Film Lair

DVD Releases: October 21/28

2008-10-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

October 21:

Anaconda 3: Offspring (Sony horror sequel)
Birds of America (First Look drama)
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (Vivendi documentary)
Fiesta Grand (Maverick comedy)
Forfeit (MTI thriller)
Incredible Hulk, The (Universal action)
Lazarus Project, The (Sony thriller)
Linewatch (Sony drama)
Love for Sale (Image comedy)
Robodoc (Arts Alliance comedy)
Strangers, The (Rogue horror)
Stone Angel, The (Image drama)
Sunday School Musical (Asylum musical)
Trailer Park of Terror (Summit horror)
Vice (Genius Products thriller)

October 28:

13 Hours in a Warehouse (Maverick horror)
Bikini Bloodbath Carwash (Eclectic horror-comedy)
Christmas Caper (First Look comedy)
Dead Space: Downfall (Anchor Bay sci-fi)
Dean Teaster's Ghost Town (Lionsgate western)
Death Defying Acts (Weinstein drama)
Hank and Mike (Magnolia comedy)
Hell Ride (Dimension Extreme action)
Jake's Closet (Vanguard thriller)
Journey to the Center of the Earth (New Line adventure)
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (WB comedy/drama)
Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (Troma horror-comedy)
Prince & Me: A Royal Honeymoon, The (First Look comedy)
Red (Magnolia drama)
Shiver (Dark Sky horror)
Tinker Bell (Disney animation)
Together Again for the First Time (Porchlight comedy)
Wifey (Monarch comedy)
Zombie Strippers (Sony horror-comedy)

DVD Releases: October 7/14

2008-09-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

October 7:

20 Years After (MTI sci-fi)
Beneath The Surface (Well Go USA horror)
Boy A (Weinstein drama)
Cyborg Soldier (First Look action)
Devil's Chair (Sony horror)
Dog Gone (Screen Media family comedy)
Feast 2: Sloppy Seconds (Dimension Extreme horror)
Happening, The (Fox thriller)
Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer (Anchor Bay horror-comedy)
Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead (Fox horror/thriller)
Kill Switch (First Look thriller)
Memory Keeper's Daughter (Sony drama)
Paranoid Park (IFC drama)
Ripple Effect (Monterey drama)
Trojan Horse (Allumination FilmWorks drama)
Very British Gangster, A (Documentary)
Visitor, The (Anchor Bay drama)
Wicked Lake (Shriek Show horror)
You Don't Mess With The Zohan (Sony comedy)

October 14:

Brotherhood of Blood (Lionsgate horror)
Dance of the Dead (Lionsgate horror)
Dark Floors (Lionsgate horror)
Edge of Heaven (Strand drama)
Exit Speed (PeaceArch action)
Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (Par. action)
Last House in the Woods, The (Lionsgate horror)
Mongol (WB action)
Night of the White Pants (Image comedy)
No Man's Land: The Rise of Reeker (Lionsgate horror)
Payback (Maverick action)
Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales' Movie (Universal animation)
Room 205 (Lionsgate horror)
Salt (Cinema Epoch thriller)
Saving God (Echo Bridge drama)
Standard Operating Procedure (Sony documentary)
Stuck (Image dark comedy)
Substitute, The (Lionsgate horror)
Tortilla Heaven (Anchor Bay comedy)
Trackman (Lionsgate horror)
Waltzing Anna (PeaceArch drama)
War, Inc. (First Look comedy)
Y.P.F. (ThinkFilm comedy/drama)

The horror movie express has kicked into high gear, with high-profile (well, as high-profile as you can get with DTV releases) films such as Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead, Feast 2: Sloppy Seconds, plus a whole host of releases from the new partnership between Sam Raimi's Ghost House Underground and Lionsgate, all streeting the second week of the month and all looking to be worth a look.

"Blood Wars"

2008-09-22T21:46:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, MTI Video has announced Blood Wars for a November 11 DVD release.

The plot synopsis is as follows:

Will is a hippie college student who finds himself in the middle of a battle between vampires and a group of warlocks called Sentries; but when he's bitten by a seductive vampire he's forced to come to terms with his new state of being...

Sounds okay aside from the whole cliched seductive vampire thing. Is it just me or is every female vampire portrayed as seductive?

DVD Releases: September 23/30

2008-09-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

September 23:

Breathing Room (Anchor Bay horror)
Broken Life (Anchor Bay drama)
Bryan Loves You (Anchor Bay horror)
Copycat (Lionsgate horror)
Deception (Fox thriller)
Far North (Image drama)
Five Across The Eyes (Anchor Bay horror)
Leatherheads (WB comedy)
Mother of Tears (Dimension Extreme horror)
Naked Fear (PeaceArch thriller)
Neighbor, The (First Look comedy)
Pathology (MGM horror)
Re-Cycle (Image horror)
Red Ridge (Vanguard thriller)
Run, Fat Boy, Run (WB comedy)
Sex & the City (New Line comedy)
Unemployed (Lionsgate comedy)
Vipers (Genius Products horror)

September 30:

Bigger, Stronger, Faster* (Magnolia documentary)
Buried Alive (Sony horror)
Devil's Muse (Halo 8 thriller)
Flu Birds (First Look sci-fi)
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Universal comedy)
Ghouls (First Look sci-fi)
Iron Man (Paramount action)
Mostly Ghostly (Universal family drama)
Pink Eye (Halo 8 horror)
Pulse 2: Afterlife (Dimension Extreme horror)
Rest Stop: Don't Look Back (WB/Raw Feed horror)
Soccer Mom (Anchor Bay family comedy)
Taxi To The Dark Side (ThinkFilm documentary)
Universal Remote (PeaceArch comedy)
Vanguard, The (Anchor Bay horror)

Now's when the horror DVD releases start getting really plentiful. September 23 offers a few good choices in the claustrophobic Breathing Room, the serial killer thriller Copycat, the latest from Dario Argento, the twisted-looking Pathology, and the cheesiness of Tara Reid getting chased by CGI snakes in Vipers.

The following week is highlighted by the next in the Rest Stop saga, a Pulse sequel, and a few First Look sci-fi/horror films.

"Dead of Winter"

2008-09-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Lionsgate has announced the DVD premiere date for Dead of Winter as November 25.

The plot synopsis is as follows:

After leaving a New Year's Eve party, Kevin (Al Santos) and Tiffany (Sandra McCoy) find themselves battling the elements as well as inner demons as they try to make their way out of the deep forest.

That's a very vague synopsis; the artwork is nice though. Hopefully, the movie lives up to it.

"Zombie Diaries"

2008-09-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Dimension Extreme has announced Zombie Diaries for a November 18 DVD release.

The synopsis is as follows:

Set in England during a world-wide viral infection, this documentary-style frightfest records the rise of the undead from the videocams of several survivor groups. As each struggles against the flesh-eating hordes, an even more horrifying fate lurks among them.

Color me skeptical. Sounds a little too much like George Romero's "Diary of the Dead," which Dimension Extreme also distributed.

"Red Ridge"

2008-09-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Vanguard Cinema has announced Red Ridge for a September 23 release on DVD.

The plot synopsis is as follows:

Chronicles the scandalous true events currently taking place in small towns along the Texas/Mexico border. Innocent young women are being kidnapped and forced into sexual slavery and prostitution.

Not exactly uplifting fare, heh.

DVD Releases: September 16

2008-09-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

88 Minutes (Sony thriller)
Another Cinderella Story (WB sequel)
Babysitters (PeaceArch drama)
Before The Rains (Lionsgate drama)
Death Racers (Asylum action)
Finding Amanda (Magnolia comedy)
Finding Rin Tin Tin (First Look family comedy)
Flood (RHI action)
Harold (City Lights comedy)
I-See-You.com (WB comedy)
Kabluey (Sony comedy)
Legend Of Bloody Mary (Lionsgate horror)
Lone Rider (RHI western)
Love Guru, The (Paramount comedy)
Made Of Honor (Sony rom-com)
Never Cry Werewolf (Genius Products horror)
Noise (Anchor Bay drama)
Scorpion (Anchor Bay action)
Snow Angels (WB drama)
Speed Racer (WB action)
They Wait (Vivendi horror)
Tortured (Sony thriller)
Young@Heart (Fox documentary)

A decent week for horror releases but soon enough, we'll have more per week than we'll know what to do with as Halloween approaches.

Looking forward to checking out "Death Racers" just because it sounds odd (The Isane Clown Posse star, after all), "Never Cry Werewolf" because a werewolf flick starring Kevin Sorbo can't be all bad, and "They Wait" because it looks to have decent production values and the attractive Jaimie King in the lead role can't hurt.

"Feast 2: Sloppy Seconds"

2008-09-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Dimension Extreme has announced Feast 2: Sloppy Seconds for an October 7 release on DVD.

The film continues the story of the monstrous onslaught against a group of people holed up in a bar out in the middle of nowhere.

The first was a lot of fun and I cannot wait to see what director John Gulager has devised for the follow-up. "Feast 3: Happy Finish" is in production as well.

"Forfeit"

2008-09-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, MTI Home Video has announced Forfeit for an October 21 DVD release.

The thriller's plot is as follows:

An armored car guard's elaborate plan for revenge is threatened by his relationship with an old friend -- a brilliant and unpredictable television preacher.

The preacher angle is definitely unique but perhaps too off-the-wall if not handled properly.

"Kemper"

2008-09-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Lionsgate has announced the DVD premiere date for Kemper as November 25.

The plot synopsis is as follows:

Inspired by the events surrounding Ed Kemper, the Santa Cruz serial killer commonly referred to as the "co-ed killer." An ordinary man leading a routine life, no one is more surprised by the fact that Ed Kemper is responsible for the gruesome murders than his friend Detective Tom Harris. Assigned to find the killer, he's betrayed when Ed reveals himself as the killer. Harris is trapped in a cat and mouse game, hoping to bring Ed to justice and stop the horrific killings.

Ulli Lommel has noting to do with it, so that's a start. Instead, someone named Rick Bitzelberger is the director. His previous experience includes directing a short film comedy titled "Say the Secret Word" and producing a bunch of softcore pornography, which somehow makes him ideal for this project.

"The Devil's Curse"

2008-09-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Lionsgate has announced the DVD premiere date for The Devil's Curse as November 18.

The plot synopsis is as follows:

In this psychological/horror thriller, five longtime friends are forced to confront their darkest secrets and test their faith when break into their former Catholic school residence hall in London. They thought it was abandoned and that they were alone...On the contrary, they find themselves trapped, and although the circumstances are not exactly clear, they're definitely NOT alone.

Sounds interesting enough. Hopefully, the payoff, whether it's in the form of a monster or a corporeal entity, is worth the build-up.

"20 Years After"

2008-09-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, MTI Video has announced 20 Years After for an October 7 release on DVD.

The film concerns the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust in which the few remaining survivors attempt to build a new life, only to face trouble from an unknown force.

The whole idea has been done quite well by the unfairly canceled TV show "Jericho" so this take will have to offer something new and different to garner attention.

Brief review: "The Wizard of Gore"

2008-09-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Dimension Extreme

A bizarre mindfuck of a movie, The Wizard of Gore manages to be only sporadically entertaining.

Magic, madness and mayhem join in this diabolical remake of the 1970 horror cult classic. Crispin Glover ("Willard") stars as a master illusionist whose female audience participants (Suicide Girls) are hideously murdered onstage, only to miraculously reappear untouched. But when an underground reporter (Kip Pardue, "Remember the Titans") finds they're later turning up dead with the same wounds as those inflicted during the performance, his investigation leads to unimaginable terror.

What is it with the movies I've watched lately? They start out intriguing only to fall apart at the end. First "Skinned Alive" and now The Wizard of Gore.

Director Jeremy Kasten's film establishes a visceral, real alternative world, a sort of carnival of horrors atmosphere during the opening minutes. This world is populated with all sorts of freaks, interesting and uniquely entertaining. At the center of this weirdness is Crispin Glover as Montag the Magnificent, a magician whose tricks are a lot gorier and deadly than any magician I've ever seen. The scenes of Montag performing his "tricks" on oddly willing participants (played by uniquely attractive models from The Suicide Girls website), often beginning with Montag pointing out in the audience to the participant and proclaiming "Sit down, bitch! You're going to die tonight!" are quite riveting because you just don't know what will happen next. On top of that, Glover is such a quirky method actor that you can't take your eyes off him. The tricks are all about degradation, starting with Montag stripping the women naked in front of a large audience before he eventually maims and/or mutilates them. These scenes work because of the performances mixed with the "What will happen next?" mystery.

Unfortunately, the film gets away from the showmanship aspect and devolves into a lame "who and how did they do it?" attempt at a mystery with way too much emphasis on making things bizarre and surreal that it forgets to be entertaining. Kasten has to share the bulk of the blame because he not only directed but also edited the film. It is his fancy, inane showy for showy sake editing that almost singlehandedly derails the film. Not that the dull lead performance by Kip Pardue helps matters. The man couldn't seem more disinterested in the proceedings if he tried. And poor Bijou Phillips is given next to nothing to do. Only the aforementioned Glover and Brad Dourif seem to be having fun with their roles.

Really, that's the problem with the film as a whole. While it starts off fun and intriguing when Glover and the Girls take center stage, once Pardue becomes the main focus The Wizard of Gore becomes an over-edited bore.

Brief review: "Skinned Alive"

2008-08-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Lionsgate

Skinned Alive is a gruesome but muddled horror movie.

In the heart of New York City, a prostitute is killing men in a gruesome manner - first dismembering them and then eating them. Caught in the web of murder are three people: a sad and lonely man named Jeffrey, a call girl with a dark secret, and a lunatic who wants her dead. Jeffrey is about to discover that true love can have a very bloody price.

James Tucker's film is a mixed blessing. The first hour of the 90-minute film goes by quickly and is nicely done. During this time, the film hardly could be called a horror movie aside from quick but brutal killings by an unseen prostitute. The lonely life of the protagonist Jeffrey (newcomer Jack Dillon) is established. He lives alone in his parents house, gets visited every once in a while by his concerned sister, gets soundly rejected by every woman he approaches, and pays for escorts but not for the sex, for the companionship only to be disappointed when they pretty much ignore him before rejecting him as well. As he says to himself, "I would kill myself but no one would care. I'd be pathetic even in death." This sequence works because the viewer begins to sympathize with Jeffrey because he really seems like a decent guy, maybe a little pathetic at times, who hasn't received a fair shake in life for whatever reason. It isn't exactly scary or horrific, but it could have been the setup for a good little movie. Could have been.

Unfortunately, once he begins dating the cannibalistic prostitute, the film proceeds to go downhill, fast. Without spoiling what occurs in the last half hour of the film, let me just say that it is incredibly difficult to buy what transpires. The film undergoes a drastic tonal shift at this point from straight horror to comedy-horror that does not gel with the previous material at all. Not in the least. It is so out-of-the-blue it wouldn't be too far-fetched to believe that the film changed screenwriters and directors midway through production. Alas, that is not the case, which makes the situation even more confounding. To say that the last half hour goes a long way towards undermining what came before it is an understatement.

