All Things HORROR

YOU’RE NEXT Review

Almost everything in You’re Next goes off with a hitch. It’s the perfect balance of horror and action with a little bit of comedy thrown in for good measure. Wingard and Barrett haven’t re-written the genre but they’ve added enough minor tweaks to keep the story feeling fresh. But the film’s greatest strength is in how how it blends jump scares, creepiness, dark comedy, and gore to create a damn fine horror flick that will have you locking your doors and fearing your windows.

Rating: B+
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TIFF11 Reviews: The Day, Lovely Molly, You?re Next - ShockTillYouDrop.com

"The Day" might be the perfect entry drug into horror for any 13-year-old kid who has never seen a naked woman or any sort of R-rated violence--who knows? Maybe in 20 years, they'll be praising this like older horror fans do "Halloween"--but for everyone else, this is absolutely juvenile, moronic filmmaking done by people who have seen way too many movies, but didn't bother to pay attention to what made them any good.
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Ultimately, it all works to keep you effectively creeped out, since at first, you don't really know what's going on then just as you think you've figured out where it's going, it starts throwing even more weirdness and leaving you more confused. It has that in common with "Blair Witch" in some ways because it may require repeat viewing to put some of the pieces together.

The biggest takeaway from the movie is what a fantastic and daring actress Gretchen Lodge is, playing a role that has her going through all sorts of permutations, playing up her sexuality one minute and being absolutely evil the next. It's also quite a coup for Sanchez to have gotten instrumental rock band Tortoise to provide the score.

Even if not all of "Lovely Molly" makes sense, Sanchez has still got it when it comes to making viewers feel uneasy, and he's created a terrific looking horror film that introduces an impressive new talent in Gretchen Lodge. It's hard to tell if those things alone make up for the film's stranger turns or the fact it feels strangely derivative, but it certainly makes it more watchable than other "Blair Witch" rip-offs.
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We won't give away the big twist introduced fairly early on, but one has to assume the filmmakers were trying to approach this sub-genre of horror in a way that's far less clever than they may have thought. In fact, "You're Next" does very little to break any new ground, not in the shocks or the gory kills, all stuff that dates back to slasher classics like "Friday the 13th" and "Halloween." The only really difference is that it's a family trying to survive while others try to kill them, so that adds a different dynamic than what we've seen before.

Wingard's biggest offense is the overuse of loud sound FX throughout the movie, not just to punctuate some of the scares--and there are some good ones--but the loud ambient noises just permeate the entire film to the point of being aggravating. It also makes "You're Next" feels little more than a classier and wittier take on "The Collector"--a horrendous home invasion movie by the writers of the last few "Saw" movies.

One's mileage may vary depending on the amount of bloodlust they have in their heart at the time of viewing, but so many stronger movies have explored similar territory, whether it's the aforementioned "The Strangers" or movies with women fighting back against insurmountable odds like Neil Marshall's "The Descent" or even actual horror-comedies like "Severance." All that this offers is a way to analyze those around you in the theater and wonder why people get so excited merely at the thought of gory violence begetting even gorier violence.

While the filmmakers clearly did their homework on how to make a scary gorefest, they fail to give us something that feels particularly new or different.
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BD Horror News - Fred Andrews Calls 'Creature' Haters "Bottom Feeders"

Just last week Fred Andrews saw his indie Creature self-distributed by Sid and Jon Sheinberg's Bubble Factory. Sid was the president of Universal Studios during the release of classics such as Jaws, ET and Jurassic Park, so it's a shock knowing his new company had faith in this incomplete creature feature. The film grossed only $331,000 opening up in 1,507 U.S. theaters this weekend, making it the worst premiere ever for a film opening in 1,500 locations or more, according to BoxOfficeMojo and Yahoo.

The film flopped. It currently has a 13% on Rotten Tomatoes and was panned by most critics. And while we respect the opinion of those who enjoyed the flick, director Fred Andrews has none for those who hated it. In fact, he sort of implies that the film was made for morons. How so? Read on to see.

