Bigfoot: The Movie (2015)

As I sit down and try to catch up on some of the flicks I missed reviewing over the past week, I would be out of my mind to forget this one. While it is far from Oscar worthy, it is what it is. This is the local (for me) 2015 creature feature Bigfoot: The Movie.

Plot/ Bigfoot has come to the town of Ellwood City, PA and is causing BIG problems. Now it's up to four town locals, Chuck, Dale, Burl, and Kate to take him down.

When I rented this one at Family Video, I expected a no-budget schlockfest that would harken back to some of the great low-budget, straight to VHS entries, and that is exactly what I got. This Kickstarter-funded entry may not be the best movie, it may be completely unbelievable, and it may lack the big budget effects that many films have, but it is funny. Being from SW PA, I could relate to the characters as I see many of those stereotypical characterizations in real life on a daily basis (believe me, these people are real and this is likely how some would act if a sasquatch was on the loose. The performances are definitely uneven and the there are some head scratching moments, but honestly, this adds to the campy fun that is contained within the storyline. Who knew that a female Bigfoot could become a potential tourist destination? In the end, if you are searching for a serious Bigfoot flick, this one is definitely not for you. However, if you are looking for a creature feature that is more camp than substance, this one is for you; especially if you are from Southwestern Pennsylvania and grew up with some typical yinzers and jagoffs.

Spirit in the Woods (2014)

Last night, I could not bring myself to a point to type up this review, I was so frustrated by the movie and the overwhelming amount of predictable and clichéd moments. What was that film? It was the 2014 no budget found footage flick Spirit in the Woods.

Plot/ The fate of five local college students who went missing in the infamous Spiritual Woods is finally unraveled as previously unreleased footage is made public for the first time. Long thought to be dead, the truth turns out to be much worse.

There are times where found footage can be used effectively and create something interesting. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true and the movies do not pan out even when they have a decent storyline. That was definitely the case with this film. While I do applaud any movie that grew out of a Kickstarter project, and I love no-budget horror, there are times when I just cannot relate or feel anything in a film, and for me, that happened with this film. In fact, I lost so much interest because of the lack of connection, that it did not create any type of reaction. The dialog was all over, the performances uneven at best, and much of it made very little sense (unless you can totally relate to wandering in the woods). Really, it just felt like a subpar version of the Blair Witch Project. In the end, even with my love of low budget and crowd-funded horror, I could not see anything that would make this worth watching again. Stay Away!

Fire City: End of Days (2015)

After spending some time this weekend with the snow, a mind-bending trip in Deep Dark, a couple hours with the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the return of the X-Files, I decided to venture into something a little different tonight. After some debate, I decided upon the 2015 entry Fire City: End of Days.

Plot/ Vine, a disillusioned demon, secretly lives with others of his kind in the world of humans sustained by their misery. Forced into a choice to save his brethren or an innocent human girl, the delicate balance between human and demon kind is threatened, which may result in war.

At first, I had no idea what to expect from this movie, as it started off both interesting and confusing (really confusing). What I found after the initial confusion though was something much better than I expected from the meager budget (listed as $200,000). The story is both original and unique, the special effects are amazing, the atmosphere is heavy, and the cinematography is interesting and dark. Now, I am sure that the confusing scripting early on will turn some people off or keep them from embracing the true depth of what is taking place, but those are but minimal flaws in the realm of low budget b-movie cinema. In the end, this one was much better than I imagined when I picked it up at Family Video. If you are looking for something with some visual flair and are not afraid to tread down a strange spiral, give this one a shot, this one is definitely worth watching.

Manson Family Vacation (2015)

After spending last night immersed in the conspiracy surrounding the tragic death of Kurt Cobain with the documentary Soaked in Bleach, I decided t venture into something different before heading to bed. After some thought, I decided to venture into the mind of something different with the 2015 independent flick Manson Family Vacation.

Plot/ Two brothers tour Charles Manson murder sites. One is a devoted family man. One is devoted to The Family.

While this movie was not quite, what I expected, it was entertaining and actually, an interesting trip into something that many can relate to. Funded partly by a kickstarter campaign, there are some uneven production and scripting aspects, but those are easily overlooked because of the limited budget involved (as any fan of true indie films should understand). More of a drama than dark comedy or thriller, this one has some solid performances, some interesting thoughts, and a subject matter that is still extremely polarizing. Not truly, about Charles Manson, the ideas that were put on display or alluded to are definitely not for everyone. In the end, this was a nice change of pace from my usual viewing selections and an entertaining way to spend 90 minutes. If you are searching for something, you could do a lot worse than this one.

Muck (2015)

Metropolis was an awesome movie, and in many ways, I am still fascinated by how well the restoration of the print translated. However, one can only live inside the mind of a silent film for so much time. Getting back to the modern horror entries, I decided to dive into a slasher for the next review. A clear throwback to the 1980s, 2015s Muck.

Plot/ After narrowly escaping an ancient burial ground, a group of friends find themselves trapped between two evils, forcing them to fight, die, or go back the way they came.

This is an interesting flick that transported me back to my teen years and the direct to VHS no-budget horror of the 1980s. In fact, in many ways, that is exactly what this movie is, a no-budget kickstarter funded throwback slasher, and because of that, many will be unable to understand the draw to the film. While the film is nowhere near a masterpiece, it fits into the genre featuring all of the elements that made me want to run to the video stores in the 1980s. There are random murders, nonsense dialog, uneven cinematography, boobs, cardboard characters that make terrible decisions, unreal killers, and did I say boobs? Honestly, this one will in no way be mistaken for a masterpiece, but it could have easily been a cult classic had it been released during the era of big boxed VHS slashers. In the end, this movie will not appeal to the modern horror fan that thinks that the slasher craze started with Scream. However, if you are a child of the 1980s and remember some of the schlock filled slashers that made that decade great, you should enjoy this as much as I did. Not for everyone, but it does have some entertaining moments and will be enjoyed by some audiences.