Skyquake (2015)

After taking a night yesterday to get caught up in the past few episodes of Riverdale, I decided that it was time to get back at it tonight with something a little different before I get back to my National Poetry Month project Salvation. After some debate, I decided on the 2015 Brain Damage Films entry Skyquake.

Plot/ Since 2012 reports of strange sounds coming from the sky have flooded social media, now Adam, a recluse, struggling with his own demons, believes whatever is causing them has followed him home.

When I picked this one up, the synopsis seemed interesting, as I have heard (and read about) many accounts of this phenomenon. While this movie takes on this subject in a different manner that leaves much of it to the viewers interpretation, something that I love as a writer. The visuals are really well done with solid cinematography and direction; the storyline is intriguing, and the performances are decent. Yes, some of the special effects and audio tracks are uneven and the pace does feel a bit slow, but those issues seem to fit in with this strange tale. In the end, for a lower budgeted film, this one is a thought-provoking journey into something that we really do not understand as a civilization. If you are like me, and are fascinated by the unknown (especially the 4:44-time symbolism), give it a shot, you could do much worse.

Australiens (2014)

Now that I am finally trying to immerse myself in American Horror Story: Hotel, I figured it was time to catch up on some of the movies that I have skipped reviewing over the past few weeks. First up on that list is the 2014 no-budget horror flick, Australiens.

Plot/ Extra-terrestrials launch a nation-wide assault on Australia, much to the bafflement of the rest of the world.

If you have read my blog over the years, you would surely realize that I am a sucker for no-budget cinema and often am rather lenient when it comes to reviewing them. I usually look past the usual flaws held within them, and look at what could have been if the budget was larger. In this case, it is hard to see the overall potential of a movie when the storyline and scripting does not provide any type of excitement or interest. Billed as a Sci-Fi/Comedy, this one has almost no comedic elements, the performances are completely uneven, and there is nothing memorable about the movie in any way shape or form. While I see the budget is extremely small, it is still hard to see anything positive (maybe one scene with an interesting alien), and that is not usually the case from something Midnight Releasing is part of. In the end, this is a film that I would definitely stay away from; there are about a billion movies that are more entertaining.

Creature Feature (2015)

After taking the night off to enjoy some free entertainment, I decided that it was time to get back at it Fortunately, I have some more material from my Brain Damage Films marathon to get back to the blog without subjecting Bren to more low budget horror (although I am right now with another entry). Next up is the 2015 anthology, Creature Feature.

Plot/ five interwove tales of terror that occur one foggy Halloween night in Georgia. A babysitter learns a new appreciation for fine art and hard lesson about the consequences of being irresponsible.

After watching Holidays, I was in the mood for more anthologies and that is what I found with this entry from Brain Damage Films. Like Holidays this entry is somewhat uneven, but due to the lower budget involved, that was expected. This entry does have some cliché moments, but it also has more than enough originality and surprises inside to keep any horror fan entertained. The performances are OK, the storylines work well, and the throwback comic book feel comes together to create an entertaining and not overly serious horror flick. Yes, it is short and there are some rough patches, but this one is a great entry that rises above the low budget limitations. In the end, I am sure this one will not be for everyone, but if you love boobs, gorefests, and mindless horror, give this one a shot!

The Conduit (2016)

As I continue to dive back into some horror films, it was nice to pick up something at the video store from Brain Damage Films. It seems as though it has been forever since I as able to pick something up from them. This one was the 2016 supernatural/demonic flick The Conduit.

Plot/ Wounded by a recent divorce and haunted by a tragic event in his childhood, Eddie returns to his hometown hoping to pick up the pieces of his broken life. Unable to cope, he attempts suicide and winds up in therapy, where desperate to fill the void in his heart he falls for Amy, a mysterious and young wild flower. But something dark and sinister lurks in Amy's past, will her love save Eddie or will it devour his soul?

I knew nothing about this one going in to it when I saw it at Family Video other than it was from Brain Damage Films. Knowing that, I was pretty much assured that it would be the typical low budget fair, and I was right. While some may complain about the overall use of dream sequences throughout the film, these definitely added something to the feel of the movie. The performances were solid, and there were some interesting twists, but that is not to say that the movie was perfect. There were some pacing issues, incoherent moments, uneven dialog, and the run time may have been a little long for the depth of the screenplay. In the end, this may not be the best of its kind, but it is far from the worst. If you are like me and appreciate low budget cinema, then give this one a shot. However, if you are a major horehound, you may want to stay away.

Lily Grace: A Witch Story (2015)

After taking a journey into the surreal with Star Leaf, I needed to watch something different. That selection was the 2015 low budget entry from Midnight Releasing, Lily Grace: A Witch Story.

