a strange balancing act that results in a mostly successful work that never stops being entertaining even when it doesn’t make a lot of sense.” Flay Otters, Horror-Movies.ca

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Wikipedia | IMDb

 


Sx_Tape

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Sx_Tape - or sxtape – is a 2013 American horror film directed by Bernard Rose (Paperhouse; Candyman; Snuff-Movie) from a screenplay by Eric Reese. It stars Caitlyn Folley, Julie Marcus, Ian Duncan, Daniel Faraldo, Diana García, Eric Neil Gutierrez.

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Plot teaser:

Adam and Jill attempt to spice up their relationship by recording a sex tape in an abandoned mansion. Realizing they’re not alone in their ominous surroundings, the couple discover some sex tapes shouldn’t be made as their kinky adventure turns into a desperate fight for survival…

Reviews:

“The fear and uncertainty is a slow burner, the genre’s standard loud sounds and flash scares are efficiently used and Folley carries the film well, interacting with the unseen Adam while reluctantly creeping towards the unknown in a dark room or corner. Unfortunately the second half of the film goes rapidly downhill, with an obvious and ridiculous twist and a confusing and unsatisfying ending, which seems tacked on as a last resort … What started as a very promising film ultimately becomes a let down, and a disappointing return to horror from someone who could have done much better.” Jonathan Anderson Sunday, Starburst

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“Gripping and claustrophobic, with distant echoes of The Shining in places, the story’s horror elements work mostly by subtle suggestion and nerve-jangling sound design. That said, Rose still allows himself a final orgy of bloody slaughter and black comedy, including an oral sex joke that will make most male viewers wince.” Stephen Dalton, The Hollywood Reporter 

“Any claims of subversion are hindered by the fact that Eric Reese’ screenplay makes no attempt to flesh out these characters beyond their obnoxious exteriors. This may be part of the point, but it makes the bulk of the film painfully dull. By the time we’re confronted with some stomach-churning gore at the film’s close, it feels as though we’ve been taken for a deeply unpleasant and poorly thought-out ride.” Jonathan Hatfull, SciFiNow

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IMDb

 



Poster Perversion (website)

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Poster Perversionposterperversion.com - is an internet website devoted to Derrick Ogrodny’s movie memoribilia: posters, ad mats, pressbooks and lobby cards. He explains his raison d’être:

“I don’t consider myself a typical movie-memorabilia collector, since I have no interest in the stuff coveted by most collectors which snags big bucks at auctions and movie memorabilia conventions. My poster perversion sprang out of my love for horror and exploitation films from the 60′s to the 80′s, and so instead of original posters for Star Wars, I have ones for Starcrash, a delirious Italian sci-fi turkey inspired by the George Lucas film.

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Instead of Marilyn Monroe, I have lots of Laura Gemser. And James Bond doesn’t have a place in my collection, though Filipino midget super-spy Weng Weng sure does… as do posters hyping oddities with titles like Scum of the Earth, Roadside Torture Chamber, The Gestapo’s Last Orgy and The Sinful Dwarf. For me, the weirder and more obscure the film the better – bonus points if iMDb.com doesn’t have a listing for it. The mere fact that posters and lobby cards for these films still exist and have actually hung in local drive-ins, grindhouses and cinemas around the world impresses me more than their rarity or market value.

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Yes, a lot of these posters are bloody, sexist, gratuitous and politically incorrect. They serve as reminders that times have indeed changed, not only for the film industry and audience tastes but for movie-marketing as well. They definitely don’t make ‘em like they used to – what’s missing nowadays is ATTITUDE. Compare the wild, devil-may-care abandon of the artwork on this site to the majority of contemporary movie posters which are boring and formulaic: over-Photoshopped images of the three or four stars of the film spliced together on a one-sheet with the focus-group tested title and tagline slapped on them. What’s worse is, you’ll see the same McPoster in almost every country where that movie is playing – only the titles and taglines will have been versioned for the local market. Yet there was a time when each country would have it’s own version of a movie poster depending on the whims of the local distributor or imagination of the graphic designer.”