The acting is good, the film looks decent for a low-budget production but the final 30 or so minutes of Skinned Alive make it difficult to recommend. If you do see it, turn it off at the one hour mark and invent your own ending. It'll be better than what actually occurs, guaranteed.

"Zombies! Zombies! Zombies!"

2008-08-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Passion River Entertainment has announced the horror-comedy Zombies! Zombies! Zombies! for a September 9 DVD release.

The film looks similar to "Zombie Strippers" except this time the strippers are humans fighting zombies instead of being zombies themselves. Why exactly strippers would fight zombies no one knows but this could be fun if it is as funny as the premise would have you believe.

"Red"

2008-08-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Magnolia Home Entertainment has announced Red for an October 28 DVD release date.

The film's plot is as follows:

An older, reclusive man, Avery, (Brian Cox) has a best friend in his dog Red. When three teens kill Red for no reason, Avery sets out for justice and redemption, attempting to follow the letter of the law. But when the law fails him, and the boys' father (Tom Sizemore) clearly defines right and wrong in his own way, Avery must use whatever means possible.

The Jack Ketchum novel this is based on was a gut-wrenching, emotional experience. With any luck, the adaptation will be able to replicate the experience.

"Mother of Tears" - Revised Artwork

2008-08-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

I like this one better. It doesn't look as corny as the old one of a wide-eyed Asia Argento.

The film hits DVD on September 23.

DVD Releases: September 2/9

2008-08-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

September 2:

Bait Shop (Lionsgate comedy)
Ballet Shoes (Koch drama)
Do Or Die (Image sci-fi)
How To Rob A Bank (IFC comedic-drama)
Itty Bitty Titty Committee (Wolfe comedy)
Married Life (Sony drama)
Morgue, The (Lionsgate horror)
Outsourced (Porchlight comedy)
Promotion, The (Weinstein Company comedy)
Reprise (Miramax drama)
Then She Found Me (ThinkFilm drama)
Wedding Weekend (First Look comedy)

September 9:

Baby Mama (Universal comedy)
Block Party Madness (Maverick comedy)
Child's Play: 20th Anniversary Edition (MGM horror)
Fall, The (Sony fantasy/drama)
Forbidden Kingdom (Lionsgate action)
Foreign Exchange (Screen Media comedy)
Heckler (Echo Bridge comedy)
I Want Candy (Magnolia comedy)
Manje (York Entertainment horror)
National Lampoon's Homo Erectus (comedy)
Nympha (MTI horror)
Sarah Landon And The Paranormal Hour (Sony thriller)
Seed (Vivendi Visual horror)
Something Beneath (Genius Products sci-fi)
Son Of Sam (Lionsgate horror)
Taking 5 (Sony comedy)
Zombies! Zombies! Zombies! (Passion River horror)

The influx of horror DVDs trying to take advantage of Halloween begins in earnest with more than the usual amount of horror films being released, especially on September 9. On that note, it's hard to believe that it has already been 20 years since "Child's Play" was released. I feel old.

Brief review: "The Cellar Door"

2008-08-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Monterey Home Video

Matt Zettell's The Cellar Door is a minimalist, effective slice of independent horror.

A young woman (Michelle Tomlinson) wakes to find herself imprisoned in the basement of a serial killer (James DuMont). She is not the first to be entrapped in this diabolical torture chamber. She is not the first to captivate his perverse affection, Herman has been searching for the perfect girl, but all he's collected are pieces - a chunk of hair; a severed finger; a jar of blood - and now, the alluring and beautiful Rudy.

Imprisoned in a wooden cage and yet refusing to play along in his twisted game, she has only her wits to use against his savage and murderous insanity.

Real, true independent filmmaking is fading these days. Are films like "Juno," "Little Miss Sunshine," and "Sideways" really independent films when they have major studio backing and the millions of dollars spent on prints and advertising that goes along with that? No, not in my opinion. If you want to see honest-to-goodness independent filmmaking, the best place to turn is the horror genre. Don't quote me on this, but the horror genre seems to have more independently-produced films released each year than any other genre by far. While some are quite bad (like any genre, really), there are a few impressive films. The Cellar Door is one of them.

What makes The Cellar Door good? First off, the direction is gritty and sometimes flashy but always solid. Zettell has shot a film that looks for all the world like a big budget film. It has impressive editing, tight, efficient pacing and cinematography, and decent gore effects when called for (although the film is definitely not a gorefest by any means). Look is important but what makes the film ultimately work is the storytelling. The presentation of what is an extremely simple story on the surface (captor and captive) is able to develop multiple layers. The film almost seems like a stage play at times with the mind games between the two taking front and center for much of the running time. It is credit to Zettell and screenwriter Christopher Nelson that a film that pretty much takes place in one room for 90% of the running time remains so intriguing. You are kept guessing what tactic the captive will try next and when the captor will have another random outburst because the guy clearly has more than a few wires crossed.

Also, the film benefits from solid performances from the two leads. DuMont's Herman is so temperamental, so schizophrenic that you don't know what version of him will show itself from scene to scene and it keeps you on your toes. His penchant for keeping poop and pee "samples" from his victims in jars alone is enough to give most anyone the willies. Michelle Tomlinson is his equal, giving a very convincing performance as his "girl in a box."

This is one "Door" worth opening.

"Hell Ride"

2008-08-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Dimension Extreme has announced Hell Ride for an October 28 DVD release date.

Written and directed by Larry Bishop (and produced by Quentin Tarantino), the film concerns a feud between two biker gangs. Bishop, Michael Madsen, Dennis Hopper, Vinnie Jones, and Eric Balfour star.

I didn't get a chance to see the film during its short and limited theatrical run and look forward to at least renting the DVD. The generally negative critical response does very little to deter me since this Grindhouse-style film isn't something critics would be expected to take a liking to.

More on "Deep Blue Sea 2"

2008-08-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

I did some digging and found out a little tidbit more of information regarding Deep Blue Sea 2.

It seems that the storyline that was bandied about following the first one is still in play. Said storyline involves a town getting hit with a hurricane, the water level rising, and the sharks entering the picture to terrorize anyone and everyone.

I like it but still am holding out hope they stick at least one scene in a SeaWorld type theme park. That would make it great.

"Deep Blue Sea 2" on the way

2008-08-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Fangoria, Warner Premiere is in the preliminary stages of developing a Deep Blue Sea sequel.

If you'll recall, the 1999 film directed by Renny Harlin concerned super smart sharks who overrun an ocean-based research facility and proceed to eat LL Cool J's parrot and Samuel L. Jackson.

I was a fan of the original for its eerie musical score, cool shark attack sequences, and the fun cast, which also included Saffron Burrows, Stellan Skarsgård, Michael Rapaport, and Thomas Jane.

The sequel is going direct-to-DVD, much like the recently released "Lost Boys: The Tribe." I hope it retains the entertaining aspect of the original and am intrigued as to what the plot will be. I say the sharks should overrun SeaWorld.

"The Vanguard"

2008-08-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Starz/Anchor Bay has announced the DVD premiere date for The Vanguard as September 30.

The plot synopsis is as follows:

2015 - The world is in chaos - the last known oil fields have been vanquished, overpopulation has reached critical levels and mankind is about to become a thing of the past. It's a fight for survival among humans and a new race of genetically engineered mutants that just won't die.

Sounds decent. The artwork is doing its best to make the film look like its own version of "Underworld." I hope it's as stylish as that film.

Brief review: "The Killing Gene"

2008-08-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Dimension Extreme

The Killing Gene (Formerly titled "WAZ" or "W Delta Z") is a psychological thriller that is high on mood and ideas but low on pacing and actual thrills.

Stellan Skarsgård (Exorcist: The Beginning) stars as Eddie Argo, a veteran cop investigating a string of bizarre serial murders. In each case, the victims were forced to make the unconscionable decision to save themselves or the life of a loved one. Now Eddie and his rookie partner (Melissa George, Alias) must stop the carnage before the killer strikes too close to home.

Director Tom Shankland and writer Clive Bradley have made a film with an undeniably intriguing conceit at its core: How much do we really love one another? The idea is that humanity is innately selfish and that when push comes to shove, we'll save our own hide, even if it means sacrificing another. The killer here is out to test that theory and does so in painful methods not unlike those devised by "Jigsaw" in the "Saw" films.

The cast assembled does a uniformly great job in bringing the premise to life. Stellan Skarsgård is a gruff, commanding presence, Melissa George shows suprising toughness as his rookie partner, and the rest of the cast fill out their parts quite well; I'll refrain from discussing them too much for fear of spoilers.

So it has an interesting premise and a good cast. What's wrong with The Killing Gene then? Well, Shankland excels at creating an atmosphere; New York has perhaps never looked worse than it does here; a hellish place of pimps, whores, gangbangers, drug addicts and, of course, psychopaths, films like this can't make the Board of Tourism very happy. While he was concentrating intently on creating mood Shankland forgot that every film must move along at a decent pace to maintain interest. There are way too many extraneous scenes and subplots that should have been cut. How many times do we need to see a close-up of Skarsgård puffing on a cigarette before flicking it away while the camera follows the cigarette as it rolls on the ground? He also favors extreme close-ups of his actors. It's a compliment to her beauty that not even piss-poor lighting and unflattering close-ups manage to detract from Melissa George's ability to look stunning.

Filled with countless pointless scenes, The Killing Gene is the perfect example of a film that should have been great but instead is almost singlehandedly wrecked by an over-indulgent director.

Brief review: "Juncture"

2008-08-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

Distributor: MTI Home Video

Juncture is a superb, slick little thriller well worth your time.

What if you only had three months to live? For Anna Carter (Kristine Blackport), it's a nightmare come true. Diagnosed with a terminal illness, Anna's highflying lifestyle has come crashing down. Now seeing the world through different eyes and a colder heart, Anna, dispensing her style of brutal retribution, embarks on a personal quest to hunt down various miscreants who have slipped through cracks in the justice system. But with the police closing in - and death knocking at her door - will she be able to complete her plan before time runs out? Only death will stop her.

Mixing genres is always a tricky proposition. Unless it's done just right, films that attempt it usually end up a mess. Enterprising, ambitious director James Seale tries just that with Juncture. The film combines the "What to do before I die/terminal illness" film and the lone vigilante on a quest for vengeance film ala "Death Wish," "Death Sentence," and "The Brave One." Add in a touch of romance and you've got Juncture. Thankfully, Seale does a fantastic job intertwining the different elements and tonal shifts so that it all works quite well.

First and foremost, the film is about the vigilante aspect. The terminal illness is the catalyst though so it is almost of equal importance. The scenes involving the illness work because we grow to care about the main character. Seale and screenwriter Robert Gosnell do a nice job giving background on Anna Carter and presenting a well-rounded character the viewer can identify with.

The scenes of vigilante revenge are what most people who view the film will be interested in. Director James Seale proves himself a sharp director with an eye for style and coherence. The action sequences are impressive in scope, especially considering the film likely had a small budget. What's more, when a chase or fight scene ensues (which is quite often), Seale does a fantastic job of choreographing things so that the audience always has a perfect and exciting viewpoint on the action. Big budget films like the second and third "Bourne" could have used his eye when it comes to making such sequences intelligible.

Speaking of scope, the film tells a story very formidable in this area. The film was shot on location in Chicago, New Mexico, San Francisco, Denver, and Philadelphia, which is a notable feat considering the film's low budget roots.

Of course, a film focused so exclusively on one main character's quest depends a lot on the performance. Relative newcomer Kristine Blackport is up to the task.. Equal parts vulernable, tough, sexy, and intelligent, she does a consistently excellent job. Supporting performances are also decent but make no mistake, this is Blackport's show and she delivers.

Films like this show just how good independent films made on a budget can be. Tense, thought-provoking, sexy, and action-packed, Juncture is simply stellar. Best news: It is the first part in a planned trilogy. I, for one, can't wait for part two!

"Chill"

2008-08-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Lionsgate has announced the DVD premiere date for Chill as November 4.

The plot synopsis is as follows:

In this retro horror thriller, Sam (Thomas Calabro), an aspiring writer, takes a job as a clerk in an L.A. inner city grocery market owned by the sinister Dr. Munoz, a former scientist who claims to have a rare skin condition that forces him to live in sub-freezing temperatures. Meanwhile, Sam befriends an attractive neighborhood boutique owner Maria (Ashley Laurence) and becomes unwittingly entwined in a threatening love triangle when she reveals that ex-boyfriend Detective Defazio (James Russo), who is investigating the recent disappearance of two local prostitutes, is stalking her. But it's what Sam doesn't know that might prove more fatal. A darker, diabolical secret lurks behind the freezer walls of his newfound employment.

That sounds uniquely cool (pun intended) and definitely worth seeing later this year.

Brief review: "Felon"

2008-08-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

A hard-hitting portrayal of life behind bars, Felon is a viciously effective little film.

A loving family man with a promising future, Wade Porter (Stephen Dorff) suddenly loses everything when he accidentally kills the burglar who broke into his home. Convicted of involuntary manslaughter, Wade is sentenced to spend the next three years inside a maximum security facility where the rules of society no longer apply. Forced to share a cell with a notorious mass murderer (Val Kilmer) and subjected to brutal beatings orchestrated by the sadistic head prison guard (Harold Perrineau), Wade soon realizes he's in for the fight of his life.

Prison life has become a popular subject. With TV shows such as MSNBC's "Lockdown" and "Jail" from the producers of "Cops," the reality format has lead the way. Then, of course, there is the long-running drama "Prison Break" on Fox. Into this climate comes Felon, written and directed by veteran stuntman Ric Roman Waugh.

The film succeeds because of its consistently intriguing character development. First off, you have Stephen Dorff in the everyman role, a man punished for doing what he thought was right: protecting his family. You sympathize with his plight right from the beginning because when push comes to shove, most anyone would have done what he did. He struggles with life behind bars because he misses his wife (Marisol Nichols) and son (Vincent Miller) more than anything. It pains him that he will miss the formative years of watching his son grow up. His wife struggles almost as much as she becomes frustrated and depressed while trying to move on while feeling like her life is stuck in limbo until the love of her life is allowed to come home. On top of that, she has the very real problem of trying to support her son on her own when her husband was the one who had generated much of the income before via his construction business.

Then there is the head prison guard (Harold Perrineau). A man who tells his son to turn the other cheek when faced with school yard bullies but then himself gleefully initiates fights among the prisoners for his own perverse enjoyment. A fellow prison guard (Nate Parker) and a rookie on the job at first respects him because of his position but slowly begins to realize just how twisted and wrong the man's actions are. Lastly, there is John Smith (Val Kilmer), a serial killer who systematically murderered two entire families for a total of 17 people. A "lifer," he is respected among prisoners, and has a lot of wisdom to impart to Wade about how to survive in the new world he finds himself thrust into.

