Lake Mungo (2008)

In 2005 a 16 year old girl from Ararat, a small town in Australia, drowns in a dam while out swimming. An investigation is launched and a verdict of accidental death reached. As her disconsolate family try to move on, strange supernatural happenings take place in their home. And they become convinced that their dead daughter is back from the dead. And with secrets. Who? What? Why? forms the crux of the story.


A psychological slow burner from the outback land of Australia which has habit of producing some sensational horror stuff every now and then, this too was widely acclaimed which led me to see it. And with a nice enough rating of 6.1 on IMDb I was expecting a slow decent into hell scary ride. But to my disappointment it turned out to be a generic ghost movie with repeated close up shots of the back from the dead girl. Shot in a fake  documentary or mockumentary style, it has video footage from different sources assembled to form a story of a girl who may or may not be as innocent as she seemed.


While the story and treatment are way different from the Paranormal series a couple of shots have been inspired by it most definitely. The idea of adding cameras to the house which capture the dead girl ALICE PALMER played by Talia Zucker does work in adding some scares. Also most actors are unknown so we feel as if everything that's happening has happened in real life. Kudos to David Pledger and Rosie Traynor who play the father and mother to Alice respectively.


For me this doesn't work. The story is sparse and so even 87 minutes feels a stretch. I realize so many couldn't be wrong about a certain movie but I think for a slow burner this doesn't have enough of a payback. While I don't hate slow burners payback is a vital component of any movie. If audience invests so much into it then raising of stakes is a must. But this doesn't happen here. While its all good to show how a family grieves but when you advertise something as a horror movie it should scare you. If it doesn't have enough meaningful scares then there's a problem. And for me the expectation of a nice last 10-15 minutes after investing energy into a movie dragging through needless twists and turns was a problem. It remains mostly static.


The writing is straightforward and static. Camera work is steady enough and when not showing us close ups of the dead girl ghost it captures some very nice view of the outback. Its that one place on earth where you want to live even if a person like that nasty WOLF CREEK guy could be your neighbour. The movie is just 87 minutes long and when that feels like just a little bit too much you realize something somewhere is wrong. The direction by Joel Anderson is pretty nice and that's what keeps this from going completely off track. All in all a foundation on which a skyscraper could have been built. But this two storey is disappointing and not for me. And for many who like it, cheers!


HighTension Meter: 5/10

The Sacrement (2013)

On November 18, 1978 in Northwest Jungle of Guyana, Rev Jim Jones led his brainwashed followers to death by convincing them to drink a cyanide laced punch and also to kill their children by injecting it. And to top it all off when some people objected and talked about having a right to live his gunmen shot them. In one of the biggest mass suicides in modern history, 910 people were killed. Only a couple dozen or so managed to flee. Cults were always considered evil but it was never so evil as was at that moment. How can a man convince so many adults to kill themselves and their children only Jim Jones could have told us, but he killed himself right after he witnessed 910 deaths. Good riddance though psychology lost a perfect zoo specimen and i guarantee many psychologists/profile makers shed a tear.

Though not to digress, this is a movie review and its about a horror movie which takes its premise from the above real horror event. And fictionalizes it. And with such a horrific background to squeeze energy from one must think half decent movie makers must have done some kind of a job, resulting in a tense, nail biting soul churning horror movie.

As it turns out the first hour is very very good. Its a found footage cum normal narrative movie. Using the best of both worlds it creates a very tense atmosphere which spirals out of control and ends with the gut wrenching mass suicide scene. In this its called “Eden Parish” rather than Jonestown and why director Ti West (The Innkeeper, The House Of The Devil) never uses a inspired by real events signature one will never know. That simple blurb could have risen its horror quotient by miles cos very few, atleast in my city, know about Jonestown Massacre. But still a very well done hour and then it starts regressing. Pity.

The story starts as Patrick a reporter for Investigative journalism company VICE, played by Patrick Audley (Ain’t them Bodies Saints) gets a invite from her sister to visit her at an undisclosed location in a undisclosed African country. She’ s Caroline played by Amy Seimetz ( Upstream Color, You’re Next) who has joined Eden Parish cos “Father” as Jones is referred in this movie helped her recover from her drug addiction. Patrick brings along two of his friends Sam and Jake played by A.J Bowen( You’re Next) and Joe Swanberg(VHS) respectively.

The first red flag is raised when the people who escort them aren’t peaceful hermits but sturdy Africans with guns. They order them to stop filming or else they won’t be admitted inside but Caroline comes to their rescue. She says its ok to film anything, a nice excuse from the makers in my opinion to continue with the found footage technique, but from then on the starts a thrilling ride till minute 60.

Sam and Jake talk with the people of the community as they discover that this heavenly place is for real. The people are happy, working hard to maintain their creations and of the opinion that being away from the big bad influence of Capitalistic USA is a boon. The Father is held in high esteem and everybody has sold their properties and donated everything to this cause. They also have a sparse medical centre which doubles up as birthing centre and playing area for kids. Joe rightly says its not enough for the people around but even the ultra critical journalists are convinced that this a place which they could see people thriving in. And for that they decide its time to interview the big fish “Father” and request Caroline to set them up. And soon they get a positive response and happily prepare for a tumultuous  evening.

Some hours later a nervous Sam is ready to interview the big man himself. And when he first arrives with cacophony of claps you get goosebumps. What an entry and what a nice imitation by Gene Jones( The Hateful Eight). The interview doesn’t go as planned obviously as Father answers haphazardly running circles around the questions without tackling it. And it ends with subtle hints of threat which is the second red flag for Sam. As the interview ends and people start singing and dancing, everything explodes as a little girl approaches Sam with a letter which simply says “Save Us”. And with that the merry party turns into motherfuckin hell.

