Resolution (2013) #490

For me, "Resolution" is a difficult movie to review; it encapsulates so many impressions that is hard to properly describe. It's quirky, it's thought provoking, it's confusing, and its creative. "Resolution" is also very enjoyable, rewatchable, and is a fantastic first film for Aaron Morehead and Justin Benson. The duo has garnered a respectable reputation in the independent movie scene and are held in high regard in the cosmic horror sub-genre. "Resolution" establishes a foundation that would be seen in some of their future movies.

Michael receives an email containing a series of video clips of his childhood friend Chris getting high and firing a gun erratically at a remote and desolate cabin. Michael decides to go and help his friend by forcing him to become sober or agree to rehab by tasing him and handcuffing him to a pipe, taking Chris by surprise. Chris pleads for freedom and tells Michael that he will not go to rehab, that the only time he's happy is when he's high. 

The next day Micah and Billy, two acquaintances of Chris and Michael, come to the cabin demanding the return of the drugs that Chris is holding for them. Michael chases them off, but Chris warns him that the two drug dealers have become unpredictable and dangerous since high school. Billy and Micah return but are quickly chased off by Charles and two others; Charles then tells Michael that they are on reservation land and need to leave. Michael bribes Charles to let the two stay for five more days and then he promises they will be gone.

If this wasn't enough to derail Michael's good intentions, bizarre forms of media and media equipment begin to appear. It begins when Chris tells Michael that he never sent him a video in the first place. Events begin to spiral when the two friends start seeing video clips and audio recordings of their deaths, caused by both Billy and Micah as well as Charles and his friends. With little choice left, Michael and Chris try to stay a few steps ahead of the future events to stay alive and attempt to figure out how to appease whatever force is providing these clues.

The dialogue between Michael and Chris is cheeky, adorable, and feels natural. It's one of the highlights of the film and showcases Justin Benson's ability to write realistic dialogue. Some may argue that Vinny Curran's performance as Chris going through withdrawal is unrealistic, but I appreciate his work here. The movie is not about the horror of drug dependance but about being entertainment pawns for an unseen force.

Torment (2013) #431

Katharine Isabelle's most memorable roles are those where she is badass take control woman such as in "Ginger Snaps" and "American Mary"so it's a real surprise to see her take a role where she portrays average newlywed wife in the movie "Torment". Even then, using the word average is an understatement because she is able to hold her own against the cult like group that invades her home in the middle of the night. It's nice to see her take different roles and showcase her acting chops even if she does cry out for her husband for help a few too many times. "Cory!" "CORY!!"

"Torment" is the simple little story about newlywed couple Cory and Sarah who are trying to start a new life together with Cory's son Liam. Of course Liam doesn't like Sarah no matter how nice she tried to be to him. To help Liam cope with the death of his mother and the new family dynamic, Cory takes Sarah and Liam to the family summer home in the middle of nowhere, always a great idea. 

Cory and Sarah soon discover that the summer house had a problem with squatters, a fact that the local sheriff tries to dismiss and reassure them that they are safe. Of course they're not, and soon they are besieged by a manical family wearing ripped off stuff toy heads, terrorizing the young family.

"Torment" is the kind of horror movie filled with jump scares, violence, and a fair amount of edge if your seat chills. It doesn't offer anything new to the genre but it is fun and doesn't disappoint. With excellent pacing and enough story background to have you care about the characters, "Torment" is another must see film for any Katharine Isabelle fan or any casual horror film viewer. 

The Green Inferno (2013) #425

"The Green Inferno" is Eli Roth's ode to the cannibal movie sub-genre of 1970's and 80's, a film that offers plenty of gore as well as Roth's signature sense of dark humor. The movie is perhaps best known for it's mainstream theatrical release after it was dropped by its original distributor, even though it was well received during its time shown in the film festival circuit. When it was finally released on the big screen, I did see it with about a dozen other people at a local cineplex. And was it worth the wait? Meh....

The violence, the gore, and the very nature of the movie isn't meant the average movie attendee, but to have its distributor drop the film is a bit suspect. It's not the first or the last to have this happen and you can almost gunarentee that when it does occur, the film in question will earn more discussion than if it quietly appeared as planned. Much like Rob Zombie's "House of 1000 Corpses", I was expecting something more after hearing about all of the hype.

Essentially the movie is about a group of student protesters from Columbia University who fly down to Peru's portion of the Amazon in order to stop a logging operation that will destroy innocent tribal villages left untouched by the outside world. After successfully halting the operation and getting arrested in the process, the protestors begin to fly back to the city, but the plane that they are on crashes, killing some of the people on board. The lucky survivors are then found by members of the "innocent" tribe and are brought back to the village, only to find out that the tribe are cannibals. 