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There are many, many examples of rare and appealing images on Poster Perversion and we present a brief selection below. Visit the site itself and bookmark it. In the meantime, expect more website profiles on Horrorpedia…

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Horrorpedia

 

 


Hotel Inferno

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Hotel Inferno is a 2013 action/crime/horror film written, produced and directed by Giulio de Santi.

Review:

This will probably be easier if I transcribe the film’s description direct from their website:

“The contract killer Frank Zimosa has just been hired for a ridiculously lucrative mission by the rich and powerful Jorge Mistrandia. The objective: to kill a couple of people hiding in one of his European hotels. What would look like one of the simplest jobs Frank has ever had is just about to turn into a living nightmare. He will soon realize he’s nothing more than prey for Mistrandia and his army of crazy henchmen that have hiding in the hotel along with an ancient and unstoppable Horror. In their hotels you can only rent rooms….in Hell! See everything through the eyes of the anti-hero Frank Zimosa and boost your mind with an overdose of: nonstop violence, adrenaline, and pure fear, surrounded in a mysterious, deep and twisted story. You won’t just watch it, you will experience it”.

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Directed by Giulio de Santi and from the Necrostorm stable, also home to Adam Chaplin, the unique selling point of the film, aside from the utterly gratuitous gore-flinging, is that the whole film is shown in first-person. The ruse that allows this to pass is that Zimosa, as part of his contract, is obliged to don a pair of spectacles that will record all his killings for the benefit of his mysterious employer. This conceit rather presupposes that there was a demand for such an innovation and initial fears that this is going to be a tricky technique to carry over full-length movie (albeit 80 minutes) soon prove sadly correct – angles, characters, motives and spatial awareness all being thrown into the air with good intentions but bad catching skills.

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Zimosa (who I kept hearing as ‘Samosa’, a distinctly un-chilling name) is required to only perpetrate the killings using only the weapons (under no circumstances these being guns) provided and remove his victim’s brain and viscera, without ever questioning why. If this sounds a flimsy excuse to show an array of blunt implements being used to cave-in heads, you’re possibly already above the intellectual expectation the film-makers envisaged this movie attracting. Zimosa screws up these instructions almost instantly, condemning himself to becoming a permanent resident in the hotel in a plot that takes what it probably imagines to be a Lovecraftian twist but which is sadly neither lovely, crafty nor twisty.

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There is, for those who are less fussy about plot and more picky about innards, a staggering about of lingering gory sequences, executed in an accomplished but rather childish manner. To allow for the relatively costly effects, much money was evidently saved on the actors and script – essentially there are only three roles that require voices, Zimosa (Rayner Bourton (Outland, You’re Dead), his nagging girlfriend and Mistrandia (Michael Howe, whose career has swung from The Two Ronnies comedy to The Hunger to the Unman of Unman, Wittering and Zigo). All these vocal performances are catastrophic.

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Which brings us to the crux of the issue; this film is made almost exclusively for a generation of video game players, who have descended into such laziness that they now require someone to play the game for them. The voice-acting, is entirely in keeping with the unconvincing but to-the-point delivery of innumerable slash ‘n’ dice console games, as is the dizzying pace which dispenses with sense and subtlety before you’ve even begun to query why someone keeps asking for samosas.

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At the film’s best, it’s Bad Taste without the fun, at its worst, you begin to feel guilty for not pressing ‘stop’. There are brief moments where the first-person view hints at potentially claustrophobic set-pieces but these are soon shuffled along as neither film-maker nor audience can evidently wait longer than two minutes for a crushed cranium. The DVD is stuffed with extras, a special edition even included a Hotel Inferno cigarette lighter. It’s a shame the audience that would enjoy this best is actually too young to smoke.

Daz Lawrence, Horrorpedia

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IMDb


Dead Banging (aka Metalca)

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Dead Banging – original title Metaruka and also known as Metalca – is a 2013 Japanese comedy horror film written and directed by Eiji Uchida (Greatful Dead). It stars Ryusuke Komakine, Shôko Nakahara, Shûgo Oshinari, Kyoko Watanabe (real-life all-girl rock band, Gacharic Spin).