I have read some discussions about the movie and one refrain is that as we all know how this ends Ti should have done something different with the premise. There are many conspiracy theories regarding Jones and he could have integrated that into this and maybe more people could have enjoyed it. But he does bring a topic which is old but horrific nonetheless into younger generation’s consciousness and this cannot be underestimated. And also his writing doesn’t take into account that it’s a 90 minute thing. And the last 30 minutes which should be the strongest are the weakest.

Gene Jones as stated has done tremendous work biting into the meaty personality of Jim Jones. He has very little to do here though cos this movie deals just with the last day of his cult. But 15 minutes of him is worth the ticket. And opposing him is the journalist A.J Bowen. He does a nice turn as a skeptic turned believer turned scared as hell person. These two get the most scope to show their magic. Others are relegated to supporting and do as well as they can. Especially Amy.

Camerawork is good. Beautifully shot with no big set pieces or ultra gory scenes. The suicide scene is pretty well done.  Editing could have been better. Many stretches could have been cut down. In my opinion length should be decided by the story rather than being the other way around. Music does its work as well.

All in all a movie which recreates a painful chapter in cult history and without going deep into the why’s makes us wonder “WHAT?”. Is this even possible? Adults not 100, not 200, not 300 but 500+ convinced to commit suicide and murder their children. As per the infamous Jonestown Pre suicide ritual Audio clip only 1, ONE woman intervened and said they have a right to decide what they want to do with their lives, but alas nothing came out of it. Their high and wild leader was a stubborn devil. About 30 minutes later she was dead with many others. 300 among them children. Hope history never repeats itself, though its mankind we are talking about, so shit will always happen.

HighTension Meter: 7.5/10

Review: Disturbia [2007]

NOTE: Back on after a long long long time. Sorry to all the people, however small that number, who read my blog regularly. I'll try my hardest to update as efficiently as I can without delay this time around.

Synopsis: A troubled teenager is put under house arrest after assaulting his teacher and as boredom overtakes him he begins spying on his neighbours and discovers an ugly truth.

Nope. Not seen 'Rear Window'. It's not a crime I know but being a budding filmmaker and not in know of a Hitchcock movie is close to it. So this being touted as a modern rehash of that classic I can't totally confirm it. Though LaBeouf said it wasn't so. Anyways this is about Disturbia so I'll keep it that way.

A dead dad. Troubled son. A out of her wits mother. And an assault on the Spanish teacher which leads to the son's house arrest. Plus incarceration fees of 12$ everyday. Nobody is happy. It's all messed up. Mom cuts off the ITunes and Xbox accounts and yells at her son to clean the room. More mayhem. Mostly mental. And as chronic boredom kicks in our teen stud finds a way to kill it. By spying on the neighbours using house surveillance equipments.

He discovers a slew of secrets that every household holds. Xyz having sex, children watching porn, someone obsessively mowing their lawn and also a very hot neighbourhood girl swimming. All very normal but also can be termed as creepy or inappropriate in most parts of the world. Though our man soon has the girl knocking on his door and inviting herself in. She knows he's spying even when she changes her clothes but she's not angry. Really lucky I guess. With our stud and his Asian friend she forms a partnership of the neighbourhood peeping Tom vigilantes who tries to figure out if someone in their neighbourhood is a serial killer and soon become obsessed with it.

Wait they are into that? So wrong!

As you it's an entertaining take on the world of voyeurism. Humans are curious creatures inherently and with the right equipment and wrong mindset we could keep on ogling all around to find out about our so called good neighbours. Also with the kind of negative world we live in most people's first reaction to a different kind of a person is that he could be murderer. Sweetness is the new creepy. Someone behaving too good with us is the first one in our suspicious book. Paranoia has taken over as we fear the worst. Though 'Disturbia' doesn't go too deep into it considering its more of an entertainer but it does pose serious question about the usage of surveillance items in the wrong hands. Is there anything like privacy anymore? Or is someone always watching over me with his hi tech gadget? Strange world.

It's 2015 and we all know what Shia Labeouf [Kale] has achieved. That was 2007 and he already was a rising star. Only at 20. He gives a rousing performance as the troubled teen who's obsessed with proving that one of his neighbours is a serial killer. To support him is Aroon Yo[Ronnie] his customary funny Asian friend who is totally a gadget wizard. Also the piping hot Sarah Roemer[Ashley] who likes our spying stud and falls in love with him. Her role is just to create tension and romance and except a couple of parts of the story she's not involved much. Same for Carrie Ann Moss[ Julie] though she does good.

But the standing ovation should go to David Morse[Mr Turner]. He is as sweet as he's creepy. I want to keep this spoiler free so won't reveal if he really is the killer but what he does achieve with his body language and use of words coupled with his huge physicality there can be less fearful than him. Labeouf did praise him a lot and after seeing this I totally get why. This is a Labeouf vehicle but David definitely is the steering.

If looks could kill.........

D.J Caruso [ Taking Lives, I am Number Four ] does good work. As does his cinematographer. A fight sequence in the climax stands out. Though at some places in the movie the lighting could have been much better. The movie is a thriller but only in the last 15 minutes and till then it see saws between romance and a drama about voyeurism and some comedy.

HighTension Verdict: I don't know if its a rehash but it definitely is good. A modern take on an old tale is always welcome. It's doesn't go too deep in its subject cos it isn't meant to be so. The pace is good. Good acting. Good direction. And when it turns thriller it does thrill so not much complaints. If you are looking for more meaning less gloss please visit 'Rear Window '. No replacement for Hitchcock even today.

HighTension Meter: 8/10.


Best Quote:

Kale: But think about that, why does he want his privacy? I mean he's hiding something, we know that.

Ashley: Look, Kale, he freaked me out, but he's right. We're the ones spying.

