Three friends are trapped at an ATM while a killer waits outside for them to make a fatal move. An intriguing premise is wasted with some illogical plot turns and some abysmal acting. The production values are solid and there is some solid suspense in the first act but none of that matters when the characters act as stupidly as these three. Special bonus points to Josh Peck as the asshole Corey who takes far too long to die. Avoid like the plague.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geffQdBbKzI
“Night School” is a typical run-of-the-mill early 80’s whodunit slasher with a decapitation twist. This is the kind of movie where half of the fun is trying to figure out where the detectives are going to find the missing heads. The twist ending is pretty predictable and the acting is a bit wooden (Rachel Ward, in her film debut, is all sorts of terrible here) but the film is never boring and has been directed with style. Boston looks positively wretched on film here and it gives the slasher a bit of a grungy “Departed” vibe. Overall, it’s definitely worth checking out, just check your expectations–and your head—at the door.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmRh6JAV_C0
FOUND is the latest award-winning horror feature from director, Scott Schirmer. Winning Best Feature at Elvira’s Horror Hunt, this grisly film revolves around a young boy named Marty and his obsession for horror movies. Marty is bullied at school and his home life is a mess, but luckily for him, his passion for terror on the silver screen helps keep him grounded. As a secret is revealed about a family member, Marty must decide if he should put his family first or stand up for what is right.
With FOUND, Schirmer creates a unique film that hits on all cylinders. High levels of production value and acting are paired up nicely with the well thought out story. Marty is a great character that lets the true horror fans in the audience reminisce about the days of being a kid in love with movies. Gavin Brown, who plays Marty, is a great young actor with a bright future. His lines are delivered to perfection as none feel rushed or amateurish in any way. The big brother in the film, Steve, is played by Ethan Philbeck. As a stage actor, Philbeck takes to the screen with an amazing transformation into his character. Winning Best Actor at Elvira’s Horror Hunt at Hourrorhound in Indianapolis for his role, Philbeck hold nothing back. He gives by far and away one of the best performances I’ve ever seen in an independent horror film. His performance must be seen to be believed.
So, if you have the chance to catch this movie at an upcoming film festival, don’t miss out. The blood, gore and downright disturbing imagery found with this indie flick can rival any film as of late. The ending will make your skin crawl and if you have a weak stomach, you may need to look away. Although, we here at Slasher Studios couldn’t take our eyes off the screen!
A freak tsunami traps shoppers at a coastal Australian supermarket inside the building – along with a 12-foot Great White Shark. Sound like a wonderfully campy adventure on SyFy? Think again. With the exception of some terrific over-the-top lines delivered by the asshole of the group, this movie takes itself way too seriously. It’s sharks in a supermarket, not Shakespeare. Everyone in this movie is either painfully bland or terribly annoying. The production values are solid and the film looks great but it just isn’t very fun.
“Killer Party†is grade-A 80′s cheese and I loved every minute of it. From the campy opening music video number to the pink hair and the big glasses, this film is a loving tribute to everything that was wrong about the 80′s. It’s just plain fun and a hell of a good time. That’s not that everything here works. The film goes from slasher to supernatural possession thriller about 2/3′s of the way through and it makes for an interesting ending that doesn’t seem to fit the rest of the film. Nonetheless, you could do a lot worse than this little slice of sleaze heaven.
A very interesting thriller that has been mismarketed as a slasher. The film tells the supposedly tale of a masked man known as the Phantom Killer as he murders six people between February and May 1946. Great production values and solid acting help the film overcome a rough middle act in which not much happens. Decent tension but the Law and Order style narration and the goofy music tend to drain out any suspense. Go in expecting a crime drama instead of a slasher and you may enjoy this one. It was an overall entertaining watch but one that I probably won’t watch anytime again soon. Scream/Shout Factory is planning a 2013 DVD/Blu-ray release.
Growing up, I loved this film. Watching it as an adult, I find it thoroughly mediocre. Taking place immediately after the original, “Halloween II” pretty much ditches the character of Laurie Strode in favor of some bland slasher bait (nurses, orderlies, etc). Everything about this movie feels by-the-numbers and Jamie Lee Curtis sleepwalks through her role for a paycheck. Say what you will about Zombie’s “Halloween II”, at least he gave Laurie something to do. Some interesting deaths and I love the mean spirited tone of the sequel (the razor blade in the apple is a nice touch) but it doesn’t flow well. It wants to be exactly like the original as well as be a conventional slasher sequel. It doesn’t work.
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Danielle Harris can’t possibly star in a bad slasher flick, right? Turns out she can as I discovered “Blood Night.” What’s so bad about it? The awful characters and bad dialogue. Seriously, there are at LEAST 15 teens in this film and every single one of them is obnoxious beyond belief. Guys trying to score with girls, girls getting drunk and making out with other girls, guys fighting with other guys. Rinse. Repeat. There you have the first forty five minutes of “Blood Nightâ€. It’s tedious beyond belief.
When the deaths do start happening, the film is done in such a chaotic mess that it is hard to tell who is dying and how. It doesn’t help that there are at least a dozen too many characters. You don’t care about these people. They are assholes and most of them deserve to die in the bloodiest ways possible. Danielle Harris is in fine form here but she isn’t given anything to do until the last act, a last act that is utterly predictable. Still, this is a professionally made piece, some of the deaths are quite well done (loved the scissors through the back of the head and the “spaghetti intestinesâ€) but in the end you really don’t care. Looking for some mindless gore? Have at it. Everyone else? Look elsewhere.
Wow, it has been years since I’ve seen this film. I remember watching this when I was about 8 or 9 and being disgusted. Now, 20 years later, I can understand some of the society commentary behind the murders and enjoy some of the dark humor. The three girls who go camping are pretty interchangeable but Ike and Addley accompanied by dear old mother out for a murder spree are sleezy, disgusting, and all together great. Not everything works here, the final Carrie style ending feels tacked on and is really a bit of a cheat and some of the effects are primitive to say the least. Still my favorite Troma movie ever made..even if it doesn’t feel much like a Troma movie at all.
This no-budget feature from writer-director-star Johnny Dickie begins as we meet a young boy who steals a VHS tape and heads home to uncover the ghoulish delights. A horror fan, he expects this to be the worst horror movie he’s ever seen. He might even secretly HOPE this is the worst horror movie he’s ever seen.
Before he can pop the tape into his VCR, he is confronted by a ghost that warns him about the tape. After being scared for a second, he pretty much tells the ghost to “fuck off” and begins the decent into horror movie badness. What follows is an anthology film unlike any anthology film I’ve ever seen. Filled with fake trailers, some amusing Grindhouse nods, and some of the strangest horror tales this side of the 80’s…
Slaughter Tales is…umm…interesting. This is the kind of strange SOV style horror that just isn’t made today. I admire the passion behind the production from Dickie who does just about everything in this production and it is obvious from beginning to end that he is an extreme fan of the genre. Some of the tales work better than others and, at 91 minutes, the film does feel a bit on the padded side. Nonetheless, the Troma level of energy and excitement kept me consistently entertained. Filled with just about every bodily fluid imaginable, it is never anything less than cheerily revolting. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the best worst movie I see all year.