Plot teaser:

Nosebleed, a formerly unpopular rock band instantly gains a cult following after the lead vocalist, Kana, recruits a zombie, Tetsuo, as their death metal vocalist, even though he is the same undead monster that killed her former band members. Meanwhile, government agents frantically search for their runaway zombie experiment…

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Reviews:

“There is some bloodshed here, but not too much. This is all about the comedy. And the music. Yes, I’ll admit it. One or two of the songs had me tapping my feet and smiling. The girls pretending to be rock stars may be a bit rubbish with the instruments (seriously, could they have not at least got someone who was ace at Guitar Hero?) but they make up for it with enthusiasm and energy.” Kevin Matthews, Flickfeast

 

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Plot keywords: all-girl rock band | bitten by a zombie | comedy | death metal | gig | head banging | heavy metal | living dead | Metallica | moshing | Nosebleed | rock music | stage diving | System of a Down | undead | zombie


The Sacrament [updated with Horrorpedia review]

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The Sacrament is a 2013 American horror thriller film directed by Ti West and produced by Eli Roth. The movie had its world premiere on September 3rd, 2013 at the Venice Film Festival and had a wide theatrical release on May 1, 2014.The movie’s plot takes several elements from real life events such as the Jonestown Massacre of 1978 (previously filmed as Guyana: Crime of the Century aka Guyana: Cult of the Damned).

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Plot:

New York fashion photographer, Patrick (Kentucker Audley, also seen in West’s segment of V/H/S) somewhat reluctantly decides to visit his sister, Caroline (Amy Seimetz, You’re Next), who has lived in a remote, rural commune since her release from a drug rehabilitation centre. Seeing an opportunity for a story, Patrick’s two friends Sam (AJ Bowen, House of the Devil, Hatchet 2) and Jake (Joe Swanberg, V/H/S) who work for Vice Magazine (neat ‘real-life’ advertising) who are making a name for themselves with a strand of investigative journalism aimed at the hipster elements of society. Upon arrival at the remote Eden Parish, they are immediately alarmed by the armed guards at the gates but are put at ease by some of the chattier members of the community, all of whom are God-fearing and speak in awe of The Father, the leader of their clan whose sonorous tones we hear blessing them over a Tannoy system. 

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It would appear Caroline couldn’t be happier, so the group concentrate on finding something to report, in the absence of any other action; despite the residents of Eden Parish being more than a little sceptical about media intrusion, they manage to interview some of the residents and are even granted on audience with the mysterious ‘Father’. The Father (Gene Jones, No Country For Old Men) is as engaging and enigmatic as his voice would suggest but gives little away and plants seeds of concern in the visitors that all may not be as jolly as is made out. Duly, a frightened mother and her mute daughter make clear their terror and desire to escape in a clandestine meeting and it soon becomes clear that the beloved Father’s ability to control his flock has left his commune’s inhabitants with far more sinister futures than gardening and weaving…

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Reviews:

A preamble from Sam explaining Vice’s raison d’être should act as a klaxon to viewers of the last decade’s horror that a somewhat slight excuse for wobbly camera work is imminent. The problems with this are largely that it is now such an overused effect that seasickness tablets are as essential nowadays as a remote control. This is not The Sacrament‘s fault, of course but the conceit falls flat when every second of their visit is deemed worthy of filming, often with such grand incompetence that you really think they should consider another career. Worse still are the moments when the convenient positioning of a camera (as well as ‘phantom’ cameras which couldn’t possibly be operated by any of the characters) drags you out of the film’s narrative. Though a step up from recent found footage, the documentary angle is believable but flawed by a rather ham-fisted reminders.

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The acting is certainly worthy of mention, not least Gene Jones who could scarcely be better as the Parish leader, clearly up to no good but kept as a shadowy character for a significant period of the film. Seimetz too is believable as the reborn innocent flower-child and the cast of residents is perfectly serviceable, if necessarily bland. Audley is afforded surprisingly little screen-time, leaving the least well-realised leads to take most of the limelight, doubly unfortunate as you can’t help feeling that their predicament is entirely their own doing. The film’s musical score is a high note, the work of Tyler Bates (Dawn of the Dead, 2004, Watchmen), one of the more interesting composers for film and television of recent times.