Plot/ After the death of his estranged father, Ron returns to his childhood home. His first night there he is visited by a supernatural being. Haunted by feelings of guilt, convinced this entity has something to do with his father’s passing, he stays to uncover the truth behind the witch named Lily Grace.

When I grabbed this one, I was unsure of what to expect. What I found was something different that took a basic storyline and created a solid low budget entry. While it is not terrible, it is also not that memorable. Full of heavy atmosphere and subtle dialog, the movie is definitely an unconventional but simplistic journey into something dark. Unfortunately, it does suffer from some of the same elements that plague low budget cinema, with uneven performances, an underdeveloped plot, and an odd pacing structure that focused on characterization more than the horror elements that were set to come. In the end, this one will not be for everyone, but it is an interesting piece of storytelling that does help pass some time on a chilly evening.

Silent Retreat (2016)

Last night, after finishing my homework, I decided to try to get the disappointment of True Detective Season 2 out of my mind. With one trip to Family Video, I was able to do just that with the 2016 horror flick, Silent Retreat.

Plot/ Six members of a media company go on a weekend business retreat at an isolated lodge in the woods. When one of the members goes missing, they discover that the lodge was formerly a private mental institution that had been shut down after allegations of devious misconduct. One by one, they fall victim to the dark secrets buried at the lodge.

This low budget entry from Midnight Releasing was a lot better than I expected, and was quite impressive for what I am sure was a small budget. The cinematography was spot on, and the movie came across really well. On top of that, the performances were solid, especially for a rather unfamiliar cast, the effects (while minimal) were very good, and the storyline featured some originality and the overall feel of the flick was rather impressive. Yes, the movie has a few head scratching moments, but those are to be expected. In the end, this one was one of the better low budget flicks I have seen in some time, and a movie well worth watching. If you have not seen it, give it a shot!

Psychotic (2013)

As I continued to work on the rewrite for my short film script, I decided to get my mind clearly inside the sanitarium. I found just the flick at Family Video, when I grabbed Psychotic from 2013.

Plot/ A psychologist is trapped inside a mental institution where all the patients have escaped and are on the rampage.

Psychotic was a much better film than I originally imagined when picking it up off the shelf. In fact, there was so much to like in this low budget flick; it is hard to believe that this was Johnny Johnson’s directorial debut. The atmosphere is heavy, the score drives the tension, the performances are decent, and the cinematography was varied enough to keep you interested. Yes, there are some dialog issues, and likely, because of the lower budgeting, there is not a lot of blood or gore, but those issues are to be expected in any film with these restraints. In the end, this entry released in the states by Midnight Releasing was an entertaining trip into insanity. Give it a shot!

Apocalypse Kiss (2014)

Last night, everyone went to bed and left me to hang out all alone. After some debate, I decided to venture into low budget independent mode with the 2014 Sci-Fi entry Apocalypse Kiss.

Plot/ government security agent Jerry Hipple has been unsuccessfully tracking the city's most infamous criminal The Red Harvest Killer. When two nomadic lovers enter the city, the death-count rises and the killers and victims alike are unaware the world is about to reach an abrupt catastrophic ending.

I am usually a sucker for any film from Midnight Releasing or Brain Damage Film, but somehow I missed this one. Honestly, I am not sure how that happened, as this one had so many visible elements on the box alone that drew me in. More importantly, this one did not disappoint. The story was layered and interesting; the cast was solid and fit well within their roles, the soundtrack fits, and the quality of the special effects truly appeared grander than the budget. Yes, there are some flaws with the pacing and there are some lighting issues, but those are only minor flaws that do nothing to the overall feel of the movie. In the end, this was one of the more entertaining low budget films I have seen in some time. Not for everyone, but if you love Sci-Fi in the vein of Blade Runner, give it a shot!

The Bunnyman Massacre (2014)

As I wait for my final project to upload for my computer science class, I decided to venture into some no-budget indie horror for my nightly review. Next up on the slab is the 2014 slasher The Bunnyman Massacre.

Plot/ The adventures of Joe and Bunnyman know no limit of bloodlust and carnage. Bodies pile up as Bunnyman indiscriminately slaughters anything that crosses his path in a mutually beneficial relationship that gives Joe plenty of beef jerky to sell in his local store.

This movie is proof that if you prepare for the worse, than maybe it will be beyond your expectations. While in no way am I saying this is a great movie, it did exceed what I imagined it would be like when I rented it. This sequel does surpass the original, but still left something on the table, as it did not match its potential. There definitely was a lot of blood, gore, and boobs, something that made it go by quicker than it probably should have. Unfortunately, the storyline is uneven, the characters brainless, and there was absolutely no atmosphere. Honesty, this played more like a gore driven comedy than horror flick. In the end, this flick from Midnight Releasing is an improvement from the first installment of the franchise, but that was actually a rather easy feat. Yes, there are a few moments, but not enough to make it memorable in any way.