The film benefits immensely from stellar acting. Dorff is simply superb, bringing a mix of toughness and likeability to his role. Nichols is equally good, bringing raw emotion to her role. Perrineau is able to shift from acting like a phony nice guy outside of work to a angry, contentious jerk while on the job. And Kilmer is perfectly cast; always thinking but also uniquely compassionate.

You won't find a recent film that does a better job of portraying prison life than Felon.

"Trailer Park of Terror"

2008-08-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Summit Entertainment has announced Trailer Park of Terror for a DVD release on October 21.

The plot is as follows:

Based on the Imperium Comics series, six troubled high school students and their chaperon, an optimistic youth ministries Pastor, return from an outdoor character building retreat in the mountains. During a raging storm, their bus crashes, hopelessly stranding them in the middle of the Trucker's Triangle, a forgotten locus of consummate evil in the middle of nowhere. The hapless group seeks shelter for the night in a seemingly abandoned trailer park they find down the road. However, when the sun sets, it's not refuge they find. Instead, terror finds them in the form of Norma, a damned redneck reaper with a killer body who dispenses vengeance and death aided by her cursed companions, a bloodthirsty brood of Undead trailer trash.

That's honestly the first time I've ever heard the phrase "undead trailer trash." The comic book pedigree also gives hope that it'll be something more than a low budget, low grade horror film.

Brief review: "Séance"

2008-08-15T00:00:00.001-07:00

Distributor: Lionsgate

Séance is a disappointingly mediocre supernatural horror film.

A college student thinks her dorm room is being haunted by the ghost of a little girl. Though her roommates think she is crazy, they decide to hold a seance during the Thanksgiving break in an attempt to get rid of the troublesome spirit. What they don't realize is that their seance can't bring back a ghost that is already present. Instead, they unwittingly resurrect the girl's psychopathic killer (Adrian Paul).

Writer-director Mark L. Smith wrote and directed Séance before he sold the script that would become the low-budget, effective thriller "Vacancy" starring Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale. With his debut, he has crafted a hit and miss little film that excels at creating interesting characters but is a big letdown when it comes to the execution of the actual plot elements.

The characters created by Smith are, at the surface, stereotypical protagonists for a horror film: college students comprising the "Final Girl" you know is destined to make it, the dumb blonde girl with a boyfriend who thinks about sex 24/7, the other friend who doesn't serve much purpose other than to potentially add to the body count, and the nerdy outcast with a crush on the Final Girl who may or may not become a hero before the story has been told in its entirety. Smith takes the stereotypes and gives them dialogue that is, for the most part, believable. The lines rarely sound forced and otherwise unrealistic and the acting is better than average for films of this nature.

That said, the film falters when it comes to delivering actual scares. The direction and musical score tell you that things are supposed to be getting scary but they never really do. Part of the problem is that Adrian Paul plays the killer with a modicum of interest. His performance is never very threatening. Instead, his supposed psychopath comes across as laughably pathetic most of the time. The plot also proceeds in such a generic fashion, complete with grainy flashbacks of the killer's misdeeds, that a horror fan can pretty much fill in the blanks of where the whole thing is headed from very early on. The film lacks the necessary pizazz to hold your interest outside, perhaps, of the characters,

In cases like this where the film is so utterly predictable, you may rightfully wonder: "I've seen this all done better before so what's the point?"

"Kill Switch"

2008-08-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, First Look Pictures has announced Kill Switch for an October 7 DVD release.

The plot involves a grizzled detective (Seagal) hunting two serial killers.

Pretty generic plot but at least it seems more like a thriller than a stupid action movie like the ones Seagal has been making for what seems like forever.

Brief review: "The Hazing"

2008-08-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: MTI Home Video

A sometimes cheesy, sometimes (very) gory, sometimes funny but never scary film, The Hazing is a fun enough watch to make it worth checking out.

Brad Dourif ("Child's Play"), Tiffany Shepis, Nectar Rose ("Roman"), and Parry Shen ("Hatchet") star in this college-set film. Unaware that a madman is watching their every move, fraternity and sorority pals haze pledges in a spooky house. Before long, the madman (Dourif) is wreaking havoc, possessing the students and making them kill. What will the remaining few have to do in order to survive the night?

From writer-director Rolfe Kanefsky ("Nightmare Man," a whole bunch of low-budget teen sex comedies), comes The Hazing, a fun little film that shares a fair amount in common with "Nightmare Man," most notably castmember Tiffany Shepis and the idea of demonic possession. Like that film as well, this has its fair share of humor. In fact, it is much more of a comedy than "Nightmare Man," which, aside from a few scenes, pretty much played it straight as a horror film.

What I liked about The Hazing is the laid-back, fun and cheesy attitude. While it will undoubtedly be a turn-off for those looking for a real scarefest, Kanefsky and company let you know pretty much from the get-go that the film is a horror-comedy with an emphasis on the comedy, both intentional and unintentional. For example, take the scene in which Dourif's character comes back from the "Land of the Dead" as he calls it and convinces one of the students to read a spell from his book of damnation that will allow him to enter the land of the living. There is a flurry of really poor, corny special effects and then Dourif appears in ghostly form, a green outline surrounding him and making him literally glow. The special effects are about on-par with a sci-fi TV show and Kanefsky knows this, lingering on them for what has to be comedic effect. Not to mention the fact that the student he asks to read the spell can barely read and has to be told that there is an English translation of the Latin spell on the opposite page!

After this scene, Dourif has been let loose, possessing one of the more maniacally mean-spirited students and going on a killing rampage. It is here that the film delivers the gory goods. He uses everything from chainsaws, darts, to a road sign to knock off his victims, often quipping like Freddy Krueger (or better yet, Chucky) while doing so. My personal favorite quip was the gloriously cheesy "You should have obeyed the sign" after decapitating his victim with a detour sign.

The film also benefits from a game cast that delivers fun performances. Shepis is her cheeky, sarcastic self. Parry Shen is a laugh-riot as the one everyone calls a nerdy computer geek, Nectar Rose is great as the requisite bimbo who sleeps with every guy with a pulse, and Dourif is obviously relishing his chance to play an evil character in person instead of just lending his voice to a demonic doll.

Sure, it contains its fair share of low-budget cheesiness but hey, you won't find a more eclectic demonic possession movie. The Hazing is worth seeing just for that alone.

"Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead"

2008-08-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Troma has announced the DVD release date for Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead as October 28.

The plot synopsis is as follows:

When the American Chicken Bunker, a military-themed fried-chicken chain, builds a restaurant on the site of an ancient Indian burial ground, local protesters aren't the only ones crying fowl! The previous tenants, fueled by a supernatural force, take "possession" of the food and those who eat it, and the survivors discover that they must band together before they themselves become the other white meat!

Heh, sounds like it could be a fun combination of horror and comedy if done right. It'll be worth checking out just to see how the odd plot comes together.

DVD Releases: August 19/26

2008-08-12T00:00:00.001-07:00

August 19:

American Crime (First Look drama)
Camp Rock (Disney musical)
Deal (MGM drama)
Evil (Asylum thriller)
Fighting With Anger (PeaceArch western)
Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert (Disney)
Her Best Move (MGM comedy)
Life Before Her Eyes (Magnolia drama)
Love and Mary (MTI romantic comedy)
Lost Stallions: The Journey Home (Allumination FilmWorks family drama)
Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day (Universal comedy)
My Faraway Bride (Vivendi Visual comedy
Pacific & Eddy (Westlake Media drama)
Prom Night (Sony horror)
Quid Pro Quo (Magnolia drama)
Recount (HBO drama)
Restraint (Lionsgate thriller)
Riddle, The (Image thriller)
Scorpion King 2: Rise Of A Warrior (Universal action sequel)
Street Kings (Fox action/drama)
Wizard Of Gore (Dimension Extreme horror)

August 26:

Artifacts (Lionsgate horror)
August (First Look drama)
Border Wars (York action)
Call Of The Wild: Foxfire (Allumination FilmWorks family drama)
Chicago 10 (Paramount documentary)
Crusade: A March Through Time (Allumination FilmWorks fantasy)
Fishtales (Universal family comedy)
Judgment Day (York drama)
Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning (Disney sequel)
Lords Of The Streets (PeaceArch action)
My Sassy Girl (Fox romantic drama)
Postal (Vivendi Visual comedy)
Purple Violets (Genius Products comedy w/Edward Burns)
Redbelt (Sony drama)
Skinned Alive (Lionsgate horror)
Son Of Rambow (Paramount comedy)
Underground President (Maverick action)
Vampire Diary (Monarch horror)
Virgin Territory (Anchor Bay comedy)
Walker Payne (Image drama)
What Happens In Vegas (Fox comedy)
Where In The World Is Osama Bin Laden? (Weinstein documentary)

The week of August 19 is highlighted by the long-awaited DVD debut of "An American Crime," the horrific drama starring Catherine Keener as a psychotic woman who locks Ellen Page in the basement and tortures her with the help of the neighborhood kids(!). Also streeting that week is Crispin Glover as the "Wizard of Gore," a remake of Herschell Gordon Lewis' 1970 cult horror favorite. Glover is so strange that he is always fun to watch, if only to see just how odd he gets. The Australian thriller "Restraint" looks worth seeing as well.

August 26 is pretty bare of horror films aside from the gory "Skinned Alive." Also, part of me wants to see Uwe Boll's "Postal" to see just how big of a trainwreck it is. Who knows? Maybe he's brilliant at comedy.

"Beneath the Surface"

2008-08-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Well Go USA has announced the DVD release date for Beneath the Surface as October 7.

The plot synopsis is as follows:

By uncovering a world thought only to exist in his imagination, Ethan brings the love of his life back from the dead in order to clear her name and expose the truth behind her apparent suicide. However, he did not expect the chaos that would come back with her as well.

I wonder what the chaos referenced is? It'll be interesting to find out come October.

"Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead"

2008-08-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Fox has announced Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead for an October 7 DVD release.

The plot synopsis, according to Fangoria, is below:

Directed by Louis ("The Hitcher 2") Morneau, Joy Ride 2 follows four young friends on a cross-desert drive, during which they make the mistake of “borrowing” a car belonging to murderous trucker Rusty Nail.

As someone who loved the first film, I really hope they get the sequel right. It could be really entertaining if done right. Nicki Aycox ("Jeepers Creepers 2") stars in a film written by one of the writers of "Dumb and Dumber"(!).

"Return to Sleepaway Camp"

2008-08-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Magnolia/Magnet has announced Return to Sleepaway Camp for an October 14 DVD release.

The plot synopsis is as follows:

It's summer camp as usual at Camp Manabe where the kids torment each other for fun while the underpaid camp staff provides as little supervision as possible. Greedy camp owner Frank and junior partner Ronnie do their best to keep everyone in line, but something sinister is about to put a slash in the roster. When campers and staff mysteriously begin disappearing and turning into gruesome corpses, paranoid Ronnie can't shake the memory of a series of grisly murders that took place at Camp Arawak, where he worked two decades earlier. Has a ghost from the past come back to haunt him?

The original series from the 80's was good if cheesy fun. Hopefully, this continues that tradition although it can't be good that this was filmed way back in 2003 and isn't being released until now. I've heard of films sitting on the shelf or struggling to find distribution but that is just craziness.

"Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer"

2008-08-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Anchor Bay has announced Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer for an October 7 DVD release.

The plot synopsis is as follows:

As a child Jack Brooks witnessed the brutal murder of his family. Now a young man he struggles with a pestering girlfriend, therapy sessions that resolve nothing, and night classes that barely hold his interest. After unleashing an ancient curse, Jack's Professor undergoes a transformation into something not-quite- human, and Jack is forced to confront some old demons... along with a few new ones.

Early word via the festival circuit is very good. Hopefully, this will get noticed in the overstuffed October. Note to studios: there are other months in which a good horror movie can do well, either on DVD or in theaters.

Brief review: "Rogue"

2008-08-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Dimension Extreme

A taut, thrilling little survival horror film, Rogue deserved a far better fate (to say the least) than an unceremonious direct-to-DVD release.

When a group of tourists stumble into the remote Australian river territory of an enormous crocodile, the deadly creature traps them on a tiny mud island with the tide quickly rising and darkness descending. As the hungry predator closes in, they must fight for survival against all odds.

Greg Mclean's feature debut, 2005's "Wolf Creek" was a divisive film in the horror community. A simple tale of a group of twentysomethings who run into all sorts of trouble in the Australian Outback, most notable a psychopath intent on skinning them alive, the slow pace was a love or hate it trait. Then he rather quickly produced a follow-up, a film called Rogue that was revealed to be the tale of a killer crocodile. Then a competing film titled "Primeval" was rushed into theatres, promptly bombing and scaring Rogue's distributor Dimension. Well, nearly a year later, the film has finally been released, albeit not in the format many probably had hoped. Still, theatrical release or no theatrical release, nothing changes the fact that Greg Mclean has wrote and directed one very cool little creature feature, the best of its kind since perhaps "The Edge" in that like that film, it overcomes the whole killer animal angle to become a film more about what people do when thrust into a kill or be killed scenario.

The film gets nearly everything right when it comes to telling a story like this one, a story whose familiarity demands such perfection in order to become something more. The setup is quick enough to keep your interest but developed enough so that the characters become more than just cardboard cut-outs waiting to be served up on a platter to the beast.

Once the film gets into the survival angle though, here's where things get really good. Nail-biting scene after nail-biting scene commences. I don't want to ruin anything but a sequence involving a rope and keeping balance is just about the most pure thrilling scene I've seen in a movie like this, ever. The film also gets bonus points for unpredictability. Characters you'd assume are safe, aren't and vice versa. Nothing like that to keep us on our toes.

Of course, a film cannot become great without good performances. Thankfully, this film has them. Radha Mitchell is believable as the assertive and intelligent tour guide Kate, Michael Vartan is fun as the travel journalist, and the rest of the cast, including "Wolf Creek" alum John Jarratt, are also quite good.

Rogue is just about the best creature feature I've ever seen. I suspect that you won't see a better mix of suspense and horror of this kind for a while.

"They Wait"

2008-08-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Vivendi Visual Entertainment has announced the DVD release date for They Wait as September 16.

The film stars Jaime King ("Sin City"). The plot synopsis is as follows:

A young mother and her six-year-old son come face to face with the mysteries of two murders and a great crime against the Chinese community into which they have recently arrived from Shanghai.

King is a decent actor; always fun to watch not to mention gorgeous and early reviews say that the film is entertaining. I eagerly await its release in a little over a month.

"Anaconda 3: Offspring"

2008-08-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has officially announced Anaconda 3: Offspring for an October 21 release on DVD.

As you can tell, the film stars David "Don't hassle the Hoff" Hasselhoff. The plot goes something like this:

A mercenary-for-hire (Hasselhoff) accepts a mission from a billionaire to capture a dangerous snake that could possibly help cure a terminal illness.