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After the understated, though excellent, Innkeepers, rather more full-on House of the Devil and trashy Cabin Fever 2, there remains a feeling that Ti West still hasn’t hit his stride or decided to throw the kitchen sink at anything – indeed, some of his best work is featured on the segmented V/H/S and The ABCs of Death. Here, once more, what we’re actually left with is a fairly straight re-telling of the Jonestown Massacre – sometimes so alarmingly similar you begin to begrudge that someone has a writing credit; this is fine but the viewer is left hanging on for a final revelation or twist and it simply never comes. The final shot is an almost blushing ‘that’s all folks!’. The film can at least serve as a cautionary tale to those tempted to sell their houses and give their money to pseudo-religious leaders.

Daz Lawrence, Horrorpedia

“The film’s intelligence extends to its strong but suitably modest tech package, with the narrative involvement of Vice providing an alibi for Eric Robbins’ fluid, generously lit lensing; most films in the found-footage genre have no reason to look this good. Jade Healy’s production design is a particular asset, visually conveying the camp’s spartan, faux-organic principles with absolute authenticity. Sound design, as ever with the helmer’s work, is tack-sharp, as is Tyler Bates’ spooky score…” Guy Lodge, Variety

” … if you sit down prepared to be a little bit patient (it’s not even a very long movie!) there’s a good chance you’ll appreciate the mystery, the suspense, the shocks, and the payoffs that The Sacrament has to offer. With all due respect to The Innkeepers and House of the Devil — two very good thrillers — The Sacrament may be Ti West’s angriest, cleverest, and most accomplished feature yet.” Scott Weinberg, Fearnet

“The picture is violent, a necessary cinematic pressure to capture despair, yet West lingers on the suffering, studying a man gasping for life as he’s poisoned to death, while showing a little girl getting her throat slit by her mother. It’s gratuitous, especially when it becomes clear that the film isn’t going anywhere original with its overview of brutal self-sacrifice…” Brian Orndorf, Blu-ray.com

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The Sacrament - Buy on DVD from Amazon.co.uk

Wikipedia | IMDb


Torment

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‘Welcome to the family’

Torment is a 2013 Canadian thriller horror film directed by Jordan Barker. The film had its world premiere on October 11, 2013 at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival. It stars Katharine Isabelle (American Mary; 13 Eerie) as a woman who must try to save her step-son from an insane family. In the U.S., Phase 4 Films will be releasing Torment onto VOD on June 10th.

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Plot teaser:

Sarah (Katharine Isabelle) and Cory (Robin Dunne) have decided to go on vacation, taking Cory’s young son Liam with them. They’re hoping that the vacation will help ease some of the issues that Cory has with Sarah, as he resents that his widowed father remarried. The destination seems idea, a luxurious house in the middle of an idyllic wilderness, but upon their arrival they discover that someone has been living in the house. The local sheriff assures them that the intruders have probably moved on, but this soon proves to be false as Liam goes missing that same night. Sarah and Cory now have to try to fight an insane family for not only Liam, but also their very lives…

Reviews:

” … what Torment lacks in scintillating plot originality it makes up for in solid performances (Robin Dunne and Katherine Isabelle provide strong work, plus Stephen McHattie pops up for a few scenes, and he’s always the man), a professional sheen, and — most importantly — a fast-moving and consistently well-edited narrative that moves forward so expeditiously you’ll barely mind dealing with some familiar stuff. If a home invasion/slasher story can be called “enjoyably old-fashioned,” then this flick certainly qualifies.” Scott Weinberg, FEARnet

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“The atmosphere alone was chilling and through subtle flowing plot twists you have yourself a film that you will not forget anytime soon.” Ross Wilcock, Slasher Studios

The Strangers may also come to mind, but here’s where the film differs greatly from that one – the killers have a motive and explain why they are targeting this guy. It’s not a terrible concept, but unfortunately the villain speaks with a voice not unlike Bane’s fromThe Dark Knight Rises, and thus it’s almost impossible to keep up that level of tension when I keep having the instinct to burst out laughing. I’m sure the thinking was that it would be creepy and unsettling, but it’s just kind of goofy…” Horror Movie a Day

Wikipedia | IMDb | Facebook


Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright

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Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright is the twentieth film in the direct-to-video series of Scooby-Doo films. It was released on August 20, 2013 by Warner Premiere.

