Movie Review: The Zombie Diaries (2006)

WARNING ***CONTAINS SPOILERS***

Quite early on in my evolving love for the Random Horror world, I was given a film called Zombie Diaries on DVD. It was released a short time before George A. Romero’s Diary of the Dead and was a British Independent movie.

My feelings for this film are so great that I am breaking my usually rule of NO SPOILERS! That is all I will say on that!

Zombie Diaries follows three sub-stories which all revolve around the arc of a virus which is slowly making its way to the shore’s of England. The first story finds us following a reporter and crew as they leave London following a lead on the virus. The story takes them to a farm in the countryside. Upon arrival, something seems strange and it isn’t long before the virus they’ve been hunting finds them!

The second story feels more like something from a survival film. Three survivors make their way in a car to a destination unknown, with a gun and some fight about them, they search for useful parts in any place they can. Ultimately though, the infected become a much bigger nuisance than they ever feared!

The third story finds a well knit group of people hold up in a farm house. A bit of hostility towards one another slowly creeps in and upsets the fine balance that had been established within the group. As a result, the attention is diverted from the Zombies which start to make their advance!

Much like the plot of the film, the quality is split into three sections. Unfortunately for Zombie Diaries, none of the sub-stories mean anything as the whole film is spoilt by the ending. A group of un-infected chav’s disturb the creepy tone which had built throughout the film and turn it into another run-of-the-mill slasher film, a direction which has plagued the UK Independent horror market in recent years. The empathy built and we all felt happy when the characters survived the Zombie horde’s. Only for them to be despatched anyway but not by zombies, no, Instead by some jumped up little pricks!

In some respects, Zombie Diaries is a good example of solid British Filmmaking but only if you chop off the last ten minutes. Up to that point I was all ready to give this film a solid 6. However! With an ending that made the whole thing feel pointless and irritating, mainly because I had invested a lot of time and energy into the experience, I have no alternative but to completely disregard this film from my memory banks! Even after my original viewing fell into the abyss of my drunken sub-conscience, I gave it a second chance but low-and-behold, I was left wanting.... Wanting the last 81 minutes back!

The acting for the most part is.... regrettably, forgettable! Some VERY wooden conversations between characters leaves the whole thing feeling extremely scripted, some very hard work is required just to get from one scene to the next. Some browney points are earned with the special effects which were quite impressive for a small production like this but ultimately, not enough to save the film from the chop!

Never the less, I am a sucker for anything random so I shall be partaking in the sequel World of the Dead: Zombie Diaries 2, sometime soon.

Released: 2006

My Rating: 2

Movie Review: The Amityville Haunting (2011)

After more than a month out of the game, I returned to the world of Random Horror with a... not quite a bang, more of a piff! I trawled through the Amazon suggests looking for more hidden gems and what I found was The Amityville Haunting!

By now, I think everyone should know the story of The Amityville House and its connected stories, for those who don’t, read about it. Anyway, The Amityville Haunting sells itself as a “Real” found footage film. The tagline reads... “The family did not survive but the recordings did”. I think this pretty much sums up the direction the film will take us.

To begin, we see a group of kids filming themselves breaking into the house whilst it is empty. They fool around a bit and pretty much do what young stupid American stereotype teens do in these types of films. And, equally as stereotypical, they all meet with untimely ends!

We skip forward slightly and a very awkward looking family introduce themselves to a slightly tentative realtor. With this, we are introduced to the Benson family, Douglas, Virginia and their three kids Tyler, Lori and Melanie. The whole experience is being captured by Tyler on his hand held camera. A quick scout around the house and a bit of a Luke-warm discussion between the parents and they decide to take the house. With this in their thoughts, they rush to inform the realtor only to find her lying dead in the driveway!

Unperturbed, the Bensons begin their move. A few removal men get the film-maker treatment as Tyler teases them about the house being the infamous Amityville house and how it is supposedly haunted. They must be the only removal men on the planet who don’t watch films because not one of them seems to have heard of it!

Before the day is done, yet another fatal accident befouls the christening of this young family’s new home. One of the removal men met his maker after falling down the stairs! By now, Virginia is beginning to regret the decision to move but Douglas’s military background starts to show and he insists they stay for at least a few more days. Further angles are added when he installs a security camera but it isn’t long before their decision to live in this fateful house bites them in the arse!

