Kingp35's Horror Viewing Log

The Chernobyl Diaries (2012)

I can think of no better setting for a horror film than Chernobyl, a true place of horror and about as eerie a place as you can imagine. The film starts off well enough as it introduces the characters, some more annoying than others, and takes the action to Chernobyl where the deserted town and makes for interesting and creepy viewing. The second act is quite good too as it becomes apparent that they are not alone in the town and someone is hell bent on keeping them there. It falls apart in the final act though as it all becomes completely predictable and offers nothing new at all. The camera work is so shaky that we never get to see who the perpetrators are and there is minimal gore, scares or tension. It's basically a "Wrong Turn" clone which was itself a clone of many others, with the setting of Chernobyl being the only thing that sets it apart. It's certainly not terrible and is worth a look but what a wasted opportunity to make a horror film set in a real place of horror.

6/10

ATM (2012)

Despite its simplistic idea, I have been waiting for the release of ATM for a while now but unfortunately it turned out to be a massive disappointment. The plot is very basic, three people become trapped inside am ATM booth in a deserted car park as a mad man tries to get inside and kill them. There are many horror films with a simple premise like this that use it to their advantage but ATM is simply for too implausible for its own good, there were countless times when all three could have easily escaped as well as a couple of scenes that simply did not make sense. Add to that a few minutes at the end of the film that simply shows you what happened previously and a long drawn out ending that is utterly pointless and you can clearly see that the film makers had completely run out of ideas and were simply throwing in some filler. I reckon the actual film itself is only about an hour long! This one is to be avoided.

3.5/10

Lovely Molly (2012)

Lovely Molly is one of the rare low budget horror films that managed to get a cinema release in Ireland, albeit a limited one, so I expecting at least a solid film that would leave me entertained. Unfortunately it seems as if the only reason it got a release is because its made by Eduardo Sanchez of the Blair With project fame as it certainly isn't because of the films quality. The story focuses on a young couple who move into the house of the wife's deceased parents. It doesn't take long until the she starts to experience some strange goings on and begins to lose her mind.

Honestly this is such a badly made film i don't know where to begin. It crawls along at a very slow pace, it's poorly acted, the plot makes very little sense and when the entity is revealed it's laughably bad. Also Sanchez has thrown in a number of cinema verite type scenes shot on a camcorder for no reason what so ever. They have no relevance to the plot and seem to be there simply because of the Blair Witch project.

It's not frightening, makes little sense and is poorly made. Avoid

3/10

The Corridor (2010)

The Corridor is a low budget Canadian horror film about a group of friends who go to a cabin up the mountains in order to heal their friendship after one of their group had a mental breakdown following the death of his mother. They encounter a strange "corridor" of lights up the mountains to begins to make all of the group lose their minds and become increasingly violent. The premise for The Corridor is certainly unique and a lot of the film is well made but it's not without its faults. It takes too long to get to the meat of the story with the horror aspects not arriving until 50 minutes into the film. Once it does start it manages to be violent and entertaining but never in an over the top way. it's also well written and clever at times but some poor acting, pacing issues and the limitations of a small budget hinder the production. A little less character development at the start, a little more horror at the end and better pacing and this could have been an excellent film. As it stands it's an interesting one and certainly a film that most people will not have heard of.

6.5/10

Silent House (2011)

Remake of a Uruguayan horror film from a couple of years previous, Silent House is very much a run of the mill horror film that completely relies on its twist ending and the its "gimmick" of supposed;y being one continuous shot for the entire film. Unfortunately it's obvious that isn't one continuous shot and the twist is not strong enough or unexpected enough to make for the blandness of what came before it. Silent House relies almost entirely on cheap scares instead of building up tension and creating an eerie atmosphere. It's by the numbers horror even if it is shot in a unique way.