Ronnie: Oh, man, she has that Stockholm thing. You know where the hostage falls for the hostage taker?

Ashley: Where do you get this stuff?

Ronnie: I read a lot?

Kale: Ok, I have a question, how is that a nice and charming guy?

Ashley: I didn't say that.

Kale: Ok, Ash, what you said was that "He broke into my car, but did it in a nice way?". Maybe I'm not understanding.

Review : Altitude (2010)

A rookie pilot takes four of her teenage friends on a plane trip that promises to be exciting as hell, but soon their plane runs into some storm clouds which contain more than rain......... Much more.


The name and the poster say it all. Its a horror set in the sky. And it contains teenagers. So its expected not to think highly of it. But this does possess some cliches but the acting and direction makes it more interesting than IMDb makes you think. The sky horror thing is what attracted me to it. Teenagers killed in isolated wood cabins is now passe. Its the time of confined horror. And this being in the sky which myself is not too fond of makes it much more relatable. The dialogues may not be groundbreaking but the confrontational scenes are as tense as they should be. The situations may seem like all done before but the way they are handled by the actors and director you won't feel a sense of deja vu.  The first 30 minutes are brilliant. The build up is a long one before you see any actual monster, and it feels as if it was meant to be a psychological horror rather than a creature one. And with the acting prowess shown by the youngsters all things seem pretty enjoyable and absorbing. But its towards the end that movie loses steam and ends with a whimper. Its an end which may strike nice to some but to some it would feel unreal. Its debatable but its great entertainment for the first 60-70 minutes and for a VOD this is one is very well done. 


Its directed by the Canadian comic illustrator Kaare Andrews(Cabin Fever: Patient Zero) . So you can guess what kind of look the movie possesses. One of its characters is shown to be a comic book nerd and his favourite comic plays a part in the proceedings. So Andrews sticks to his strength here and with some credible direction makes a rather enjoyable movie. Although the tension is far less than can be created in a confined space, he ekes out a great performance from the cast and the cliches seem not to bother us. Even pass us by sometimes. Till the last 15-20 minutes everything is going well as a psychological horror but then comes the monster and it loses steam. And there's no apparent tension increase. So in hindsight not a smart choice maybe. Andrews though does never makes it feel as if its a VOD and its look exceeds its budget. So a pretty well done stuff. 

The movie's good but she's better!!!

With the script that puts another group of teenagers in peril the acting would be the thing that makes it a little different from its numerous predecessors. Plus putting them in a plane was a nice twist to start with. The energy that the actors bring bring to their scenes makes this much more fun than it could have been. VOD scene is filled with bad acting but these five youngsters have got their characters bang on. Maybe the characters are the same but the actors are different and the energies are different. And they do really well to make us care and mostly enjoy their antics. The cast is headlined by Jessica Lowndes(Sara) and Landon Liboiron(Bruce). Its their story and they keep it going well. Though Jessica is the best of the lot. The supporting cast of Julliana Guill(Mel), Ryan Donowho(Cory) and Jake Weary(Sal) is great too. The chemistry between the five and Jake's great energy in his lovable asshole role will make this a smoother ride than the one's experienced by our protagonists. Don't expect much and enjoy.

Metaphor for Writer's block???

The camerawork is pretty great and the challenge of photographing an enclosed space from different angles for 90minutes is done well. The editing is pretty good too. And the most important aspect of such a movie are the effects. And they are good. The dark clouds more scarier than the Octopus monster. You can also learn a thing or two about flying. The technical department have all done great work to make it as good as possible. No complaints there.


HighTension Verdict: Teenagers in peril isn't new. And this does contain some cliches. Venue of the action isn't one of them though. But the acting and credible direction and camera work makes this much more enjoyable than the critics would like you to believe. The end may not work for everyone but a rental that looks good and is enjoyable for most part should not be missed. Its not a heart beat wrecking horror but the psychological aspects, good enough ending and the confrontational brilliance keeps it afloat. Plus free flying lesson from the utterly beautiful Jessica Lowndes. As i said earlier don't expect much and enjoy!!!


HighTension Meter: 7/10.


No best quote but for people unsure about the ending a link that answers your questions: Movie explained 

 

Review : Wolf Creek 2 (2013)

Two German tourist on a trip to the beautiful Australian Outback cross paths with a pig hunting psychotic killer and it starts a game of cat and mouse which has lots of blood, lots of action and lots of questions............ Does the Outback legend has an end?



Up a notch. Yeah. Australian horror goes up a notch. What started as an end to end "tourists in peril " movie has turned into a little bigger and faster of the same kind thing with more action. Acting has turned up a notch. Direction and writing too have improved. Everything looks nice except in the middle where the movie slows down a little. And the much maligned Q&A scene between the predator and prey isn't as bad. Its a good little thing that creates suspense and shows how much trouble the prisoner really is in. This movie crisscrosses through the Outback landscape as the Villain chases his prey hacking everyone who comes in his path. So the fun's in the chase literally. Our villain is very Wrong Turnesque driving a pick up truck and cutting humans into pieces. But this movie is much much more than that. A villain so sweet talking and hospitable that we could have never guessed his favourite hobby. And that in turn proves the blurb on the poster. So in short Wolf Creek has been given a little more financial and creative power and this maybe one of the best horror legends if the sequel continue to flourish well. Though shock value of tourists being cut has long gone. Hostel and Wolf Creek were kind of pioneers. Wolf Creek 3 would have to have something more to shock people. 