So, pretty much that is the tract of this film. Slow, sometimes painfully so and poorly acted are probably the first words I would use to describe The Amityville Haunting. As a “real” film, the whole scenario and portrayal are totally unreal. Douglas as the man of the house rules with an iron fist but then still persuades the family to vacate the house in order to install an unhidden camera! Ok, perhaps but what plays out through the entire duration (86 Minutes) is a lacklustre, fairly uninteresting home movie which threatens to scare on only one occasion.

In all honesty, much like the majority of the direct to video releases of the Amityville series, this film could have been called anything. Very little reference is made to the DeFeo or the Lutz families and if I’m totally honest, it might have interested me more in the long run if it had been called something like the Benson Family Haunting. I admit, I bought the film because of its connection to Amityville but all that proves is the draw of the story is still appealing to me (PR at work) but the fact that this film is connected to two of my favourite horror films is quite a saddening thought!

Bad acting, no special effects of note and a story which is non-existent really don’t take too much away from what was always going to be a terrible film. Playing on the recent craze of found footage films only heightens the disaster. A Sub-Genre which has enthralled me in recent times with titles like Grave Encounters and Skew, somehow now however, films like this and Episode 50 have left a bitter taste in my mouth as the entertainment factor is sucked from them at high force!

Much like the Benson family in this film though, I will not be perturbed, I will not give in. My search for good horror from all walks of life goes on. The Amityville Haunting serves as a good benchmark on which to improve upon. Certainly not the worst horror film I have seen in recent times, far from it but for anyone interested in watching this film, I leave one word...... Don’t!

Released: 2011

My Rating: 3

Movie Review: Outpost: Black Sun (2012)

This is a film that like the previous sequel I reviewed (Grave Encounters 2) promised so much. Let me take you back a bit. One of my first posts on this website was for a little indie film called Outpost. The film saw a group of mercenaries escorting a businessman in the woods of Eastern Europe only to be confronted by an army of un-dead Nazi SS soldiers. The concept and delivery were brilliant and immediately after watching Outpost, I was ecstatic to learn that a sequel had already been commissioned.

A few years passed and it seemed as though Outpost 2 was never going to be released, I had been following their Facebook/Twitter pages so I knew the film had been made but alas, no release date. Even news of a third instalment didn’t bring with it a release for the second! Eventually, as if overnight, Outpost: Black Sun was released in shops and quickly moved to the top of my wish list! I finally got the opportunity to watch it after a chance visit to HMV provided me with a copy for the bargain price of £3! 

Black Sun begins with a flashback scene to 1945 and a Nazi scientist called Klausener. Klausener is working on some crazy technology to assist the Nazi push; a familiar face in Götz (Johnny Meres), the breather from the first instalment was a welcome sight. Skip forward a few decades and we are introduced to Lena, hell bent on eradicating the world of the last few survivors of Hitler’s army, she is on the trail of Klausener. Little does she know that her search is about to drag her into a world she is ill equipped to handle. A machine that was developed by Klausener is the item it seems everyone is trying to attain. It gives any member of Gotz’s undead army within its radius the lucky advantage of being immortal. As the radius of the machines power expands, it brings with it more doom.

Lena is joined on her voyage by Wallace, who has been on the trail of Klausener for a long time and is well positioned to help even if his motives are slightly sketchy. After joining up with a Special Forces unit, they must go deep into enemy territory to try and stop the massing Nazi army before its immortal reach stretches too far.

As with the first film, there are lots of Nazi zombies to keep everyone entertained but, and I say this with the greatest of sadness, the film lacks in most departments. The storyline seems like something from a Hellboy comic. Too much of the technology is described in far too great a detail than is required for a horror film of this type. For that level of detail, an action film is the direction to go but this is too dark to be considered in that category, so I suppose in essence, very much like Grave Encounters 2, Outpost: Black Sun is a sequel that doesn’t quite fit.

Whereas the first film was inventive, original, creepy and very atmospheric, this instalment just isn’t unfortunately. The story seems to suffer from too much depth and once it starts drowning, it can never quite get its head above water again. As the story develops, we are treated to a few interesting sights and even a few “stop breathing or he’ll see you” moments which do add weight to its horror roots but sadly it’s not enough.

Although the film suffers from many downfalls one good feature is the acting. For the most part, this is done with great ease. Notably from Richard Coyle who plays Wallace. I had only previously seen him in a made for TV Sky programme called Going Postal based on Terry Pratchett’s work. He was good in both. Catherine Steadman played the role of Lena brilliantly too and this did add that much needed extra dimension to proceedings.