Carriers (2009). #417

I love post apocalyptic movies and I love them even more when they're well made. We've been lucky that a few good movies have been produced in the past few years, and "Carriers" should be rated among them. It is a simple straight forward film that keeps the violence toned down, the action tense, and the relationships believable. I appreciate the fact that you know what destroyed the world we know, a very infectious and deadly disease, without having to be told how it began or spread; all that matters is how the current situation affects the four main characters.

Chris Pine leads the cast as Brian Green, the older brother of Danny Green. The two brothers, along with Brian's girlfriend Bobby and another friend Kate, are trying to find a safe place to stay and survive long enough for the current plague to die down. Once infected, death is guaranteed so the four have been very careful to avoid any situation that could get them infected. Unfortunately compassion gets in their way when they decide to help a man and his sick daughter. What unfolds is a  living nightmare for the four as they realize that their chances for survival become very unlikely.

Sanatorium (2013) #410

Cliches buried beneath cliches is the best way to describe 2013's "Sanatorium". It's yet another found footage movie about another group of film makers going into a closed down asylum/madhouse/hospital/haunted house to record the rumored ghosts that walk the hallways. First there's the typical "did you hear that?" or "did you feel that" moments followed by an obvious supernatural occurrences, which leads to the violent "run for your lives" panic that ends with the eventual death of everyone. There's also the young new couple that you're supposed to care about that's introduced in the beginning, the jerk, and the typical nice guy that's just there to do his job.

Chances are that you've seen this movie before even if you haven't; it feels that generic. The film "Grave Encounters" is the first film to come to mind. But even though it is that generic, I really enjoyed this film; this style really appeals to me and I could watch variations of this story line over and over. For everyone else, if this was the first time this type of film had been made, it would be great. It's a solid ghost movie with a spooky back story and a slow build of tension until thing go crazy at the end. But it's not and so I would suggest "Grave Encounters" instead, just for the freaky moments (ghost in the corner and the bath tub) that are in it.

Wer (2013) #396

"Wer" is an enjoyable, low budget horror film that touches on the basic themes of Werewolf lore (both historical and cinematic) rather than trying to bedazzle the audience with an overload of CGI effects. I really enjoyed how the film takes place in France, where the legends of werewolves ran rampant in the 1500 through 1700's. The curse is still spread by surviving an attack by an inflected beast, and the werewolves are still fast, strong, and menacing. While the appearance of the werewolf in this film is less impressive than other movies, the physical effects and make-up are highly appreciated and is a breath of fresh air.

The plot of "Wer" is kept simple and straight forward, focusing on a American defense attorney who is brought in to defend a quiet loner named Talan who is accused of killing a vacationing family in the wilderness of France. Talan is actually a werewolf and escapes from jail, going on a rampage in Paris.

The Sacrament (2013) #391

"The Sacrament" is an mediocre offering from director and writer Ti West, with horror fiend Eli Roth serving as one of the producers. The film stars regular Ti West collaborators A.J Bowen, Joe Swanberg, and Amy Seimetz. The film might be a little too polished for a first person perspective film but at least the viewer is saved from an overly shaky and nauseating experience. The film doesn't offer anything new to the material that it covers but it does present that content in an entertaining fashion.

"The Sacrament" is a simple, effective, straightforward, and yet predictable horror film about two independent web-journalists, Sam and Jake,  and a collaborator, Patrick, who go to an unnamed country to make a documentary about Parish Eden, a possible religious utopia for former drug addicts and social rejects. Patrick wants to find his sister Caroline, a recovering drug addict, who wrote a letter to her brother asking him to come. When the three first land, they are taken to the parish by armed locals, giving them quiet concern. While the sibling reunite, Sam and Jake interview the parish residents about their new life and what their leader, Father, is like. Sam and Jake begin to see the positive aspects about the simple life that the parish residents are living but when they meet Father, their fears and concerns quickly return. Soon they realize that there are secrets that are being kept from them and that their lives are in grave danger.

