SIN: Self-Induced Nightmares (2013)

Wow, January has flown by, and now we enter one of my favorite months of the year. To start February off on the right foot, I decided on a nice no-budget indie flick: 2013s SIN: Self-Induced Nightmares.

Plot/ Some of Europe's leading horror filmmakers unite to bring you a collection of shocking tales. All told by a very beautiful yet sinister young female horror writer during a blind date taking place in a London diner.

It has been some time since I sat back and watched a modern no-budget anthology, and I was excited when I saw this one at Family Video. While I knew that there would be flaws, I think that the potential that can exist in true independent projects such as this can tell you more than then the overall technical prowess. The storylines were fun and interesting, there was a solid mix of material, and at a little over 70 minutes, everything was packed together nicely. Yes, some of the effects and performances were uneven, but those are expected in true no-budget indie cinema. In the end, this is one of the better no-budget indie flicks I have seen in some time. If you are like me and appreciate that type of film, you should give this one a shot. Sure, it isn’t perfect, but it could have been much worse.

Writing Updates - October

Being a creative writing for entertainment major, I know that I should submit more of my works for publication to help build my portfolio for the future. Unfortunately, I often blow that off, and lose focus when I see a cool call for submissions. That has changed some in the past month now that I have realized that I am less than a year from graduation.

Last week, I actually submitted three works for potential publication to some different literary outlets. Last night, I got word back that two of them were accepted for publication, one to Z-Composition (zombiepoetry.com/) and another was accepted for the anthology Lovecraft After Dark.

Hopefully, these are the first of many.

Echoes (2014)

After watching The Babadook earlier in the week, it would be hard for the next movie to come close. While the next flick I chose definitely did not rise to that level, it was at least interesting and somewhat entertaining. What is it you may ask? The 2014 psychological thriller Echoes.

Plot/ Struggling with horrifying, sleep-paralysis induced visions, a young writer retreats with her boyfriend to an isolated desert house. As the visions intensify, she finds herself on the verge of losing her mind.

While I was not expecting much from this one when I picked it up, I was surprised at what I found once I got into it. More of a supernatural psychological thriller than horror movie, this one does have a lot to like. Overall, the acting is solid, the storyline is interesting, with good pacing, and cinematography. Unfortunately, the lead character is relatively flat, the dialog is uneven, and the ending felt extremely rushed, which pulled the rest of the flick down a notch. In the end, this was an interesting indie flick and one that had enough entertaining and atmospheric moments to keep it in the middle of the pack. If you like this genre, give it a shot.

The Last Showing (2014)

After watching my oldest daughters Genesis’ Play tonight (in which she was Amazing) and then finishing my first assignment of the week for my class, it was time to kick back and relax. While doing that, it was time to catch up on one of the movies from earlier in the week, 2014s, The Last Showing.

Plot/ A couple trapped in a cinema are manipulated into becoming unwilling actors in a film being captured by CCTV cameras.

This one definitely surprised me. Going into it, I did not expect much. Fortunately, I was wrong. Sure, it is not perfect as there are some plot holes, and some of the character development was off, but for the most part, it was much better than I could have ever imagined. The storyline was somewhat original, Robert Englund was fun, and the ending is one of the better ones that I have seen in some time. In the end, this one may be nothing more than an entertaining flick to help pass some time, but it is better than some of the other stuff coming out today. Not for everyone, and lacking scares, it is a just a fun trip into insanity. Give it a shot you could do worse.

Salem's Lot (1979)

While I have been splitting time between Fringe and Ancient Aliens, I did find my way to Pittsburgh to hand out with my cousin Jennifer (visiting from Seattle) and her brothers, Jonathan and Jason, as they performed with their band, The Dumplings last night in the city. It was so awesome watched Jennifer hit the stage for an Alice Cooper cover to close the show. Today, I decided to venture back to my youth while doing some homework with the 1979 classic Salem’s Lot.

Plot/ Young novelist returning home to Salem's Lot after many years is disturbed by the strange behavior of its people. He begins to believe that the source of the trouble may be the eerie old Marsten House that overlooks the town.

Its funny, I had remembered much of Salem’s Lot, but almost forgot just how good this miniseries was. It is amazing to see exactly how much the quality put on our televisions has dropped over the past few decades. This was a solid entry that featured outstanding performances, solid scripting, dark and heavy atmosphere, and a soundtrack that backed it up perfectly. Sure, as a made for television entry, it lacks gore and nudity, but that does not bring this one down at all. In fact, it makes for a perfect vampire primer for the younger generation as it depicts the genre in the way they should be portrayed (sparkling vampires suck). In the end, Salem’s Lot may be one of the better King adaptations from the 1970s or 1980s, and it is a movie that must be seen. If you have not watched it, find it and check it out!

Hollywoodland (2006)

While I was resting my back, which I injured the other day, I decided to find something a touch different to keep me company. What I wanted was a nice mystery, or true crime entry, to possibly help my creative mind focus. After some searching, I stumbled upon the 2006 entry, Hollywoodland.

Plot/ Struggling private investigator Louis Simo is hired to investigate the death of George Reeves, televisions Superman.

Hollywoodland was an awesome interpretation of historic event that remains a mystery today. While true crime movies often suffer from characterization flaws, this one is different. Between the solid script, standout performances, and heavy atmosphere, this movie delivers where many in the genre fail. While not my favorite actor, Ben Affleck does a tremendous job bringing the Reeves to life. Yes, some of the flashbacks add some unneeded confusion and the pacing may be a touch slow in parts, but that does little to stop this one. In the end, this was an entertaining movie that dove deep into one of the biggest unsolved Hollywood mysteries. If you have not seen it and enjoy crime/mystery dramas, give it a shot.

Evil Eyes (2004)

 

 

After getting home from the company Christmas party last night, I flipped through the movies to see what was on. While I did not expect there to be anything great, I was at least hoping there would be something entertaining. In the end, I decided on Evil Eyes from 2004.

 

 

Plot/ A screenwriter is plagued by nightmares as he writes a script about a family that was slaughtered years before. Soon, the grisly murders he's writing about starts to actually happen.

 

 

When I saw this was from The Asylum, I figured that I was in for another uneven event, and I was right. Fortunately, this one was not the worst of their brand. Sure, there were some positives, as Udo Kier was top notch, and there was a great opening scene, but other than that not much. The atmosphere is non-existent or forced, the characters have no depth, there is nothing original, and the scripting is bad. In the end, it was far from the worst movie from The Asylum, but it is still nowhere close to a good movie.