Directed and co written by Greg Mclean  whose last film Rogue was well received. And 7 years later after the success of that movie we finally see Wolf Creek 2. And naturally this time he has more funding. He has gradually built up from nice to good to better through his 3 movies. And whatever most say Wolf Creek 2 is his best. His direction has improved a lot. A fantastic truck wreck sequence which is preceded by an amazing chase scene is testimony to this. Action seems to be as much his forte as brutal bloody horror. He doesn't create a horror villain but an Outback legend who rides in the sunset looking for his prey. The thrill he creates as we move from one tourist to another travelling through the countryside and the absolute brutal violence which is done with mirth by our villain is tantalizing. From the first scene to the last which will not win the best shock ending award anytime soon,it remains pacy. Except the aforementioned Q&A which may not be to everyone's taste. Some anti tourist and anti England , or pommies as our Villain calls them, words are spoken and fingers of the British tourist cut. Plus some nice gory scenes of humans being cut and  faces being blown off with a shotgun makes this an even more enjoyable ride. Greg does some amazing work and has established himself in the brutal horror landscape. His next would be closely followed.

Yeah mate i am coming for ya!!

Tourists in peril isn't a new thing. So to stay relevant you have to be more and more creative. And then you have to go find some actors who can inject a unique energy into some tired characters. And its here that Wolf Creek 2 scores and mainly cos of its villain no less. The tourists characters are good. But not much screen time given as is expected. The 2nd lead Ryan Corr (Paul) who unfortunately becomes entangled in the violent chain of events excels thoroughly. The set piece characters are pretty nice too. And they do act before becoming swift prey to the man animal that is John Jarratt(Mick Taylor). He infuses his character with a raw energy and viciousness that can make anyone tremble. But ironically he is the most sweet talking character you find on that terrain. That sudden shifts from happily drinking and offering help to chopping fingers and cutting heads is fantastic and shocking. John has firmly entrenched his name in the horror villains legend list. He definitely is an Outback legend. And definitely definitely the reason Wolf Creek will be a successful franchisee. 

Time for a Pom Finger  Corn soup!!!

All the other technical aspects have a taken a leap in quality too. The cinematography is brilliant. Beautiful and spooky outback is captured brilliantly. The editing is great for most part. Though it could have gone a little faster in the middle. But that's a very minor quip. The effects and gore and action department have all done a great job. Not much to crib about.


HighTension Verdict: Torture porn was at its peak between 2005-07 as Hostel,Saw and Wolf Creek did amazing business. But not now. So get ready for a brutal horror with traces of torture porn but infact a chase movie resembling No Country For Old Men in some sequences. John Jarratt has acted brilliantly and is sure to terrorize you. And just for that please catch this one and look out for the beautiful truck wreck sequence which includes some grisly shots of Kangaroos getting crushed under John's truck tyres. More old than new but enough to make you happy. Go for it.


HighTension Meter: 8/10



BEST Quote:

Mick Taylor: In this world, there's people like me, there's people like you. People like me eat people like you.

  

   

Review: Willow Creek(2013)

A Bigfoot enthusiast boyfriend and a smart beautiful and ready to help out girlfriend go into the woods to capture definite proof about Bigfoot's existence. They set up camp for the night unaware about the danger that surrounds them............. Will they pay?


FOUND FOOTAGE!!! Yup. One more of those in my kitty. I know people are tired of the same sh!t but some of those can be brutal, as i have pointed out more than once in my blog. And after a long long break from my blog i tried to start with something more simpler. But this one maybe simple to explain but it isn't bad. Its terrific and terrifying!! Found footage with its personal style can freak you out if done perfectly. And this is not perfect. Not by any means. But still can wreak havoc on your blood pressure system. Its Blair Witch Project revisted with a different legend. And only just less scary. What the woods can do for your horror nobody can. I am not a camping enthusiast by any means but even if i was this would have put me off it for sometime atleast. So a great job done within the limited realms of the tired found footage genre. Haters something to chew on........


The biggest surprise for everyone would be the fact that this taut horror thriller is directed by Bob Goldthwait. The man known for his loud and garish satirical movies. The stand up comic and actor is the surprise package of the whole endeavour. Though i have yet to catch all his movies, this seems a brazen surprise as any. He sets up the plot brilliantly for the first 45 minutes and then slowly but surely goes for the kill. No hard running and fast action here to look to. Its just two characters out on an adventure to prove something. He has his protagonists meet many characters before their final adventure in the forest, for the routine interviews. And he wrote those brilliantly. It feels real. The dialogues and the situations just make us feel closer to the action and we are completely in sync with our lead actors. Once thats done the next 30 minutes of terror just nails it. Nothing over the top. Just cool and calm camera and sound work. Plus creepy locations And voila! we have a winner. 

This is so romantic. Just kill me already!!

Yes. While i have amply praised the director for his great work, this movie belongs to two unknown entities with awesome chemistry. And they are our lead actors of course. Alexie Gilmore(Kelly) has had bit roles in many Bob Goldthwait movies. She does excellent work here as a girl who accompanies her boyfriend just cos she likes to spend time with him. Her evolution from someone who doesn't believe and give a damn about Bigfoot to save me from it damsel in distress is amazing. And she steals the show no doubt. Bryce Johnson(Jim) also excels as the man who is excited about completing his dream of retracing Patterson's steps into the woods where he shot his famous Bigfoot footage. He is cocksure about its existence and revels in the area where everything is named after Bigfoot. There are statues, murals and motels. And burgers too. The couple take in the sights and scenes as our lady fantasizes about Bigfoot's big manthing. Some great scenes performed well by supporting artist during their interview scenes put a smile on our faces. And thanks to those we grow ever so close to our protagonists. When actors make us care they win. And these two are brilliant. They hold our attention for 79 minutes and no mean thing that.

I was joking. Please don't kill me!!