Plot teaser:

The Mystery Inc. crew head to Chicago for a talent show, called Talent Star, hosted by Brick Pimiento, where songwriting duo Fred and Daphne are finalists with some high hopes. Upon arrival, they learn that the opera house which the show will be held in is being terrorized by a Phantom, who is intensely lauding one of the finalists to win, Christine, a spoiled girl whose noisy parents are no more polite than her. Fred and Daphne also befriend one of the finalists, Emma Gale, a violinist. Not to be left out, Scooby and Shaggy decide to show Pimiento a juggling act, which they are betting will take the contest by storm. However, after Pimiento states his belief that ‘juggling stinks’, throughout the film, the two continually approach Pimiento and show him numerous terrible impromptu acts, hoping that he lets them onto the show.

Not long after checking in for the talent show, the Phantom appears in the opera house and Fred, Daphne and Velma attempt to catch him using the surveillance cameras, but are unsuccessful due to the Phantom’s ability to seemingly appear in multiple places at once…

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Reviews:

“The plot in Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright is about as unoriginal as you can get. Clearly the story is just a rip-off of the classic The Phantom of the Opera, fused with overtones of American Idol and other reality based music shows. Frankly, I couldn’t have cared less who the Phantom was; no points for guessing if he’s ‘unmasked’ during the final moments of the movie. Although the cover of the Blu-ray makes the film look ghoulish, this will only be scary to wee little ones and those with the weakest of bladder control.” DVD Verdict

“In the end, even with the little twist the writers put on the story, Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright is basically more of the same from the Scooby-line, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Between these DTV movies and the television show, the series has sprung new life and found a new audience… ” Movieman’s Guide to the Movies

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“… definitely worth the price of purchase, even if you’re not a fan of the character. It’s loaded with laughs, great music, and everything that makes a Scooby mystery worth checking out.” The Other View

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Buy Scooby-Doo! Stage Fright on Instant VideoDVD | Blu-ray + DVD + Ultraviolet from Amazon.com

Wikipedia | IMDb

 


Hemlock Grove (TV series)

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Hemlock Grove is an American, Netflix Original, horror thriller television series. The show is executive produced by Eli Roth (Cabin Fever; Hostel; The Green Inferno), developed by Brian McGreevy and Lee Shipman. It is based on McGreevy’s novel Hemlock Grove (2012).

The show premiered April 19, 2013, with all thirteen episodes made immediately available for online viewing. On June 19, 2013, Netflix renewed Hemlock Grove for a second season.

Hemlock Grove, Pennsylvania. The town is a mixture of extreme wealth and poverty, as the closing of the town’s steel mill many years earlier caused many to lose their jobs. The town’s main sources of employment are now the Hemlock Acres Hospital and Godfrey Institute for Biomedical Technologies. Run by the powerful Godfrey family, the Institute is rumored to conduct sinister experiments on a daily basis.

 

The town’s rumor mill turns even more twisted when two teenage girls are brutally killed and their bodies left for unsuspecting people to find the next day. Peter Rumancek, a 17-year-old gypsy, is suspected of the crimes by some of the townsfolk; he is also rumored to be a werewolf. While secretly he is a werewolf, he is not the killer, and, along with the heir to the Godfrey estate, Roman, he sets out to solve the mystery…

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Main cast:

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Reviews:

“If the underlying formula is as old as Dark Shadows, there’s still a need for more narrative momentum than the 13-episode series initially delivers. So while one can understand why Netflix would augment its original slate with this mix of talent, “Hemlock Grove” remains a mere niche confection, one likely to play best among those genre fans who can’t see the forest for the trees.” Brian Lowry, Variety

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“Actually, embarrassing is a good way to describe everything about this show. It’s cringeworthy. You can tell that the creators thought they were being edgy, because they threw swear words into every other line and included lots of sex scenes, but it comes off as impossibly juvenile. There’s not a single character that acts like a real person would. They just do things, because the script says so. It’s hard to shake the impression that the whole thing was written by a child, just guessing at how the adult world works.” Sarah Dobbs, Den of Geek!

