Walled In
Year: 2009
Director: Gilles Paquet-Brenner
Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment
Stars: Mischa Barton, Cameron Bright, Deborah Kara Unger
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 98 Mins.





“Walled In” is based on the novel written by Serge Brussoll. The film is about an demolition expert, who travels to an isolated apartment building that is slated for demolition. She gets there to find out that a few people are still living in the building. While staying there, the expert begins to find out that the place harbors some dark terrifying secrets. As she digs deeper into the secrets, she finds that some of the residents are buried in those walls, as the killer starting finding out about her curiosity of the place. Now, she is forced to try and find the killer, before the killer makes her the latest victim to preoccupies the building.

Kelsey’s Review:

I have always thought Mischa Barton does her best work in independent films. She proved this at a very young age in the Pups and more recently with The Oh in Ohio. I was hoping this would translate to horror through Walled In. I didn’t have all that high expectations, but was hoping it would have something somewhat original to offer. Not only is the film highly unoriginal and mundane, but Barton gives a very weak performance, perhaps the weakest I have seen of her. Nothing seems natural and we can’t believe her as our protagonist. The more dramatic moments seem really overdone and unrealistic. A better performance is by Cameron Bright of Thank You For Smoking and Running Scared. He shows us a very confused character that has had a dark past. Still this character is really robbed of the depth and engaging mindset that he possesses, by barely being developed . Deborah Kara Unger does pretty well as Mary too, but it seems like her role as the controlling mother could have gone much farther. Pascal Gregory also does well as the architect of the building, Joseph Malestrazza. He is creepy in moments, but it was interesting the changes that his character went through that are a bit different than what we might assume when we first see him.

Walled Up takes from a number of horror movies, such as the song from A Nightmare on Elm Street. We hear the same voice‘s, melody, and pacing. Really the only difference is the words that are placed after the numbers. It also borrows some themes from Psycho through the controlling mother aspect as the mother claims that “she can’t take care of you like I can”. The more obvious reference is when Jimmy tells Sam, “It’s like the Bates Motel, only bigger”. This could have been seen as a tribute to the film, aside from the fact that it took a short cut with this and didn’t develop what could have been a very interesting aspect to the film. Also, the kidnapper really doesn’t have much motivation. The exploration of this should have been dealt with much more than it was.

The setting of this old and dark house did create an eerie setting and as does the place where Sam ends up towards the end of the film. Some of the twists in the film were interesting, but like most things in the film it didn’t develop or challenge this at all. It presents something with potential, but is too lazy for this to really have much of an impact. The direction it was heading in could have been something out of the ordinary at least, but it falls short of the possibility of creating something unique and creepy. There are a number of plot holes that become even more obvious since there aren’t very many positive aspects to get you to forget about this and just enjoy the movie. The film drags quite a bit, trying to create the suspense, but as most of this is just false alarms it isn’t very effective. There really isn’t much character development either, so the time spent with them seems pointless. The last act at least goes in a different direction than what we were given up to that point, but the actual conclusion is a bit too neat. For a film that centers on dead bodies being cemented in to the walls of this old cryptic building, you would think there would be a bit more gore. There are hardly any deaths that the audience gets to witness and cement and dirt are more present in the movie than any blood or even violence. Overall, Walled In is a very forgettable movie that could have gone in an interesting direction, but doesn’t do much due to a poor script and bad acting.

Anthony T’s Review:

This film should have went in an interesting direction, as it would made it more interesting then what was put onscreen. For a film that is supposed to be a supernatural film, this isn’t one. I don’t even know, if I would even consider this as horror film. This really didn’t feel like a horror film or film that you would be interested in. If I’m writing notes twenty minutes into the film, like this movie is going nowhere and every performance has the same boring flatline tone, I know that I’ll be in for one long horror film. That was the case here.

“Walled In” is very dull and very awful. I really don’t know what this movie was trying to be. Director, Gilles Paquet-Brenner didn’t do the film any favors with his direction. This was a slow moving film, where the action and suspense seemed nonexistent. The acting didn’t help matters neither as both Mischa Barton and Deborah Kara Ungar’s performance really gave me no reason to be interested. Their performances felt lifeless, which gave me no interest.

But what really hurt this film was the fact that there had to be problems with the writing process, as they were four credited screenwriters. Brenner, along with Rodolphe Tissot, Olivier Volpi, Sylvain White must had their own vision for this film, as the story can’t decide if it’s wants to be, a supernatural film, a serial killer film, or a crime drama. It seems like, it tries to be everything rolled into one, as this story has an identity crises. The end result is a screenplay that’s heavily flawed. There is no character development or suspense what so ever. Which leads me to say this again, I never cared about the story and the characters.

Enough with this film, as this is just awful. I just can’t write another word without using an F-bomb; this is just a horrible, horrible movie. That’s how I’m disgusted with this film.

Avoid this, at all costs, as “Walled In” should have stayed inside the walls of Anchor Bay.

The Alphabet Killer
Year: 2009
Director: Rob Schmidt
Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment
Stars: Eliza Dushku, Cary Elwes, Timothy Hutton
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 98 Mins.





“The Alphabet Killer” is based on the killings that took place in the early seventies, in Rochester, New York. Megan Page (Eliza Dusku) is a police officer, who begins to develop schizophrenia, during her investigation of these killings. These episodes lead her to a mental breakdown, which she almost committed suicide. This leads her to lose everything, in her life, including her job and fiancé (Cary Elwes). Two years after that incident, Page’s life has gotten better, until that case that has been driving her crazy resurfaces in her life, as the killer is continuing his rampage. Now, she is determined to find this killer, even if it costs her sanity and well-being. The film also features a very talented cast that includes Timothy Hutton (TV’s Leveage, The Falcon and the Snowman) Michael Ironside (Scanners, Starship Troppers) Bill Moseley (Repo: The Genetic Opera, The Devil Rejects) and Carl Lumbly (Alias).


Kelsey’s Review:

The ongoing case of The Alphabet Killer centers around a man who raped and strangled all of his victims who were young girls. They also all had first and last names that began with the same letter. Three out of the four girls’ bodies were dumped in county’s that began with the same letter as their name. Just about everything that I described above is both true in the context of real life and the portrayal in the movie. The basic situation and the nature of the Alphabet Killer’s deaths stayed pretty true to the real events. This is so rare in based on true event horror films. The Alphabet Killer did this while creating an entirely new aspect to the film through out our schizophrenic protagonist, Megan Paige.

Actually having our main character diagnosed with schizophrenia pretty early on in the film I think it added a lot of great questioning for the audience. The bulk of the movie is told through Megan’s perspective. We see things through her eyes, but we have to question what is real and what is just part of her illness. A lot of horror films play the crazy person card, discrediting the person trying to get answers. Most of the time this isn’t very convincing to the audience. Here though, Megan truly doesn’t even know what is real and not. She sees the images of these dead girls and her inability to find the man who murdered them is literally driving her insane. I really thought that that obsession that Eliza Dushku portrayed in Megan really gave the film this great tension, but more importantly it paints her as a character. She gets so in to every element of cases she works on, which is what you have to do. However, Megan is haunted by it in a way that eats up her insides. This is such a part of her though that she can’t stop even once she is cured and gets a second chance at life. It’s really a vicious cycle though as it just tears her apart again, yet as long as she is alive this is all her life can be.