5/10

Nailbiter (2012)

Nailbiter is another low budget effort with a decent concept that isn't really taken advantage of. A mother and her three daughters or on their way to Kansas city to meet their returning father but a huge storm and a Tornado force them to take cover in the basement of a rural house. They ride out the storm but when they try to leave they realise they have been locked into the basement and there is a strange creature outside stopping their escape. It really is a nice setup for a creature feature and the reason for the creatures being what they are is somewhat original but the problems lie with the execution, it's simply boring and slow paced for the majority of the run time. It's also far too tame and almost plays out as a made for TV movie in that the gore is minimal and you never really feel that the trapped family are in real peril until they try to escape. the creatures themselves are done using practical effects and although they look quite cool we only ever see a close up of their face so there is almost zero on screen action which is criminal for a creature feature.

With a bigger budget and some more action set pieces this concept could have worked, as it stands it's just another boring low budget effort to avoid.

3.5/10

Excision (2012)

Many people will not view this film as a horror but I feel it's worthy of it's place in this thread. The story is based around a disturbed and delusional teenage girl who has aspirations of becoming a surgeon. She is constantly fantasising about dead people and cutting people up in both a sexual and disturbing manner. Most of story plays out as a drama as the girl focuses on losing her virginity while constantly clashing with her parents but it's interspersed with these bloody and gory dream sequences that you just know are building up to a crescendo and when it comes it's slightly predictable but still works very well at being horrifying.

The only problem with Excision is that the drama parts are just not all that interesting. Yes it is occasionally funny, weird and very well acted but it's nothing new until we reach the conclusion. If a little more effort was put into making the drama parts as interesting and unique as the ending Excision would have been excellent but as it stands it's an interesting watch that's worth your time but may lose your interest somewhere in the middle.

6/10

Chained (2012)

The new film from Jennifer Lynch (daughter of David Lynch) controversially received an NC-17 rating in the states and thus stopping it from receiving a wide release. I personally don't think the rating is warranted as there are far more disturbing films out there that didn't receive the rating but it certainly has it's moments.

The plot is based around a serial killer and rapist called Bob who abducts a woman and her son and brings them back to his house out in the sticks. He kills the mother but decides to keep the son as his slave and eventually his protege as he tries to force the boy be like him by eventually raping and killing women himself.

It's an interesting film and Vincent D'Onofrio is incredible as Bob but unfortunately for me the pace is just too slow with many long drawn out shots where nothing really happens. Yes the relationship between the two is well handled and there are a number of disturbing scenes but nothing too over the top. The final act is excellent viewing though and reaches a satisfying conclusion with a couple of twists for good measure. I can't help but feel though if it wasn't for D'Onofrio's performance that this would be just another held captive film. Definitely worth a watch but expect to sit through a slow pace for the first hour or so.

6/10

The Pact (2012)

The Pact is very much an indie horror/mystery film but one that managed to get itself a cinema release despite its low budget. The story is certainly the films strong point; after the death of her mother, a woman moves back into the family home. It seems as if there is a strange presence in the house though as we see her being dragged into a closet where she promptly disappears. Que her sister coming back to the house to try and found what happened and quickly becomes convinced that something sinister is at play. From here on there are some nice twists and an interesting if slightly unbelievable pay off.

The Pact isn't really a frightening film, bar one or two jump scenes its not full of horror moments. There is a nice creepy atmosphere surrounding events though and the sense of mystery will hold your attention well. It's well acted for the most part, even Casper Van Dien managed to do ok in a supporting role. The big reveal at the end might leave some people disappointed but I think the writers deserve credit for trying something new and it manages to be creepy as well as somewhat original. The Pact deserved its cinema release but I don't think it will be to everyone's tastes.

7/10

Death and Cremation (2010)

This is a film I stumbled across by accident and decided to check it out as it stars Brad Dourif. The plot follows a teenage goth who doesn't really fit in anywhere. He decides to get a job in a local crematorium which is run by Stan, a lonely and strange man who also happens to be a serial killer who kills local bullies makes good use of his profession. the two strike up an odd friendship which eventually blossoms into a partnership.