All in all, Black Sun was on a slippery path from the beginning. Its main enemy was its predecessor. Had this been a standalone venture with no connection to the original, then I can see how it may have worked however, it wasn’t. No matter how slim the connection, I was always going to compare this to the first and with that being said, it disappointed greatly. What we have learned from this is that with a bit of extra cash, the producers etc have suffered from lottery winning syndrome. Too much money that they didn’t know where to throw it!

I will not let this effort dissuade me from watching the next instalment, Outpost: Rise of the Spetsnaz. Hopefully that will repair all the damage caused here…

Released: 2012

My Rating: 4

Movie Review: Grave Encounters 2 (2012)

I must say after watching and massively enjoying the first Grave Encounters, I was very excited to see the second. I watched a few trailers and nothing I saw did anything to alter my initial excitement. I was scanning the DVD shelf at our local unnamed chain supermarket when I saw it; twice reduced the price was now too good an opportunity to pass up at £5! 

Still excited, I decided to watch it that same night…

Grave Encounters 2 begins with a montage of amateur film reviewers giving their two cents on the first instalment. One of them is Film Student Alex Wright. After giving it a fairly poor review he becomes obsessed with the mystery surrounding the production of the first film. He is contacted by a viewer of his video blog known only as Death Awaits and is fed small snippets of information.

This information is enough to get Alex more than intrigued, so along with his friends Jennifer, Trevor, Tessa and Jared he sets about unravelling the secrets of Grave Encounters. Their journey takes them to an interview with Sean Rogerson a.k.a Lance Preston, host of Grave Encounters. They are greeted by Sean’s mother but it soon becomes clear she is not all there. After Mrs Rogerson’s care giver insists they leave the house, she informs the group of friends that she has dementia and no one has heard from Sean in ten years.

A further trail takes Alex to L.A to try and meet with series producer Jerry Hartfield, this also proves to be a hard fought trip in which he manages to gather some info but not enough to blow the lid off. It is his ultimate decision that they have to travel to the filming location of Grave Encounters in order to uncover the truth. Having been given the location of an unknown mental hospital in Vancouver, Canada, that is supposedly the actual location of the fictional Collingwood Hospital from the series, they embark on their next adventure!

I don’t really want to go any further because the rest of the film is a mixture of copycatting from the first film and dire storytelling portrayed on screen! To say I was disappointed doesn’t quite cover it. Grave Encounters 2 took everything that was good from the first and squeezed it dry so all we are left with is a sub-standard half found footage film, half cliché ridden genre movie that doesn’t even know its own identity!

I say half and half because there are a few scenes in the middle that follow similar patterns to that of the first film and could easily be classed as Found Footage but the rest is so unbelievable and poor that calling it found footage would be an insult to its predecessor and to the greats that bore us the sub-genre!

When I mention those few found footage style scenes, I have to follow it up with the fact they are carbon copies of the first! Right down to the nurse and the wide open mouth style scares that really worked well in the first but for genre lovers all around the world it’s not enough! We need to see something more. Some shred of originality which sadly was lacking in this effort. 

Poorly acted on the whole and characters that did nothing to gain any miniscule amount of empathy. From the word go, I disliked the main characters and even the feel of the film. I’m not against students per se but the way they are portrayed on film makes me really dislike them. I am sure real American students are very different so hopefully I haven’t offended anyone… 

Essentially what Grave Encounters 2 represents is something akin to Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 with one glaring difference, Blair Witch 2 was actually quite good. It was always going to be a tough act to follow up something as impressive as Grave Encounters. I don’t know, maybe they rushed production or didn’t put too much thought into story but whatever the reason, it really begs the question Why? Why was it allowed? In a move totally out of the ordinary for me, I can’t give much in the way of positivity or praise what-so-ever.

The only thing I can say about this film is; if you liked Grave Encounters please, please don’t watch Grave Encounters 2 unless you want to be wholly disappointed! 

On a slightly separate note, right at the end of the film a set of numbers briefly appears on the screen. A quick google search of the numbers (49 14 122 48) led me to a Wikipedia page which revealed the actual filming location as Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam, British Columbia. If the hospital looked familiar, that’s probably because you’ve seen it somewhere before. Included, is a very large list of film and TV titles that have been filmed in or around Riverview Hospital…. Disappointed? I was!