I went in to the film with pretty low expectations since I had heard enough bad things about the movie to be weary. The Alphabet Killer doesn’t quite hit all of it’s marks but it is far better than I expected. I thoroughly enjoyed the film and I was drawn in to what was going on. It’s suspenseful and you can never be quite sure what is going on. Overall the film is pretty tame for an R rating. The only violence are the dead bodies that are recovered as well as Megan when she is injured. That’s fine though since the film doesn’t really rely on the gore. It’s much more about questioning ones own psyche, witnessing your own destruction, and becoming helpless while girls are being victimized by a twisted man that they have trusted and died for that decision. There are some great scenes where we see how the families deal with this along with Megan. We get in to the possible mindset of the killer enough too, which gets you thinking how some power hungered pedophile plants his next victim and continues to get away with it.

The film’s ending is what hurt it the most for me. Leading up to the ending the insight that is offered on the killer was strong enough. However, what followed that just seemed really typical and generic. The dramatic music with the voice over saying, “I will find him and I will kill him” really made this seem cheesy and took away what the film had built up for most of the movie. There was no real ending, it’s more of a ‘to be continued’ type of thing, probably so they can leave it open for a sequel if given the chance. I really think that would be a terrible idea as I don’t think there is enough that they could go off of to make another good film out of the material. Plus I doubt that there will be enough of a market for it. They made a bold decision in naming a killer and coloring him as a killer and deceptive person. So I am not sure why they couldn’t end it one way or another, whether he was caught or not. My biggest problem with the ending isn’t even really the actual outcome of the film. It is just how it was done that seemed degrading to the rest of the film. The Alphabet Killer doesn’t do anything that drastically different to stand out from superior films that have come before it like Se7en and Zodiac. The film throughout is held back and doesn’t have the material to really push the boundaries. Wrong Turn is the better Rob Schmidt-Eliza Dushku collaboration in my opinion. Overall, The Alphabet Killer is still a compelling suspenseful thriller that takes you in and creates that blurred line of illusions and reality

Anthony T’s Review:

This is what, the second edition of She Screams, He Screams, this year and for the second time, I’m going to have to trash a film, because it was just that bad, but not in the same way, as the last one, since there is real effort here. “The Alphabet Killer” is film that felt like an episode of “Medium”. This was a hard film to sit through, as I became uninterested with this film. The main reason for this was that the story felt like something that you would ordinary see in a TV movie of the week, where you have a crime and it’s somehow solved or explained to you, in the end.

The screenplay written by Tom Malloy (who also co-stars) had a story, where nothing seemed to work. There was no real suspense, as the film was hitting the same dark and dull note, all the time. It really made the film, very boring and made the identity of the killer, predictable, as I saw it coming just over the halfway point. It would have been nice, if we actually got into the killer’s mind like Seven and Zodiac, as they were very entertaining films. Also, another problem with the screenplay, I really never got to know the main character, very well. The screenplay doesn’t slow down enough to develop the Megan character, in the film, as really doesn’t spend the time going into the relationship that she with Carl Elwes’ character, in the beginning of the film. The screenplay also doesn’t make any attempt is show how the main character developed her mental disorder and effects that the case had on her, before her first stint, at the hospital.

But the main problem with this film was Rob Schmidt’s direction. His direction was felt unenergetic. He doesn’t do anything to try to change the pace of the film, as it kept hitting that same dull note. It’s that same note that makes the action boring and the characters uninteresting. That’s something that you would see in a made for television film, not a film with this caliber of talent. His direction of the actors was very bad. Schmidt doesn’t take advantage of a cast that features many talented people, like Eliza Dushku, Cary Elwes or Timothy Hutton. It sad to see these people wasted here, as this could have been a well-acted film, but the performances had no personality to them, which made the characters uninteresting and dull to watch.

Overall, this was a waste of time, as “The Alphabet Killer” is stuck on the same dull and dreary note for ninety plus minutes, which makes the whole story feel like a made for TV movie.

Kiss of the Vampire
Aka: Immortally Yours
Year: 2009
Director: Joe Tornatore
Stars: Daniel Goodard, Katherine Hawkes, Costas Mandalor
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Studio: MTI Home Video
Running Time: 97 Mins
Official Website: http://www.immortallyyoursfilm.com/



“Kiss of the Vampire is about a leader of a Covent of vampires lead by Alex, a handsome charming man who has more than a taste for blood. One night, he meets Estelle, a woman whose father works at a longevity clinic that’s researching an approach to immortally for the head of the upper world illuminati organization who’s only interest is to profit off of war, politics, poverty, disease, and drugs. Alex begins to fall in love with Estelle, as she and her father begin to find a cure for him, as he desires to be human and be with her. But the illuminati wants his blood, so the group can become immortal and have uncontrollable power, to the point that they can’t be stopped. Will Alex give in on his desires or remain immortal for another eternity.

Kelsey’s Review:

I really wanted to like Kiss of the Vampire. It didn’t take long though to realize that that wasn’t going to happen. It’s clear that writer, Katherine Hawkes and director, Joe Tornatore have no concept of the horror romance, especially regarding vampires. There is no blending or middle ground between the two genres. Rather than being more of one than the other, which would have been fine if it was done well, we sporadically have over exaggerations of one or the other that just end up clashing. Both sides are very stereotypical and stale. The vampires are evil and we have your standard vampire slayer as well. All of the characters are flat, shallow, and don’t cause much of a reaction with the audience one way or the other.

The love story was extremely dense and I really couldn’t even suspend my belief to invest myself in it at all. At first when Alex, the vampire who falls for a human, and Estelle lock eyes it seems like Alex has found his next meal. The romance could have been used as a way to lure her in, but none of these vampire characteristics are shown in this film. It goes the other way by them wanting to have a normal relationship. For awhile he just appears every now and again until he tells her that he is a vampire and he has to have her father, Dr. Henderson, turn him to be mortal, wiping away all of the possibilities for eternal love. It’s okay that they decided to go a different way with this, it just takes away a lot of the powerful themes that could have made their relationship more thrilling. It also didn’t help that both Alex and Estelle were so underdeveloped. We knew little to nothing about their pasts, who they were, or their wants and desires. I couldn’t feel for either of them and really didn’t care what happened. The covenant of vampires were very one sided as well. They were simply the bad guys in our story and there was little else to them. Through them we do get the want for eternal life, but this still could have been gone in to a lot more.

The acting was really horrible as well, making the film seem all the more ridiculous. Katherine Hawkes stands out as one who gave the worst performance. Since she wrote the script you would think she would have a better grasp on her character, enough to give a somewhat believable performance anyway. Then again there isn’t much to her character so it could be hard to have an understanding of a character that is so hollow, which is her fault as well for writing it this way. Daniel Goddard was little less noticeably bad, but his performance just seemed so lifeless. Most of the vampires were very stereotypically portrayed and really did no justice at all to the vampire sub-genre. From everyone we either get over-acting, or very weak acting. There is little reaction between characters it is all waiting for their line, so when they do deliver it, it almost seems like they have already checked out and suddenly jump back in to the film. The pacing is just not there and all too jagged because of this let alone any chemistry especially from the two that are supposed to be in love.

The writing is horrible and in every aspect it is extremely underdeveloped. Kiss of the Vampire uses a very lazy script, atrocious acting, and little emotion. It is laughable through out and has so many shocking moments, for all of the wrong reasons. You can’t help but question majority of what you see on screen and before long can’t stay at all engaged in the film. Strangely, enough sci-fi even seems to find it’s way in to the film, in a very cheesy manner. The end is one the most obviously badly shocking moments I was talking about. It’s the type of ending you would expect on a bad children’s show episode. Power Rangers is actually one that comes to mind, which is pretty funny since Katherine Hawkes was actually in a few episodes of the show in 2002. Perhaps, she picked up on a bad sense of humor through that and wrote it in to Kiss of the Vampire. It just seems so random and weird. I get the point it’s trying to make, that if our villains want immortality than they can get it, just in a demeaning way since that is what they deserve. Still the way that it did this and how the vampires act makes the film seem more comic-like than anything else. Kiss of the Vampire does no justice to the vampire film and has no concept of the blending of genres. It ends up falling flat, making an unintentional mockery out of horror, romance, and even sci-fi at the end. Kiss of the Vampire is an extremely weak and underdeveloped film that fails terribly.