It's a very cheap film that's full of poor actors but Dourif does enough to carry the film and make his relationship with the teenager interesting. It's more of a drama than a horror film, there is very little gore or scares to be found here, it's clear the filmmakers tried to make the central relationship the most disturbing part of the film. While it won't be winning any awards, it's an ok effort and worth a watch to pass the time.

5.5/10

247 Degrees Fahrenheit (2012)

I'm not sure if this one can be counted as a horror film but it features on horror websites so that's good enough for me. Supposedly based upon true events, 247F is one of those very simple films based upon a single situation, in this case three people become trapped inside a sauna with no way to escape and no way to turn the heat off. They have to try and escape or get help before suffering heatstroke.

To be honest the concept doesn't really lend itself to riveting viewing, there are a very limited amount of things who can with such a simple idea and 247F suffers because of it. The pacing is quite slow, there is a lot of filler at the start and not a whole lot of action but I honestly think the film makers still managed to do very well with the script they had. Despite its limitations it does manage to hold your attention and provide decent entertainment. Perhaps more could have been done to portray just how hot the sauna was but as it stands 247F does the best it can which is to be passable entertainment.

5.5/10

V/H/S (2012)

V/H/S is a found footage film consisting of five main segments and a wraparound story, each of which are directed by a different director. The wraparound segment is based around a group of guys who are tasked with breaking into a house and retrieving a VHS tape, the only problem is they don't know which one they are supposed to get, they are told they will know it when they see it, and so they are forced to watch a number of the tapes to determine which one to take.

The first segment starts the film off great, it's a gore soaked tale about three guys who bring a girl to their room with the intention of filming themselves having sex with her with a nice a ending and some great make up and practical effects.

The second segment is disappointing as it sorely lacks any horror except for the final scene which isn't all that interesting.

The third segment is a strange one about a group of friends who go on a trip into the woods who start to get killed one by one which seems to be based around a spirit that the camera can't pick up properly. It's vaguely interesting but mostly by the numbers.

The fourth segment is shot using Skype on a laptop is based around a woman who seems to think her apartment is haunted and we get glimpses of strange children hiding in corners etc. Her boyfriend sees all this through their Skype chat and tries to help her and it all leads to a twist ending that is well done and interesting.

The final segment for me was the best, a group of friends show up at a house they think is hosting a Halloween party only to find some strange ritual being carried out upstairs. This leads to all sorts of supernatural and gore soaked happenings withing the house. The visuals in this segment are top notch and it;s by the far the most horror worthy segment as it has a suitable creepy atmosphere and some nice scares.

All in all V/H/S is a mixed bag but the film makers deserve credit for trying to be unique and original with both how they shot their segments as well as the stories themselves. It's definitely worth your time.

6.5/10

Storage 24 (2012)

Storage 24 is an English horror film that's a completely by-the-numbers Alien knock off that managed to garner itself a cinema release both here and in the UK. The plot follows a group of people that get trapped inside a storage warehouse where a blood thirsty Alien creature is loose and intend on chomping its way through everyone that crosses its path.

The only explanation we get for the Alien showing up is that a military airplane crashed in the vicinity but it's not really important. What is important is the action and the atmosphere, both of which are extremely rare. There is almost zero alien action bar possibly two scenes for the first 60 minutes which is pretty unforgivable for a creature feature. To make matters worse, the Storage warehouse is brightly lit for the most part meaning there is no creepy atmosphere at all and thus no tension. When the Alien does show up the film picks up considerably as we get some nice death and scenes and decent action but it's still all by-the-numbers. The action is solid and the production is decent but it takes too long to get going and offers nothing new.

Not a bad film but a bland one.

5.5/10

Cockneys Vs Zombies (2012)

You could be forgiven for thinking that this British Zombie film is a simple Shaun of the Dead clone given that it's a horror/comedy based upon a zombie outbreak, and yes there are similarities but CvZ is very much it's own film as well. The plot sees a group of people trying to save a number of older people from an old folks home amid a zombie outbreak in East End London.