Minimal camerawork and fast editing do no harm to this awesome horror piece. But the fact remains that the best scene and the one which will send shivers down your spine is the almost 20 minutes single take monster. As is the pattern with such kind of movies you will hear things and not see them which works in its advantage. The sound work done there is brilliant. For those long minutes you know something is very wrong and you imagine what it is but you also know there's no escape. Great work by the technicians.


HighTension Verdict: Found footage is a tired genre. But so is Rom com. Once in a while a movie comes which makes you sit up and take notice. This is one of those. So in hindsight you can say a genre is never dead. It needs one great movie to peak interest in it again. Bob Goldthwait of all people does the unthinkable and creates a creepy terrifying movie which can make you think twice about camping in the woods. With a lean runtime of 79 minutes he scores again. Plus that single 20 minute scene of terror is enough to give you heebie jeebies. A slow burn horror that relies on your imagination successfully to increase your heartbeat. A movie well done. More power to indie horror. 


HighTension Meter: 7.5/10


Instead of a famous quote i'll leave you people with a link to the Bigfoot footage thing(for those unaware): Patterson Gimlin Footage

 

Survival Isnt An Option In Indie Actress Jessica Cameron's Next Horror Venture!!!!

Indie workhorse Jessica Cameron, whose directorial debut Truth Or Dare has won more than two dozen awards, has teamed up with Toronto based filmmaker Ryan M Andrews whose last couple of films(Sick and Black Eve) got a lot of acclaim in the Indie circuit. And to top it all off it stars the hottest indie leading man Ry Barrett. So to say it would be an awesome horror movie experience would be no understatement. As a horror fan i am looking forward to it. The poster itself looks quite intriguing. And for the deadly curious among you I'll state the synopsis. Nothing much but it'll keep you covered till the movie releases.

 En route to L.A., director Crystal Lacroix, along 

with by-the-numbers producer Dawn Summerville, neurotic writer Lizzy Miller, and star sisters 

Kim and Sasha Tobin, are riding high after a successful screening of their new horror film. But 

when Crystal goes missing at a rest stop, their mood suddenly changes. The others, splitting up 

to search for Crystal, spot an isolated farmhouse and enlist the help of its owners, quickly 

discovering that appearances are not always what they seem. Life imitates art as all five ladies 

find themselves pitted against a deranged couple hell-bent on using them for their mysterious 

research. Who will survive and what will be the fate of their ultimate discovery? 

Horror as a genre has always had more women in lead and this is no different. Five women , no less. And in director Ryan Andrew's own words- “I love Jean-Luc Godard’s quote ‘all you
need for a movie is a gun and a girl.’ In the same way all you need for a horror is blood and a
girl - and we’ve got five girls. It’s definitely going to be fun and sexy, but most importantly the
women are not just one-dimensional. There is a lot of depth and development to their characters.
And as a die-hard horror fan, I know just how important this is. It can’t just be another pretty
face. There needs to be layers there for anyone to care when that face gets smashed.”

Jessica Cameron was quite impressed with the script. Hope we would be too. Best of luck to the entire team as the filming starts later this year at Ontario, Canada. More power to horror. More power to women.

Ryan Andrews & Jessica Cameron

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Review: The Tunnel (2011)

As scary as it sounds!!

Its 2007. New South Wales government stops its water recycling project and homeless are reported missing from the underground tunnels. A journalist in need of a story, Natasha  feels something amiss and goes down and under to find out the reason behind the missing homeless and the government cover up and soon it amply becomes clear that the reason is far too scary and dangerous to be disclosed and they may never make it.............


Damn its scary. Australian horror is an underrated beast and this shows how that beast has grown over the years. Couple of nice flicks like Wolf Creek and Primal made me aware of the situation and this makes me confident that Aussies would be a frontier in Horror soon. Their beautiful natural resources could become the perfect murder haunt. And the filmmakers exploit it and make us dread the lush greenery and in this the underground Catacombs which houses a World War air raid shelter and also the water project which has been stopped suddenly. Endless rows of claustrophobia inducing tunnels which I last witnessed in the mindblowing Grave Encounters just f*ck with your head. You'll be as agonized as the leads and will be praying that they find the exit soon. Cos the longer they stay there the longer you are tense and have a high heartbeat rate. Its crazy and scary as hell. Found footage has been criticized but what that genre can do when done right is just amazing. It takes you in and tears you apart. As apart as the leads. Wow. You may be a horror king/queen and seen many such movies before but this will creep you up. Turn off the lights and turn on The Tunnel. You are in for a very scary ride.........


Directed by Carlo Ledesma who has helmed three shorts before this. Its been done pretty well. The lights and dark. The monster silhouette. The shit scary location and brilliant use of found footage sub genre and its tropes like mysterious voices recorded on the audio equipments and the disappearance of their equipments. Its been done eerily well. Though Blair Witch and Rec have shown us the best sides of the genre this too has a couple of novel moments which you'll appreciate if you aren't busy being scared by it. And the monster too though isnt seen clearly and there's not much i got about what it is and why, is creepy. The writing is also damn nice with enough backstory to keep us engaged till they enter the tunnel. And when after facing a lot of difficulty they DO enter the ride starts. And it is a breathless ride which you will want to end soon. The survivor interviews interspersed with the action in the tunnel may take away a little thrill from the movie for some. Though it didn't affect the scare quotient for me. So all in all a damn nice effort from the aussies that gives us a spine tingling chiller.

I am telling you, your galfriend would get us killed!!