Anthony T’s Review:

You’re treating this film lightly, Kelsey, as I guarantee you that this film will be on my worst of 09 list. This was just an utter piece of garbage. Normally when I write a review, I like to write about why this film worked or not worked for me and get technical about it. For this review, I don’t think that I can do that, because I’m pissed at the fact that film makes no sense and has no logic whatsoever, as I felt that there was two or three movies going on at the same time, and the sad thing is, there is no attempt whatsoever to make coherent film. So don’t expect a traditional review, because I was subjected to this garbage and my review is going to be treated the same.

I would like to acknowledge the title of the film “Kiss of the Vampire” first. The title makes no sense, just like the rest of the film, because there was no attempt of any romantic scenes or any hints of romance. The characters felt complete dull and there is no personality to any them, especially with the two leads. There is nothing romantic with this film, as there were no scenes of romance that I can think of.

Also, how did I figure out that this film would turn out to be a piece of trash within the first five minutes of the film? The reason that I was right because the opening scene has a random character getting chased by vampires without any build up to the action. Katherine Hawkes’ (who’s performance was lifeless and awful, as the woman who’s is love with the vampire allegedly) screenplay has no logic whatsoever, like everything else this film has. She doesn’t build any romantic action or suspense whatsoever and that logic carried on throughout the whole screenplay, as I couldn’t figure out which film of the two or three films that I was watching. It was to the point that I had to go “Mystery Science Theater 3000” on it, just to make it a good time out of it. This film had way too plot lines that could take up two or three short films, because there were way too many things that made no sense, like the supposed romance in the film, or evil corporation, or the cops on their vampire hunt, or the Costas Mandalor (who should go away completely) character, which should have not been in this film, in the first place, as the character made no sense to have that much story presence, with his cocaine habit taking up most of his screen time.

With the screenplay out of the way, now it’s your turn Joe Tornatore, as your direction and especially your editing was atrocious. It felt like a rush job. I have a question for you? Were you in such a hurry to finish this film, because you knew that was awful to begin with. This is one of the worst editing jobs I’ve ever seen. There are scenes that spend a minute and then move on to the next one. He doesn’t let most of the scenes develop, as the scenes felt like fragments which leads to nowhere. This is one of the major reasons that I was pissed after watching this film. Another thing that made this very unwatchable was the fact that his direction of the actors felt lifeless. Most of them came out pasty and flat out dull, like the vampire and the woman that’s he's in love (allegedly, as there was no hints of love as she had the same expression on her face for ninety plus minutes) with him. It’s like you didn’t care about this film, being so boring to the point that this review is turning into a bloodbath. Then again, my review of this film is way better than that fucking waste of celluloid that I witnessed.

Everyone involved with the making of this film should be embarrassed to be apart of this production. If I have to make fun of it, while reviewing a film to pass the time, then you can expect me to rip the hell out of it, like I just did. See you on my worst films of 2009 list.

Welcome to another edition of She Screams, He Screams. In this edition, me and Kelsey are looking back at the year that was, 2008. We have are top 10 lists already, so lets get to our lists.

Kelsey's Top 10 horror films

1. Frontier(s): This is one of my favorite horror films of the year, because it uses horror as a platform with such understanding of the genre. It uses crisis, deception, and injustices that the filmmakers saw in France and injected it to this film to give us a creative and very symbolic film. The movie is extremely brutal and it uses the massive bloodshed to show the harshness in the world.

2. Inside: Along with Frontier(s), Inside is a great example of French horror at its best. The intensity level is the same, but it is far more simplistic. There is very little dialogue and aside from a few policemen who aren’t around for very long there are only two characters: the victim and the killer. The entire film is a very engaging, especially the intense cat and mouse chase. The whole film takes place in the same house and for most of it the victim is stuck hiding out in the bathroom. This gives it a very claustrophobic and entrapped feeling that is exposed through the tension that builds up. Motherhood and protecting it is of the most importance to the characters of the film. We learn that there is a reason to what happened to cause this hunt and it is more than a random home invasion. There is a desperation and desire to have and protect children. However, it turns in to a supplier of evil that will spur further lies. There is no real build up in the film, we are just thrown in to a bloody battle between these two women. The gore is continuous throughout the entire movie, giving us a fast paced horror film that still seems to take its’ time with all that it conveys.

3. Repo! The Genetic Opera: Repo! The Genetic Opera is daring, creative, and gives us something completely original unlike anything we have seen before. It takes us in to a completely different world and really goes in to deceit, corruption, and desperation of the characters and the twisted roads they are heading in. With Alexa Vega, Paris Hilton, Paul Sorvino, Bill Moseley, and Sarah Brightman in a film together it is one of the oddest casts, but an incredible one at that. I probably wouldn’t be crazy about the music itself, but it really fits the characters perfectly and furthers the story. The entire film with many different sub-plots and characters is all told through these songs. The music is inventive, full of atmosphere, and has a purpose in that it tells us the story effectively. Repo! The Genetic Opera is a very gothic film with dark shadows and tones. There is great contrast in the lighting though as it seems so much, but particularly Shilo and Mag, are constantly glowing. There are comic illustrations in between several of the musical numbers that help give clear context and narrates what is happening now and the horrors of some of the characters’ pasts. There is a lot that is hidden from other characters, but we are able to understand these prevailing lies and injustices even when the characters are still ignorant of this. The colors and drawings are vibrant and really jump out at you. All of the images in the film really take you in to this dreamlike, very dark and disturbing world.

4. The Orphanage: The Orphanage is one of the best ghost movies in the past decade. It is layered with so much that draws us in to the film. Built up tension leads to evils that piles up to a terrifying mirage. The visuals between the past, present, and the new state that is found in the end is very well done and explores what each of these mean. The characters are strong and through the bond that is established in the beginning as well as the history that we learn give us an understanding and connection through the hardships that our main character, Laura, goes through. Through her we get the powerful psychological side to the film that brings everything alive. The film has a way of showing the horrors that come to surface when you try to bury the past and does wonders with displaying the tension building up to this. The house itself has a very creepy feel adding on to the suspense. The cinematography is stimulating and brings us in to a new world that plays with darkness, fear, and how this can strangely be a miracle in the right context.

5. Baby Blues: Baby Blues is a very disturbing look inside real life horrors. It takes a very depressed and paranoid mother and takes away the nurturing and protective role that she is supposed to uphold, turning her in to a vicious and relentless murderer. The film has plenty of blood, but really what made it such a great horror film is how much depth the characters had. The oldest child who was being hunted was the symbol of innocence, yet one who refused to let himself be a victim. He showed more intelligence and strength than most adults would have in a similar situation. You hear about mothers murdering their children all too often, but it is quite another thing to witness this on screen. The film is one take on it, but it includes many universal themes that speaks to these tragedies. What I really appreciated about this is it wasn’t just done for shock factor. Every second of the film is shocking, but more importantly somehow through the cruel acts it manages to be so personal and compassionate. As murderous and horrid the mother is, I didn’t see her solely as a monster. I saw her struggle and the pain emerging throughout her. The fact that I was able to feel for a women that sets out to murder every one of her children says a lot regarding the time that was put in to her character, the writing, and the performance. Everyone is given such human qualities that what we are watching seems all too real.