The first difference between this and Shaun of the Dead is that CvZ is much more crass with plenty of swearing and Cockney slang as well as plenty of gore. The characters are all entertaining, especially mental Micky and the script provides plenty of visual laughs and as well as jokes and never fails to put a smile on your face. The pace is fast throughout and the action is well done. The only real complaints I would have is that the jokes dry up a small bit in the second half and there is an overuse of CGI blood when practical effects would have been much better. Other than that, Cockneys Vs Zombies is an entertaining film and well worth your time.

7.5/10

Wrong Turn 5 (2012)

After the truly horrible fourth entry into the Wrong Turn franchise it seemed as if the series was dead. Surprisingly they decided to make a fifth film and perhaps even more surprisingly was the decision to keep in director Dennis O'Brien to helm this latest entry. Luckily it's nowhere near as bad as the fourth film and does it's best to get the series back on track but at the end of the day it's all too familiar and offers nothing new.

The plot has a group of mostly annoying people going to a Mountain man music festival in a small town in rural America. Little do they know that are fun loving pack of Cannibals are living the forest near buy and take an unhealthy attraction to eating their way through our group of protagonists.

The first thing I noticed was how badly the inbred make up was, the cannibals looked terrible which was very annoying. Other than that and the occasional overuse of CGI blood, the effects were bloody with plenty of gore with a few inventive kills scenes. The action itself wasn't particularly good and the explanation for the town to be completely empty with no deputies was incredibly far fetched but to be honest you only real watch the Wrong Turn films for the kill scenes which were done pretty well.

You know what to expect from the series at this stage, gone are any attempts to frighten but it does have some nice inbred cannibal killings. A step up from the fourth entry which probably means a sixth film is in the making.

6/10

The Day (2012)

The Day is a very simple post-apocalyptic film about a group of people trying to survive this new world that stumble upon a farmhouse and decide to spend the night. Unfortunately for them they are set upon by a group of cannibals who are determined to make them their next meal and must defend themselves by all means possible.

At its essence the Day is a very simple film, no explanation is given as to why the world is in the state it's in and no explanation is really given as to where the group is heading and what they are trying to achieve. It's all simply a setup for the climactic siege at the end of the film. It's acted and shot well enough to hold your attention and the siege and action scenes are reasonably entertaining but that's about it. Some scenes are too dark to see and a slight bit more depth would have been good but The Day is an average horror/action time filler.

6/10

The Amityville Horror (2005)

In many ways The Amityville horror remake is the typical Hollywood studio horror film. Starring Ryan Reynolds and Melissa George, it tells the same supposedly true story as the original about the Lutz family and their ordeal after the move into a haunted house.

The actual is an interesting one, irrespective of whether you are a believer or not but in this film the Hollywood execs have gone for the easiest possible way to try and frighten the audience by bombarding them with predictable "loud noise" scares that just don't work. I don't understand why they continually produce films that are almost entirely devoid of tension and real scares but instead go for the lowest common denominator. Reynolds is excellent as the father who slowly loses his mind and does his best to elevate the film above average but in the end it's simply too derivative.

5.5/10

When A Stranger Calls (2006)

I knew all about how bad a reputation this has but seeing as it was on Netflix I decided to give it a go. It's a remake of the 1979 film of the same name and tells to story of a Babysitter who is terrorised by threatening phone calls only to learn that they are originating as per the urban legend.

I can understand some of the hate for this film, not an awful lot happens for the vast majority of the film and it is not even remotely frightening at any stage. The lead actress is also very poor and becomes frightened incredibly easily when nothing threatening had really happened. The final 20 minutes sees the killer show up and we are treated to some rather tame slasher action. There is no gore to be found and very little else to keep hardcore horror fans happy. The film does look well though and despite its many flaws manages to provide a modicum of entertainment. It's far from a good film but far from a terrible one too. It's just another to add to the long list of inferior remakes.

4.5/10