Chris Alexander, Fangoria's newest Editor-in-Chief, explains that the long running magazine - who also gave the film a cover story - is "friends" with Andrews, and offers the director their platform to insult critics who hated the film. We'll use ours to respond.

"Oh no, the negative reviews have been in no way disappointing; in fact, I am impressed with how many different and creative ways people have been able to express their distaste for the film," Andrews jokes. "But seriously, of course I anticipated a lot of negative reviews just given the very nature of the film. It's not a film for critics; I mean, come on, it's called CREATURE, for God's sake!"

First, he sarcastically jokes about people slamming the film, and then retracts his light comments by saying, "but seriously." He then goes on to state he anticipated a lot of negative reviews, which to me implies that he knows how bad his movie is. Furthermore, he continues by stating that it's not a film for critics, which implies it's for people of a lesser nature, as if critics are on some sort of *****ing pedestal of power.

"But on the other hand, I was happily surprised when the LA Times gave us a good, honest review; they got it. As have a number of other reputable critics and publications like FANGORIA, Nuke the Fridge, Killer Films and Unwinnable." Andrews continues implying that because these publications "liked the film" it's an "honest" review, and that they are "reputable". By the very nature of his comments, anyone who did not like it is a liar and a joke. Therefore, he's calling me the same.

He goes on with the baby insults, "Those lowbrow sites that have trashed it and bloggers who harshed on the film were no surprise to me, man. Come on, what kind of critic are you if you use the word "titties" in your review, or you're still talking about my film when you're reviewing another one. You can't take those guys seriously, man; they're bottom feeders."

I don't know what sites he's referring to but an opinion is an opinion, man. In fact, the "bottom feeders" were the ONLY sites giving his little film attention, man. They were the ones supporting it, giving it press and even acknowledging that they had high hopes for it, man. No horror fan wants to see a bad movie nor do they want to be disappointed, man. Nobody was even rooting for Andrews to fail, man, man.

If anything, he failed the horror community by releasing an *incomplete film that disappointed the majority of people who saw it.

Again, we respect all opinions, which is why we have user reviews for for the flick (there aren't many, because nobody saw it). But Andrews takes it too far, takes it too personal and insults anyone who has distaste for Creature. Don't ever forget that if you disliked Creature you're an idiot and a bottom feeder who doesn't "get it".

*Spoiler warning: I'd also like to note that the film does NOT have a third act. The protagonist has the final battle with the Creature OFF camera.
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Ouch.
 
Bloody Disgusting Horror - "Twixt (Twixt Now And Sunrise)" Movie Info, Review, Headlines, Gallery

Next to Livid and Your'e Next I was most excited for the TIFF premiere of Francis Ford Coppola's Twixt, which was said to grow out of a nightmare by the infamous director of Godfather. What he perceives as a nightmare translates into cheesy '90s movie starring a fat Val Kilmer.

Kilmer stars as writer with a declining career who arrives in a small town as part of his book tour and gets caught up in a murder mystery involving a young girl. That night in a dream, he is approached by a mysterious young ghost named V (Elle Fanning). It leads to him co-writing his new novel, "The Vampire Executions", with the local sheriff. He continually forces himself to sleep to learn how the story will end.

The pic is already slated for a bizarre theatrical run where Coppola plans on editing the film live based on audience reactions. It's an absolutely terrible idea as the only reaction out of my theater were scoffs and laughs, especially when the giant pair of 3-D glasses swim on screen prompting the audience to pop theirs on. Even more bizarre was how pointless and short the 3-D sequences were, both of which also had the audience chuckling.

The real joke, though, is the actual plot. The audience is forced to watch how a crappy writer is inspired by a lame local tale to write an even more stupid story. Kilmer, Fanning, and all of the locals carry zero charisma making Twixt a shocking bore without a single shred of charm. Once again the protagonist, played by Kilmer, is a piece of ***** that the audience will root against. Why must filmmakers make such unlikeable characters? It's a lifeless tale that also looked cheap and crappy.