A movie can't be scary if the actors don't gel and do well. And if i was scared by it there's no denying the fact that the actors have punched above their weight and pulled off an amazing act which makes it so believable and in turn turns this into a much more dread induced ride. They have a great chemistry and it feels as if real journalists have been imported from the BBC. Found footage needs such acting prowess to pull off "its real" trope. And these fine actors nail it. Bel Delia(Natasha) plays the desperate journalist in need of a story. Andy Rodoreda(Peter) is the producer, Steve Davis(Steve) is the cameraman and Luke Arnold(Tangles) is the sound department. All four gel really well and its hard not to believe they are a TV crew not actors. So with the increase in the believability factor the creep and dread factor hits hard and we see how good acting can take a movie to heights which it didn't imagine it could reach. A small found footage horror from a relatively low key Australia film industry with not known actors making waves internationally. That's a great team work. There are a couple of creepy cameos too that may shake you as the movie slows down a bit during the hour mark. So the cast is unimaginably good.

Blood blood everywhere.....

  

 Now on to the technical department which has the writers Enzo Tedeschi and Julian Harvey turn editors. True mark of a gritty indie movie. They work pretty well and give the movie a good pace. Though as i said it slows down a bit in the middle. Horror needs to be as long as its meant to be. Cos if the story doesn't support it no need hitting the 90+ mark. The effects and the little gore that it has, has been done well. The monster is scary and the cinematographer lights up and darkens out all the right time to create horror which may make you breathless with a high chance of a heart attack. Another example of good team work.


HighTension Verdict: Found footage has more bad specimens than good. But considering the positive reviews to VHS2, Grave Encounters, Rec and the Paranormal Activity series it remains a genre which can shock you if done well. And this one may not be the best but it remains a masterclass. Watch out for the opening scene. It creeps you out and sets the mood. Though a couple of novel ideas may backfire, it still is a damn scary chiller. Beneath the scenic city of Sydney horror will rise. A must for your horror collection...... Though its free to download from BitTorrent and also is on Youtube.


HighTension Meter: 8.5/10

BEST Quote: 

"The light runs out"

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Review : Inbred (2011)

Yeah the cover rocks!!

Four young offenders and their two do gooder caretakers go to a remote English village for a team building exercise. But to their horror a minor row with the locals escalates far beyond their imagination and things turn utterly bloody and vicious........


British horror. A subject i am very weak in. So to overcome that weakness i decided to go for this. And the title had a big effect on me. Cos i expected a kind of hillybilly action a la Wrong Turn and Hills Have Eyes. But unfortunately the only thing common between those movies and this was the blood and gore. And with this being the British version of the mutants they definitely had more charm and likeability to them. And with that accent its impossible not to root for them sometime. Like Rob Zombie's Spaulding and co this has a small band of likeable creepies which sing and blow up people in the same breath. Years of inbreeding has deformed them physically and mentally. And as the outsiders arrive it looks like its only a matter of getting a chance before they would be brutalized. And unfortunately the outsider group isnt much better and two of them do something and thats the start of a chain reaction which is bloody and gory as hell. But isnt as enjoyable. But good enough for some entertainment. Some uncomfortable political and racial comments are passed in the movie which frankly i didnt get. Atleast most of them. But i've heard English weren't as happy about it. So it can be a difficult movie to watch for many. Torture porn with not a good story..... And also the comedy tag which frankly i don't know why was attached to the movie. Its a mean and bloody business. Maybe there's a touch of fun to some scenes but that's hardly Comic horror thing. But anyways lets move on....


 Director Alex Chandon comes back after a decade long hiatus. His last film being Cradle Of Fear which I didnt see but have heard that its pretty good. This you may argue would be much better than the last outing. But the story that he co wrote with Paul Shrimpton isnt anything which you'll remember for long. Horror thrives on the remembrance factor. Means you see a scary scene and somewhere in your life you'll suddenly remember and get freaked out. I would freak out if i did go to West Virginia backwoods or the hills of the Hills Have Eyes fame. But I don't think you'd mind visiting Yorkshire. The people are unbelievably crazy. There's no why to it. They are just doing it. And the characters aren't good themselves and they are more stupid than most horror movies. And the girl is super quiet even as one of the inbreds makes moves on her. I don't think offenders are such quiet people that they won't shout or fightback. But anyway the story is simple enough but without any whys. The offenders vandalize the trains, the mobiles are hidden in godforsaken places, and the people are meaner than mean. And to top it all they enact Hostel 2 type shows where people see others being tortured and killed. Though the kills are brilliant and bloody. It makes the scenes worthwhile. Animals have been used a lot. Also in a porn magzine where faces of women are replaced by that of animals. Quiet sick. So even if the story may feel weak the creative kill scenes and some funny quips keep you entertained. But you won't remember this one for too long....

The Three Musketeers!! 

There are some new names on the acting front. Atleast for me. James Doherty(Jeff) and Jo Hartley(Kate) are the standout from the victim group. They are the caretakers with a different attitudes and commendably do the jobs which is required of them. Though Jo looks like with the women with a mean streak the movie fails to deliver on that promise. Nobody is capable of fighting back a monstrous and mean horde pf people who cut and kill people by using animals or cleavers. But she does try and is many times better than the useless always crying other female lead Nadine Rose(Sam). The black dude played by Terry Haywood and the spiteful Dwight played Chris Waller do their job. Though they are packed asap. But the one's who steal the show and your heart is Seamus O Neill and his band of merry murderers. Rob Zombie clearly has inspired him. They sing a very catchy song and wager on how the victim will be killed considering there are mines and traps all over the place. And there's the bar : The Dirty Hole where both the groups come face to face for the first time. And the second time the action starts. Both times Seamus makes you feel the dread. He is just awesome. As the quiet helpful bartender and suddenly turning vicious and severing off the head of a caretaker. And with the help of his creepy son and gang they try the hardest but the story lets them down. So the acting front is much better than the direction and writing. Lets hope Alex gets it right the next time.

ATTITUDE. But the middle finger has been cut!!

 Camerawork is pretty good. And the CGI effect which people don't like a lot has been used a lot. The beautiful countryside has been captured brilliantly. And the CGI shows the ugly side that lives in that beautiful place. Edting is nice. But the pace of the movie is slow till the first kill. And 98 minutes is too much for this. 