Released: 2012

My Rating: 2

Movie Review: V/H/S (2012)

This is another film that was brought to my attention a while ago, this time through the wonders of Twitter and its many awesome horror fans. I watched the trailer on YouTube then instantly watched it again and then again and over the course of the next week or so, continued to watch in awe as I wondered if this could be as good in reality as the trailer made it seem...

Months passed and although I continued to refresh my memory by watching the many updated trailers that came by, I was thwarted in my attempts to watch it as being in the UK, all VOD opportunities seemed to be in the States. But, my time would come! I was browsing around randomly on Amazon when my gaze was diverted by a familiar VHS cover. A patient wait until the end of January and V/H/S was finally in my possession!

It is so difficult to review an anthology because they differ so dramatically! One can influence my decision and consciousness greatly while others may drag it down somewhat. I suppose the best way to do it would be to individually break it down and review each one on its own merits as standalone short films and then as a whole.

So here we go.





The Narrative - Tape 56
Dir. Adam Wingard

V/H/S is presented as a found footage film centred around a group of young criminals and their underhanded money making exploits including filming exposure porn and selling it on the internet. An opportunity arises that sets them the task of breaking into a house to steal a VHS tape. Too good to be true maybe but the group set off to complete the job. Upon arrival at the house, they discover the corpse of a man sitting in front of several TV’s with nothing but static white noise being played. Free to roam the house uninterrupted, the group split and search for the VHS tapes while one member remains in the room. He plays the tape that is still in the Video player and thus begins the anthology of horror shorts that make up V/H/S. While they watch the VHS tapes laid before them, the film cuts back to this as a running front story with the rest played behind. 

Although this was the most annoying of the collection, it was mainly for personal reasons. I just don’t connect with criminals and some of the things they do make me dislike them even more! With all that out of the way, the acting was good and the suspense that builds as shot to shot we are invited further into a sick world of snuff films and corpses is brilliant.

Rating: 6.5


Amateur Night
Dir. David Bruckner

This is the first of the shorts that is presented to us and it follows Shane, Patrick and Clint as they get ready for a night on the pull, to put it bluntly. From their rented motel room, Clint tests out his new glasses which are fitted with a hidden camera. Their objective is to proposition some unsuspecting girls and invite them back to their motel room in order to make a sex tape. 

They head out and soon liaise with a group of young ladies who are just as “up for it” as they are. However, one girl, Lily who takes an instant shine to Clint seems to stand out from the crowd but for the most bizarre reasons.

As an introduction to this format, this segment serves its purpose very well. The acting is actually very good, with special mention to Hannah Fierman whose portrayal of the eerily played Lily is brilliant! 

On the whole very enjoyable and creepy even if the conclusion was slightly disappointing.

Rating: 7


Second Honeymoon
Dir. Ti West

Second Honeymoon follows Sam and Stephanie as they embark on a road trip across America, filming their adventure with a handheld camera to recount their experiences along the way. An unexpected and off-camera encounter with a stranger leads the pair to be quite wary about a young woman who had asked for a lift. In the middle of the night, the camera zips to life however, we are not being held by either of the young couple. Instead, we are watching as an intruder creepily records their own exploits as the pair sleep. The morning brings a new day and the cycle continues! 

This is perhaps the most simplistic segment of the collection but this by no means is detrimental to the directors’ ability to conjure up intimate fear at a primal level! Great camera work and a twist ending help make Second Honeymoon enjoyable in its own way.

Rating: 7


Tuesday the 17th
Dir. Glenn McQuaid

Joey, Spider, Samantha and Wendy embark on camping trip. Wendy has clearly been before as she guides the group around the woods, as she does so a few choice memories intrude on their seemingly picturesque trip. Wendy eventually reveals that a murderer killed her friends in these woods and he is still at large! The others suspect she may be pulling their legs so laugh it off and continue on. However it soon becomes apparent that something is lurking in the woods and Wendy may be looking for revenge!

As with others, there is a definite underlying sexual tension in this piece but while that may detract from other films of similar tendencies, which is not the case here. Characterisation is the biggest factor in this segment as back stories and empathy is gathered in equal measure. As such, Tuesday the 17th feels like a movie I’ve seen before, many times. 

Possibly the least original in concept but one of the most visually impressive examples of such concept I have seen. Camera tricks a plenty as this little segment provides the blood soaked gore fest of the collection!