6. Otis: Otis is an adrenaline pumped satire on the torture porn sub-genre that glues you to the screen. Some of the funniest moments are through how the media treats missing persons cases. The real gem of the film is how it shows suburbia gone crazy. It depicts brutally torturing and making an individual suffer in the sickest and most twisted ways as if that was the only normal and healthy response for a family member to have: the one true way to show that they cared. By doing this in the movie, it in itself is critiquing how morality is often lost in our society today. The family is more murderous than Otis was since he was actually very disappointed when his victims died. He only harmed them in hopes of scaring them in to giving him the acceptance that he has longed for. He creates a dungeon that mirrors the world of a high school girl. Otis like many others, wasn’t happy in high school and lost someone he loved. The only difference between him and a million other people who experienced this is he sets out to create new high school memories, even if they are artificial and torture induced. The writing in the film accompanied by the brilliant and energy charged portrayals of these unique, but all very likeable characters in one way or another, is spot on making it smart, hilarious, disturbing, and very real.

7. Let The Right One In: This Sweedish vampire film is slow moving, but interesting and visually vibrant movie. The bulk of it seems much more like a drama than you would expect. Rather than action or gore based, it uses a very still and strangely quiet atmosphere. It isn’t even as heavy on dialogue as you would think, yet through the relationship between a vampire girl and a weaker human outcast so much is shown to us. What sets this apart from other vampire films more than anything else though is the dedication that is clearly put in to every second of it. It actually makes the outside world and those who use violence as sport seem like the true monsters. Especially with the death and blood being spread out, it puts the concentration on our two main characters. The cinematography is visually stimulating as majority of the film is glowing white . The blood against the shining image of the snow combined with the moderation it is showed to us in makes it stand out even more. Whenever there is even a hint of light when a vampire is present, there is almost an overpowering brightness. Let The Right One In deals with injustice, dependency on violence, loneliness, friendship, and bending the rules at times. It is a very different and subtle vampire film, but one of the best films of its kind out there.

8. Dance of the Dead: Dance of the Dead is a coming of age teen comedy inside of a zombie outbreak. All of the characters, performances, and relationships seem very natural and with so many types of kids covered, there is someone for everyone to relate to. What is really fun with the wide variety of characters is how they all ban together when they learn of the zombie attack, strangely enough this is what it takes to bring them all together. Who doesn’t love two decapitating teen ferociously biting in to each others flesh to show their love for one another? It doesn’t get much better than that when meshing teen romance with horror. The film adapts a lot of zombie movie standards and pokes fun at just about all of them along the way. There is comedy in almost every situation and with the characters being so fun and likeable, Dance of the Dead gives us a very intelligent, entertaining, and inventive zombie film.

9. Nympha: The environment is very secluded and there is a very unsettling mood. It is very cold and empty, ultimately becoming very draining as it is more difficult to watch as it goes along. We watch as someone who only has intentions of doing good for the world is stripped of everything she has including faith and strength. The physical torture is attacked one sense at a time, since it is supposed to be drawn out to bring her closer to God. It has the opposite effect though as the mental torture escalates and turns in to something completely different. The ideas of good and bad are played with a lot, ensuring the viewer that nothing is what it seems to be and evil can be hiding anywhere. The corruption, abuse, and twisted mindset power the film. Tiffany Shepis gives the best performance of her career in Nympha. Shepis doesn’t have a ton of dialogue, especially in the scenes where the most is conveyed through her. She depicts so much depth, suffering, and betrayal mostly with facial expressions alone.

10. Zombie Strippers: For a film that takes place during George W. Bush’s fourth term in office, having horror and political elements only seem natural. For the horror side, you get nothing less than you would expect: cheesy gory fun and decapitating flesh among a rising epidemic of the living dead. The political subtext was handled very well as it is subtle enough to either ignore it or appreciate it, but the choice is up to the viewer. The dialogue and most of what we are seeing is very goofy and light, which doesn’t make us feel like we are being hit too hard over the head with any of the context. Using strippers as zombies really shed light on the need for acceptance and how conformity can be a necessary step towards this for some. The more political side of it is the disease itself and all of the experimentation used were designed to get more soldiers, ones that would be able to eternally fight. After they were shot down, they could just get up again; making them undefeatable. An army of zombies could be very dangerous, but this is the very thing the government is willing to take lives for. This adds a great deal of horror to the film as both aspects work very well together. Robert Englund in one of his best recent performances is reason enough to see this film. Through every crooked move and evil laugh joy is just seeping out.


Anthony T’s Top 10 Horror Films

1. Inside: “Inside” is probably the most shocking and ultra-violent slasher film, I’ve seen in years. I could see, why both Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury were highly rumored to directed “Halloween 2”. Their direction was perfectly flawless, as it had the suspense that classics are made of. The suspense makes this film, as you begin find out why, the person is stalking the mother to-be. They also did a great job developing the characters and the film’s story until its shocking end. Also, the film has great performances, from both Alysson Paradis and Beatrice Dalle. They make their characters, so believable; it helps sells, the film’s suspense. It’s a film; I highly suggest you seek out, if you are a true slasher fan.

2. Brutal Massacre: “Brutal Massacre” was a very funny mockumentry, on the horror genre. Director Stevan Mena, does a great job with both the screenplay and the direction here. This film felt like a Christopher Guest, with the zany humor and weird characters. What makes this film entertaining was the fact that each of the cast was very funny. This was one of those comedies where I was laughing out loud, a lot. The film has a lot, of very notable horror personalities, like David Naughton (An American Werewolf in London), Ellen Sandweiss (The Evil Dead), Ken Foree (Dawn of the Dead (1978)), and Gunner Hansen (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) who steal the show, with his performance.

3. AM 1200: There were a couple of short films, I was considering for my list. This is the only that made it. I first caught this film, at the Rhode Island International Horror Film Festival. AM 1200 was a throwback to the days of “The Twilight Zone” and The Outer Limits”. This film has a dark and suspenseful story. Director David Prior, did a great job building up the suspense through atmosphere, character, and story development. It’s definitely, a short film that can’t be missed. You can purchase a copy of this film, at the film’s official website at http://www.am1200.com/.

4. The Signal: “The Signal” was an original and interesting horror film that didn’t get much attention, during its theatrical run, which was very sad to see, as this was the best theatrically released horror film of the year. The directors did a great job keeping the action moving. One of the things that make this a very good job film is the fact that each of the three stories felt different, from one another, while continue on the main plot line throughout, as it felt like a combination between “Pulp Fiction” and “Videodrome”. The acting was also very good, as the actors made their characters believable. In return, that provided some interesting and entertaining stories.

5. Mulberry Street: Even though this film was released back in 2007. I didn’t consider it a 2007 film because I consider After Dark’s Horrorfest, a film festival. “Mulberry Street” was the best film, from the “2007 After Dark Horrorfest. This film had a lasting impact, on me, especially with the end of the film. This film was frightening and intense. The performances were very good, as I really cared about the characters. Beneath all the action, they’re good political subtext, about society today.

6. Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead: What 2008 horror list, wouldn’t be complete with Lloyd Kaufman on it. Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead” is Kaufman’s best film, since “The Toxic Avenger” and “Tromeo and Juliet”. One of things that make this film very good, the way Kaufman directs. He keeps the action moving, through the story and the performances This film also was entertaining, as the musical sequences was well timed and the screenplay pokes fun, at various issues, which you will enjoy.