The film just debuted on the Sci-Fi Channel. I couldn't make it through more than 20 minutes before shutting it off. It was terrible.

Brief review: "Starship Troopers 3: Marauder"

2008-08-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Back in November of 1997 a little film called "Starship Troopers" was released in theaters. Starring a cast of up and coming actors, among them Denise Richards who. up to that point, had mostly done TV work. Joining her and curiously receiving top billing was another with mostly TV work, a little known actor named Casper Van Dien. The movie was set up to be his launching pad to stardom and a rebound for director Paul Paul Verhoeven after the debacle that was "Showgirls." The man was returning to his stomping grounds, a sci-fi tale rife with satire ala his "RoboCop" and "Total Recall" films. He had even brought "RoboCop" screenwriter Edward Neumeier along for the ride. Alas, the $105 million budgeted film flopped on delivery, grossing a meager $54,814,377 in domestic box office and barely breaking even after foreign box office was taken into account.

Then something happened. The film exploded on home video, renting like mad and becoming something of a cult hit. Sensing money to be made, Sony finally got around to sequelizing it in 2004 with "Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation." The direct-to-video release was a decent performer, easily besting its $7 million production budget. Some fans remained disappointed as Casper Van Dien and, more importantly, the satire that made the original such a cult hit, were missing in action. Instead, the film featured a new cast of characters and a tone akin to a straight-ahead horror film. Well, four years later, series writer Edward Neumeier has reinstated the satire, not only writing but also making his directorial debut. Also, Casper Van Dien is back to reprise his role as the gung-ho Johnny Rico. Does the third entry's bigger budget and tonal shift help or was the series actually better off switching to horror?

Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) is back on lead his team on a secret mission to rescue a small crew of troopers stranded on the remote desert planet of OM-1. Battling bugs, both new and old, the new "Marauder" advanced weapons technology may be their only hope against a treasonous element operating within the Federation itself. As Captain Lola Beck (Jolene Blalock) and the rest of the starship crew fight to survive in the harsh conditions, it begins to dawn to them that something on OM-1 is very, very wrong. This time the bugs have a secret weapon that could destroy humanity.

Nowhere near as good as the original but more enjoyable than the sequel, Starship Troopers 3: Marauder is a passable amalgam of sci-fi and satire.

Surprisingly, the film gets what you'd expect it to get right wrong and vice versa. The action sequences are as fun and gooey as ever. The special effects are quite impressive, looking on par with the original and illustrating just how far the technology has come in little over a decade. The only mild disappointment with these sequences is that they aren't as gleefully gory as they were in two previous films. The red stuff simply doesn't fly like it used to. The performances are game with most notably, Van Dien obviously glad to be back doing a film with a bigger budget than the usual direct to Sci-Fi Channel stuff he has done pretty much since the original "Starship Troopers."

It is the satire stuff that drags the film down. The "Federal Network" interstitial segments, like before, pretty much play as thinly-veiled recruitment videos. But now they also take predictable jabs at the U.S. military and the Iraq War. These parts are way too obvious and tired to be of any note. The plot machinations that take further jabs at real world events are almost as tired. But what is most confounding is the earnest and decidedly straight forward inclusion of a religious component. A few of the soldiers have found religion and they proceed to preach the power of their most likely Christian God (the Christian part is never overtly said but made rather obvious by other elements) to others. This is the first film in which a action sequence of soldiers killing giant bugs has been combined with the scene of two characters kneeling and chanting the "Our Father" prayer. It is a jarring sequence, to say the least.

Overall, Starship Troopers 3: Marauder is worth seeing for the further decently thrilling adventures of the Federation and its ongoing battle with the bugs. I'd welcome a fourth film if they are so inclined.

"The Devil's Chair"

2008-08-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced The Devil's Chair for an October 7 DVD release.

The official synopsis is below:

Searching for twisted thrills, Nick West (Andrew Howard) takes his girlfriend to an abandoned mental hospital to drop acid. But when his date sits on a mysterious chair, she is mutilated and her body is dragged into an unforeseen demonic black hole. When Nick tells his horrifying tale to the police, he is deemed clinically insane and locked away. Now, four years later, a brilliant psychology professor and his students return to the crime scene with the accused killer searching for the truth behind the terrifying occult mystery in this blood-drenched, supernatural thriller.

This Adam Mason directed horror film sounds twisted; I like it!

Brief review: "Pray for Morning"

2008-08-04T00:00:00.001-07:00

Distributor: Allumination FilmWorks

It's rather interesting (and sometimes infuriating) the films that find distribution. Sometimes films so bad find distribution instantly while all too often decent to good films fly under the radar, struggling to find a company to release them. Pray for Morning falls into this category. While it is not an original or mind-blowing film, it is a fun little ghost story that was produced in 2005 yet didn't find distribution until recently.

The plan was to spend one night in the abandoned Royal Crescent Hotel, where in 1985, five students were murdered, their killer never found. What was supposed to be just a night of fun for a group of just graduated high schoolers, hunting for the victims' bloodstained rooms, suddenly changes when they find a severed hand and awake an evil presence within the hotel. Now they are running for their lives, trying to solve a mystery one hundred years old before it's too late.

Ghost stories are not my favorite kind of horror film. All too often, they come across as corny and too CGI heavy to be scary at all, instead ending up lame and forgettable. They also pander too much to the teen audience, especially the ones released in theaters. Going with a PG-13 rating pretty much eliminates any chance of creating any real fear, inane jump scares standing in for real atmosphere and thrills. Thankfully, Pray for Morning mostly avoids these pitfalls, telling an intriguing story coupled with nice bits of the red stuff, enough so that it clearly isn't interested in pandering to the teen audience. It also helps that the acting is quite good from all involved.

Jessica Stroup is probably the most well-known of the "teen" actors, having had substantial roles in "The Hills Have Eyes II" last year and "Prom Night" this year. She is quite good here, bringing likeability and intelligence to her role. Her fellow castmembers are also fine, just less notable because they don't have as big of parts. Of course, they are joined by cult favorite Udo Kier, who gets top billing despite only having about fifteen minutes of screen time. Having appeared in over 180 films since the 70's, the man gets work and keeps busy. He's probably most recognizable to horror fans for roles in films like "Blade," "FeardotCom," and Rob Zombie's "Halloween" remake. His role here involves him whisper talking, sounding a lot like Marlon Brando in "The Godfather," oddly enough. Still, he's fun. His eyes! So intense!

Pray for Morning certainly isn't anything groundbreaking, nor does it try to be, but it's a decent and suitably gruesome ghost story with good production values and an above-average cast.

"Room 205"

2008-08-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Lionsgate has announced the DVD release date (October 14) for the Danish horror film Room 205.

Wanting a fresh start, Katrine moves into a university dormitory but quickly learns the myth about a ghost of a former resident who was killed. The myth soon becomes a terrifying reality.

Doesn't sound particularly inventive and ghost stories are notoriously difficult to get right so color me skeptical at this point.

"No Man's Land: The Rise Of Reeker"

2008-08-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Lionsgate has announced the DVD release date for No Man's Land: The Rise Of Reeker as October 14.

As previously reported, the film is s sequel to the 2005 film "Reeker." the follow-up concerns a band of thieves being chased not only by cops but also something worse. Much worse and its name is "Reeker," a monster that can travel between the world of the living and the world of the dead.

The original was interesting if unfocused. Hopefully, this film will rectify what was wrong with the first film because the creature has definite franchise potential.

Brief review: "WarGames: The Dead Code"

2008-08-02T00:00:00.002-07:00

Distributor: MGM

Back in 1983, the U.S. was engaged in the Cold War with the Soviet Union and computers were just about to really burst onto the scene. In comes "WarGames," a film that, in its own way, spoke to the fears the public had of terrorism from abroad and ever-encroaching technological advancement. The film went on to become a huge hit, launching Matthew Broderick's career in the process and certainly doing no harm to Ally Sheedy's either. Fast foward 25 years to 2008 and once again the U.S. is engaged in a war with a foreign country and concern about terrorism is ever-prevalent.Wargames: The Dead Code is released. Oh, how things change yet stay the same.

Computer hacker Will Farmer (Matt Lanter) engages a goverment super-computer named Ripley in an online terrorist-attack simulation game. Little does Farmer know that Ripley has been designed to appeal to potential terrorists and now it thinks he is one. Before long, Will and his new girlfriend Annie (Amanda Walsh) are on the run in Montreal, Canada. Can he prove his innocence before it's too late? Will Ripley go rogue and initiate total annihilation? Will you really care?

WarGames: The Dead Code starts off okay. It introduces the two main characters as the likeable computer whiz and the intelligent, elfish-looking girl he has an instantaneous crush on. The film also gains interest through its delineation of the government's attempts to fight terrorism abroad, complete with enough explosions and gunfire to get you thinking that perhaps, this direct-to-DVD in name only sequel will be worth your time. Even once the chase portion starts, the film is passably entertaining. The car chases on narrow streets so obviously trying to mimic the Jason Bourne movies are decent fun. The "Fugitive"-like portion is wholly entertaining, yes. But all too brief. Once the two stop running, the film goes downhill fast.

Warning, spoilers ahead. Skip this paragraph if you don't want to know how the film proceeds to suck all life out of the proceedings in the last half hour. Ripley does initiate a countdown to destruction. The government doesn't have a clue what to do so they call on their new captive to help them. He, in turn, calls on WOPR, the computer in the original film. The "thrilling" climax involves fast and furious typing on Will's part followed by him and everyone else watching a computer screen for what seemed like ages as the program he created played itself out as WOPR "battles" Ripley. It is so incredibly cheesy and anti-climactic it ceases being stupidly inept and becomes pathetic as time passes. I realize that the film was made on a budget so a big-time explosion-fest finale was probably not an option but still, what were director Stuart Gillard (a bunch of TV series/movies and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III") and screenwriter Randall M. Badat thinking? Someone has to have told them that such a passive, dull sequence is certainly not the way to conclude a film, let alone act as the supposed climax, right? I guess not.

WarGames: The Dead Code offers some decent thrills for about an hour before completely collapsing during its seemingly endless (not to mention endlessly stupid) final half hour.

"The Last House in the Woods"

2008-08-02T00:00:00.001-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Lionsgate has announced the DVD release date for the Italian horror film The Last House in the Woods: October 14.

The film is reportedly in the vein of Wes Craven's infamous "The Last House on the Left," hardly surprising given the title similarities. Still, generic plots have little to do with whether a horror film is successful. It's all about executing the elements and ratcheting up the tension. Let's hope the makers of this new release get it right.

"Dark Floors"

2008-08-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Lionsgate has announced Dark Floors' DVD release date: October 14.

Not much can be found about the film except to say that it is a Finnish film involving a hospital, a monster, and time travel. Odd combo; let's hope that they are smoothly intertwined or else the film could be a mess.

"Dance of the Dead"

2008-08-01T00:00:00.001-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Lionsgate has announced Dance of the Dead for an October 14 release on DVD.

The plotline goes something like this:

On the night of the big High-School Prom, the dead rise to eat the living, and the only people who can stop them are the losers who couldn't get dates to the dance.

Heh, that's a fun premise. From zeros to heroes, all in one night. I bet one gets the girl too!

"Brotherhood Of Blood"

2008-08-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Lionsgate has announced Brotherhood Of Blood for an October 14 DVD release.

The film is described as:

A claustrophobic thriller about a team of vampire hunters who infiltrate a nest of undead to rescue one of their own.

Sounds interesting and the cast and coverart are eye-catching. Sid Haig always plays such odd people.

"Zombie Strippers"

2008-07-31T17:20:00.001-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced Zombie Strippers for release on DVD October 28.

The plot is pretty self-explanatory so I'll just say that Jenna Jameson and Robert Englund star.

Hopefully, it'll be cheeky fun.

"Home Sick"

2008-07-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Synapse Films has announced Home Sick for an August 26 release on DVD.

The plot goes something like this:

A maniac with a suitcase full of razorblades unleashes a super human killer upon a group of kids in a small Alabama town.

Tiffany Shepis stars in yet another cool-sounding horror flick.

"Devil's Mercy"

2008-07-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Fangoria, PeaceArch Entertainment has set its film Devil's Mercy for an October 7 DVD street date.

The plot is as follows:

Stephen Rea stars in the story of a family who moves into a Connecticut home where their young son senses something strange about their downstairs neighbor (Rea).

Rea is an interesting actor and these type of films about the habits of people who may or may not be psychotic are usually intriguing so I look forward to the film's DVD release in what has become a characteristically crowded October for horror films.

Brief review: "Lost Boys: The Tribe"

2008-07-29T21:38:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Warner Premiere

A quirky follow-up to the 1987 cult hit directed by Joel Schumacher, Lost Boys: The Tribe may not please die-hard fans of the original but, taken on its own, offers a fun (and often funny) experience.

Brother and sister Chris (Tad Hilgenbrink) and Nicole (Autumn Reeser) have moved to the California coast town of Luna Bay to live with a none-too-pleased aunt after their parents die in a car accident. It isn't long before the younger and more lively sister pushes her protective brother into attending a party with her. At the party, she meets and falls in love with the mysterious Shane (Angus Sutherland, Donald's son). Of course, she had no way of knowing that he was the head of a "tribe" of vampires, let alone that drinking the drink he offered her (blood) would begin her transformation into one of his kind. After seeking advice from a man named Edgar Frog (Corey Feldman, reprising his role as the surfboard shaper and vampire hunter from the first film), Chris learns that if he can kill Shane before his sister feeds, she won't turn into a vampire and, as Frog says, her "mortal soul" will be saved.

Let's get the film's problems out of the way first. First off, P.J. Pesce, directing from a script by Hans Rodionoff, is obviously hampered by a small budget. The film was intended as a direct-to-DVD feature almost from the get-go. In spite of rumors of a theatrical release, rumors mostly started by Corey Feldman, the chances of that ever really becoming a reality were slim to none. The budget really only affects the scale of the few action sequences and a chase scene that pops up but Pesce manages to make such sequences work anyway because of sharp editing and smooth directing.

Then there is the humor. The film has a surplus of one-liners, mostly courtesy of Edgar Frog. Some may find them corny and otherwise cheesy but I thought they worked in the atmosphere established from the get-go by Pesce. The film mixes a healthy dose of comedy with gory action-horror set-pieces, much like the original. Sure, lines like "Who ordered the stake?" by Frog while brandishing two cross-shaped stakes are obvious but somehow work nonetheless because of the almost giddy directing by Pesce. The guy hasn't met a scene that he didn't think could use more fog, blood/gore, or humor, whatever the case may be.