Rating: 7


The Sick thing that happened to Emily when she was younger
Dir. Joe Swanberg

This segment follows Emily and her video chat exploits with her doctor to be boyfriend, James. The pair discuss many things, among them a strange bump on Emily’s arm and the fact Emily thinks her apartment may be haunted. As they talk via video link, Emily attempts to prove the haunting by showing James first hand. Things escalate and the haunting may be the least of Emily’s worries!

This starts off being very similar to a short film I watched via a Horror app, Popcorn Horror which was called Chatter, in which a young woman angry with her long distance boyfriend decides to chat to strangers via video link. Anyway, back to The sick thing... Emily’s fear and anxiety is perfectly captured by Helen Rogers and the scares provided in this one are next to the best offered by this collection. However, much like Amateur Night, the ending was a slight let down but the rest more than make it enjoyable.

Rating: 8





10/31/98
Dir. Radio Silence

The sixth and final segment see’s friends Chad, Matt, Tyler and Paul setting out to a Halloween party complete with costumes. They head to the party but somehow get a little lost and end up breaking into the wrong house. A few supernatural occurrences prompt the group to assume they’re in a Halloween attraction and decide to go with it. As they search the house, they wind up in the attic where a group of men ritualistically chant with a young woman bound and suspended from the roof. The men don’t take too kindly to the intrusion and begin assaulting the woman. A series of bizarre events make the cult seem like child’s play as the group of friends must now escape a nightmare!

The final and best of the group, scares a plenty, jumps and even a few laughs. 10/31/98 exceeds all other segments for one simple reason, its ending! Others ended like the writer had run out of idea’s or were trying to shock but this one ends how a really good feature would end.

Brilliantly acted and scary!

Rating: 8.5


All in all, V/H/S stands as a brilliant example of indie film making and real horror in its rawest form. While some segments may have been better than others, the whole makes for an extremely enjoyable 2 hour experience. A quick scan on Wikipedia lead me to a comment made by Variety which had suggested that the film was too long and maybe should have relegated some parts to a DVD extra. I have to disagree with this comment, the length of a chronicle of stories such as this is perfect as it is, any shorter and all you have is a made for TV special or something along those lines.

Each director had their own visions to put out into the world for us to enjoy and as I said, some were better than others but each one was enjoyable in its own special way. I even loved the fact the video was extremely grainy in parts and sometimes even skipped several seconds. It made the whole thing feel very genuine! 

A perfect example of what I would normally call Random Horror however, this randomness has started to reach out and evolve. Random Horror that has grown and twisted its way into the consciousnesses of a mass audience and I have to say I am enjoying this new era of Horror. Keep it coming! If you’re on the fence about this one or having second thoughts about watching it, I would say just go for it. It gives a great account of modern horror and sets it in a brilliantly blood soaked awe of anticipation, anxiety and fear!

V/H/S impressed me so much, it will most certainly become one I will watch again and again....

Here’s looking forward to the sequel: V/H/S/2

Released: 2012

My Rating:-
Segmented Average Score: 7.3
As a whole: 8

Movie Review: Silent House (2011)

I first saw this advertised before watching Chernobyl Diaries and while the premise sounded quite familiar, the delivery made me really want to watch. So, off I went to my local retailer and lo-and-behold, the same sale that gifted me Chernobyl Diaries for £5, also gave me this title for the same price. I was quite happy to say the least.

The film follows Sarah (Elizabeth Olsen) who has travelled with her father, John to their lakeside retreat to pack it up ready for selling. Helping them along the way is Peter, John’s Brother. The house itself is quite run down and in a fairly poor state. After a petty brotherly argument, Peter leaves to get away for a bit, leaving Sarah and her dad alone in the house.

A strange encounter with Sophia, who says she used to play with Sarah when they were kids, sets the tone of the film very well. Despite being friendly about the reunion, Sarah appears to have no clue whom she is. Either way, they arrange to meet up later. She leaves and Sarah returns to the sanctity of the house. Locking the door behind her!

She begins to hear strange noises coming from upstairs. After alerting her dad, he begins an investigation but soon falls foul of something sinister. Assuming its intruders, Sarah attempts to flee the house but with all the windows boarded up and unable to find the key for the door she recently locked, there is no way out! She must now attempt to find her dad and escape this nightmare before things get any worse!

I don’t really want to give anymore away, so I won’t! 