7. Dance of the Dead: “Dance of the Dead was a fun film. I liked, how the film actually lived up to the buzz, from the SXSW Film Festival. This film had a good screenplay that focuses on the characters. These characters were written, very well, as they didn’t seem stupid or dumbed down. They were fun to watch, I wish more films would do this, as some of the horror films that I watched this year, featured groups of teens that were either annoying or felt lifeless to the point that I didn’t care. The film also features some very good action and humor that made this film, very enjoyable.


8. Bloodstained Romance: Along with another film further up, on my list, “Bloodstained Romance” was very shocking and gory. This film does a great job, focusing on the psychology, of the demented killer. Travis B. Miller did a great job covering up the production value, with a very frightening story. His screenplay really focuses on the killer’s state of mind and the obsession that he has with the female lead. The film features a very good lead performance, by Chris Bruchette, as he makes his performance terrorizing, to the point there you felt shocked, throughout the course of the whole film. The film will be out on DVD February 24th.

9. Gutterballs: This is a film that I almost forgot about, if it wasn’t the fact that it’s coming out on DVD, this month. “Gutterballs” was a very fun and shocking send off to the grindhouse and 80’s horror films, as most of the kills, are those that you have to see to believe. Ryan Nicholson’s screenplay was also very good, as the story was entertaining and contains some of the most original deaths, you will ever see, in a horror film. The film will be out on DVD, via “Danger After Dark” on the 27th of this month. The good thing about this release, you’ll be able to see, the version I saw, as some of the stuff, in the film, wouldn’t get by, the MPAA.

10. The Devil’s Muse: “The Devil Muse” ends my list, at number ten. One of things that made this film great was the direction Rami Azbed. He does a great job crafting an old story based on the Black Dahlia murders and making it into neo nourish film. But what makes this film standout is Azbed’s direction, as its very surreal and dark. It’s what cinema is supposed to be, an artform. The film has also has one of the best performances of the year, as Kristen Kerr makes her character, like one of those innocent character, from those forties and fifties crime films.

Now were going to do something different, as both of us, will now comment on each other’s top 10 list.


Kelsey’s Thought on Anthony T’s Top 10

Anthony T’s top 10 list-

10. The Devil’s Muse: I was completely taken away with the film as it began to unravel.The film does have some pacing issues as it began to lose me throughout some of the film. There were a few vastly underdeveloped and unnecessary characters. The story line with our two main characters is intensely interesting though. What stood out to me the most in the film was the dramatization of the role of Elizabeth, just the presence of it. Lisa takes on the role of this character and as she is studying her and getting in to the script at some point she stops acting. It isn’t a character anymore, it seems that it isn’t even someone who has departed from the world. 60 years after her death, the mind of Elizabeth finds a way of coming back through Lisa; now residing in her head. These two characters almost become one, making for a very interesting relationship. The Devil’s Muse is a very artistic and symbolic film. Especially towards the beginning there are so many beautiful visuals that immediately take you in to the story before it has really started. They are not hollow images either, but frame the work of a certain helplessness. I would have liked for the film to go in to some of the character development and more in to the killer, but it is based on an unsolved mystery case and I can understand not wanting to make up what isn’t known. The Devil’s Muse has a few flaws, but the imagery and concepts in the film remain strong enough to make it an interesting horror film.

9. Gutterballs: Without a doubt the best horror throwback film to date. There were a few things that I think could have been handled better, particularly the characters none who were really sympathetic, but all just horrible people. Gutterballs really looks and feels like a slasher right out of the 80s though. So as a throwback film it does the job. There are plenty of slashers with throwaway characters during that time, so the weak characters were excusable. The deaths in the film were really where the originality lied. There are nods to other deaths such as one from Halloween, but as a whole the deaths were ones that I had never witnessed before. Every death involved a bowling prop, most of them were the bowling pin. There were so many sick and gruesome instances used with this same bowling pin that triggered the suspense not with the questioning of if, when, or who was going to die next, but in what creative way this bowling pin would murder them.

8. Bloodstained Romance: I haven’t seen this one yet, but I have only heard good things about it. I will have to watch this sometime.

7. Dance of the Dead: I had a great time with this one as well. It has this really fresh and fun quality to it. It really uses the teen comedy aspects and the horror perfectly together, neither seeming outweighed by the other. The cast really added to this and I hope we see some of them in the future. Towards the beginning I was worried that by using different categories of people that these characters would just be stereotypes. In the end, it was just the opposite of that though. Every character was gone in to and we were able to see several sides to them, especially when these people who would never be around one another normally banded together against the zombies. The dialogue was very well done, playing with zombie film traditions and using the teen characters to have fun with the epidemic they were facing. One scene where this really shows is when the gym teacher gives all of the kids their weaponry. There was a grave worker who saw the outbreak coming that was not only reminiscent of character in zombie films, but even reminded me a lot of one from Friday the 13th. There is a lot of great deaths as well throughout this extremely fun and creative zombie film.

6. Poultrygeist: This movie was just plain crazy, but you have to love it. Poultrygeist really is a Troma film through and through. It is definitely one of the best recent zombie films with societal critiques, mostly because it does so in such an extreme and silly way. It would have to with what type of movie it is: a musical about chicken zombies on an evil fast food chain built on an Indian burial ground. There are plenty of gross out moments in the film, some regarding the gruesome deaths, but the line isn’t drawn there as just about everything in the film is as over the top as you would expect it to be. Overall, a very wacky but fun horror film.

5. Mulberry Street: I haven’t seen this film, but one of my biggest fear is rats so I am sure at the very least it would creep me out.

4. The Signal: This film seemed a bit overrated to me. I enjoyed it to an extent and the idea of in a technology driven world the frequencies could turn everyone in to killers and spur essential chaos is an interesting premise. The first act presented this to us and engaged me in the film, but it seemed like it didn’t know what to do in the middle and I found myself getting less in to the movie as it went on. The film seemed to lose its focused and especially towards the end it seemed more hectic than natural. The performances were very good and like I said I really liked the premise for the film, I just thought it could have gone farther with it.

3. AM 1200: I wasn’t familiar with this movie before, but with questions of heaven and hell and going against the common thought of the purity of heaven and towards the thought that hell may be more manageable it sounds like the film deals with some interesting storylines. I am curious to see where that goes, I will have to watch it now.

2. Brutal Massacre: A mockumentary that uses very subtle but intelligent humor. It centers on a film set of a horror film where everything goes wrong, one disaster after the other. It says a lot about how non-horror fans view the genre. Cheesy and out there horror films are looked down upon. However, when the director tries to put out a film that is focused on the story and has some serious elements and real purpose to it, the only producer that will actually listen to him immediately tries to dumb it down. The element of nudity trying to be shoved in is shown here even in the case where it might not fit at all. This is actually an unfortunate fault of the core audiences, because the mainstream audiences mostly respond to low quality horror films. The film also showed the opposite example of this, while a simple part of his film, which is really a shortcoming, is mistaken for an innovative statement by a critic who wants to see more than what is really there. With actors like Ken Foree, Brian O’Halloran, and Gunner Hansen the movie is a lot of fun while still focusing on critiquing Hollywood’s flaws.

1. Inside: Definitely one of the best horror films of the year. It has a very still tone, partially because of the seclusion, the concentration of just the victim and the villain, and the limited dialogue. This really brings our full attention to the intensity of the situation and to the focus on what is going on in the context of each character. The blood is completely brutal and such a constant throughout the film. Especially that scene with the scissors stabbed through her hand on the other side of the door and of course the ending of the film are extremely intense. Inside is a great horror film that uses a constant death chase all to uphold or re-attain motherhood.

