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DiscoStu222
Reviews
Rabid (2019)
R Rated Hallmark Movie
A very amateurish and dull movie. The script, acting, direction and editing here have the feel of a daytime soap opera. The pacing is its biggest problem, it is just so dreary for long periods. The run time is 1.47 but it felt much longer.
I do enjoy Cronenbergs work and whilst Rabid is far from his best, his movie deserves a better remake/reimagining than this. The Soskas did show early promise with some of their short films and American Mary but this is a failure on almost every level. Given the generous budget compared to the quality of the final product I do fear they may have missed their big opportunity and might struggle for future funding after this.
I don't enjoy being ultra negative and am really trying to think of something positive to say about the film..but I'm gonna have to get back to you on that.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)
Same as every horror film made in the past 10 years
Your typical run of the mill woke 2010s/2020s slasher. CGI-check, Short run time-check, zero character development-check, cheap jumpscares-check, all female heroes-check.
The original film was lightning in a bottle, always difficult to come close to achieving the same impact but the TCM franchise is arguably the weakest of the big horror franchises. Aside from TCM2 Its sequels are all different varieties of poor.
I know Leatherface is the poster boy but the Sawyer family are what makes the original 2 movies work, with Leatherface being the blunt tool they use to carry out their' lifestyle'. There is no family in this movie and the character of leatherface suffers for it, just running around on his lonesome, hammering and sawing with abandon.
Clearly heavily borrowing from the Halloween reboot/reset.
The sets and setting are fine, actors uninspiring but not terrible, the gore level high, some practical effects but as is the sad standard today, mostly CGI. None of the characters have any development, a weak story to get the characters to the location and an even weaker story as to their background. They do hint at certain things but nothing is developed which is unsuprising in a film that (removing the credits) runs at about 74 minutes. Chuck another 10-15 minutes of character building in there and it might be a different film (though I doubt it).
One day we'll get a decent TCM sequel but this aint it.
Murder Weapon (1989)
Well below average B (Probably C) movie
I imagine most people watched this for Linnea Quigley, I did. Whilst much of her work is in B movies this is bottom of the barrel stuff.
Her acting is ok and thats just about all of the positives folks. 1st gripe is that the Scenes are far too long, long scenes are fine if you have the right calibre of actors, this would have been better served with more action and shorter scenes. The sound editing is shockingly bad, the music soundtrack is so loud in places that you cannot hear the characters clearly (Although perhaps thats a blessing given the awful dialogue). The first 40 minutes is all over the place and actually kind of confusing with flashbacks sequences and badly written exposition. They did have something to work with when it came to the storyline, it wasn't bad, it was just so terribly executed that a promising idea came to nothing.
I am a fan of low budget trashy movies so I am quite forgiving but this one just didn't work at all. Sadly, not worth your time.
Wrong Turn (2021)
Weak film - Regardless of if you are a fan of the originals.
The original franchise is hit and miss (more miss than hit). There was no need to churn out more of the same 'straight to dvd' mutant hillbilly tripe. It was a C grade franchise that had run out of ideas. It had its moments but I had little love for it.
You have to commend the makers for attempting to head in a different direction but sadly they did not make a good movie. Effects and direction were acceptable but the problem is with the messy storyline, the acting and the poor cinematography. Given the sumptious setting the movie should have looked far better. I could not pick a side as the victims were as dislikeable as the villains, rarely have I felt less connection with any character in a film - usually there's one shining light, but not here.
Given the reception and lack of critical acclaim surrounding this film it seems the franchise is likely dead, any potential future releases will surely be very low budget, some years from now and will return to the original format.
I'm all for trying something new but this is instantly forgettable and has zero rewatch value.
Don't expect much and its still likely to disappoint. 3 maybe 4/10 - Shame, was hoping for better.
Army of the Dead (2021)
Uninspired - Not worth your time
Overlong and deravitive. Funnily enough Snyder recently took plaudits for the longer Justice League cut when this movie suffered from the exact opposite and have been cut by 30 minutes or more. It has nothing new or inspired at all, every scene or idea has been borrowed from other movies, Zombieland, Escape from New York and Aliens in particular, although they all did it much, much better. Ropey CGI aplenty here too. Considering the fairly large cast its quite an acheivement to make all them so unlikeable. The camera work was very off putting, backgrounds and foregrounds going in and out of focus all the time, I thought my eyesight was going bad at one point. I do love a good zombie movie, but this wasn't one of them.
Just Before Dawn (1981)
Well made atmospheric slasher
Having viewed no end of slasher movies (more disappointments than triumphs) I have to say that this is a very well made movie. I can imagine that the lack of gore or nudity might let some people down but for me it works well just as it is. Avoiding spoliers it is a typical 'teens ignoring the warnings of locals and heading into the wilderness for a few days of camping and frolicking'.