The most interesting thing about this film is the way it’s made. It is filmed to give the impression of one long single shot take. In reality they filmed small segments and carefully edited the scenes together but it is done so well, better than I have ever seen before in fact, that it makes this film feel real. Throughout the entire film, the viewer can almost literally put themselves behind the shoulder of Sarah who occupies about 98% of the runtime.

This technique helps immensely with the atmosphere as it feels like we’re some creepy fly on the wall. An unwavering fixation on Sarah as we follow so closely we genuinely feel and share her fear! Some scenes I was found holding my breath along with Sarah as she hides in the furthest recesses of this old rickety house!

The name Olsen was kind of familiar, so a quick check on iMDb helped me learn that she is younger sister of the Olsen twins and this is one of her first forays into motion pictures. If this is anything to go by, I can safely assume she has a long and successful career ahead of her. Her role in this film was played brilliantly from start to finish, as she took me in and made me really empathetic towards her and her plight!

As for genuine scares, Silent House didn’t have many but with the type of film it was, I wasn’t really looking for scares. The build-up of immense dread, suspense and apprehension are enough to fuel this type of film. However, when something special was offered for the eyes, it was more than enough to keep me on the edge of my seat. A great story brilliantly portrayed and told through the work of actors and directors, Silent House is one I would certainly recommend!

Released: 2011

My Rating: 8

Movie Review: Chernobyl Diaries (2012)

Another film that was instantly appealing to me was The Chernobyl Diaries. The same shopping spree that saw me buying The Loved Ones also saw me purchasing this! I had been meaning to watch it for quite some time and when I saw a solitary copy of it at cut price of about £5 (Thank you HMV 70% off!) I could not resist!

Chernobyl Diaries follows a group of friends travelling around Europe. Chris, along with his girlfriend Natalie and another friend Amanda document their trip with footage from loads of major cities around Europe. The next stop on their trip is to the Ukraine to meet up with Chris’ brother Paul. From Kiev, they plan to travel to Moscow however, a chance opportunity to visit the site of the infamous Chernobyl nuclear reactor proves too good to pass up! They meet up with extreme tour guide Uri and along with another couple there for the trip, they set off to the town of Pripyat.

The actual reactor site is still too dangerous for humans so the group make do with the town that was populated by the workers and their families. The town of Pripyat was evacuated with little warning when Chernobyl’s nuclear reactor No. 4 went critical and exploded. With the exception of a few opportunistic thieves, the town is heavily guarded and remains relatively untouched. After arriving at a military checkpoint, they are told to turn around. Uri, refusing this advice finds another route into the town through the woods.

Once in Pripyat, the group are shown around by Uri who despite being slightly cautious, appears to know his way around. They take their chance to snap some very cool pics and have a good old nosey around at some of the amenities and homes that were abandoned. As day draws to a close Uri urges the group back to the van but it refuses to start. After a small bit of investigation, they find the starter motor and the cables to said motor appear to have been chewed by something! They sit less than calmly in the lifeless van until night falls around them. Then the fun really begins!

With Producer and screenplay writer Oren Peli involved, we know what kind of film we’re going to get but the actual result is so much more than I had expected. It will inevitably be likened to the docu-styled paranormal activity purely because of its style but it is far superior. In fact, for reasons quite unknown to me, the more I think about it the more I enjoyed this film. The fact we are only given mouth watering snippets of the dangers, always slightly visible but just out of reach if you know what I mean. 

While Chernobyl Diaries wasn’t actually filmed on location for obviously reasons, I thought the scenes were very convincing. The minor details really help the atmosphere and overall believability of the movie. I know the reality of the situation is very different and people regularly visit the town of Pripyat on “official” tourist visits but if that was internationally common knowledge then perhaps the film wouldn’t have been made or maybe it would have, just set in an earlier time.

A very interesting read on Sci-Fi Movie Hype takes us through some of the flaws within the film BUT what I am reviewing is the movie itself, so enjoy the read at your will but please do not let any of it take away from what is an original and fantastic horror film. Sometimes people let little things like this influence their minds too much. Example, Jurassic Park appears plausible and reachable in the film but then a Scientist tells you its IMPOSSIBLE! Does that make you enjoy the film any less? Just because tourists go to Pripyat all the time and Mobile Phones DO work, does that make this film any less enjoyable? Short answer... No!