Anthony T’s thoughts on Kelsey’s list

Kelsey’s List

10. Zombie Strippers: Anything with G.W getting a fourth term, as president, will get my attention. “Zombie Strippers” was a very fun film. I had a chance to interview, Jay Lee, in 2008. That was a very good interview. His direction was very good, as this felt truly like a grindhouse film. The film also goes a good job taking shots, at the Bush administration, while adding humor that made this film entertaining.

9. Nympha: “Nympha” almost made it, on to my list. If this list were a top twenty list, then this would be my number eleven film. What made this film very good was Tiffany Shepis’ performance. Even though she doesn’t have much dialogue, it’s the way she portrays the character through the mannerisms. She makes her character, very terrified. It’s shows how she has come, from her first film “Tromeo and Juiliet”. The film also has a very dark and gothic atmosphere that makes this, very gothic.

8. Dance of the Dead: It’s number 7 on my list.

7. Let The Right One In: This is a film that I really wanted to see in 08. The only problem was, it only played, at my local arthouse theat,er for one week. This is why; I don’t like the way independent films are treated, in my neck of the woods. I will be definitely, be renting or purchasing this film, when it comes out on Dvd, because I’m very interested in seeing this film.

6. Otis: “Otis” was a good film. It was funny, as the humor was written, very well. This was a more asscible film than Tony Krane’s last film “Sublime”, which was also very good. The film does have, very good comedic performances, from Daniel Stein, Illeana Douglas and a very demented performance from newcomer, Bostin Christopher. The film was fun, but wasn’t fun enough to warrant any consideration, for my list.

5. Baby Blues: I’ve never heard about this film, until a couple of weeks ago, as I read your review for it. It’s in my Netfilx quere.

4. The Orphanage: 'The Orphanage” was a very good film, as it was haunting and suspenseful. I would highly recommend it to anyone, who is looking for a good supernatural film. It’s like another film on my list. I;m glad that this film received a decent size theatrical release. This was a frightening and intense, supernatural film. The problem was that it came out too early and got lost, in the mix.

3. Repo! The Genetic Opera: I was really looking forward to this film, but it hasn’t played, in my area at the time of this posting. I can thank Lionsgate President Joe Drake for this, as he only care about releasing boring “Saw” films and the “My Bloody Valentine in 3D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”. Hopefully, I will have my chance to review this film soon.

2. Inside: See my Number 1 film

1. Frontier(s): “Like “Nympha”, this barely missed my list. This was a very shocking film. It falls into the same trap, as “The Orphanage did. It was released to early and wasn’t shocking enough, to leave a lasting impression. Still, the film was very good. Amidst the torture that takes place, there was an entertaining and suspenseful story, which made the scares effective and makes you interested in the characters.

Thank you for taking your time to read our lists and I hope continue to read our column, as we have great things planned for 2009.

Trailer Park of Terror
Year: 2008
Director: Seven Goldmann
Stars: Nichole Hiltz, Lew Temple, Priscilla Branes
Studio: Summit Entertainment
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 97 Mins
Official Website: http://www.trailerparkofterror.com/

"Trailer Park of Terror" Trailer







“Trailer Park of Terror is based on the comic book series from Imperium Comics. The film is about six high school students and their chaperone, who are on their way home, from a retreat. The drive home was fine, until they get caught up in a middle of a storm. Their bus crashes and they are stranded in the middle of nowhere. The group comes across a trailer park, as one of the residents takes them in, for the night. Unknown to them, the person that took them in, along with the residents are zombies. Soon, the group is caught up in a fight to survive the night, before the trailer park zombies have their fun with them.

Kelsey’s Review

The film begins full of grit in the very uncomfortable trailer park our characters inhabit. At this point Norma is a very sympathetic character. We feel for her when we see the creeps that she has to deal with. Perhaps it is because Norma still has some hope left despite her circumstances. She is assumed to be a whore and is constantly belittled and labeled as someone who won’t go anywhere in life. When we find out that her mother has it even worse, having to act on the sexual demands that her boyfriend demands her to do before the camera. A great bond is established between Norma and her mother. We learn that her mother goes through the hell she does so Norma doesn’t have to. She is the one person who believes that Norma has a better life ahead of her. Seeing the two people that Norma actually cares about murdered by the very scum that are constantly poisoning her life, we understand the anger and grief this must have placed on her.

After this point the story starts to fall apart. There have been several missing persons reports and disaster continues to go through the trailer park. The group of teens that are targeted next could have made sense since they all engage in immoral activities from drugs to sex to theft. Norma becoming the villain against these kids could be her way of getting back at those who had wronged her. However, when she attacks the priest this logic goes out the window. She is working with these red neck men that are the same type that destroyed Nora’s life. If they found a way to get to her and make her in to one of them this was not shown through events or their relationship. It really feels like there is a major gap missing, which holds the film back from working off of the first act that got me so interested. The teens are decent characters, but overall they feel a bit clichéd and underdeveloped. The more developed character, Norma, looses what has been built for her since she is completely disconnected to the character that we were introduced to.

One of the better examples of the gore in the film is a decapitated head that gushes with blood still moving as Norma taunts it. This was the priest who was terrified after engaging in sex with Norma, which was just her lure. He fears this sin and tries to get out of it right before she ends his life. There are arms cut off as well as plenty of other slashing. All of it is incredibly bland though and doesn’t do anything to separate it from any other horror movie. One of the last girls left says the exact same line as Norma did earlier on in the film. Clearly they wanted to establish that Norma become just like those who terrorized her and that this girl was in the shoes that Norma was in at that time. It seemed like a far stretch and didn’t mean much since we aren’t given much a clue to who this girl really is or any of the transitioning of Norma’s new lifestyle. Trailer Park of Trailer has a gritty, intense and very compelling start but falls apart with the generic kills and complete disconnection in the story.

Anthony T’s Review

I really don’t know, if you were coming in and expecting to see a serious horror film, based on your review, as I think that’s what you were expecting from this. I didn’t come expecting into that after hearing the film was based on a comic book series. To me, the story never falls apart, as I enjoyed this film a lot. The film was never completely about Norma and her problems. If it were, then it would have been a completely different movie, as that wasn’t the whole point of the film. That was part of the backstory to this film and comic book series.

“Trailer Park of Terror” was one rockin good time. Director Steven Goldmann’s direction was very good. I liked how he goes for more of a comic book style, when filming this film. Fans of the comic book series will appreciate this alot. It has the comic book style feel to it with the dark humor and the blood wrenching moments. Goldmann keeps the action moving, as there was never a dull moment. That’s one of the things that kept my interest throughout. Another thing that made his direction good was the fact that the acting wasn’t bad. The characters were interesting; because the actors made their characters either tormented by their personal problem or just so demented that you’re into the flow of the film. It makes for one entertaining film.


The screenplay written Timothy Dolan was very good. He does a great job with the character development. I liked how he makes the villains very demented. He does that, by writing dialogue that has dark humor elements that makes the villains standout and gives the film, it’s comic book feel. Another thing that makes the development good was the fact that the teens weren’t stupid or your run of mill type characters that you see, in these films. Dolan does that by giving of each of those characters, a conflict that makes each of them human not a type cast character. The killings were also written well too, even though they it got too carried away at times. It’s the dialogue of the villain that makes you forget about it. I remember seeing a lot of films this year, where the killing didn’t make any sense (i.e. One Missed Call, Cruel World) at all, because I was bored and it was just there. I was not bored here, as Dolan was trying to make a point with the victims, because of how were deep they were in with their own personal troubles.