Father being interviewed by Sam and filmed by Jake

Sam and Jake

Caroline holding her brother Patrick

Oculus (2013) #387

I've never liked split narratives that follow separate story lines that occur in the past and the present because I feel that any tension that is built is lost in one timeline when it switches back to the other. In the 2013 horror movie "Oculus", this technique is used to various degrees of success; the first 30 minutes was difficult to follow but the film finds a pleasant rhythm switching back and forth in the second act. It follows two siblings, both as pre-teens and as young adults, as they deal with an evil, possessive mirror that has a long history of being owned by people who have all suffered bizarre and gruesome deaths. The movie was written, edited, and directed by Mike Flanagan, expanding a short film that he had created in 2005. Overall, I enjoyed the film and noticed several similar themes that are found in the film "1408" and "The Amityville Horror".

A young family moves into a new house, where the father purchases a gorgeous antique mirror to decorate his office. The mirror is evil and soon possesses the parents who turn viciously on their two children. The son is blamed for his parents death and is sent to a psychiatric facility for 11 years while his older sister becomes obsessed with learning the history of the mirror and eventually obtaining it for a scientific experiment to prove that it is supernatural. The two siblings meet at their childhood home, where the sister has set the mirror up with a series of video cameras and computers to record and track the occurrences within the room. It's not long before the mirror begins to effect the two and the objects within the house, including making the plants wilt and influencing the siblings without them realizing it. Will the siblings resist the mirror's evil force or will they end up victims like all of the mirror's previous owners?

Favorite moment - When Kaylie (the sister), bites down on a light bulb after the mirror tricks her into thinking that she picked up an apple.

Wolf Creek 2 (2013) #380

In my opinion, sequels should only be made if there is another story to tell involving characters or details from an original film. Unfortunately, half of the horror movies created don't share or follow that train of thought and "Wolf Creek 2" is such an example. It is merely the continuing adventures of the sadistic Australian Outback hermit Mick Taylor, finding helpless tourists to torture and kill. To give the director/writer Greg McLean credit, the character Mick does branch out and kill a few police officers and locals as well this time around. The movie begins nice and strong but quickly slides into a predictable sequence of cat-and-mouse situations. All of this does not mean that the movie isn't enjoyable but it does mean that it's not as outright scary or chilling as the original.

Absence (2013) #378

The movie "Absence" is a fine little film if you're only interested in watching a home movie about a family vacation and not a horror or Sci-Fi film about alien abductions...but that is what the film is supposed to be about. The director and co-writer of the screenplay, Jimmy Loweree, apparently wanted to make a movie about aliens that abduct people as well as their unborn children, but had no ideas in which to share with the audience except for the rushed abduction at the very and a few insipid "weird lights" in the distance moments in the middle. I kept watching the film hoping that it had a slow burn kind of approach to the action but sadly it never came. The concept of a soon-to-be-mom suddenly losing her child without any idea how or where it went caught my eye but the filmmakers obviously had no clue on where to take the story after it's initial opening sequence. It is films like these that waste people's time and spoil a cool and refreshing concept, ruining it for others who may have had an actual story to tell.

Jug Face (2013) #377

"Jug Face" is a refreshing and unique horror film that I came across while searching around the Internet for recently released movies. Although it had a limited budget, the film looks and sounds beautiful, choosing to use simple camera tricks and a strong story and well developed characters rather than trying to scare the audience with gore and frightful visions. The script was strong enough that it won the Slamdance Screenwriting Competition in 2011, which drew the attention of the producers who would help it become a full length feature. Sean Young and Larry Fessenden ("You're Next" and "I Sell the Dead") were cast as the parents of the main character Ada and as the leaders of their truly backwoods community. Sean Bridgers ("The Woman") was delightful in the role of Dawai, giving the character a real sense of humility, simpleness, and awkwardness as being the chosen "potter" for the community. Finally, Lauren Ashley Carter gives a solid appearance as the main character Ada, the poor girl who has been chosen as the next sacrifice whose life must be given to satisfy the demands of the local "healing pit". This movie reunites Lauren Ashley Carter and Sean Bridgers after they both appeared in 2011's "The Woman".

An extremely superstitious backwoods community worships a mysterious hole that they refer to as the Pit. It heals them when they are sick and soothes them when they need to pray for answers. The Pit also demands sacrifices from the community, placing dim witted Dawai into a deep trance, during which time he crafts detailed jugs. If a jug is created bearing some one's face, that person is sacrificed in front of the entire village at the Pit. When Ada finds her face on the newest jug that Dawai has crafted, she steals it and hides the jug in the woods. Besides not wanting to die so young, Ada also wants to try to save the life of her unborn child. Unfortunately, the child's father is her own brother, a selfish boy who wants nothing to do with her or the child after she is betrothed to another young man in the community. Ada begins to have gruesome visions and her neighbors and family members begin to be killed by the demonic spirit of the Pit. The longer that she denies the Pit her blood and life, the closer the killings come to her loved ones. A deep family secret is soon revealed and Ada learns what happens when the Pit is denied what is demands.