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Hemlock Grove takes its time with story lines, ensuring that each one has plenty of room to ripen. It carries out every dastardly deed with gusto, but still offers enough moments of levity … And though the sordid world is captivating, I’m still grappling with aspects of the conclusion, which oozes with old-school misogyny that savagely punishes every girl and woman who dares to own her sexuality.” Jessica Shaw, Entertainment Weekly

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Wikipedia | IMDb | Facebook



ANNA (aka Mindscape)

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ANNA, previously known as Mindscape, is a 2013 Spanish-American psychological thriller film written by Guy Holmes. It is the debut feature of Spanish filmmaker Jorge Dorado and stars Taissa Farmiga (American Horror Story), Mark Strong and Brian CoxThe film was produced by Ombra Films, a production company formed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan; Unknown) and Juan Solá, with the aim of generating English language thrillerhorror and fantasy films via emerging Spanish talent.

The world premiere was held at the 46th Sitges Film Festival on October 13, 2013 receiving critical acclaim from audiences. A re-titled version of the movie named ANNA is being distributed in North America via Vertical Entertainment.

Plot teaser:

John Washington (Mark Strong) is a recently widowed man with the ability to enter people’s memories. In the past, John used his abilities to solve criminal cases, but after a stroke during a session gone wrong that leaves him incapacitated and financially broken, he is left a shell of his former self. Desperate for an assignment, John asks his superior, Sebastian (Brian Cox), for a new job. The case he receives is that of a brilliant but troubled and dangerous 16 year old girl, Anna (Taissa Farmiga), to determine whether she is a sociopath or a victim of trauma. Anna, the daughter of wealthy parents, has gone on a hunger strike, and while John enters her mind to find out why, disparate memories overlap, and it is possible that Anna is not as innocent as she seems.

Reviews:

“An over-the-top B-movie concept, a satisfyingly twisty plotline and an intriguing central tandem are the hallmarks of a sharp-witted film that delivers all the traditional elements but which lacks the flair factor.” The Hollywood Reporter

“You can almost smell the dust on the screenplay, and the scare tactics — doors closing by themselves, mumbled surveillance video testimonies played in reverse, creepy self-portraits that seem to be drawn in blood — are more precious and irksome than frightening. But Taissa Farmiga (sister of Vera) is a marvel in the title role.” Sam Weisberg, Village Voice

“It’s a set-up which, in lesser hands, could easily have subsided into cliché. That it doesn’t is due partly to the strong script and partly to Taissa Farmiga’s refreshingly natural performance as the troubled teenager, which has none of the gloss or smarminess we’ve come to associate with pointedly intelligent characters of this sort.” Jennie Kermode, Eye for Film 

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Cast:

 

Wikipedia | IMDb


Soulmate

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‘She thought she was alone’

Soulmate is a 2013 British supernatural horror film written and directed by Belgian actress Axelle Carolyn (Doomsday), wife of Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers; The Descent; Skull Island: Blood of the King). It stars Anna Walton, Tom Wisdom, Tanya Myers, Nick Brimble, Emma Cleasby, Guy Armitage, Rebecca Kiser, Amelia Tyler, Felix Coles and Anubis. It was filmed in Brecon, Wales and is being distributed by Soda Pictures.

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In June 2014, it was reported that British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) have ordered that the film’s opening scene, in which Anna Walton’s character attempts suicide by slitting her wrists be censored because this is ‘imitable behaviour’. Rue Morgue magazine rightly noted that “The backlash on this decision has been very vocal and unanimous on the social media networks, with harsh words for the BBFC from horror fans as well as critics who have actually seen the movie.”

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On Yahoo blog Seeing Dead People Ben Bussey commented: “What makes this particularly shocking is, aside from a few moments of moderate violence, there is literally nothing else in the film to warrant the most restrictive UK rating: no sexual content, no drug use, and very little in the way of strong language. Simply put, ‘Soulmate’ is a quiet, character-based drama set in the picturesque Welsh countryside which I’d have no qualms about sitting down to watch with my grandmother. For it to be effectively banned due to one brief and not especially graphic scene seems staggeringly illogical.”