This was a very good film, as I specially recommend it, to any comic book horror fan. You will
enjoy this.

Dance of the Dead
Year: 2008
Director: Gregg Bishop
Studio: Lionsgate / Ghost House Underground
Stars: Justin Kusnitz, Greyson Chadwick, Chandler Darby
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 89 Mins
Official Website: http://www.danceofthedeadmovie.com/




Film Synopsis:

“Dance of the Dead” is a film that garnered a lot of buzz from this year’s SXSW Film Festival. This horror comedy is about a group of students from Cosa High who are getting ready for their high school prom. This was supposed to be their night of fun until the dead begin to rise from their graves at a graveyard that is located next to a nuclear power plant. Soon, the dead are hell bent on crashing this party. Now it’s up to a group of students that come from different backgrounds, which includes cheerleaders, geeks, bad boys and student council members. They have to band together and try to stop these zombies from taking over the town and life, as they know it. The film stars Jared Kusnitz (Otis, Doll Graveyard) and Justin Welborn (The Signal).

(Please Note: This Review Contains Spoilers)

Kelsey’s Review:

Dance of the Dead serves as a fun teen horror comedy. The initial plot has many elements of a teen romance, but a zombie outbreak on prom night transforms it to horror. Some of the relationships seem very natural. We have the science fanatic who is still very down to earth and an all around nice guy who has a crush on the cheerleader who doesn’t notice him who is in turn crushing on the rocker who doesn’t notice her. Another relationship involves someone who is very involved in the school and her future who loves her goofball boyfriend, but feels like she is missing out on the romance that he can’t quite communicate to her. Through this the lines of popularity are blurred and now seem irrelevant. The sci-fi club, student council members, class clowns, school bullies, and punk musicians end up working together when the living dead come after them.

After recently seeing Jared Kusnitz in Otis this year as the hilariously vengeful brother it was great seeing him in Dance of the Dead. He proved that he is more than just comedic relief, but can actually carry a horror film very well. He transforms in the film to a character that really takes the lead and gains our respect. I also appreciated that all of the teens actually looked and acted like high school students. There is not one flat performance, everyone is believable and fresh. Greyson Chadwick, Chandler Darby, and Carissa Capobianco definitely have bright futures ahead of them. Aside from the kids Coach Keel played by Mark Oliver gave a stand out performance. Oliver brought forward energy, charisma, and intensity as the coach who reverted to his veteran ways as a maniacal, almost crazed warrior, this time in the war against the zombies.

Most of the zombie norms are adapted here, but one new element was that zombies seem to be mesmerized and almost pause in time when music plays, especially played by the band of some of the kids at the school. The best part of the film comes when the teens go to the prom to demolish the school swarming with zombies that have already eaten and simplified their entire student body. When Gwen confides in Steven that she has been bitten he finally gets the chance to kiss here. Right at this moment when the underdog has his victory his skin begins to get ripped apart by the girl of his dreams who is hungry for his flesh. Steven quickly turns in to a member of the living dead himself and there is a funny and brutal turn where they are engaging in a love scene and looking beastly and ferocious as they bite in to each other’s blood.

The characters at times seem like they are just representations of a certain group or clique in the school. However, the film quickly develops each and every one of them. No one is there just to play the victim and those who do fall victims first are really the morally weaker people who we see deserve the fate they are given. There isn’t much time spent hiding out, because we are given a fierce group of kids who are ready to do everything they can to defeat these zombies and save anyone who is left alive. Through everything that these people go through with each other and with their life flashing before their eyes they all go through revelations. Not only is Dance of the Dead a zombie fest full of cheese and gore and a fun teen film, but it is actually an effective coming of age film. None of this is over dramatized, but is mostly shown in how the characters step up and how differently they treat one another when their town is at stake. The zombie attacks, the dialogue, and a quirky graveyard worker who actually knew about the zombies existence before the outbreak occurred help keep things light and refreshing. Dance of the Dead works zombies and teen coming of age stories wonderfully together to give us a fun filled horror comedy.

Anthony T’s Review:

I definitely agree with you Kelsey on this film. This is a film that I’ve been looking forward to after hearing the buzz the film received at this year SXSW Film Festival. This film should have been given a chance in theaters because it’s that good. “Dance of the Dead” was a lot of fun to watch, as this is truly one of the best horror films of the year. Most of the credit has to go to director Gregg Bishop (who also has a very funny short horror film called “Voodoo” on the DVD, which I highly recommend, if you loved this film). He does a great job directing at an intense pace, while hitting all the horror and comedy notes perfectly. The pace of the film moves very fast, which makes all the action in the film intense. The death scenes were done very well, as they were intense and very gory. He also has some very good talented actors in this film. I could tell from the performances that they wanted to be there and make this film entertaining. They were having fun with their roles, as it made the film more fun to watch. The whole cast nail their characters down perfectly, as they felt like normal teenagers and the actors also had great chemistry with each other. Another thing that Bishop did very well, along with his casting director, was to find the right people to play these parts, as the actors were pretty much around the high school age with the expectation of Justin Welborn (who also stared in “The Signal” this year). That also helped sold the fact that these characters were normal teenagers and their mannerisms were teen like. It helps when you can find talented young people that are young and interested in the material to play these roles, for films like this. It’s something that Hollywood casting people, should be looking at, when casting films like this, instead of casting older people to play young people or young people, from a teen soap opera that are there to cash a paycheck,to play these part and be uninteresting for ninety minutes. That’s why Hollywood turns out these awful teenage horror films and yes that includes One and a Half Missed Hours of My Life (aka “One Missed Call” and no, I’m not done whining about that film yet).

Joe Ballarini’s screenplay was very original and well executed. This film has a lot of great moments including the ones that Kelsey mentioned, which was also one of my favorite scenes, in the film. This film has a lot of great moments because the characters were all likeable, yes, including the gym teacher, which I loved the scene when he introduced the teens to his stash of weaponry. If they weren’t likeable, then the moments would not work. They were so likeable because the character development was very effective. I liked how Ballarini make the character all different from each other, like the class dork to the sci-fi geeks to the cheerleader to the band and on and on. They all didn’t seem like carbon copies from another films, which makes the characters believable, in some ways. He also adds a lot of humor and blood curling action to the story, which makes film very enjoyable, because it was funny while moving the story and horrific elements at a fast pace.

This film is definitely lived up to the hype that the received earlier in the year. I urge you to rent and/or buy this film immediately, because this is what the horror genre is supposed to be, not those stupid remakes or the endless Saw sequels. “Dance of the Dead” is one blood-splattering prom that you would not want to skip.

Welcome to the first edition of “She Screams, He Screams." This is a new horror column devoted to the horror genre, which FilmArcaders Anthony T and Kelsey take on the latest that the horror genre has to offer. Without any more explanation, here’s our take on “Saw V”.

Saw V
Year: 2008
Director: David Heckl
Studio: Lionsgate/Twisted Pictures
Stars: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Scott Patterson
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 89 Mins




Film Synopsis

“Saw V” is a continuation of the four previous films in the series. In this installment, the only person left to carry on Jigsaw’s (Tobin Bell) legacy is Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor), who was revealed as Jigsaw’s accomplice in the last film. This time, Hoffman has a problem, as Agent Strahn (Scott Patterson) is finding evidence that points to his direction. While he’s looking for a way to elude the agent, there is another game going on in the warehouse. This game involves five new people who each are connected to an arson. The game involves a real estate agent (Julie Benz), a drug addict (Greg Berg), a reporter (Carlos Rota), a building permits clerk (Megan Good) and a fire inspector (Laura Gordon). They must work together in order to find the reason to why they are there together and find a way out of Jigsaw’s trap.