In spite of a small budget, the affably corny writing (at times) works because of a better than could be expected assembled cast. As Chris, Hilgenbrink combines intelligence with just enough toughness to make his character believable throughout. As his sister, the cute-as-a-button Autumn Reeser is superb; her character gets some of the best comedy bits and she excels at them. As the head vampire, Angus Sutherland is quite good. Believably authoritative and a commanding screen presence, you definitely buy him as the head honcho of the undead. And then there's Feldman. With a line-delivery most similar to that of Christian Bale's Batman, a sort of deep, guttural sounding Corey is a little odd at first but once you get used to it, you realize that Feldman is clearly having fun and you are too.

Lost Boys: The Tribe is an example of an after-the-fact sequel that actually works; consistently entertaining and surprisingly well-acted. It's lots of fun.

DVD Releases: August 5/12

2008-07-29T00:00:00.001-07:00

August 5:

Aztec Rex (Goldhill horror)
Baby Blues (Allumination FilmWorks horror)
Back At The Barnyard: When No One's Looking (Paramount comedy)
Blood And Sex Nightmare (Bloody Earth horror)
Bram Stoker's Dracula's Guest (Lionsgate horror)
Buds For Life (Maverick comedy)
Counterfeiters (Sony thriller)
Garfield's Fun Fest (Fox animated comedy)
Hive, The (Genius Products horror)
Lobster Tale (Trinity comedy)
Miss Conception (First Look comedy
My Brother Is An Only Child (ThinkFilm comedy)
My Mummy (Rivercoast horror-comedy)
Nim's Island (Fox adventure)
Queen Sized (Anchor Bay drama)
Rogue (Dimension Extreme horror)
Slippery Slope (Lifesize Home Entertainment comedy)
Starship Troopers 3: Marauder (Sony sci-fi sequel)
Wasted (Weinstein Company drama)
Webs (Image sci-fi)

August 12:

3 A.M. (York horror)
American Mall (Paramount drama)
Art Of War II: The Betrayal (Sony thriller)
Belly 2: Millionaire Boyz Club (Lionsgate drama)
CJ7 (Sony comedy)
Dick: The Devil Dared Me To (Vivendi Visual comedy)
Felon (Sony thriller)
Frank (First Look family comedy)
I'm Through With White Girls (Image comedy)
Juncture (MTI thriller)
Killing Gene, The (Dimension Extreme thriller)
Legacy (Weinstein comedy)
Ninja Cheerleaders (PeaceArch action/comedy)
Orange Thief (WB comedy)
Outside Sales (Echo Bridge comedy)
Resurrection Mary (Laguna Films horror)
Secret, The (Image supernatural drama)
Smart People (Miramax drama/comedy)
Survival (York horror)
Watching The Detectives (PeaceArch comedy)

A rather disappointing two weeks highlighted by a few select films worth checking out. August 5 offers the gut-wrenching thrills of "Baby Blues," the killer croc fun of "Rogue," and the cheeky B-movie charm of the third "Starship Troopers."

August 12 has a Dimension Extreme title in "The Killing Gene" and the hopefully fun "Ninja Cheerleaders" along with another Wesley Snipes film in "Art Of War II: The Betrayal."

"Wicked Lake"

2008-07-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Shriek Show has set the film Wicked Lake for a October 7 release on DVD.

The plot is as follows:

Four beautiful but mysterious girls embark on a road trip for a relaxing weekend getaway in the woods. Unbeknownst to them, two clans of deranged male misfits follow them to their secluded and picturesque lakeside cabin in the mountains. The girls appear to be easy prey for the predatory perverts until the fateful stroke of midnight when all hell, literally , breaks loose and the tables are turned.

Intriguing if generic. Still likely worth seeing come October.

"13 Hours in a Warehouse"

2008-07-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Maverick Entertainment has announced 13 Hours in a Warehouse for a DVD release on October 28.

The plot synopsis via Fangoria is as follows:

Written and directed by novelist Dav Kaufman, the movie takes place in the titular locale, where five thieves hole up after finishing a job. Once inside, the become haunted by strange numbers and a lot worse.

Aside from the decidedly unwieldy title, the film sounds intriguing.

"Trackman"

2008-07-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Lionsgate has announced Trackman for an October 14 DVD release.

The Russian horror film concerns a gang of thieves who hole up inside what they think is an abandoned insane asylum. Little do they know that a psychopathic murderer calls it home...

Word from overseas has the film playing like an American slasher movie, pretty generic except for the presence of ultra violence.

Still, it'll be interesting to see how the Russians make their own version of a slasher film.

"The Substitute"

2008-07-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Lionsgate has announced The Substitute for a October 14 DVD release.

The plot synopsis is as follows: 6th Grade gets a new substitute teacher. She wants to train the class for an international competition in Paris. But something isn't right. How is she able read kids' minds? Why is she so mean? And how does she manage to convince everyone's parents she is so great when the whole class knows she is really an alien?

Reminds me of those "My Teacher is an Alien" books by Bruce Coville, only more twisted. I'm so there!

"Buried Alive"

2008-07-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Sony has announced Buried Alive for DVD release on September 30.

Adapted from the Internet series of the same name, the film is about a group of young people who have suffered the titular fate, with a brother and sister desperately tracking on-line clues to rescue them.

The plot is interesting, to say the least. The Internet aspect though is troubling as movies rarely handle computers well; they usually come across as over-simplified or corny. Let's hope this latest effort gets it right.

Brief review: "The Boston Strangler: The Untold Story"

2008-07-24T22:13:00.001-07:00

Distributor: Genius Products/Weinstein Company

A poorly constructed look at the search for a serial killer (or killers) terrorizing Boston during the 1960's, The Boston Strangler: The Untold Story has some interesting points and decent performances but the slapdash nature of how the film progresses does its best to kill any momentum gained from them.

Writer-director-producer (hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he also catered) Michael Feifer has made a killing (pun intended) from true crime films based on infamous serial murder cases. This film marks his third such endeavor after "Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield" and "Chicago Massacre: Richard Speck" and still awaiting release are "Bundy: An American Icon" and "B.T.K." All of them were written and filmed in a one year span, a fact Feifer is clearly proud of based on his comments on the commentary track for this film. Let's not forget his other 2008 release, "Bram Stoker's Dracula's Guest," hitting DVD August 5. The budgets for each film ranged from $1 to $2.5 million dollars and the scripts were cranked out in five days or less by Mr. Feifer. Based on his results with The Boston Strangler: The Untold Story, I'd suggest he take at least a few more days to polish his scripts because this one stunk.

Between June 1962 and January 1964, the city of Boston was stalked by the Strangler, who killed and sexually assaulted 13 women, each found strangled with stockings. The man who confessed to these murders was Albert De Salvo (David Faustino). The real killer was never found as it became pretty much a done deal that De Salvo was in it for the fame and was really just a small-time crook. As presented here, the facts of the case are jumbled, to say the least.

Feifer decides to show a large amount of restraint in his dramatization of the events of the case. The level of violence is about on par with an episode of "Criminal Minds" on CBS, probably even less graphic. There is only one scene where blood is shown and the single rape in the film is only briefly hinted at. The problem quickly becomes boredom as Feifer jumps forward and backwards in time at about 10-minute intervals, leaving scenes half-finished and subplots dropped right and left. We meet De Salvo's wife and hints at their troubled marriage but after a single scene, she is never seen or heard from again. The same could be said for the lead detective's (Andrew Divoff) home life as he too is having problems with his wife. His whole character reeks of poor writing, as he is just the latest example of the cliched overworked detective who questions anything and everything. If the film had decided to sensationalize things a bit, perhaps the film wouldn't play so dry and dull throughout.

That said, the performances are decent from the entire cast. Especially surprising was David Faustino, best known for playing "Bud Bundy" on the 1980's sitcom "Married...with Children. He's very convincing as De Salvo, playing up the charming con artist aspect of the character with aplomb. Kostas Sommer is almost as good as his cellmate who convinces him to confess to the murders after he's been arrested for unrelated crimes. Divoff suffers a little because of the bland character he plays but he still brings respectability to the role.

The Boston Strangler: The Untold Story is a narrative mess of half-developed plots and slapdash writing but the acting is good enough to recommend the film to true crime buffs.

The poster for "Jennifer's Body"

2008-07-24T17:29:00.001-07:00

The first poster for the upcoming horror film written by Oscar winner Diablo Cody has surfaced.

Jennifer's Body stars Megan Fox ("Transformers") and Amanda Seyfried ("Mamma Mia") in the story of a cheerleader (Fox, pictured) who, after becoming possessed, begins killing off her classmates.

The film, which is scheduled for release sometime next year, sounds like fun. Cody wrote great dialogue in "Juno" and logic dictates that we can look forward to more of it in this film. Couple that with lots of bloody violence and an attractive cast and you've got the recipe for a potentially awesome movie.

"Nympha"

2008-07-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, MTI has announced the horror film Nympha for a September 9 DVD release.

The film stars Tiffany Shepis and concerns an American who encounters evil forces shortly after arriving at a convent in the Italian countryside.

Shepis is almost always entertaining so for her alone the film should be worth a look.

"Pink Eye"

2008-07-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Halo8 Releasing has announced Pink Eye for a September 30 DVD release.

The film concerns secret drug-testing at an insane asylum that spirals out of control. Patients are dying in sick and twisted ways and those who survive are becoming raging, homicidal lunatics. It's only a matter of time before all hell breaks loose and the patients begin to crave freedom to take their vengeance out on the world outside.

Sounds suspiciously similar to "Insanitarium" but I plan on renting it to see for myself.

Brief review: "Dark Honeymoon"

2008-07-22T23:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Starz/Anchor Bay

Dark Honeymoon offers a fun if commonplace tale of suspense.

After a brief courtship, a man (Nick Cornish) marries an enchanting woman (Lindy Booth), and then things begin to go terribly wrong. During their honeymoon on the foggy Oregon coast, he discovers her shocking secret as those around them die horrible and violent deaths - one by one. The tension increases with the body count, and he soon learns that you never really know someone... until you marry them. The late Roy Scheider, Eric Roberts, Daryl Hannah, and Tia Carrere costar.

Dark Honeymoon is an example of a film that gets by mostly on the imminently watchable nature of its cast. The plotline is so straightforward and otherwise run-of-the-mill throughout that a cast of lesser actors would have made it a chore to sit through. Lucky for writer-director David O'Malley that he was able to assemble a cast of this caliber. Sure, not one would be considered a big name but they are all screen veterans who know how to bring fun to their roles.

In the lead role, Nick Cornish is likable and convincing as the newlywed who slowly recognizes that his wife is a walking, talking nutball-nutcase. As the nutcase, Lindy Booth is pitch perfect. She smartly resists playing the role as a caricature. By doing so, the audience at least can somewhat understand why someone might have fallen in love with her to begin with. But when she is showing her dark side, Booth is clearly having fun, relishing her chance to go psychopathic on everyone.

Among the supporting performances, Roy Scheider is great as the manager of the motel where the couple is staying for their honeymoon. He recognizes that something is not quite right with Booth even before her husband does and calmly tries to impart this knowledge to him. Carrere and Hannah play guests at the motel who, after crossing paths with her, also notice that Booth is not playing with a full deck, so to speak. Eric Roberts is a hoot as a arrogant customer at the gas station the couple stops at on the way to the motel.

Sure, it is almost generic to a fault. Even so, Dark Honeymoon is worth a look, if only to witness one of Roy Schneider's final performances.

"Prom Night"

2008-07-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Sony Home Entertainment has announced the Prom Night remake for an August 19 DVD release.

Having seen the film in theatres, the unrated cut has really no hope of improving the film. It is so generic and bloodless (in more ways than one) that it really only will appeal to teenyboppers who haven't seen many horror films in their life. Longtime horror fans will be bored rather quickly.

Prom Night is one to skip, unrated or not.

Brief review: "Gag"

2008-07-21T20:22:00.001-07:00

Distributor: ThinkFilm

Gag is a generic "Saw" wannabe.

When two thieves easily break into a Hollywood mansion, they figure it'll be a cakewalk. Things get interesting when they find a man bound, gagged, and beaten in one of the rooms. Their decision to help him is only their first mistake. It seems a serial killer who has taken a liking to torture has trapped them in the house. Needless to say, the killer does not have the best of intentions or plans in store for them.

Gag is so mind-numbingly rote that if one is not jazzed-up on caffeine, they might have difficulty staying awake throughout. The said thing is, the film runs only a little over 70 minutes and still is dull as can be. One problem is that the directing and writing by Scott W. Mckinlay and Kirk Sever respectively, presents what should be rather straightforward material in a fashion that can charitably be described as muddled. Together with the haphazard editing hack job by Michael Darrow that thinks that by copying the MTV style editing of the "Saw" films, only more emphasized, makes the film "stylish" and "hip." This is wrong as it makes the film almost incoherent at times.

The filmmakers also make the error of revealing the villain too early as well. The first "Saw" was ingenious in the way it kept the viewer wondering who "Jigsaw" was and even when you thought you had it, the film proved you wrong. Once revealed, the villain here becomes hilarious in the way he whines and postulates via goofy, impassioned speeches.

As for the torture aspect, it too is laughably done. I don't know about you, but I really have a hard time finding boiling pennies and then putting them on someone's skin anything more than a stupid trick middle schoolers would do to one another as a lame way of testing their so-called mettle.

On top of all that, the victims are about as dumb as a box of rocks. They are presented with numerous chances to escape that they, of course, don't take. Hell, even the front door of the house remains unlocked and unopened!

If being stuck in a house with dimwits sounds like entertainment to you, go ahead and rent this. That said, most will be moved to "Gag"ging within minutes of the stupidity.

July 18-20 Box Office

2008-07-21T16:16:00.000-07:00

From Variety:

1. The Dark Knight (WB) $158,411,483

2. Mamma Mia! (Uni) $27,751,240

3. Hancock (Sony) $14,040,178/$191,543,979

4. Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D (New Line) $12,340,435/$43,504,712

5. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (Uni) $10,117,815/$56,526,885

6. Wall-E (Disney) $10,070,396/$182,732,709

7. Space Chimps (Fox) $7,181,374

8. Wanted (Uni) $5,072,805/$123,322,635

9. Get Smart (WB) $4,125,021/$119,608,695

10. Kung Fu Panda (DreamWorks) $1,860,854/$206,616,381

Wow! That's all I can say about the opening for "The Dark Knight." It now holds the record for largest weekend for a single film in the history of box office tracking, beating the $151,116,516 that "Spider-Man 3" amassed in the first weekend of May 2007. Not only that, but "The Dark Knight" is an amazing film that rightfully seems to have fantastic word-of-mouth on its side. It could easily make over $400 million total.

"Mamma Mia!" opened right in line with "Hairspray," last summer's musical of note. It may be able to make more than $100 million total, depending on its word-of-mouth. The less said about the poor opening of the slapdash animated "Space Chimps," the better.

Next weekend brings Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as "Step Brothers" and Chris Carter's "The X-Files: I Want to Believe."

"Seed"

2008-07-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Vivendi Visual Entertainment has announced Uwe Boll's Seed for a September 9 DVD release.