This is a well shot, well constructed film with good pace. Unlike many films similar in vein the teen characters are actually quite likeable and not your typical obnoxious types. It has a good score and good use of the eerie sounds of a remote forest. The performances in general are strong aside from 1 or 2 characters. It manages to build tension without resorting to jump scares every other scene and you do feel the jeopardy of the teens.
I do feel it is an underated film, perhaps with more blood and guts it might be held in higher esteem in the horror community.
I Spit on Your Grave: Deja Vu (2019)
Pretty Bad
Whilst none of this series of films are masterpieces they are, in their own way, effective. This however is a enormous step down in quality.
The run time is the real killer here, it comes in at 2 1/2 hours, many of the scenes are incredibly dragged out and it was such a chore to make it through the film. I had to watch it in 3 sittings!!
Whilst you dont expect A-list acting here it is shockingly bad and the characters are annoying to a level I didnt know possible.(Jamie Bernadette and Jim Tavare were better than the rest but that isnt saying much)
The story had some promise, perhaps if you edited it down to 90 minutes it might be a much better film but in its current state it is awful. Whoever edited this movie should be ashamed of themselves - I cant imagine what the pre edit version was like!
I have a soft spot for low budget, independent, exploitation cinema and would usually have some degree of support for this type of movie but please take my advice and watch just about anything else instead.
Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017)
Great great movie
Having been extremely impressed by Bone Tomahawk I was a little disappointed to find that Zahlers next project would star cheesy rom com star Vince Vaughn. I was wrong on every level. Remember when Tarantino cast a seemingly washed up prancer by the name of John Travolta in Pulp Fiction? this is the same thing, but dialled up to 11. Vaughn pulls out a calm but menacing and brutal performance as the ultimate antihero and deserves massive credit for it. The rest of the cast are all extremely good too but Vaughns characters intensity and determination outshine them. You rooted for him and to watch him dispense justice and revenge was a joy. The movie is not for the feint hearted and definitely has a grindhouse feel to it. The violence is off the chart. The tone of the film is grim, gritty and claustrophobic. It is well paced and had me gripped throughout. Fantastic writing and direction from S Craig Zahler. he has made 2 excellent movies out of 2 and I will be following his career with great interest.
Jeepers Creepers 3 (2017)
Poor
This film was always going to get a raw deal from the media and the public even before anyone had seen any of it. Judge a film on its merits and not based on your moral or political opinions. I was willing to do just that.
After casting aside everything other than the film itself what you have here is a boring piece of garbage. I wanted this movie to be good, I thought the first was very good and the second entertaining enough but this was very dull. The movie dragged, there were too many characters, none of which I cared about. All seemed to have some weak, badly scripted agenda. The practical effects of the creeper were ok but the cgi effects were awful. Acting was poor in almost every scene. They seemed to have about 6 different plot ideas and couldn't decide on one, so they stuck them all in there. I enjoyed some of the scenes with the truck, the truck itself was always one of the creepiest aspects of the original but other than that it was a tough watch.
You might be thinking it got a raw deal because of the director but in truth it got a raw deal because it is dreadful. This franchise is now dead.
The Human Centipede III (Final Sequence) (2015)
Drivel
I have a love of low budget cult movies so am far more tolerant than your average man, I have seen bad acting, bad storytelling, directing etc before but this really is an absolute mess of a movie.
I enjoyed the first centipede, it was a sick but somewhat inspired piece of cinema, obviously not for everyone but I had a lot of respect for Tom Six after that. The sequel had its moments, much of the inspiration had gone but the casting of Laurence Harvey was good. I like the black and white but it appeared Tom was beginning to run out of ideas and simply riding off the first movie.
Then comes this repugnant amateurish pile. Where to start with its problems? The acting is beyond terrible, the dialogue even worse, you cannot make out what Dieter Laser is saying most of the time which is surprising since he shouts almost every single line. Laurence Harvey worked well in the second movie but not in this one, he is not a good actor and his attempt at an American accent is laughable. Bree Olson is what she is, a porn actress trying to get into mainstream, I kinda feel sorry for her as she is extremely ill treated throughout the film and Eric Roberts chews the scenery like never before despite his brief appearance. One or two of the inmates do OK but in general the acting is as bad as you could ever see. Not a stellar cast by any chance but they should be capable of more, in my opinion this is down to dreadful direction, what Tom Six was thinking when he extracted these performances I will never know. Did none of the actors or film crew take him to one side and explain how ridiculous it was? The story is incoherent and without substance but even the best storyline couldn't hope to come through with the performances as poor and over the top as they were. There are a couple of gore scenes which are decent and certainly make the eyes water, Tom Six at least maintains that.
It is a shame that this franchise has ended so weakly. I hope it isn't the end of Toms career but he needs to prove he isn't just a one sick trick pony. However, one thing is certain, I will remember Dieter Laser for the most ridiculous, over the top performance of all time.