It is with great displeasure in reporting back that Twixt is an absolutely horrible film. The 3-D experience is beyond pointless, and no matter how many edited versions Coppola has up his sleeve, it can't be salvaged. Twixt a bland, cheesy, poorly shot snoozer that isn't even fun as a midnight movie.
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KILL LIST Review

In a way, Kill List is a horror movie almost by default. It’s certainly chilling and even scarring, but not exactly what you’d expect from a movie with that label slapped on the box. For one thing, it’s shot in a handheld realist style with improvised performances. That’s not the expected aesthetic and tone of the oft-storyboard genre, but it’s in the unexpected where the best scares lie and the movie is filled with the unexpected in every conceivable sense. I doubt Kill List will be embraced as a genre classic. It’s just too weird and twisted for that and by design leaves the audience feeling abused and battered when the credits roll, an experience that understandably not everyone enjoys (personally, I’m somewhat of a glutton for punishment when it comes to this ****). However, for those willing to take the ride, I can promise you’ve seen nothing quite like it and cult status is all but assure. Sure, there are bits and pieces of Kill List that are reminiscent of other films and genres, but they’ve never been combined quite like this before and the culminative impact is pretty impressive. If you want to feel worn out, beaten, and ultimately elated by a film, you’re not going to do any better than Kill List. This is one for all the intelligent sick puppies out there who don’t mind seeing cinematic ingenuity and gag inducing gore magically mixed together. Those folks are going to cheer and vomit with sheer delight.

Grade: A-
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You're Next (2011) | Horror Movie, DVD, & Book Reviews, News, Interviews at Dread Central

You?re Next brings a whole new meaning to the term '
"dysfunctional family", and it does so in a brutal yet darkly humorous way. The film hooks horror aficionados in early on as it successfully builds tension with a slasher-friendly opening prologue, a looping song playing on a CD player and the sense of impending doom for each of its protagonists. The eerie setting of the country home siege is amplified with a John Carpenter-inspired score and unsettling and creative kills that will make gorehounds applaud with joy.

On the other hand, those that are expecting a terrifying experience like The Strangers (an obvious inspiration for the film) will be sorely disappointed because once the calculated yet foreseeable twist comes into play, the film loses its frightening edge and fails to break new ground in the sub-genre like its trailer and synopsis alluded to.

That?s not to say the film loses its bloodlust intensity for You?re Next never loses its ability to entertain and excite, and that is largely due to newcomer Sharni Vinson?s strong and likable performance as the anti damsel in distress. Last seen horrifying audiences in Step Up 3D, Vinson brings another horrifying performance (for all the right reasons, mind you) and kicks some serious ass as Erin, a final girl with the Linda Hamilton attitude.

Overall You?re Next may not be the slasher film of the decade that will change the tone of horror, but it still provides a clever spin to the home invasion sub-genre.
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Really schitzo reviews on this one. It's like they love it, but then pull back in the end. Curious.
 
Watch: Trailer For Rebecca Hall Chiller 'The Awakening' Looks Like Spooky Fun

Rebecca Hall stars as Florence Cathcart, an author and professional ghost debunker in post-World War One London, who’s approached by a teacher (Dominic West) at a boy’s boarding school, who believes his charges are being tormented by an honest-to-god ghost. Florence packs her scientific kit and seemingly finds a rational explanation, but soon finds her skepticism challenged.

The film, which comes from first-time feature director Nick Murphy (TV’s “Occupation”), picked up some very good reviews when it premiered in Toronto this week, and we can see why from the clip; it might not be breaking new ground in any way, but it looks properly creepy, extremely handsome (thanks to lensing by “A Single Man” DoP Eduard Grau), and good fun. And, thanks to a top-notch cast who seem to be enjoying a trip into some solid genre material (Imelda Staunton and Joseph Mawle are also involved), it looks to have a little more substance than most films of its ilk. A British “The Orphanage”? Let’s hope so.
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read about 10 reviews of that one that were...'not-so-good'. Not scary was the main complaint. Will look for a few to post up.
 