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IMDb | Related: Rue Morgue | Seeing Dead People


Mosquito Man (aka Sucker)

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‘Payback’s an itch’

Mosquito Man aka Sucker is a 2013 American sci-fi action adventure horror film directed by actor Michael Manasseri (Babysitter Wanted) from a screenplay he co-wrote with J.P. Epstein. It stars Manasseri, Kimberley Kates, Jordan Trovillion, Troma‘s Lloyd Kaufman, Ted Myers, Falah Cannon, Ricky Wayne, Greg Trzaskoma, Dana Gamarra, Danny Mooney, Monty Bane. 

Plot teaser:

Jim Crawley is having a really bad day. He gets fired from his job at the nuclear power plant, his car is impounded and he discovers his wife having an affair. To make matters worse, Jim gets himself abducted by an evil scientist looking to conduct human testing for a vaccine against a deadly mosquito borne virus spreading across the planet. It turns out that years of exposure to nuclear radiation and rabid mosquito DNA don’t mix very well and Jim transforms into a half man-half mosquito, hell bent on revenge…

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Trailer as Mosquito Man:

IMDb


The Damned (aka Gallows Hill)

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The Damned (formerly Gallows Hill) is a 2013 horror film directed by Victor García (Frost Giant; Hellraiser: Revelations; Return to Haunted House; Mirrors 2) from a script by Richard D’Ovidio (The Call; Thir13en Ghosts). It stars Peter Facinelli, Sophia Myles, Nathalia Ramos, Carolina Guerra.

IFC Films will premiere The Damned in the U.S. on Ultra VOD July 25, 2014, and release it via selected theatrical play on August 29.

Plot teaser:

A widower takes his children on a trip to their mother’s Colombian hometown. En route, the family are involved in an accident and take refuge in a secluded inn, where they free a girl locked in a basement and set in motion a terrifying sequence of events…

IMDb | Thanks: Fangoria

 


Axeman

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‘A vacation to dismember’

Axeman - originally known as Axeman at Cutter’s Creekis a 2013 American slasher horror film directed by Joston Theney (Bleed 4 Me) who also stars. The rest of the cast are Tiffany Shepis, Brinke Stevens, Scot Pollard, Elissa Dowling (Dahmer vs. Gacy, Borderline Cult), Jamie Bernadette, Arielle Brachfeld, Erin Marie Hogan, Stephen Eith, Chantelle Albers.

Plot teaser:

Nine vacationing twenty-somethings are hunted by an axe-wielding local legend.

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Reviews:

“The kills are fun and totally 80s-ed out, and the set up from one scene to the next is actually done with a lot of skill and love. This campy horror fest takes itself just serious enough to be a real movie, but not so serious that it fools itself into thinking its anything it isn’t. This is a self-aware 80s homage with some updated elements, and a solidly sound technical crew.” Horror Punks

“Finally, the film does several kills with most of them taking place on camera but they are ruined with horrible CGI and visual effects.  Overall, Axeman is a film that fails to really deliver on the goods.  It does have a few praise points but for the most part it misses the boat.  It does deserve at least one viewing but that is it.” Horror Society

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” …some of the deaths in the film are pretty inventive, especially the very first kill of the foul-mouthed, sexy frustrated fat guy (a genre cliche that has been a staple of slasher movies since the early 80s). Not all the kills are a success however and there’s often a reliance on out of shot murder with  some less-than-stellar CGI blood splatter. But hey, at least the CGI is kept to a minimum, often enhancing what I would think are hard-to-acheive (at least on this films low-budget) kills. Oh and kudos to Theney and co. for the tremendous death of Brinke Stevens, a real black comedy moment in an otherwise “straight” slasher movie!” Phil Wheat, Nerdly

Axeman is a bad movie, no doubt about it, but it’s knowingly bad. The soap opera-esque, unmoderated couples’ therapy feel of some scenes helps keep things interesting. Those with a taste for cheesy, campy, sophomorically humorous horror flicks should give it a shot. Having recently watched one of the latest “found-footage,” major studio theatrical releases, Devil’s Due, I can honestly say that Axeman was more fun…” Chaz Lipp, Cinema Lowdown

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IMDb | Axeman on Facebook

 


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