Freaks of Nature (2015)

After taking a day off from the blog, it is time to dive back in. For my next entry, I decided on the 2015 horror comedy, Freaks of Nature.

Plot/ In the town of Dillford, humans, vampires, and zombies were all living in peace - until the alien apocalypse arrived. Now three teenagers-one human, one vampire and one zombie-have to team up to figure out how to get rid of the visitors.

This was one that I never imagined would be entertaining, yet alone good, but I was wrong. This one was one of the most ridiculous and entertaining gorefests I have seen in some time. A brilliant mix of comedy, blood, guts, romance, and horror, this one had everything you could ask for (vampires, werewolves, zombies and even aliens). The best part was the strong performances, originality, dramatic moments, and mix of blood, guts, and gore. Yes, there were some head scratching moments that made little sense, but those did not matter in the least. In the end, this was one of the most entertaining flicks I have seen in some time, and a movie that definitely has me taking an extra look at the McRib. If you have not seen it, give it a shot it is definitely worth it.

Knock Knock (2015)

It was so cool to watch The Force Awakens for a second time; it was enlightening to notice some of the small tidbits that I missed the first time. Now that I am home from this afternoon trip, I decided to add my next entry on the bog, with a movie that actually almost ruined my evening last night, 2015s Knock Knock.

Plot/ When a devoted husband and father is left home alone for the weekend, two stranded young women unexpectedly knock on his door for help. What starts out as a kind gesture results in a dangerous seduction and a deadly game of cat and mouse?

While I enjoyed my flashback to Star Wars last night, I cannot say the same about this movie. Knock Knock was extremely disappointing and left me speechless with the amount of underutilized potential that was left. Between the miserable plot and the underwhelming performances, there was really nothing that made the movie entertaining. Not only was there a lack of gore, there was absolutely no atmosphere or tension to speak of. In the end, this is one movie that I wish I had passed on, ut was a uninteresting and a total waste of time.

Unfriended (2014)

As I continued to plug away on my group project last night, mentally preparing for a long day of softball (in the snow flurries), I decided to venture into the found footage arena for some entertainment. While I usually stay clear, this film caught my eye as it featured many of the elements that would be used in my current class, transmedia writing. What was the movie? It was the 2014 innovative found footage entry Unfriended.

Plot/ A group of online chat room friends find themselves haunted by a mysterious, supernatural force using the account of their dead friend.

It has been a while since I have seen a found footage flick that actually kept me interested. In this case, this movie definitely delivered on creating something innovative inside a tired genre. This movie kept me interested and added some realism that I could relate to having teenaged daughters. In many ways, this movie has a lot to like, with an interesting storyline, some decent performances, and just enough unknown and mystery to make you stay interested. Yes, the characters were somewhat flat, and some of the scares missed their mark, but for a lower budgeted flick, this one worked. In the end, if you were tired of the found footage genre and thought that it had run its course, you should definitely check this one out. You will be surprised. Is it a perfect movie? No, but it is an original take on a dying genre. Give it a shot!

Goodbye World (2013)

With the report coming out in the New York Times earlier today that there may be a terrorist plot to detonate a nuclear devise in Chicago, thoughts of Jericho immediately popped into my mind. After watching that series last year, I still get chills when thinking about it, and the way the military industrial complex was realistically portrayed as the enemy. With the apocalypse in my mind, I decided to venture into the rabbit hole, with the post-apocalyptic themed Goodbye World (2013).

Plot/ When a mysterious terrorist attack causes chaos in the cities; a group of friends take refuge in their countryside cabin. But the challenges of living in a post-apocalyptic world soon take their toll on relationships within the group.

This flick was definitely different from my usual entries, as it is more of a character study in a post apocalyptic society, than a true apocalyptic based movie. Yes, there are mentions and allusions to the end times, but those aspects are not central to the story. What is central to the movie is the different ways this type of event will shatter lives and relationships while secluded from populous. The performances are solid, the characterizations believable and the storyline was layered; featuring the subtle intricacies in relationships that can spiral out of control when faced with isolation. Yes, the dialog is uneven, there were some clichéd moments, and some of the movie was too predictable. In the end, this is one of the better (and only) dramas that I have watched in some time. It is entertaining and educational, and a movie that should be taken seriously.