Chaos (2005)
Look aside the hype
The director seems to have an agenda against the film Chaos so clearly mimics and his general promotion of the movie have not gone down well. Accusations of misogyny and the severe and brutal nature of this film mean it will never be a well received movie. But despite all the hype and my opinion of the director I will try to judge the film without prejudice and on its merits.
So is Chaos any good?? Sadly not.
The acting is poor, though the scripting doesn't give the actors much to work with. The two main victims are not particularly likable and Chaos himself might as well be alone considering the lack of contribution from his 3 sidekicks. The ending is embarrassingly prompt and the film is all over in about 70 minutes.
The murder 2 main murders are nasty, very nasty and whilst not to too gory really made me cringe so I guess a minor triumph there.
But in general I found the flick boring and self indulgent.
Due to its infamy Chaos will have consistent interest but more for the curious factor rather than it being a good movie.
I recently saw Murder Set Pieces which I must say also disappointed somewhat but this pales in comparison.
My comments won't stop you watching Chaos but if you do get it stop the movie after the 2nd murder and go do the washing up or something.
One of these days someone will make a great 'ultranasty' but sadly this isn't it.
Murder-Set-Pieces (2004)
Curiosity killed the cat (and left me disappointed)
I have been a fan of horror/cult/independent cinema for a long time. As a young lad in the midlands I used to be fascinated by the VHS boxes that lined the top shelves of my local video stores. I wasn't allowed to see them which of course made me desperate to see them. Over the years, with the help of ebay and other such sources I have tracked down most the banned 'nasties' and have viewed most. With the exception of 4 or 5 movies most are vastly overrated. My interest waned into the late 90s as there was nothing 'taboo' left to view.
Having visited a few forums recently it seems that a new strain of 'ultra' nasties have been made over the past year or two. I therefore tracked down MSP and have just finished watching it..............
And sadly, like most of the so called nasties it is quite disappointing. Whilst there is a lot of blood laying around and a lot of screaming the film itself isn't that gory and it certainly isn't scary. The acting is in some parts decent but the most important character, the killer, seems disinterested and bored. One or two scenes show some craft and ingenuity but for the most part I was unmoved. In particular the scene with the infant and mother was effective and powerful. I expected this movie to take things to a new shock level but would have to say this movie falls way behind Holocaust, Antrapophagus and Last House on the Left in terms of the shock stakes. Its a shame that this movie left me wanting, I really hoped I would see something new but, alas, I did not. Kudos to the director for his bravery and for creating all the controversy but I cannot offer my recommendation and give it 4/10.
Jackass: The Movie (2002)
Pant wettingly hilarious !!!
I'm an intelligent guy in my mid 30s, I am well read and appreciate the finer things in life, my sense of humour is usually quite advanced so something so childish as Jackass The Movie really shouldn't have been on my wavelength.
Let me tell you it was! Sure, it's over the top, gross and in many place just plain wrong but boy is it funny. I hurt after watching this movie I laughed so much.
Some things are just funny no matter how old you are. I urge anybody of any age to watch this film. Laughter is an incredible gift and makes the world seem a better place.
I was amazed at the ingenuity of Johnny, Bam and Steve O. Where they came up with their ideas I do not know but they hit the spot every time.
Watch this, laugh and be happy!!!!
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
Left me numb
This film left me with so many conflicting emotions, I'm unsure how to comment upon it. Whilst it was a powerful, realistic and effective piece of film making it's difficult to enjoy this film. After viewing I experienced feelings of depression and numbness like no other film (except perhaps Scum) has ever come close to evoking. It's raw camera-work, gritty setting and introverted acting suit the documentary style of the film and add to its realism. The cold way in which Henry goes about his life is frightening, he kills without a second thought and feels no remorse afterwards. Michael Rookers performance is to be commended, his portrayal of Henry is more menacing and frightening than any Krueger, Myers or Vorhees caricature will ever be.
This is a most extreme case of evoking emotions that few horror type movies will ever achieve. I would have to put it alongside Chainsaw Massacre and Last House on The Left for its bleakness and ability to disturb.
Deadbeat at Dawn (1988)
One of the best low budget movies ever made !!!!!!!
One of the biggest travesties of the whole film industry is that a movie with as much soul and invention as Deadbeat at Dawn will be seen by so few people. Though I have nothing against the people that made the following movies it is a joke that Little Nicky, The Grudge and a million other mainstream 'vessel for the stars' flicks will receive so much more attention than films of this ilk. What Van Bebber has achieved here is nothing short of amazing, a gritty, powerful movie with fight scenes better than the choreographed run of the mill stuff you'll viddy in most films. It's the sort of movie which inspires. And although I'm too lazy to get off my ass, it makes me want to make my own low budget movie. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti Hollywood and not every low budget film is this good but please watch this film, enjoy it, and then tell your friends about it. Together we will educate the world!!!