HighTension Verdict: Looking for a no brainer horror with nothing new to offer but is entertaining with nothing to remember about than this is for you. The kills are amazing and its deliciously gory. But you won't be scared and you won't laugh. So its a flick which maybe defined as horror comedy but unfortunately isn't much of both. Anyways for a one time watch its mindblasting.


HighTension Meter: 6/10.


BEST Quote:

"They came in peace, they left in pieces"

 

Review : The Hills Have Eyes 2 (2007)

Brutal, bloody and horrific!!

National Guards Trainess are on their last day of training when they are sent to a New Mexico nuclear testing site to deliver things to the scientists working there. But what they find is dangerous mutants from whom its impossible to escape........


Another scary ride this. After Paranormal Activity, I was searching for my next favourite movie to watch and enjoy and get scared. And there it was. The Hills Have Eyes 2. Sequel of the remake of the original Hills Have Eyes movie, this was not well received and got much brickbats. But I found it to be a great successor of the brilliant remake. Also that it doesn't waste anytime behind exposition and we are in the middle of the action pretty soon. The viciousness starts from the brutal birth scene and continues till the very last as the short length and nice fast screenplay keep it going pretty well. As expected its bloody. Maybe not as much as the first but it has a couple of gory innovation that makes us dread it as well as smile. For example one of the mutants stuffs a man down the commode, and he dies cos of the poo pathogens infection. Yucky and amazing right? Plus a whole team of trainess means a lot of kill. For gorehounds its an absolute delight. Plus its tense most of the time and we genuinely get caught up in their lives so its pretty enjoyable to see if and how they can escape from that goddamned place. Just give the other reviews a miss and catch this underrated stuff. Pretty nice!! Also please don't read too much between the lines. No point disliking it cos of that.


Directed by the German Martin Weisz, who has more than 350 music videos to his credit. So the movie isn't a directorial masterpiece but he does get most of the things right. On treacherous terrains of Morocco where it was shot some great scenes and tense situations are created. The creepy mines, rocks falling off the cliff, some nice overhead shots of the god forsaken terrain and effects. Well done. And to thank for it is also the writers Wes and Jonathan Craven. Wes knows the characters inside out and wanted to better the 1984 debacle of the same name. With horror remakes and sequels doing well he took a chance which didn't go off well. But this is nice. The screenplay is fast and not much time is wasted after the initial character introduction. Many people die and they die very quickly. And sometimes innovatively.   So nothing much to complain about. Nice work gentlemen........

She's fucked isn't she?

Acting can make or break a movie. And horror has always been tagged with bad acting. Especially the one's which are meant for limited release or VOD. Thankfully this isn't one of them. Most of the characters get bumped off pretty quickly with not much screen time. But the real ones who last thankfully act well and make all the things more harder to watch. Mainly the peace loving cadet Michael Macmillan(Napoleon) and a kick ass mom Daniella Alonso(Missy). Also the beauty of the group who refuses to give up Jessica Stroup(Amber). Plus they are supported well by the Sargent played by Flex Alexander and the other more experienced cadet Delmar played by Lee Young. So its a not so known starcast but in the end they try and pull it off perfectly to make this a real nice horror that can disgust you and is also enjoyable.

Beauty and the beast 2?

Camerawork is pretty decent and some nice shots and creepy atmosphere is created. Thanks to the nice location which compounds my fear of the desert and treacherous terrains. Production design is well done. Plus the mutants created by Aja and Levvaseur for the remake were different from the Wes Craven one's and more dangerous. This movie too continues on that and gives us some scary as shit mutants. So the effects are top notch. With decent editing and a great score this surely ranks as one of my fav horror movies ever......



HighTension Verdict:If violent mutant movies are your cup of tea, shoot the reviews and give it a watch asap. Don't read too much between the lines and just enjoy the hell outta it. For those with weak stomachs keep a vomit basin nearby.......



HighTension Meter: 8.5/10.


BEST Quote:

Sarge: [after Napoleon complains that the president has lied] All presidents lie, asshole! That's their fucking job. No president has told the truth since Truman. And do you know what he said?
Napoleon: No, Sarge.
Sarge: He said that the buck stops here.

Review : Paranormal Activity (2007)

Yeah! Good luck with your sleep!!

A couple in a relationship have moved to suburban house where things isn't exactly hunky dory as some kind of force is going bump in the night leading to sleepless nights. So the boyfriend installs a camera to find out the reason but to their horror the presence is much more sinister than they realized......


SCARY! Truly scary.You kinda get many movies with blurbs that speak of the horrors that the movie holds. But this does hold all that it has been tagged with. Watching this one alone can be a harmful experience for many. Considering the insomnia that follows after. Even with a boyfriend/girlfriend may not be that helpful but atleast you'd have some excuse to snuggle. This creeps you out, although you'd have to be patient as it takes time before any kind of scares are thrown at us. An empty house houses many secrets and some of them can be very scary. And this shows what can actually transpire after you sleep. So basically a good excuse to remain awake and frightened. Sequels have tried but failed to recreate the magic of this one. Simply cos it takes time but in this 30-40 minutes it clearly establishes the two characters and their characteristics and how they behave in certain situations. We know how they would react when things begin to go outta control. So are totally invested in them. The effects of their haunting began to tell on us and naturally all that wait has its fruits. Plus the last 20 minutes are not that action packed but we get the scares and yes its shit. Considering the kind of films i watch i don't scared easily that much, but for normal viewers who aren't much into horror this will truly be an experience. Go have a blast......