The film concerns a serial killer who breaks out of prison and goes on a murderous rampage. Word has it that the film borders on tastelessly violent so make of that what you will.

I may check out the film out of curiosity.

Brief review: "Trapped Ashes"

2008-07-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Lionsgate

Trapped Ashes is an anthology film telling four stories plus a wraparound tale so it shouldn't be a surprise to hear that it is very much a hit-and-miss affair. Unfortunately, it is more miss than hit overall.

The framing story directed by Joe Dante ("Gremlins") involves the tour of a movie studio by an odd tour guide (Henry Gibson) with the main attraction being a haunted house set featured in a set of films called "Hysteria." The guests and tour guide soon find themselves trapped in the house. According to the tour guide, their only way out is to tell their most horrifying stories, leading into four subsequent short films of sorts. This section works pretty well, mixing humor with good performances and an eerie musical score.

Since each one of the stories play like mini-films, it is best to review each separately.

The first involves an aspiring actress (Rachel Veltri) who is struggling to get chosen for parts so she decides to have breast augmentation surgery. For some reason, she decides to let a creepy doctor use a new procedure in which he implants flesh from cadavers instead of silicone. Before long, she realizes that her breasts are now intent on eating whoever and whatever they can. As directed by Ken Russell ("Altered States"), this segment attempts to mix pitch-black humor with horror but really doesn't do either very well. Aside from a game performance by Veltri, it flails about with no real direction until a truly bizarre and rather stupid conclusion. The film "Teeth" did a similar idea much better.

The next story surrounds a couple's trip to Japan. While on a scenic walk, they come across a man who has hanged himself. The wife (Lara Harris) soon begins to have violently erotic dreams about the man and is then kidnapped, seemingly by the man's restless spirit. The husband (Scott Lowell) consults monks to find out what has happened to her. They inform him that she apparently has been taken to a form of Hell, and he must risk his life to get her back. As directed by Sean S. Cunningham ("Friday the 13th"), this is easily the worst segment of the bunch. The supernatural elements are poorly explained, the horror never convincing because of lame special effects, the animated interludes out of place, and the acting less than stellar.

The third tale is about a screenwriter (John Saxon) who is friends with a famed film director he just refers to as "Stanley." They enjoy talking about anything and everything, often while playing chess. Then one day, Stanley just disappears, leaving his friend and new girlfriend (Amelia Cooke) high and dry. The screenwriter then begins a torrid affair with his friend's girlfriend, all the while feeling guilty about it. If only he knew the whole truth behind his friend's disappearance and, more importantly, his girlfriend. As directed by Monte Hellman ("The Terror"), this segment stands in stark contrast to the others. Highly evocative of earlier Hollywood, it resists the sex and violence that mark the other segments, instead going for something a little classier and restrained. That said, it still really doesn't engage. The pace is especially slow and one wonders for much of the time what it is doing in a film like this as it really isn't a horror film for 99% of the time. Only an out-of-left-field twist at the end qualifies it as a horror film and the twist doesn't work, partly because we were given no hint of it earlier.

The final story concerns a woman named Nathalie (Michèle-Barbara Pelletier), who was born with a "twin." It seems that her mother had ingested a tapeworm while pregnant and decided to let it live inside her because killing it would have killed her baby as well. Much oddness ensues as the tapeworm goes on a murderous rampage. Yeah, I said it was odd. As directed by John Gaeta (the special effects wizard behind "The Matrix" trilogy and "Speed Racer"), this segment is only interesting because one wonders for much of the time how the baby will turn out with the tapeworm inside the mother. Once she is born, the tapeworm doesn't make an immediate appearance but we know it is inevitable. Only through anticipation does this segment hold one's interest. Too bad the payoff is always a big letdown. I can't be the only one who finds it quite odd to see such poor special effects in a film directed by a man known for special effects.

Trapped Ashes offers interest only because of the relative rarity of the anthology format in cinema. The actual product of the format though is made up of lackluster segments drowned in stupid plot mechanics and misguided effects work.

"Pathology"

2008-07-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, MGM has announced Pathology for release on DVD September 23.

The film involves a group of medical students playing a game to see who can commit the perfect murder. Apparently, plain old Monopoly or Clue wasn't nearly exciting enough for them.

"Stuck"

2008-07-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Image Entertainment has announced Stuart Gordon's Stuck for a October 7 DVD release.

The film, based on the incredible true story, concerns a man who gets hits by a car and the woman who hit him leaves him in the windshield, worried that she will go to prison if she takes him to the hospital. Wow. I can't believe that is a true a story. For that alone I will definitely check out the film.

Brief review: "Asylum"

2008-07-16T21:28:00.000-07:00

Distributor: MGM

Asylum is a magnificently gory, stylish, and disturbing film.

A group of college freshmen discover that their dorm was once a mental hospital where unspeakable experiments were performed by a deranged physician trying to "cure" troubled teens. But now the mad doctor's ghost is back to continue his torturous work.

David R. Ellis is an underrated director who continues to deliver fun little films, whether it is the nonstop thrills of something like "Cellular" or the kitschy fun of a "Snakes on a Plane." Asylum continues his winning streak.

Asylum has a standard mad doctor plot not unlike that seen in the "House on Haunted Hill" films but does some neat things with it. The plot develops gradually, introducing the main character of Madison, played by the undeniably cute Sarah Roemer ("Disturbia"), and the other college students unlucky enough to live in a haunted asylum turn dorm. Too many horror films rush right into the killing of nameless victims we haven't learned anything about and thus couldn't give a damn whether they live or die. True to form though, Ellis takes the time to develop the characters enough so that we have enough information to determined whether we like them or not. He has done this in every one of his films and it makes them more successful as a result.

The film also boasts some very nice gore arising from creative death sequences, another area in which Ellis excels (see the brilliantly diabolical "Final Destination 2" for proof). The gore is even more effective because of the dark atmosphere in which it occurs. The scenes in which the characters die all harken back to problems from their past, mixing a flashback of a disturbing moment from their childhood with the character of the doctor taking place of the person at the core of their bad memory. The scenes closely resemble those seen in "The Butterfly Effect" and match them for their unsettling nature.

The entire cast gives decent to good performances. Roemer is the emotional center of the film and effortlessly garners sympathy. The rest of the cast fills their roles quite well, lending strong support.

An imminently watchable film, Asylum delivers a stellar mix of gore and character, making for a satisfying cinematic experience.

Brief review: "Steel Trap"

2008-07-16T21:05:00.001-07:00

Distributor: Dimension Extreme

To put it bluntly, Steel Trap is an awful horror film.

A New Year's bash in an abandoned high-rise building turns into a grisly bloodbath when five guests receive a mysterious text invite to a VIP party on the 27th floor. Joined by two party crashers, the strangers soon realize they're trapped and the only way out are the twisted clues left by a murderous psychopath. The catch? Each game leads to one of their own gruesome deaths.

Steel Trap is a consistently misguided attempt at replicating the "Saw" formula, only with slasher movie conventions (i.e. the killer actually stabs and otherwise dismembers victims instead of letting traps do the trick).

Chief among the film's problems is the stunningly horrid acting by the ensemble of no-name actors destined to remain as such. Their line readings are stilted and laughably unconvincing every step of the way. Their myriad attempts at acting frightened are hilariously inept. Director and co-writer Luis Cámara doesn't help matters with his generic as can be script and restrained directing style. Usually, a restrained directorial style would be preferred but when the material is so unendingly generic and by-the-numbers dull, a little pizazz is needed to keep one's interest. Unfortunately, Cámara prefers the "point and shoot" method in which pretty much everything is shot from either medium angles or close-ups and the editing is non-descript. Even the hyper-edited style of the "Saw" franchise would be preferred to what is offered here. As for the aforementioned generic plot, not even a late-in-the-game plot twist is handled well, although the last five minutes of the film are more interesting and entertaining than the approximately 85 previous minutes of tedium.

When about the only really positive thing you can say about a movie is that at least it eventually ends, you know you're in trouble. Steel Trap is one such film, a disastrously dull slasher film.

"Five Across the Eyes"

2008-07-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Starz/Anchor Bay has announced the horror-thriller Five Across the Eyes for a September 30 DVD release.

The low-budget film concerns five girls who get into what seems like a minor fender bender on the way home from a football game, only to be terrorized throughout the night by the other car. The film is notable for taking place in the car for almost its entiriety and for being produced on a measely $4,000 budget.

Brief review: "Insanitarium"

2008-07-15T21:10:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Insanitarium is a brutally gory and fun film. If you like your horror films quick and dirty, this is right up your alley.

The film concerns a man (Jesse Metcalfe) who fakes insanity in order to get himself admitted to the mental institution where his suicidal sister (Kiele Sanchez) was admitted. It seems that the chief doctor of the institution (Peter Stormare) is conducting experiments on his patients, some of which are turning into sub-human cannibals. The brother and sister must escape before all hell breaks loose and people start feasting on one another.

Writer-director Jeff Buhler's ("Midnight Meat Train") film is a blender of many differing influences and styles. There is the obvious parallel to the premise of the TV series "Prison Break" with one sibling getting himself admitted in order to break out his brother, or, in this case, his sister. The film also mixes a thriller with the gore seen in a horror film in the early goings before becoming a full-blown horror film not unlike a George Romero zombie film in the film's second half. Speaking of which, with the main character named Jack Romero and another character named Loomis, Buhler sometimes wears his love of genre on his sleeve.

What I liked about Insanitarium was the love Buhler obviously put into the film, determined to make it a horror film that is both gruesome and funny, yet disturbing at times as well. The pacing is breakneck pretty much from the word "go," the acting is better than expected with Metcalfe and especially Stormare giving credible and often fun performances. On top of that, not only is the plot as credible as necessary, it provides for a plethora of notably gruesome scenes. Without spoiling anything, this film has perhaps more sharp objects stabbed and/or plunged into throats, stomachs, and other body parts than any other film in recent memory. On top of that, the film features decapitation, limb-ripping and eating, and multiple electrocutions.

Sure, it takes a few liberties with the story, but Insanitarium is one hell of a fun movie to watch.

DVD Releases: July 22/29

2008-07-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

July 22:

21 (Universal drama)
Arizona Summer (Allumination FilmWorks drama)
Autumn Hearts (Image drama)
Big Dreams, Little Tokyo (Echo Bridge comedy)
Boston Strangler: The Untold Story (Weinstein thriller)
Brutal Massacre: A Comedy (Anchor Bay)
Celine (Monarch drama)
Dark Honeymoon (Anchor Bay thriller)
Death Valley (Allumination FilmWorks thriller)
Evil Behind You (Allumination FilmWorks horror)
Greener Mountains (Allumination FilmWorks drama)
Halfway Decent (Westlake comedy)
Into The Arms Of Strangers (Vanguard thriller)
Last Winter (IFC horror)
Picture This! (MGM comedy)
Pray for Morning (Allumination FilmWorks horror)
Six Reasons Why (THINKfilm western)
Towards Darkness (PeaceArch thriller)
Turn The River (Screen Media drama)
Two Tickets To Paradise (First Look comedy)
Without Light (York drama)

July 29:

100,000,000 BC (Asylum Entertainment sci-fi)
Alice Upside Down (Anchor Bay family comedy)
Antisocial Behaviour (Image horror)
Band's Visit (Sony drama)
Boxboarders! (PeaceArch comedy)
Cyxork 7 (Troma sci-fi comedy)
Deal, The (PeaceArch drama)
Doomsday (Universal thriller)
Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay (WB/New Line comedy)
Hopeville (Lionsgate drama)
Lost Boys: The Tribe (Warner Premiere horror)
Marigold (Echo Bridge drama)
Never Back Down (Summit Entertainment action)
Shine A Light (Paramount documentary)
Side Sho (Lionsgate horror)
Stargate: Continuum (Fox sci-fi)
Superbadazz (Maverick comedy)
WarGames: The Dead Code (MGM thriller)

July 22 is a mostly crummy week almost saved by "Death Valley" and, hopefully, "Boston Strangler: The Untold Story." I also doubt it's a coincidence that the Ron Perlman film "The Last Winter" is hitting DVD as Hellboy 2 plays in theatres.

July 29 features the long-awaited(?) "Lost Boys" sequel. Based on advance footage, it looks like a combination of horror, action, and comedy. It looks like fun; I hope it lives up to that promise.

"Scream 4" on the way

2008-07-14T21:58:00.000-07:00

According to Variety, The Weinstein Company just signed a theatrical distribution deal with the pay TV network Showtime. While this at first may not seem of much interest, the deal includes upcoming films from Dimension, one of which happens to be a fourth entry in the "Scream" franchise.

Apparently, the fourth will be a reboot of sorts, starting things over. They had better not just remake the original with a new cast. That would just be insanely stupid and pointless. Also, what's with these reboots? It seems after the success of "Batman Begins," the thing to do now is start a franchise over if previous entries either stunk or it has been a while since they were relevant.

With a new "Scream" redux coming, I eagerly await a "Saw" reboot in about 2015...ugh.

July 11-13 Box Office

2008-07-14T15:11:00.000-07:00

From Variety:

1. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (Uni) $34,539,115

2. Hancock (Sony) $32,080,560/$164,115,004

3. Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D (New Line) $21,018,141

4. Wall-E (Disney) $18,793,588/$163,055,900

5. Wanted (Uni) $11,996,175/$112,455,060

6. Get Smart (WB) $7,201,376/$111,564,176

7. Meet Dave (Fox) $5,251,918

8. Kung Fu Panda (DreamWorks) $4,411,412/$202,154,311

9. The Incredible Hulk (Uni) $2,324,345/$129,905,435

10. Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (Picturehouse) $2,303,054/$10,992,641

"Hellboy II" and "Journey 3D" deliver impressive openings. The 3D aspect of the latter is really a draw, it seems. Meanwhile, Eddie Murphy has one of the biggest flops of his career with "Meet Dave." After "The Love Guru" and now this, once popular comedians are struggling at the box office this summer.

Next week brings the highly anticipated Batman film "The Dark Knight" along with the musical "Mamma Mia!" and the CGI-animated "Space Chimps."

Brief review: "Gingerdead Man 2: The Passion of the Crust"

2008-07-14T00:02:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Full Moon Pictures

Set on a movie studio lot, Silvia St. Croix's comedy-horror sequel Gingerdead Man 2: The Passion of the Crust attempts to intertwine movie business satire with good old-fashioned horror movie stabbings and gore via producer Charles Band's ever-present puppet creations. The result is less than enthralling.

Kelvin (the questionably credited "K-von") hopes to keep his late father's movie studio afloat by making a sequel to one of his dad's trashy movies, some stupid thing about witchcraft and puppets coming to life (natch). All is proceeding as planned until an assistant revives the psychotic cookie known as the Gingerdead Man (voiced by John Vulich, taking over for Gary Busey). Imbued with an executed serial killer's soul, the knife-wielding dessert slashes his way through the cast and crew, until the on-set body count rivals that of Kelvin's movie. There is also a subplot about Kelvin giving a terminally ill boy (Joseph Porter) a tour of the studio, part of the boy's "End of the Rainbow" wish.