Antisocial (2013)

This has been a crazy week. It seems as though I lost a day somehow, as I was convinced that yesterday was Wednesday and not Thursday. Insane… However, I recovered and had another crazy day full of snow, Tesla, and of course, some horror. At least the week is now over, and I can relax. Next, up here on the blog, Antisocial from 2013.

Plot/ Five university friends gather at a house party to ring in the New Year. Unbeknownst to them, an epidemic has erupted outside, causing outbreaks around the world.

Yes, this genre is a touch overplayed, but this one at least takes a subtle different angle. Of course, there are some clichéd moments mixed in with the original parts. Inside the film, there were some interesting fragmented moments that created some chaotic moments, some social commentary, and enough of a storyline to make it somewhat entertaining. Sure, the acting was uneven, there were some pacing issues, and there were some undeveloped aspects of the scripting. In the end, this low budget entry may not have reached its potential, but it is far from the worst of its kind. While I would not specifically search it out, I would check it out if you have not seen it.

Occupy Unmasked (2012)

After suffering through Airborne, I decided to get back into something more hard hitting. Yes, I guess it was time again to venture into documentary world. I was going to jump back into the 911 conspiracy, but decided against it, I needed a little bit of a change. I did not stray that far with my selection, Occupy Unmasked from 2012.

 

 

This film is driven by the late Andrew Breitbart, who died sudddenly from a massive heart attack in March 2012. In this documentary, he dove deep beneath the surface  of the movement, and documented it in a way that the mainstream media, who have turned their back on the American citizen, should have.

 

 

Plot/ Occupy Unmasked takes viewers into the Occupy Wall Street camps around the country from New York to Los Angeles providing a first-hand look at violence and intimidation occurring within them, as well as to expose those at the heart of the events and to reveal the highly orchestrated nature of the movement. Exclusive footage and eyewitness accounts document criminal activity and raw brutality in the camps the majority of these incidents have not been reported by the mainstream media, which has in contrast portrayed the Occupy movement as self-organizing and non-violent.

 

 

This documentary on the Occupy Movement is one of the better documentaries I have watched in sometime. Hard hitting, pointed and powerful, the information that is put on display again points toward a lack of truth coming from the mainstream media outlets. A solid combination of news footage, first-hand accounts, and investigative journalism shows the dark underbelly of this movement, and how it began from a bogus concert advertisement to an anarchist movement made up of privileged and uniformed supporters of the far-left (see Michael Moore). All the while, the movement gained support from the Obama Administration as their chaos grew.  In the end, this is an eye-opening documentary that shows the dark and violent side of this radical movement that the mainstream media failed to cover or portray in a true light.

 

 

Backslasher (2012)

 

 

After a day out in Plymouth, NC, I decided to kick back and watch something mindless. North Carolina is such a quick, laid back area, and one that draws you into a lazy haze. However, as quiet as it is, it honestly may be too quiet. With some time to pass, I decided on Backslasher from Brain Damage Films.

 

 

Plot/ Fun-loving party-planner Becca can't get enough of people adding her as a friend - until an unhinged psychopath starts killing everyone on her friends list.

 

 

British films often have a different feel from those made here in the United States, and honestly, that is fine with me. This one is no different. While there is nothing new in this one and it is rather cliché, it is not that bad. Yes, it is a pure and simple slasher, with a little bit of subplots floating around, but sometimes that is just fine when searching for a mindless watch. The acting was decent, the idea interesting and the overall feel was good. However, there was some scripting issues that allowed the whole idea to spiral into a strange confusing mess, which took away from the plot. Other than that, there was not a lot here besides easy victims and almost zero gore. In the end, I believe it could have been better, but it was far from terrible. If you are looking for a British slasher, and have 90 or so minutes, you could do worse.