Chernobyl Diaries is brilliantly acted with a screenplay to match. Some great filming tricks make the whole thing feel ironically claustrophobic and a few jumpy bits really add to the atmosphere. At no point throughout this film did I find myself anything other than engrossed so despite everything we now know, it is still a brilliant film. In fact, I think I will watch it again tonight!

Released: 2012

My Rating: 8

Movie Review: Skew (2011)

With all the bigger budget horror films I have watched lately, I thought I would mix it up a bit and watch something a bit more low-budget, something more in keeping with the likes of a true random horror. It’s another one that the misses got me for Christmas so I have waited quite a while to watch it but with the amount of DVD’s I have, this is understandable.

First impressions from the case were quite good, it gave me a good idea what the film would entail... Someone filming events using a hand-held camera. I suppose that is fairly close to the mark and in keeping with current trends. The likes of Grave Encounters and Paranormal Activity have really led resurgence in the found footage/Hand-held department after the greats of Cannibal Holocaust and The Blair Witch Project paved the way.

Skew follows Richard, Eva and Simon on a road trip across the country as they travel to a friend’s wedding. Simon has decided that he is going to document every second of the trip and does so with great compassion and determination. As tensions flair throughout the journey, friendships are tested and the three friends must battle not only their own demons but each others as well. The eager Simon maintains his intrusive recording as we learn more about the characters and what they are feeling.

A seemingly innocent stop off at a motel leads to the first in a chain of events that will thrill and entertain. Through the glassy lens of the camera, Simon witnesses a bizarre occurrence. The Motel managers face appears blurred or skewed. He initially disregards it as a glitch but when the man turns up dead, he begins to suspect something. As the story progresses, more and more of these skewed faces plague Simon until eventually the three friends turn on one another!

Skew gives us another original concept using a trusty hand held but where Grave Encounters really impressed, Skew impressed in other ways. A bit more stilted in its delivery perhaps and some scenes could be construed as boring as long single shots of dialogue fill up a lot of space but when something exciting does happen, it makes up for that in spades.

The great thing about watching a film that genuinely looks real is that when you’re witnessing what someone else witnessed firsthand, you constantly find yourself looking in shadows for something hidden. Something that maybe the director wanted us to see but the flow of the film ignored it. I have yet to see a film that utilises this concept to great effect but I look anyway! I think that might contribute to my love for this type of film, even if I never find anything, the fun is in the looking!

Brilliantly acted by a relatively unknown cast and a story that warrants a wider audience, Skew really impressed me from the outset. I must say a special mention for the special effects in this film, while still looking like a cheap handheld, there are moments when I found myself backing it up to watch again just to make sure I saw what I think I saw. This great movie's use of camera trickery and special effects continued to impress me throughout and hopefully others using similar methods will do so for years to come. It is my hope that the found footage genre maintains its level of evolution until hopefully we have something to realistically surpass the greats...

To all reading this, I may not have done this film too much justice there but I can only divulge so much information without breaking my rule of no spoilers, so I suggest you dig into your pockets or empty out your piggy bank, get onto Amazon and buy a copy of Skew. Watch it and enjoy!

Released: 2011

My Rating: 7.5

Movie Review: The Loved Ones (2009)

This film was recommended to me a while ago by a friend and I have kept a sharp right eye open for a copy of it ever since. A chance visit to my local DVD retailer offered me the opportunity to pick up a copy for a bargain price so I promptly obliged.

After a quick scan of the cover, I immediately jumped to the conclusion that what I had here was a run of the mill Aussie slasher flick set around a school dance setting…. Oh how wrong I was! Again, from the initial scan, I learned that the Loved Ones starred, and this was something they seemed quite proud of, Xavier Samuel. As they were quite eager to point out, star of Twilight: Eclipse. Having only seen them once (The Misses is a fan) I was still none the wiser but it was obviously quite a selling point for them.  

Quite early on in the Loved Ones, I got the feeling that my slasher theory was way off the mark. The film opens with Brent (Samuel) driving along a country road with his Dad, he’s clearly just got his driving licence but not far into their journey a half-naked and bloodied man causes them to swerve off the road and crash. Skip forward a few months and a clearly disgruntled and dishevelled Brent doesn’t really need to tell us that he lost his father in the accident. Gone is the happy go-lucky Brent, replaced by the angry young man we see before us!

The prospect of a school dances causes a loner named Lola to ask Brent to accompany her only to be brushed off because he already has a girlfriend. What Brent fails to realise is that this decision may prove to be more life threatening than he could ever have imagined! 