Gingerdead Man 2: The Passion of the Crust had the potential to be a horror fan's dream, what with its constant referencing of horror staples and filmmakers and a cadre of industry veterans either playing themselves or a version of themselves, often poking fun at their image as well. For example, infamous direct-to-video horror movie director David DeCoteau appears as the director of one of the studio's films. Tommy, the terminally ill boy, yells out, "Hey, that's David DeCoteau. He's known for horror movies with homo-erotic undertones." Cut to the filming of a scene of scantily-clad men spanking one another and a woman captive. Fairly funny stuff given the director's reputation. Also appearing are SFX veteran Gregory Nicotero and his brother Frank, special effects wizard John Carl Buechler, writer and make-up artist Kenneth J. Hall, KNB Effects guru Michael Deak, and Adam Green, the director of such films as "Hatchet" and "Spiral."

Unfortunately, the appearance of said horror industry veterans does nothing to stop a stupid script and lethargic direction from derailing any sense of fun you're likely to get out of the film. The film's idea of humor is to have the title character incessantly yell out corny one-liners. Take the scene in which he is stalking an effeminate hairstylist. He says before attacking, "Time for a slice of fruitcake" and proceeds to shove an electrical device right up the guy's butt while yelling, "You like it up the..." well, you know. The enterprise isn't helped by lackadaisical pacing that makes the barely over an hour film seem twice as long. There's only so much discussion of the ins and outs of puppetry that I can take. Director St. Croix either had a mandate to focus on the puppets or she loves them almost as much as Mr. Band. I'm guessing it's the former and this is just a gig on the way to bigger and better things for St. Croix.

Burdened with leaden pacing and juvenile humor, Gingerdead Man 2: The Passion of the Crust is one stale cookie of a film.

"Vipers" and "Pulse 2: Afterlife"

2008-07-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

According to Fangoria, Genius Products/Dimension Extreme have set the release dates for Pulse 2: Afterlife and Vipers.

As you can see, Vipers stars the down but not quite out Tara Reid along with the one and only Corbin Bersen in a tale of genetically-altered snakes run wild, terrorizing hotel guests on an isolated island. What I'm most interested in is Reid's performance, as reports surfaced of her arriving on set intoxicated and barely functioning after long nights of partying. I wouldn't be too shocked to see a half-awake, bored with it performance from her given the evidence.

Pulse 2: Afterlife continues where the 2006 sequel left off, people having fled the ghost-infested and infected cities for refugee camps out in the middle of nowhere. The Kristen Bell-starring remake wasn't terrible but definitely was not great either. I hope that the fact that this new film was made with an R-rating in mind from the start leads to improvement.

Vipers hits DVD September 23 with Pulse 2: Afterlife streeting a week later on September 30.

"Copycat"

2008-07-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Lionsgate will release Copycat direct-to-DVD on September 23.

Not much info can be found about the film but the plot is pretty easy to decipher given the coverart. Look for more information as the release date nears.

Brief review: "Impact Point"

2008-07-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

In Impact Point a professional volleyball player named Kelly Reyes (Melissa Keller) is on her way up in the AVP volleyball league. She is competing for the championship and has just received a new teammate in Jen Crowe (Kayla Ewell) after a fellow player is found dead, the result of an apparent hit and run accident. She also has caught the eye of a sports columnist (Brian Austin Green). It is not long before the two begin something of a romantic relationship. Trouble arises when her new boyfriend begins to act suspiciously and the columnist he said he was turns up missing. She tries to break it off with him, only to have him begin to stalk her, complete with cameras in her apartment. He vows to make it his mission to kill her for dumping him. Just how far will the obsessed fan go?

Impact Point is certainly cliched, there's no getting around it. Stalker films are a dime a dozen, especially ones like this that try and insert some erotic elements in an effort to attract a male audience that might otherwise avoid what is essentially another Lifetime made for TV movie in plot and execution. I say execution because the aforementioned erotic elements are so half-assed and bound to disappoint those looking for them as they are about the level of a TV show in risqueness (is that a word?). Countless shots of the volleyball players' butts is about as erotic as it gets.

The by-the-numbers nature of the film extends to the thriller aspects of the film as well. Director Hayley Cloake (The House of Usher) doesn't really even try to create a sense of mystery and intrigue to the film. Aside from a stupid as hell plot twist late in the game, Impact Point plays it straight, content to try and get by on scantily-clad volleyball players who aren't even that attractive and Brian Austin Green playing over-the-top crazy. Suffice to say, it does not work.

The acting is pretty awful across the board. Keller started her career as a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model and it shows. She can't act worth a lick. Resembling Rebecca Romijn's evil twin, she is consistently stiff and unconvincing no matter what mood her character is in. Her overacting when frightened has to be seen to be believed it's so laughable. Brian Austin Green alternates between overacting or near-comatose, just looking bored, biding his time before he can return to filming "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles."

Impact Point is the type of film that will seem better when it debuts on cable in a few months but that's not saying much. It is just another generic B-grade thriller waste of time that doesn't even deliver on its sliver of potential.

"Mother of Tears"

2008-07-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Dimension Extreme will release Dario Argento's Mother of Tears on DVD September 23.

The film stars the director's daughter Asia Argento and reportedly contains Argento's signature mix of ultra brutal violence, rampant sex and nudity, and a healthy dose of surrealism.

Argento almost always brings the fun so I look forward to seeing this in late September.

"Never Cry Werewolf"

2008-07-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Genius Entertainment will release Never Cry Werewolf on DVD September 16.

The film concerns a reality TV producer (Kevin Sorbo) who investigates myths and legends. He gets word of a werewolf sighting in a small town. At first it seems like a hoax. But it is actually all-too-true...

I love a good werewolf movie and even a cheesy werewolf movie can have some entertainment value, such as Wes Craven's "Cursed." I'm looking forward to finding out whether this latest lycan film can deliver.

Brief review: "The Secret"

2008-07-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Image Entertainment

A moderately effective supernatural drama/thriller, The Secret is hampered by a bizarre premise that lacks depth and a few last-minute missteps that leave the viewer feeling cold.

A loving couple (David Duchovny and Lili Taylor) love their daughter Samantha (Olivia Thirlby, "Juno") even though she definitely gets on their nerves quite often. While driving, mother and daughter get into an argument that leads to a brutal car crash, leaving both on the brink of death. As Samantha is about to die, her mother reaches out and somehow "transfers" her life into her daughter, killing her in the process. Or so they think. When Samantha wakes up though, she is actually the mother trapped in her daughter's body. This odd predicament obviously has Dad confused and otherwise befuddled, but he thinks it best for her to continue living their daughter's life as if everything is normal. It will be their little secret. Their hope is that the real Samantha will escape from whatever limbo she is in and return to her body.

The Secret really had its back against the wall with such an odd premise. The marketing materials compare it to "Ghost" and there are some similarities, what with the mother helping her daughter remain "alive" because of her own love and sacrifice. That said, The Secret is a lot creepier (in a weird, not good way). The source of much of its creepiness is Duchovny's characters complaints. He realizes that even though his wife is technically with him, because she is in the form of his daughter, he is unable to make love to her. That doesn't prevent his wife from coming onto him, even while in her daughter's body. Cue multiple scenes of a 16 year-old girl dancing and otherwise acting seductively towards a much older man. Even though director Vincent Perez smartly doesn't play up these scenes by going too far into the sordid material, they still are a detriment to the film because the tension hangs over every interaction between the two. Since there are multitude of such interactions, the tension is ever-present. What's worse, the pace of the film oftentimes slows to a crawl. The conclusion is fairly obvious from the start so there is no reason to prolong things but such inanities as a late-in-the-game plot gaffe that threatens to derail any sense of purpose the film had built up.

The performances are a mixed bag. Lili Taylor really doesn't have much to do as she is barely in the film. Duchovny is as wooden as ever, showing that all those years on "The X-Files" haven't improved his acting. Thirlby is best as she ably plays what is essentially two characters with aplomb, lending depth and grace to her role. She too though can't escape the ever-increasing stupidity of the plot.

The Secret isn't worth knowing.

DVD Releases: July 15

2008-07-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Asylum (MGM horror)
Bank Job, The (Lionsgate action)
College Road Trip (Disney comedy)
Final Approach (RHI action)
Heavy Petting (Anchor Bay comedy)
Insanitarium (Sony horror)
Mad Bad (Maverick action)
Meet Bill (First Look comedy)
Never Forever (Arts Alliance America drama)
Penelope (Summit comedy)
Roxy Hunter And The Secret Of The Shaman (Sony comedy)
Shutter (Fox horror)
Steel Trap (Dimension Extreme horror)
Step Up 2: The Streets (Buena Vista drama)
Trapped Ashes (Lionsgate horror)

Another stellar week for horror releases, quite a feat considering there is only one theatrical release in the bunch and it is likely the worst out of all of them. That said, I have not seen Asylum, Insanitarium, Steel Trap, or Trapped Ashes but "Shutter" was very mediocre. Not a terrible movie, just kind of blah. At least it was better than "The Eye," I'll give it that much. It is also worth noting that two of the horror releases are about insane asylum/insanitariums. There really haven't been all that many horror films of note about that topic ("The House on Haunted Hill" remake and sequel come to mind, along with "Madhouse" but that's about it) so to have two in the same week is very rare. I definitely plan on checking both out.

July 4-6 Box Office

2008-07-07T16:44:00.000-07:00

From Variety:

1. Hancock (Sony) $62,603,879/$103,877,446

2. Wall-E (Disney) $32,509,203/$127,196,028

3. Wanted (Uni) $20,050,070/$90,186,395

4. Get Smart (WB) $11,109,408/$98,100,652

5. Kung Fu Panda (DreamWorks) $7,318,635/$193,221,867

6. The Incredible Hulk (Uni) $4,899,280/$124,841,395

7. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Par) $3,774,807/$306,428,521

8. Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (Picturehouse) $3,296,929/$5,822,544

9. Sex and the City (New Line) $2,382,438/$144,891,325

10. You Don't Mess with the Zohan (Sony) $1,981,251/$94,773,156

Will Smith shows again why he's the biggest star in the world with a stellar opening for "Hancock." Meanwhile, the Juila Roberts-produced Kitt Kittredge flails about with a disappointing expansion from limited release.

Next weekend sees the fun-looking Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D, Eddie Murphy in Meet Dave, and Hellboy II: The Golden Army all open.

Brief review: "Death Valley"

2008-07-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Allumination FilmWorks

Death Valley offers 97 minutes of taut, tense thrills.

Fed up with their mundane, all too ordinary lives, four wannabe thrill-seekers get more than they bargained for when they attend a rave in the desert. Josh (Eric Christian Olsen) and his pals are up for some sex, drugs and rock & roll - not necessarily in that order. But these burning sands, it turns out, are home to "The Scorpions," a biker gang led by sadistic, machete-wielding Dom (Dash Mihok). Soon, without warning, what began as a spirited road trip turns into an agonizing battle for survival as the gang kidnaps one of their friends and rapes the woman they met at the rave (Genevieve Cortese).

Death Valley delivers a plot that you may already recognize as sharing some parallels with the 1972 classic "Deliverance." In spite of drawing comparison and inevitably not measuring up with the John Boorman-directed film, Death Valley is able to succeed on its own terms.

The film succeeds because of writer-directors David Kebo and Rudi Liden's ability to turn a premise that has been done before into something tense and exciting. Aside from the aforementioned "Deliverance," the likes of the 2006 "The Hills Have Eyes" remake explored the idea of cityfolk and the more primitive (in this case a hillbilly-ish biker gang) clashing with deadly results. Their use of a mostly instrumental score heightens the dread as it is so sparingly used that when it is heard, we know something bad is about to happen. Even so, this technique doesn't lead to predictability because the filmmakers have actually made the protagonists a fairly smart group of people. They are a far cry from the sort of dolts that populate many horror-thrillers. You know the kind: the ones that have you yelling at the screen, "Don't go in there, you idiot!" They are also likable, at least for the most part. Sure, they have their moments where they come across as somewhat petty or immature but this too actually works to the film's benefit because it makes them feel more real. In real life, no one is nice all the time so to see them act with selfishness and such makes them more identifiably believable.

It helps that the cast gives solid performances, led by Rider Strong ("Cabin Fever") as the most outspoken of the friends. Also notable is Genevieve Cortese (TV's "Wildfire"). As the film's lone female character, she brings heart and a much-needed vulnerability to the film without devolving into the constantly-screaming caricature sometimes seen in films like this.

Destined to become a sleeper once word gets out just how superbly-crafted it is, Death Valley is a sharp little thriller.

Brief review: "The Tattooist"

2008-07-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

From Sam Raimi's new direct-to-video imprint Ghost House Underground comes the label's debut feature, The Tattooist. A sporadically effective ghost story, the film is still more entertaining than both of the Raimi-produced "Grudge" films.

Jake Sawyer (Jason Behr, "Dragon Wars," "Skinwalkers" and even "The Grudge") is a skilled artist who has taken his craft and started a tattoo parlor in New Zealand that has quickly become quite successful. While on a trip to Singapore, he learns of the Samoan tattoo tradition that aligns the body art with different phases in one's life. For example, one gets a tattoo when they are deemed to have grown up and become a man or a woman, whatever the case may be. Sawyer becomes especially fascinated with the traditional tools used in Samoan tattoos, a far cry from the standard needlepoint gun he uses. While observing a Samoan artist, he steals of the traditional tools as a souvenir. Unfortunately for him, this is when his troubles begin. From then on, every time he gives someone a tattoo they end up dead a few hours later. He then begins to have visions of a ghostly figure surrounding those whom he has worked on. Is he going crazy or is someone trying to tell him something from beyond the grave?

The Tattooist was so close to being a really good movie at times. When exploring the culture and history behind tattoos in different parts of the world, it is really quite fascinating. The wide variety of tattoo designs was also interesting to see and the scenery was almost as beautiful as director Peter Burger makes great use of its Singapore and New Zealand locales to give the film a distinct flavor.

It is so disappointing then that the actual horror part of the equation is so poorly done and stinks of been there, done that. It is easy to see why Raimi and company picked this up since it is almost identical in important ways to the aforementioned "Grudge" films and "The Messengers." From the ghostly figure haunting corners of rooms in decrepit old houses to the music beats and the noticeable lack of blood and gore, this is definitely plays like a spiritual successor to past Ghost House releases (with the exception of "30 Days of Night"). The myriad attempts at jump scares don't work and the mystery element is so slapdash in construction it resembles a C-grade CBS crime drama with a supernatural element thrown in.