Written and directed by Oren Peli(Chernobyl Diaries, Area 51) whose a popular and polarizing name in horror cos of Chernobyl which according to me was very good but not many people liked it. His brand of slow burn maybe isn't my brand but i like it if the exposition is followed by some solid action. And this falls short of solid action so i couldnt like it more than say Rec. Blair Witch Project came out in the 90's and created a wave. This came 10 years later and created a wave too. But Rec was better than both. And Blair Witch is better than Paranormal cos it has some solid payoff. This has just two characters who go around the house scared and screaming in the whole movie. But as the stakes begin to get higher we needed some more action maybe. But with the kind of budget they had, its incredible what they did. And the sequels with higher budgets didn't fetch any more scares so everythings good in hindsight. Whatever the scares they are good and can upset you on a windy and stormy night. Found footage isn't such a hot selling product. I dunno why. But with some limited camera angles and two characters and some creepy lights and effects ,Oren Peli creates one of the most creepy movies with one of the smallest budgets. Bravo!!

Totally dig this!!

This doesn't boast of big names. But this has some nice acting. Centred around just two characters named after themselves Micah and Katie. It means we have 30 minutes to get to know them very properly and get acquainted with their way of living. So that means that even if the scares and action are tad less their effect on us is multifold. Great work by Micah as the boyfriend who isn't taking the haunting seriously. He installs cameras and has a mission to talk with the ghost. He thinks he can he can talk the demon out of harassing his hot girlfriend played by Katie Featherston. On the other hand Katie believes the ghost has been following her since she was 8. But unfortunately fails to report such a thing to her boyfriend before moving in with him. So as she takes help from the psychics and demon hunters he frowns vowing to take care of it himself. But sadly they are in for a rude shock. So all this is made believeble by some great acting by these two. And much part of the film's success should go to them. Plus Katie and her legs are enough reason to see this. This healthy beauty sure knows how to eat and remain gorgeous. Good work!!

Scary as shit, right?

Camerawork in this great. Oren Peli sure knows how to capture and show a normal place with a haunting feeling. Some very creepy visuals line up after the first half hour. Normally it wouldn't scare you but in this context it sure does. Editing is decent too but some scenes abruptly come to an end. And minimal background means its just the things going bump and dialogues(a little slower side though) which can be heard. So all this connect properly to make a movie which can be the cure for laziness. Nice!!


HighTension Verdict: If found footage is your thing and you wanna be scared on a rainy night or wanna spend a great night with your loved one. This can be perfect. Though you may all think its not that scary but trust me, IT IS. For first time viewers- DON'T WATCH IT ALONE AT NIGHT!!


HighTension Meter: 8/10.


BEST Quote:

Micah: I understand where you're coming from- just remember too, that you didn't exactly warn me about this kind of stuff before we moved in together, so I think I have a little bit of say in what we do.
Katie: I get that, but honestly what was I supposed to say? On our first date, 'Hey, I think there's a demon that I think has been following me.'
Micah: No, but maybe on our fifteenth date, or our thirtieth date, or when we decided to live together... that might've been a good thing to bring up.

Review : Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)

Sleepless night indeed!!

A family suffers a suspicious break in and install security cameras to solidify their security only to realize that something more serious and downright scary is going on at night, inside their house......


Paranormal Activity was an amazing movie. It was scares at a fraction of a studio horror film cost. And being a found footage movie buff I just enjoyed it much more intently than others who still like old age horror and were averse to too much tamper and change. Some amazing jump scares and creepy atmosphere and regular characters made it unbelievably scary and it became a big hit. So expectations from the sequel were immense. And with a new director onboard they attempted to uncover more haunted ongoings in another house and fortunately came out trumps. Well not Oren Peli good, but good. Although it may test patience of people as it isn't till the 45th minute that any kind of scares are exhibited. But once it starts it turns more and more interesting. Its kinda slow characterization and build up towards a grand finale kinda movie. And you wont be disappointed by the ending. Another nice movie gets added to the recent found footage wave. Must watch!!


 Tod Williams(The Adventures Of Sebastian Cole) directs this pretty nicely. Some creepy atmosphere is created and the characters grow on you. So that means when you encounter the first round of real happenings nearer the hour mark you won't be disappointed. This whole movie is a series of jump scares and to pull it off so well is commendable. Written by Michael Perry(Stephen King's Dead Zone) and Christopher Landon(Disturbia) the movie is full of cliches and situations exploited in many movies. Plus it depends much on its characters and atmosphere. Even if one had been amiss it would have crashed admirably. But it turned out well, fortunately. And i enjoyed it immensely. Though its not as good as the first, its a worthy successor. Job well done!!

Cleavage Cleavage Cleavage!!

Likeable characters mean the acting is pretty good. And so as an audience our job becomes that much easier as we know who to root for. And horror movies can rise or fall based on that small fact. Happily this dark knight rises and makes us happily scared. One of the best characters in the movie is played by Katie Featherston(Katie) and Sprague Grayden(Kristi Ray). Both play sisters who love each other very much. And something had happened in their childhood which crops up now and then. Also the Kristi's descent into madness as the haunting gets worse is very well enacted. Also well done Brian Boland(Daniel) and Molly Ephraim(Ali) too do decent work as we get all worked up knowing what awaits the unlucky family but unable to do any thing cos its found footage you see. Nice job!!


Cinematography is decent. As also the editing and background music. All combine to form a potent found footage horror which can scare you and make you feel unsafe at night. 



HighTension Verdict: Found footage is often derided even after giving movies like Paranormal Activity and Rec. Maybe this isn't as good but when it comes to good midnight horror movie not many found footage can be as effective. Its gonna be hard sleeping tight after watching this. Go watch!!


HighTension Verdict: 7.5/10.


BEST QUOTE:

Daniel Rey: We just can't let this affect us that much. If we do that, the terrorists win.