Ada steals the jug that bears her resemblance, starting a gruesome and deadly chain of events

Dawai shows the jug that he created while in a trance, the face belonging to the next chosen sacrifice

After having his face appear on a jug, a local is then sacrificed to the Pit

Dawai and Ada chained up as offerings to the Pit

The Returned (2013) #376

"The Returned" offers a fresh and unique perspective for bloated zombie sub-genre by offering a film where the threat of zombies is very real but you never really see one except for the opening credits and a minor flash-back sequence. In fact, the word zombie is only used in one scene, and this single moment is made all the more intense just because of that word. Instead of the word zombie, the preferred politically correct term used in the film is "the returned"; those who have been infected with the virus that turns someone into a zombie but who was saved by medical means before the infected took over the body completely. Because of this set-up, the film is driven by emotions and relationships, paranoia, and social clashes over how those who have become "returned" should be handled. With strong performances by Emily Hampshire (Kate) and Kris Holden-Reid (Alex), "The Returned" is an intense and enthralling horror film without the usual blood and guts, making this movie safe for those who would typically avoid horror movies in the first place.

Kate works as a doctor at a clinic that treats those who have been infected by a zombie bite. By administering a vaccine daily, the infected patient becomes a "returned", those who have been saved from the horrible fate of becoming a zombie. Kate's lover Alex is a "returned", and during a dinner party, Alex finally reveals his secret to his best friend Jacob and Jacob's girlfriend Amber. Although initially shocked, Jacob and Amber remain friends with Kate and Alex. When news spreads that the national stock pile of the daily vaccine that Alex needs is running out and that there isn't a reliable alternative, Kate and Alex begin to fear the reactions of their neighbors and government more and more as the days pass. Special military controlled camps are opened and all documented "returned" must be transferred to a camp or else. Kate and Alex leave the city with Jacob and Amber, but soon this course of action develops it's own problems for Kate and Alex. As their options and their personal supply of vaccine runs out, Kate and Alex are forced to take desperate measures in order to prolong their time together....

Contracted (2013) #367

"Contacted" is an interesting film about the gradual physical, mental, and emotional decline of a woman who is infected with some sort of disease or virus with an unknown man after a one night stand; and when I say gradual, I mean over the course of three days. What makes this movie intriguing, besides the gross out effects and ailments that plague the main character is the fact that most of the characters are not likable, making this feel more realistic than it first appears. At first, you want to feel empathetic for the main character Samantha but she turns on everyone around her and refuses the help that they offer. She won't go to the police after her friend Alice tells her that the police are looking for the man she slept with because she doesn't want her estranged girlfriend Nikki to find out that she was with a man. Samantha's mother comes across as too overbearing and judgemental, Nikki is rude and abrupt, Riley is a creepy guy who has a crush on Samantha, and so on. The movie is about the three days after Samantha contracts whatever it is that she has and how quickly she breaks down from it. The final act is brutal and unforgiving which is exactly what it needed to be.

Before

and after

Frankenstein's Army (2013) #366

An instant favorite that I will watch time and time again, "Frankenstein's Army" is a non-stop action packed thrill ride of twisted monstrosities of mangled flesh and various machine parts. The film is a found footage movie and given that perspective it feels like a realistic chase scene through an enormous haunted house attraction. In fact, it may be best to think of the movie as a haunted house attraction that was made into a movie because it would explain how the camera operator was able to escape a horde of monsters time and time again by just going closing a door behind him. I was extremely impressed by the detailed sets and how vast Frankenstein's complex seemed to be; this was either a Prop Masters' dream come true or complete nightmare! Of course the main reason to watch this film is to see the many different types of odd creations that represent Frankenstein's army. There are so very creative and a few WTF monsters in this movie so keep an eye out!


A Russian reconnaissance team is on a mission in Eastern Germany near the end of World War Two and the mission is being recorded for prosperity for Mother Russia. The recon team stumbles across an old factory while looking for a team of Russian comrades who had sent out a distress signal. Inside the decrepit building they find an older man feeding some animals. They force him to lead them into the building but he quickly disappears and then suddenly their worse nightmares come out of the shadows, half-man half-machine hybrids with German markings and odd appendages used only for killing!