The casting doesn't help matters. Continuing his quest to become the male equivalent of Jessica Alba, Jason Behr is ever so wooden and bland. How he keeps getting lead roles, even in low budget films like this one, is a question only casting directors probably can answer. His romantic interest is played by Mia Blake. She does him no favors as the two have zero chemistry and it is only because she's acting next to him most of the time that Blake comes off as the better of the two actors.

The Tattooist boasts some nice scenery and a few interesting scenes involving the art of the tattoo. Too bad then that the ghost story that is supposed to form the meat of the film is so generic and the acting so amateurish that one is better off renting "The Ring" again if they want a well-done ghost story.

Brief review: "Outpost"

2008-07-04T16:25:00.001-07:00

Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Outpost is a disappointingly dull attempt at a war zombie film.

A wealthy businessman hires a team of mercenaries to act as his bodyguards and escort him to an abandoned World War 2 bunker in war-torn Eastern Europe. The mercenaries, lead by DC (Ray Stevenson, next starring in "The Punisher: War Zone"), do what they're told and don't ask why the man wants to visit the bunker. It is not long though before they happen upon remnants of experiments the Nazis conducted on their own soldiers, experiments whose results were obviously very bloody and very deadly. The situation worsens when they discover a survivor of the experiments clinging to life among the rubble. Just why has the businessman brought them there? And what are those creatures rising from the dead?

With a war horror film you'd think that at the very least, you'd get some nice action sequences. Sadly, Outpost doesn't deliver. The movie moves at a snail's pace throughout. The first half is concentrated on the mercenaries bickering back and forth about the crappy weather conditions and how they would rather be at home boozing it up. Director Steve Barker and writer Rae Brunton try and establish the men as characters but don't really succeed at all. Even after 35 minutes of small talk and bickering, the men still come across as one-dimensional militia types with no distinguishing characteristics available to tell them apart. The result of this is that the majority of the film really achieves nothing. The paranoia experienced by the mercs is so transparent and certainly not believable based on what the film shows us. The idea that men like this would get spooked by blood on the wall and a survivor is not believable in the least.

When it finally decides to get to what should have been the bulk of the film, the rising of and the attack from what can only be called "Nazi Zombies," you'll be so bored with the whole thing that you will be hard-pressed to care about what's happening. Making matters worse, the attack is so short-lived and plainly-staged that it isn't nearly as enthralling as the supposed climax of a film like this should be.

No doubt about it, Outpost has a great premise ("Nazi Zombies!"). Sadly, the filmmakers clearly had no clue what to do with it, making for a tiresome motion picture not worth anyone's time.

"Survival"

2008-07-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, York Entertainment will release Survival August 12 only on DVD.

The official plot synopsis is below:

When a group of college students gather for their yearly camping excursion in the forests of North Carolina, they plan on a weekend of drinking, partying, and debauchery. What they don t expect is they will soon be fighting for their lives. Because there are terrible people in the woods. Not quite crazed redneck or insane cannibalistic maniac. Not quite a chainsaw-wielding, skin-wearing grampa's boy. This time it's a pair of psychotic siblings, who love to capture and torture their prey. Using physical and psychological torture methods, they bring their victims to the very edge of sanity, then release them back into the wooded area that surrounds their home with only two instincts intact: killing and SURVIVAL.

At least the film doesn't go to the cannibalistic mutant well again. I've seen enough of that to last at least two lifetimes...

Brief review: "Side Sho"

2008-07-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Lionsgate

A family on their way to their daughter's softball camp visits a long-forgotten roadside attraction of oddities deep in the Florida swamps. This carnival of attractions is attractive to the father as he is fixing to make a coffee-table book of various country sideshows. Among the old rustic sideshow museum attractions they find an inbred family of murderous mutants who have terrifying plans for their daughters.

Side Sho threatens to become something a little different at times. Unfortunately, it is not long before it falls back into the psychotic backwoods hillbilly formula seen all too often in horror films. What's worse, the budgetary constraints (The film had a budget of only $500,000) inevitably leave it shorted in important areas in a horror film like this. One example would be gore as although the film does have a few nice scenes of realistic gore, other times the blood is either obviously fake-looking or they just cut away. Given that Side Sho is certainly not trying for a moody psychological tone, the failure to show what the viewer most certainly wants to see is an almost unforgivable sin.

As for the few moments when the film threatens to give the viewer something a little different, they too disappoint. Beware, spoilers lie ahead. Skip to the next paragraph to remain spoiler-free. So the dad and brother have seemingly battled and killed all of the psychotic hillbillies, rescued their significant others, and headed back to the car. They start it up and begin driving away. One wonders what will happen next, refreshed that they seem to be heading in a different direction. Instead, the car quickly stalls and they become stuck at the Side Show once again. Even worse, the women get kidnapped again and the film proceeds to basically replay the first half over again, same beats and all. This is basically the same 45-minute film done twice over! And the first 45-minutes aren't that good to begin with. There is nary any tension to be had, the music overpowers the dialogue all too often, and the said music is an annoying music of ambient sounds and something akin to but not quite as good as heavy metal.

As for the acting, it too is lacking. The villains don't really come across as all that villainous. These inbreds have nothing on the "Wrong Turn" and "The Hills Have Eyes" mutants. While those were especially vicious killers that demanded to be feared, these are wimps more content to cackle like idiots than actually do any real harm unless provoked. The acting on the family side isn't much better as the women scream constantly instead of doing anything to fight back and the men are almost as wimpy as the mutants they're fighting. The son is actually the best character as he is the only one who comes close to developing a personality and, unlike the others, fights back with a vengeance, especially for being just a kid.

This is one Side Sho not worth visiting.

Brief review: "Baby Blues"

2008-07-02T18:20:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Allumination FilmWorks

Unflinching. Uncompromisingly brutal. Those two words aptly describe Baby Blues. Oh yeah, unbelievably thrilling also fits the cinematic debut of filmmakers Lars E. Jacobson and Amardeep Kaleka.

The film tells the story of a mother (Colleen Porch) who is suffering from a severe case of post-partum depression and soon starts believing it is her duty to kill her four children while her husband is away for work. It's up to her eldest son (Ridge Canipe) to stop her.

The plot synopsis above, along with pretty much any of its kind, cannot do justice to what Baby Blues offers for fans of disturbing cinema. The 75-minute film starts off by establishing what daily life is for this family living out in the country on a makeshift farm, complete with a helper named Lester (Gene Witham) who lives in a nearby trailer. Dad (Joel Bryant) is constantly gone as a result of his job as a truck driver. This leaves Jimmy to fend for himself, helping Mom take care of his younger brother and sister and the family's newborn baby brother and crafting slingshots in his spare time. Poor Mom though has got the worst of it. She must take care of three kids along with making sure the farm and house is kept up. Lately though she has developed quite the temper, snapping at the kids for every little noise they make and worrying that her husband is cheating on her, especially after finding a matchbook for a faraway strip club in the pocket of his clothes. It's not long before she totally loses it, becoming hellbent on killing her three children anyway she can.

During the early scenes leading up to this, the film smartly hints at her psychosis, using slight camera and sound clues to portray her developing madness. A scene in which she hears the baby monitor but the sound is distorted, becoming louder and louder until it envelops the scene, is brilliantly done. The cinematography also deserves a special mention, as it teams with the razorsharp editing to make the film quite gorgeous to look at. It also deserves mentioning how the look of the film gets progressively darker in line with what is happening on-screen. The camera angles also smartly illustrate Mom's madness, framing her from angles best-suited to making her look psychotic.

Baby Blues also accomplishes the feat of making a psychological thriller that melds the best the genre has to offer with that of a straight-ahead horror film, as it becomes a chase film once Mom has made her diabolical intentions clear and her son must do anything he can to survive. The film is relentless in its attempts to thrill the viewer, each portion of the chase intelligently orchestrated for maximum tension.

Writer-directors Lars E. Jacobson and Amardeep Kaleka signal their film as uncompromising in its brutality though with a few scenes I do not want to spoil here. Let me just say that this film does something even the most hardcore films made today shy away from. That said, the scenes are handled in such a way that they somehow fit right in with the dank, intense atmosphere that has been established by the filmmakers and thus do not anger the viewer or cheapen the film in anyway whatsoever.

Of course, a psychological thriller such as this wouldn't be half as effective without good performances in front of the camera. Baby Blues has them in spades. Colleen Porch ("I Know Who Killed Me" and "Transformers") gives a simply superb performance as Mom (who is never given a proper name, lending the film the idea that this could happen to anyone anywhere). She ably portrays one person gradually losing her grip on reality and descending into madness. Ridge Canipe is almost as impressive, especially since he is 13-years of age and will only get better as an actor.

Combine stellar acting with impressive directorial skill and you have Baby Blues, one of the absolute best independent thriller/horror films released in a long time. A must-see!

***Note***

This is a pre-release review. Baby Blues will be available for purchase on August 5.

Brief review: "Triloquist"

2008-07-01T21:40:00.000-07:00

Distributor: Dimension Extreme

A truly bizarre horror-comedy, Triloquist is a film you'll either love or hate. I loved it.

From writer-director Mark Jones of "Leprechaun" fame, comes the cross-country saga of sexy, feisty, and more than a little psychotic Angelina (Paydin LoPachin), her autistic brother Norbert (Rocky Marquette) and last but certainly not least, "Dummy" (voiced by Bruce Weitz), their constant companion ever since dear old mom overdosed on heroin in her grungy apartment in between ventriloquist performances. It seems that Norbert talks through Dummy but it is Angelina calling the shots as the trio steals a car, killing anyone who gets in their way, including officers of the law. It seems that since the family bloodline is dying out, Angelina is determined to get her brother pregnant, even if it means kidnapping an innocent bystander (Katie Chonacas) or, worse comes to worse, doing it herself. Ewww!

Mark Jones hasn't done too much since directing the original "Leprechaun" way back in 1993 aside from write the further adventures of the Warwick Davis character. While he has directed a few things, nothing of real note as of late. He seems to have been saving up his energy for this film as Triloquist is hyper-energized. Jones pulls out nearly every directing and editing trick in the book, from jump-cuts to desaturated cinematography to grainy black and white footage in order to bring his unique vision of the most questionable "family unit" to life. The resulting film is a blast to watch if you're in the mood for something a little different. The film may have been marketed as a horror film but it really isn't one. It certainly is never scary. Instead, Triloquist is a pitch-black comedy, the kind of super-dark comedy that demands you to laugh at the absurdity of how the material is handled. From happy-go-lucky circus chimes when the trio are binding and then killing a police officer to the mix of heavy metal and rap while the characters are walking in slow motion away from their victims, Jones makes use of a widely diverse soundtrack in telling his tale.

Really, the film that comes to mind while watching Triloquist is "Natural Born Killers." The way in which this film mixes comedy and flashes of ultra-violence to the use of a variety of camera tricks to the manner in which the killers are almost glorified as they go on a cross-country killing spree, the two films have a lot in common. In this case, most of the humor comes courtesy of Dummy as he spouts off excessively vulgar sexual jokes, makes constant reference to Angelina being "hot" and having "nice tits" to his dreams (yes, the dummy dreams) of naked women dancing around and then making love to him; this is one whacked-out piece of wood.

The acting is decent as really only Paydin LoPachin has a significant speaking role as Rocky Marquette doesn't actually talk. As such, LoPachin has to carry the film on her 20-year old shoulders, which she does quite well. Aside from a few moments where she overacts during her almost constant psychotic tirades, LoPachin is frighteningly believable as a psycho who is able to get what she wants because of how she looks. As the voice of "Dummy," Bruce Weitz is good but sounds a lot like Brad Dourif who does the voice of "Chucky" in the "Child's Play" series about a killer doll so he loses points for recycling a style that has been done multiple times already.

If "Natural Born Killers" had a cinematic cousin," Triloquist would be it.

"Wrong Turn 3" coming soon

2008-07-01T00:10:00.000-07:00

According to the good folks over at Dread Central, Fox has given the go-ahead on a third film in what can now be called a trilogy of West Virginia hillbilly goodness. Joe Lynch, the director of the stellar second entry, will not be returning. Instead, Declan O'Brien will be taking the directorial reins. He previously directed "Rock Monster" for The Sci-Fi Channel but we won't hold that against him. The Wrong Turn franchise is difficult to screw up. All you need are the aforementioned cannibalistic hillbillies, a cadre of victims complete with good-looking women, and gruesomely creatively kills, and you have got yourself an entertaining little horror film.

No word yet on a release date but I'm just guessing that it'll be around October of either this year or next (hopefully this year) because that is when the second was released and it sold very well for a direct-to-DVD title.

June 27-29 Box Office

2008-06-30T19:31:00.000-07:00

From Variety:

1. Wall-E (Disney) $63,087,526

2. Wanted (Uni) $50,927,085

3. Get Smart (WB) $20,211,242/$77,477,031

4. Kung Fu Panda (DreamWorks) $11,692,061/$179,276,754

5. The Incredible Hulk (Uni) $9,577,245/$115,859,210

6. The Love Guru (Par) $5,340,895/$25,222,377

7. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Par) $5,179,960/$300,085,447

8. The Happening (Fox) $3,907,948/$59,120,854

9. Sex and the City (New Line) $3,808,288/$140,170,362

10. You Don't Mess with the Zohan (Sony) $3,175,214/$91,190,129

Superb openings from the wonderful "Wall-E" and the obnoxious "Wanted" fueled the box office to sky-high levels. Next week brings Will Smith as "Hancock" and "Kitt Kittredge: An American Girl"

"Death Racers," more from The Asylum

2008-06-30T01:04:00.000-07:00

Death Racers, coming this September from The Asylum, the California-based production company-distributor of so-called "mockbusters" (their version of Journey to the Center of the Earth hits DVD this Tuesday) is just the latest such film, mocking Rogue Pictures' "Death Race" starring Jason Statham, which is scheduled for theatrical release in late August.

The plot synopsis for The Asylum version goes something like this: In this grim vision of the future where brutality is a virtue and mercy will cost you your life, contestants participate in a cross-country death race where killing is how you win the game.

Sounds like it could be fun if done right. Judging by the trailer found at the company's official website (http://www.theasylum.cc/), their take is low-brow but offers nonstop sex, violence, and nudity so it should have an audience. Certainly looks like inspired mayhem, at least until it turns into a glorified music video during the last part of the trailer.

Coming soon from The Asylum:

Sunday School Musical and The Day the Earth Stopped. No, I'm not joking and I can't believe it either, especially the former. The Asylum really is going to make a musical? Now that I have to see!

"Insanitarium"

2008-06-28T02:59:00.001-07:00

According to Home Media Magazine, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release Insanitarium to DVD on July 15.

The film concerns a man (Jesse Metcalfe) institutionalized with a doctor (Peter Stormare) he soon realizes is intent on turning his patients into flesh-eating psychopaths. Sounds intriguing and Stormare is one of those actors who are always fun to watch. Interesting that it's going to be released on the same day as "Asylum," another horror film about a crazy doctor experimenting on his patients. I, for one, very much look forward to seeing both.