First reactions to this film were how well it was made and secondly how well it was acted! Most notably by Robin McLeavy who plays the hapless Lola. A character and a performance that would be good enough to make any Horror film! Xavier Samuel is more than believable in his portrayal of the guilt ridden teen with seemingly nothing but anger building inside. A good side story involves Brent’s best friend Jamie and his encounter with Mia, another angry young teen whose own story presents itself very well throughout.

To say The Loved Ones shocked me is really under-selling the reaction I had. What I thought it was going to be and what it actually developed into could not have been further afield from one another! Toe-curling, spine tingling and often stomach churning imagery keep you on the edge of your seat as the shy, reserved Lola turns out to be one of the most psychotic on-screen characters I have ever seen!

A gritty, despairing, Misery-esque story that makes you cringe and weep then just when you think you’ve seen it all, something even worse rears its’ head and the cycle starts all over again! If this film doesn’t help you appreciate all you have in life, nothing will…

A brilliant example of Aussie Indie horror up there with Wolf Creek! Very entertaining throughout and a must see for horror fans of any persuasion!

Released: 2009

My Rating: 8  

Movie Review: Sinister (2012)

Following on from Insidious was a film I had been looking forward to watching for a long time. From the first time I saw the trailer, I was excited at the prospect of seeing it. I finally saw my opportunity and within hours of buying it, Sinister was spinning to life in front of my eyes.

The film opens with a scene unlike any other, a silent film reel which shows a family of four bound, with hoods over their faces and nooses around their necks tied to a tree branch. An unseen source slowly cuts through a branch of the tree which when it collapses, acts as a pulley and hoists the family high up into the air. The camera rolls for a few moments as we watch the families’ lives being slowly extinguished by the weight of their own bodies!

Skip forward a few months and we are introduced to the Oswalt family, Ellison, his wife Tracy and their two kids Ashley and Trevor. Ellison is a once-successful true crime writer who is on a push for another triumph. He has moved the family from their home to be close to the scene of his new subject. Unbeknown to his wife however, they have moved into the actual house which played scene to the tragic events viewed in the opening moments of the film!

While moving some boxes into the attic, Ellison finds an auspicious looking box containing a projector and several reels of Super 8 film. The films seem innocent enough with their labels reading things like “BBQ ‘79” and “Family hanging out” however, once Ellison fires up the projector and begins investigating the films it soon becomes apparent that something much more sinister exists within these celluloid film reels!

As he continues his investigation into the films and the tragedy of the hangings, he begins to draw connections and soon discovers that there may be a cult connection! Some strange symbols that keep re-occurring in the different films catch his attention. After consulting Jonas, a professor and expert of the occult,, the identity of the symbol leads them to a pagan deity named Bughuul. Bughuul would kill families in order to steel children and take them into his realm so he could consume their souls! Ellison connects the dots and the stark realisation that his family may be in peril becomes his living nightmare!

Normally when I see a horror film with this much pre-release attention, a wide cinema release and a top name attached, I instantly think it may be a bit stilted or diluted down but from what I saw in early trailers, I was more than hooked. With Ethan Hawke as top billing you have something akin to The Sixth Sense or What Lies Beneath. Something unexpected from someone we’re used to seeing in more action packed titles. This was in no way detrimental to the film and I was not so much surprised because Hawke is a brilliant actor but pleasantly stunned with his stellar performance.

With films like this, the imagery is effortless, it doesn’t take a lot to conjure up visions of terror. While this has a very similar feel to Insidious, the collective impression is somewhat different. Insidious played with primal fear and showed you lots to scare while Sinister was much more subtle. Both had slight twists in the tale and you can definitely tell that there was a connection somewhere.

When I say I was looking forward to this film, it’s a bit of an understatement. From the first time I saw a 30 second teaser trailer to the time I actually sat down to watch it, I must have seen the various different trailers a dozen times. Each time I watched one, it made me want to see it even more! Normally when I am looking forward to a film that much, I normally feel slightly let down by the end product, however Sinister did nothing to distil my thoughts. While it was slightly different from what I initially envisioned, I was not disappointed.

I would certainly recommend Sinister to anyone who likes a good haunted thriller with a definite shock factor. What may start as a bit of a slow burner soon turns into the kind of film you watch on the edge of your seat waiting for the next thrill! You will not be disappointed.

Released: 2012

My Rating: 9