So here they are for your Halloween viewing pleasure!
The Entrance ( inspired by true events) by Damon Vignale - This director generally works in tv, and has done a few series- and should probably stay that way. I am becoming very skeptical of these Film Festival winners- I don't see how there was a best director and actor on this movie. I don't know what true events this was based on, other than getting stuck in an underground parking lot. I can relate to that I suppose. And a creepy janitor. But that's where you lost me. Even the movie blurb doesn't know how to explain this movie, and keeps talking about the search for truth, fact and fiction, great truths unraveling. Well nothing unraveled for me. I still don't know what the point of this film was. There was one scary scene that was a little jolting, but other than that, I just didn't see the point of this film. Boring, long, and very little going on. Pass.
Evilenko- The chilling story of the Soviet Union's Most Notorious Serial Killer (There's something evil lurking in the woods) by David Grieco- Okay, this one was creepy and a decent bio-pic kind of film. Malcolm McDowell was the killer and he was quite icky. There were a few weird plot jumps, and at moments it seemed to loose it's flow, but it was sufficiently gruesome. This was based on David's book The Communist who ate Children, and his portrait of the serial killer Andrei Chikatilo- aka The Butcher of Rostov or the Red Ripper who murdered 53 women and children. This film is more of a snapshot of the insanity of Andrei, rather than a cohesive journey about the killings. It think it would have been really interesting to know that another person was arrested and served time for one of his killings, but I suppose with a life that had so many incidences, it was hard to pin down the key points for a film. I am wondering why they made him a member of the KGB, when in reality her was a shipping clerk. That seems a bit odd. And they took out his trademark eye gouging- which he was known for. The director also added in this really weird hypnotism thread in the film, like Andrei had a special power over these women and children, but that's never really explained, and it just seemed odd. When I read the story about Andrei, I thought there would have been some amazing scenes that would have been great in the film, but again, too much for a 2 hour film. So, it's a decent one, just a bit odd on the storytelling end.
To learn more about the real serial killer you can go here; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrei_Chikatilo
DRIVE THRU- Hungry for a Killer Meal? by Shane Kuhn & Brendan Cowles. Okay, one of these guys watched way too many Freddy movies, right down to the reason for the killer. Come on guys- a neighbourhood group of friends who kill a member of the group in a fire and he comes back as a killer clown? Can you say predictable? The funny thing about this movie ( the killer of course, has a supernatural side to it) is that there are very recognizalbe actors in this film -albeit it mid listers- but recognizable. Larry Joe Campbell- from tv's According to Jim, plays quite a fun character of Officer Crockers, Lola Glaudini- who is very recognizable from Blow and Criminal Minds- a good actress and Melora Hardin- of The Office fame- Janice, as well as film. But unfortunately they are all secondary characters. The lead ones are all forgettable teen actors that all blend together. To the 70's kitsch toys that cryptic messages are left in- hardly worth mentioning. Wow, a Ouija board and an 8 ball. Creative. The only thing good about this film is the gore factor. It's very gruesome, but you may as well be busy doing something else for the rest of the film.
The Echo-by Yam Laranas- Uh, whatever the executive producers of the Ring and The Grudge were thinking didn't transpire in this film. The lead actor Jess Bradford is decent, but the plot is all over the place and can't decide what it wants to be. It's more of a thriller if anything at all, and there are a few good jumping moments, but there were also some HUGE plot issues. I still don't know why the secondary characters even saw the apparitions in the hallway. And the ending was lame. Pass
In a Dark Place - The real story is what haunts them by Donato Rotunno- All I can say is WTF? This is neither creepy nor disturbing, unless the gratuitious lesbian sex scene with LeeLee Sobieski is included. This started out as a nanny looking after disturbed kids, then it turns into a ghost thing, then LeeLee loses it and there are no explanations as to why. Her character is ALL over the place and it was really tough to care. So I didn't. I also didn't stick around until the end. BORING!! Pass
Dark Corners- Terror Breeds in the Shadows of the Soul by Ray Gower- Fangoria called this Bloody Puzzle. That sums it up in a nutshell. It's bloody but you won't have ANY idea what the heck is going on in this film. And after awhile it's so confusing you just don't care anymore. The draw for this film is supposed to be Thora Birch- who was great in American Beauty and Ghost World, but has since fallen off the planet in decent movies. It might have been because of this one. Seriously, I have NO idea what this was attempting to do. It's described on the blurb as inventive. That's not my opinion. PASS!
PICK OF THE WEEK!
REEKER- Evil is in the Air- by Dave Payne- If you can get past the name, this is hilarious and quite a good piece of writing. And of course anything with a guest spot with Micheal Ironside in it has to be watched! This is a grisly film with a really crazy supernatural style character- but amazingly this film ties everything together in an almost believable manner. Some of the one liners and situations in this film made me laugh out loud and even though it's the stereotypical group of students scenario, this one is pretty funny. The blurb really doesn't describe the film accurately at all, so ignore that. Yes, Evil is in the air- and if you want a fun and gruesome Halloween pick, then this is it!!
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