The Purge (2013)

Like most of the people I know, I was expecting something more from "The Purge". Unlike the other home invasion horror films that have been recently made, such as "You're Next" and "The Strangers", the audience is given the reason why the killing and violence are about to happen. That doesn't say that there aren't any sudden twists of reveals in "The Purge", only that the characters know ahead of time that the violence is coming or is at least possible. So why did "The Purge" fail to live up to expectations? For me, the movie felt more like an action flick than a horror film. There's little reason to be scared when the victims know why they're being scared, knowing full well that the killers are not insane.


The annual Purge is about to commence, a patriotic holiday of sorts where the American population is allowed to commit murder, rape, and assault on anyone they like, except for high ranking government officials. The Sandin family is your typical well-to-do family unit, with father James as the bread winner, earning his wealth by selling the very security systems that is going to keep his family safe. He has a beautiful and caring wife, Mary, a teenage daughter, Zoey, who is seeing a boy too old for her, and a tween son, Charlie, who doesn't agree with the meaning behind the Purge. It's because of Charlie that the Sandin family becomes involved with a group of Purgers after Charlie opens the security doors and lets an unknown man into their home after he begged for help. It's only a matter of time before the Purgers force their way in and try to Purge the world of their chosen target as well as the Sandin family.

Bad Milo (2013)

One of the better comedy horror movies that I've seen in years, "Bad Milo" was a delightful surprise that didn't let me down. I knew I had to see this film once I saw the movie poster and I regret missing it when it was playing at a near by independent movie theater. The pacing is just right, the humor is crude at times but not overboard, and the puppetry work for Milo is simply impressive. Milo is a puppet and not CGI!!! I enjoyed the story and the performances of the cast, a few who already have an impressive background working in comedy, including Gillian Jacobs (from the show "Community") and Patrick Warburton ("Seinfeld" and "The Tick" among many other roles). This is most definitely a film that I'm going to recommend my friends and everyone else to see and will undoubtedly see it a few more times while it's being offered on Netflix.


Duncan is under a lot of stress and the fact that he's been diagnosed with a polyp in his colon that's been formed by his stress isn't helping things. His wife wants a baby, his mother and step-father (who is about the same age as he is) who want a grandchild, built up issues with his father who left him when he was just a baby and the recent news that he is now being required to lay off his fellow employees at his job although he's an accountant and not a member of HR is adding to that stress. Unknown to Duncan, the polyp in his colon isn't what the doctor thinks it is, it's actually a demon that comes out every now and then and takes it's and Duncan's frustrations out on those who is causing him stress. The bloody and messy body count grows as Duncan and his therapist try to come to terms with the demon Milo, issues rooted in his abandonment by his father years before. Duncan learns to care for Milo, because the two are connected and any harm that comes to Milo is felt by Duncan. But when Milo goes after Duncan's wife when it learns that she's become pregnant, Duncan is forced to draw the line and teach Milo a lesson.

The Bell Witch Haunting (2013)

"The Bell Witch Haunting" is a Found Footage movie that is full of horrible oversights, that but for some reason or another I still found entertaining. Some of the unforgivable oversights is that the movie takes places during January in Tennessee and yet the movie opens with a summer-like pool party. There is another scene a few days later where a group of girls are posing in their swim suits. Really? Other distractions include overly shaky shaky-cams and the fact that previous footage that shows some kind of evidence is only looked over once with any kind of result; the film is never looked over by the parents when things really get going and this seems like a huge plot hole. Finally, there is the grand moment when the father tells his family that they "won't be moving", that he spent all of their money to buy the house. While the film is takes obvious cues and plot-lines from "Paranormal Activity", there is enough of action and something going on screen to keep the viewer watching, especially at 3:30 in the morning.


The Sawyer Family just moved into their new house in Tennessee after relocating from Chicago. The film begins with Brandon's birthday (the son), where we quickly are introduced to his young looking parents Scott and Janette, and his sister Dana. Brandon receives a fancy new camcorder for his birthday, with which he records most of the events that follow. After a few nights of his sister experiencing extreme night terrors, Brandon's friend Colby tells him about the Bell Witch, a local legend dating back to the 1800's and how the Witch haunting and tormented the Bell family for generations, and how Brandon and his family live on the Bell family's estate. After Brandon and Colby set up additional cameras around his house, ghostly activity spikes and Dana's night terrors increase. Soon both Dana and Scott become possessed, forcing Janette to turn to religious means in order to help her family deal with their problem. A priest comes and begins a house cleansing who only gets killed when Dana becomes fully possessed. Afterwards, she rushes into the woods, where her family tries to follow only to never be seen alive again....