Blood Widow (2014)

After spending some time in the giallo regions, I decided it was time to check out a slasher. While I should grab something from my movie collection (which I am pairing down at the moment), I decided to hit Family Video to see what they had. My selection for the night was the 2014 entry Blood Widow from Midnight Releasing.

Plot/ After buying a nice house in the country, Laurie and Hugh, a successful young couple, throw a party for their friends. During the wild night a few friends decide to explore the abandoned and decaying boarding school next door, only to wake an emotionally broken killer: The Blood Widow.

As a fan of no-budget indie flicks, I see my fair share of low budget horror and can pick out the inherent flaws in those productions. For the most part viewers can expect flat characters, uneven acting, poor audio quality, and some plot holes thrown in for good measure. This film could be the poster child for that, as all of those were present, within a very clichéd storyline. While I did find the killer creepy with a fascinating look, it was definitely hard to focus with the out of place soundtrack and the severe audio problems. It was extremely muted and hard to pay attention to at times. It would be interesting to see how this movie played with better audio quality. Yes, it would still be far from perfect, but it may succeed in creating some better characters. In the end, I did find this somewhat entertaining in a 1980s sort of way. Sure, there are problems in the movie and it is not great, but neither were the straight to VHS flicks I watched in my youth.

Amnesiac (2013)

Now that I have had enough with the Sci-Fi and post-apocalyptic worlds for a little while, I decided to venture out to Family Video to see what I could find. It has been a couple weeks since I made that trip across town, as the last time I was there nothing jumped out at me. With everything running together, I might as well just kick back with Netflix. While there I saw a few things that caught my eye, the first was the 2013 low budget entry Amnesiac from Hunger Cult Films and Midnight Releasing.

Plot/ A gripping blend of supernatural horror and psychological drama counting the cost of loss, guilt and reckless desperation as we delve into the life of one deeply disturbed young woman and the afterlife of one equally disturbed dead man.

With this being a low budget independent entry, I went into it with mixed emotions. Fortunately, what I found was much better than I expected. Also known as Wyke Wreake, this one was not perfect, but coming from the indie scene, I did not expect it to be. What I found was a cast that worked well together and the acting was rather good. The storyline was curious; there were some interesting editing choices that added some surrealism to the atmosphere and the effects worked. The most impressive aspect of the film was the script and storyline, which was both entertaining and thought provoking. Yes, there were some sound track issues that made little sense and somewhat took away from the building atmosphere and there were editing decisions left things a bit incoherent in place. However, this was a much better effort than much of the low budget cinema that plagues the genre. In the end, this is an entertaining and intriguing psychological horror flick and a movie that should be seen. If you have a chance, check it out!

Armynel (2012)

Every once in a while, I stumble upon an indie flick that looks intriguing and I have to grab them. That happened today as I was using one of my last free move coupons from Family Video. That movie was the 2012 indie flick Armynel.

Plot/ When suppressed memories of an abusive childhood begin to surface, a door is opened that was better left closed.

When I saw this one, I really did not know what to expect. From Midnight Releasing, this is one of the best low-budget indie flicks to come out of their catalog. It featured solid acting, great cinematography and imagery, and enough atmospheres to make it work. The storyline was interesting and entertaining. Yes, there could have been some more gore and it could have had a longer run time, but those are just minor details that could have taken this flick even higher.  Of course, the subtle Edgar Allan Poe references do tug on my heart and give it some bonus points… In the end, this thriller is what makes watching independent flicks enjoyable and this one should be seen. Check it out!

Hayride (2012)

I have been spoiled over the past few days watching some bigger budget horror and Sci-Fi flicks, but if you read my blog, which is not always what I enjoy. As you may know, I love low budget movies, I believe that there is a lot more freedom in those and you can see some interesting things. The next flick I watched took me into that world, from Midnight Releasing 2012s Hayride.

Plot/ A college student returning home for Halloween is forced to face his childhood fears when an escaped killer takes refuge in his family's Haunted Hayride.

After watching some bigger budgeted movies, it felt nice to get back into the low-budget indie flicks that truly make horror what it is. This one was interesting and had a lot to like for an indie slasher. Sure, it did suffer through some scripting issues with dialogue, uneven editing and some of the effects mirrored the budget, but there was a lot to like. The storyline attempted to create a full-circle mythos, the pacing was solid, and the was an outstanding atmosphere. While this was far from a perfect film, its an entertaining flick that was better than their budget would usually indicate. Yes, it is not for everyone, but if you love no-budget slashers, give it a whirl, you could do much worse.