THE AWAKENING Review

If The Awakening had simply painted a rapturous, thrilling ghost story, it would have been fine since we rarely get films in this genre. But Murphy and co-writer Stephen Volk bring the sadness of loss into the proceedings. Everyone in the film has a secret that weighs heavily on their soul. The war and the pandemic have caused survivor’s guilt on a massive scale as everyone questions why they lived while their loved ones perished. Cathcart has lost the man she loved, Mallory (West) has lost his brothers in arms, and Hill has also lost someone although we don’t know who. They’re all hiding pain and they’re all struggling to find a way to deal with death. It’s the familiar subtext of the ghost story in finest form, and the cast brings the supernatural atmosphere to a human level.

The film glides through most of its story but gets a little flat-footed at the end. Murphy doesn’t want to write off science but he also doesn’t want to lose the paranormal aspect so he blends the two with uneven results. However, the confidence of the resolution carries it past the clunky writing and the ending is almost secondary to all the scares and twists that came before. The Awakening is for those who loved The Devil’s Backbone and The Others. It’s for those who want to be transported out of our time and into a sumptuous and haunting place on the hazy line between life and death.

Rating: B+
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Bloody Disgusting Horror - "The Awakening" Movie Info, Review, Headlines, Gallery

The strongest attribute of the film is the scope and stunning cinematography, both of which combine to make a surprisingly good-looking period piece. Unfortunately, the screenplay by Murphy and Stephen Volk is another in a long line of ghost stories that end with a whimper.

Not only is the film's twist incredibly lame, but the entire third act is an epilogue. They even go as far as to show the audience everything explained as if they couldn't figure it out on their own. Even worse, the twist itself, when explained, negates ALL scares and even makes the red herring laughable (they kill the dude, bury him, and it's a complete afterthought). To give you a clue, the big reveal is 12 years too late.

Even the strong performances by Hall and West can't overcome the dramatic finale that bloated with exposition and ZERO scares. If anything, The Awakening is an atmospheric period dramatic thriller that shouldn't be sold as a horror film.

Score: 6 / 10
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Here's a few...the 2nd is more critical than the first.
 
THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE 2 (FULL SEQUENCE) Review

The second half of the film deals with Martin actually building his Centipede: he’s got a warehouse all to himself, twelve people, a suitcase full of rusty tools, and what seems like a whole bunch of privacy (no one ever “drops by” to see what all that screaming’s about). It’s here that Six unleashes Centipede 2’s most horrific sequences, and—throughout it all—you can almost hear him cackling behind the camera, “They thought the first one was funny? Let’s see them laugh at this!”

Believe it or not, some people complained that the first Human Centipede wasn’t “dark” enough, that it didn’t see its premise through to its most graphic conclusion. For anyone who made that argument, there is The Human Centipede 2, which features—among other things—a baby being born inside a car and immediately crushed against a gas pedal by its mother’s foot, the aforementioned graphic rape sequence, the most brutal tooth-destruction scene ever caught on camera (OldBoy who?), knee-tendons being slashed willy-nilly, and the creative application of a staplegun. The first Centipede didn’t show us how the Centipede was created (not onscreen, not during the “surgery”), but Centipede 2 will give you all of that and more.

And that, my friends, is the reason that The Human Centipede 2 exists. It’s not that it “doesn’t have a plot” or that it “has no point”: it’s that the point of the whole thing is to rub your face in the graphic violence that some people claimed they wanted in the first Centipede. It challenges the fans of the first film to stick up for it while giving the people who complained about the first film’s lack of gore precisely what they thought they wanted (and gives them so much of it, they couldn’t possibly walk away pleased).

Now, I don’t know if Tom Six is clever enough to have responded to critics of the first film by giving them exactly what they claimed they wanted (it’s entirely possible that he simply tried to outdo himself here), but—judging by the quality of the first film—I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Tom Six has delivered something truly disturbing here, something completely amoral, something that people are going to talk about for a long time. I can’t tell you that The Human Centipede 2 is a “good” movie, but I will begrudgingly
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