Kelsey’s Review

Saw V isn’t quite as graphic and extreme in many ways, which might make it seem watered down to most. Yet I would prefer it this way, than the film just focusing on trying to outdo the buckets of blood that was in the previous film. The torture and elaborate traps are still there. The unthinkable and horrifying tasks are there as well, which really keeps the intensity in the film. Many are not quite as gruesome as previous deaths have been. However, watching these 5 people desperately scramble to do whatever they can to stay alive through not just one but several traps was the most enjoyable part of the film. The situations are extreme, but it is really how the victims deal and react with what they are given. The shock and not wanting to accept the horrible task they have in front of them isn’t quite the same as it is in most Saw films.

The Jigsaw murders have been going on long enough for people to know the trap they are in. This really speaks to how big of an impact Jigsaw has had on mankind, which was his intention from the beginning after all. The victims try to think out of the box, like they expect Jigsaw might. They try to think things through before they shut the door, setting the timer off. Once the time starts rolling, they don’t waste any time. They act on their impulses and really show their strength through survival of the fittest. Their numbers do drop, but as they are on their last task it finally hits them what they are there for. They were brought in as a group for a reason, a reason none of them realized for many of the games. Most of the victims throughout all the films just think Jigsaw is an insane murderer. At least towards the end of the film, some of the victims actually grasp the concept that Jigsaw set up for them. Although, they might be about to face their death any second, they still understand Jigsaw in that instant. Through this aspect, they actually seem like the savages while Jigsaw is the insightful teacher. Establishing this extreme reversal of good and evil and making it seem like Jigsaw has a point in his warped thinking is a major accomplishment; the type of reversal in roles that actually helps the film push the original ideals further.

The explanation of how Jigsaw’s games are still continuing upon his death seemed more realistic than other explanations of accomplices have before. With the dirt John has on Special Agent Strahm, working for Jigsaw seems more understandable than Amanda’s case of actually being subjected to the torture they bring on others. It is simple: he didn’t want to go to jail, lose his job, or his reputation. However, there could have been a bit more moral struggle with Strahm as he brought people to their death shown. The agents in general, but especially Strahm were given some very laughable dialogue. There were a lot of moments when one of them was alone in a room, trying to figure something out, and what they would say seemed extremely unnatural and cheesy. This actually serves as comic relief, although I assume it was unintentional. Between this and a heavy focus on the investigating and crime aspects, the film does deviate from the typical brutality one might expect from a Saw film.

Throughout the story line of Strahm and some of his workers who become more and more suspicious of him, the flashbacks are very heavy. In fact, nearly all the story outside of the 5 people trying to escape the traps is told in flashbacks. This begins with the suspicions about Strahm as we are shown how he became involved with Jigsaw and his work. This worked to a degree, but it also seems like a short cut. Someone wonders, “How did he get involved with Jigsaw” and automatically we see the whole story right before our eyes. Suspense and gradual discovery would have been more effective. I loved how they went in to the mind of Jigsaw in Saw IV when he was just John and how they showed how he lost his faith that humans were deserving of the lives they were given. Now it is getting to the point where the flashbacks seem somewhat overdone. Jigsaw is the core of this series, but he is dead now. That doesn’t mean his ideas, motives, and twisted ideas of morality have to be too. The Saw series has been trying to bring this man back from the dead through his mindset, but feel compelled to show him physically rather than just the themes he implemented. The only new element that was shown through the flashbacks was that someone else was involved that we didn’t know about before. This did leave some room to expose the corruption that was going on in the F.B.I., which questioned whether staying loyal to this organization was really worth Strahm’s life. Still, if the Saw series doesn’t move on they will be no more than a flashback, a rehashing in to the brilliant and horrifying mind of Jigsaw. Although, there are interesting moral implications through this, it keeps us stuck in the past rather than giving the series the room to move forward.

Although Saw V ends on a pessimistic note, it has the potential to satisfy Saw fans. It exerts the thought that everything is a trap and you are never done proving yourself. Even Jigsaw himself died, perhaps by karma for what he was doing. If the mastermind of this seemingly everlasting set of traps can be defeated than is there really much hope for anyone else no matter how secure their position or how tough they think they are? This is a terrifying thought, but given the grimness that Saw embodies, it also makes the film thrilling because we know that no one is safe. The only question is when and what trap will be the one to kill them. None of the films have come close to the original, but that is just the nature of sequels. Saw V is flawed and has more strength in one side of its’ story, it still keeps the elaborate traps, the twists, and the twisted mindset that has been the groundwork of the series since the first film.

Anthony’s Review

This film was very disappointing, as a critic and fan of the series. Going into this, I was surprised that both the third installment and fourth installments were decently good, but after watching this one, I thought “Saw V “didn’t have the suspense or the characters that made me hooked and invested in the previous films. I left the theater with many questions, which I hope will be answered in, yes, “Saw VI”.

David Heckl’s direction felt off at times. The reason for this was every time the action picked up, the film became boring with the needless flashbacks scenes, which I’ll talk about in a bit. It also doesn’t help that he didn’t make this film intense, as the previous films in the series did. The acting was not great at all. Besides Mandylor, Bell, Rota and Patterson performances, Heckl’s direction of everyone else was either dull or flat out annoying, as I wasn’t interested in any of those characters. That includes Julie Benz and Betsy Russell, as they seemed lifeless in the way they portrayed their characters. The performances really slowed down the film for me, to the point that I wanted Jigsaw to somehow rise from the ashes and go after the filmmakers. It shows the inexperience Heckl has when it comes to directing a feature film, because you need the performances to be intense and engaging, for a horror film like this.

Even though David Heckl’s direction wasn’t that great, it’s the screenplay that makes this film a major disappointment. I’ll give Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan credit, as the film had a very good opening fifteen minutes and an ending that in some ways makes you interested, in the inevitable “Saw VI”. That’s all the credit that I’m giving the duo; as if they are going to write the next installment, let’s hope the middle part of the film is a lot better than this film. This is the reason why “Saw V” was a disappointing movie, as it hurts this film a lot. The middle part felt like “Saw IV” all over again with all the flashbacks. It felt like the film’s sole purpose at times was to get Jigsaw into this film, which makes this entry drag on. What also makes this film different from the previous films was the fact that the people that are playing the game weren’t interesting, as I really didn’t care for the people, like I did in the previous Saw films. The reason for that was that the screenwriting duo spent way too much time with flashbacks, as it’s the second film in a row that flashbacks mostly dominated the film. The reason it worked, in the last film was the fact that they tied it into Rigg’s character and gave a backstory on Jigsaw and what triggered his madness. I was also familiar with the characters in the last film, unlike in this film, which had many new characters. With the exception of how Hoffman meets Jigsaw for the first time, the flashbacks weren’t needed, as it took away from developing any of the new characters. They don’t spend enough time developing them, which hurts the film’s story, as I really didn’t care from that point until the last ten minutes. Also, they wasted the Agent Strahm character, as he’s just there going over what previous happened in the other films of the series, which triggers all the needless flashbacks that this film had, which slowed down the action that’s taking place, with the new characters in the series.

As much as I’m a fan of the Saw series, I find it hard to say this, but I can’t recommend this film for the reasons above. It’s not one of the worst horror films of the year, but if Melton and Dunstan are going to write “Saw VI”. They need to get this series back on track, by developing the characters and putting them in intense situations, like in previous films, which makes the “Saw” series shocking and intense.