Blood Runs Cold (2011)

It's a little weird to me that this movie gets 4 out of 5 stars on Netflix (which is really rare for a horror movie) but only gets 4.1 out of 10 on IMDB.  I watched this movie basically totally because of the high rating on Netflix, since I had honestly never heard of it before.

Like the highly successful (and really good) Fritt Vilt/Cold Prey series, Blood Runs Cold hails from Sweden.  However, the location of this actual movie confused me right from the start.  Some people had badly faked American accents, some people had Swedish accents, and the main character even seemed to have an Australian accent.  The address written on the paper when she is driving to the house says "NC," which I'm taking to mean North Carolina if this is meant to be set in the United States.  However (and correct me if I'm wrong), are there any parts of North Carolina that are absolutely BURIED in snow at any time of year?  So the location totally threw me.

Basically, a successful musician, Winona (Hanna Oldenburg) decides to take a few weeks off to hole up in a cabin in the mountains.  Upon arriving at the house, she finds it to be quite creepy, and goes out for a drink at the local watering hole.  There she meets up with an ex-flame, as well as his friend and girlfriend.  Bored with the bar, they decide to head back to her rental house to hang out and drink some more.  Little do they know, a sinister visitor is lurking.  This masked ax murderer has the intention of picking off the party animals one by one.

Apparently this movie was made for about $5K.  If that is true, then the production value is quite impressive.  The special effects were pretty nice and the location was cool.  However, this movie just seemed to really have no point.  There was no story behind the creepy murderer, why he was hanging out at this particular house, or why he wanted to kill a handful of twenty-somethings.  So while there were a few fun moments for slasher-fans, there just wasn't too much going on in this one.  I definitely recommend Cold Prey though!

Day 9 (2012 short film)

Anyone who knows me is aware that I am a huge supporter of independent horror.  There is no movie I won't watch, and review objectively, of course ;)  I haven't reviewed too many short films, but I got hooked up with Day 9 through a friend and I'm happy to check it out.  This film is brought to us by up and coming New Jersey filmmaker Tom Ryan.

It's important to take independent and low-budget films with a grain of salt, as I feel many reviewers do not.  Just like The Scream Queen isn't as slick, awesome, and full of up to date information as Dread Central, independent films can't rival the effects of a Michael Bay film.  I really enjoy the grittiness and creativity of an independent film more than the theater-run movies anyway.

Day 9 is basically about the first nine days of a zombie apocalypse, like a scaled-down 28 Days Later.  A couple, Tom and Melanie, are excited to spend a weekend alone while their kids are with the grandparents.  Unfortunately, this weekend is the beginning of a zombie infection, and subsequent apocalypse.  Tom and his wife must fight to survive an invasion that they are very much unprepared for.

I've played a zombie before in an independent show, and I know how hard it is to stay energetic and in character.  The zombies in this movie were really into it and made for some good action shots.
The sound in this movie was actually pretty great for an indie, and I liked the background rock music (provided by Tom's band, Vlad the Inhaler). The only thing that was a little tough on my ears (and laptop speakers) was the kind of grinding/alarm-y interlude sound, which I think they could have dropped.

I liked this flick overall and it worked really well as a short instead of a full length movie.  Everything was really blue-collar realistic, instead of people that are randomly armed to the teeth once the zombie apocalypse hits.  I can't say I was in love with the ending (I would have rather been left hanging a bit) but I'm looking forward to seeing more from this independent filmmaker.

Blood River (2009)

I'm never sure what to expect going into an Adam Mason movie.  I loved Broken, I hated The Devil's Chair, and Pig gave me a whole lot to think about.  So I went into Blood River on a pretty even keel.  Personally, I think Andrew Howard (an Adam Mason favorite) is sexy as all hell.  But then again, this is also coming from a person who lusts over Otis Driftwood, so you should take my opinion with a grain of the proverbial salt. 

Blood River is about a couple, Clark (Ian Duncan) and Summer (Tess Panzer), who are traveling through the desert on the way to Summer's parents' house.  Why, you say?  Well, Summer is pregnant with their child, and they're on the way to tell the grandparents.  While driving, they see a drifter, Joseph (Andrew Howard) and decide not to pick him up.  Later, they meet him again at the middle-of-nowhere motel they stop at.

After leaving the motel the next morning, they blow a tire on the desolate highway and are forced to hike to the next town five miles down the road.  Upon arrival, they run into Joseph once again, at first seeing him as a savior.  He offers to siphon gas from their broken-down car in order to get his started again, bringing them to safety.  However, unfortunately, this is just the beginning.  Joseph is not exactly human, and is here to reveal secrets, and make people pay for their sins.

This movie is heavily shrouded in both mystery and religious connotations.  You'll be a bit annoyed by the lack of a conclusion, but the point of the movie, it seems, is to decide what happened on your own.  I'd love to meet Adam Mason one day, and pick his brain on what he intended the wrongdoing to be, if he even had one in mind at all.  The cinematography in Blood River is simply breathtaking, and the acting is superb.  Definitely one worth checking out, even if those cliffhanger endings eat away at you.

Movie News: Mass Grave Pictures Gets Nasty

I love stories like this.  In an era of horror, where plots are regurgitated over and over and actual scares are few and far between, it's good to see people that actually care about the blood and gore that started it all.  I remember being in the video store with my sister in the early 90s, digging through the horror movies and looking for the craziest ones.  Blood Slaughter Massacre would have topped our lists back then, and I sure as hell want to see it now.

Since I've been hitting the convention scene, I've been lucky enough to meet the awesome people behind Mass Grave Pictures, who, in addition to making their own movies, are dedicated to restoring a "video nasty" lost in a legal battle over 25 years ago.  I've seen the trailers, which contain everything you love about 80s slashers, from the dipshit blondes to that booming announcer voice.  The killer is classic 80s, brandishing a knife and a ridiculous mask while chasing teenagers through parties and into showers, Psycho-style.

The sad news is that there's not much left in terms of actual footage of the original to work with.  So Mass Grave has decided to take matters into their own hands, mash up the awesomeness of all three BSMs and they start filming the feature length flick in January.  Stay tuned for updates as filming begins.

I love everything about this project, and the people behind Mass Grave Pictures.  Check 'em out at www.massgravepictures.com and on Facebook.  Rock on, horror lovers.

The Canyon (2009)

I'm going to Vegas in two weeks (wooohooo Vegas baby!!) and everyone keeps asking me if I'm going to the Grand Canyon.  I think people do not realize that it's a 5-6 hour trip from the Strip, and when I'm in Vegas, that time is better spent drinking.

As you probably know, I mostly watch 2-star crap on Netflix (especially instant) but I decided to look for something decent and went scrolling through the four-star horror movies saved on my queue.  There weren't many, but The Canyon was one of them and I decided to give it a shot.

This movie was kind of a combination of The Ruins and Thirst.  There's leg hacking and starving like the former and being lost in the desert with no water like the latter.  Also, fearless wolves like Frozen.   Newlyweds Nick and Lori decide to go on a honeymoon trip in the Grand Canyon with a questionable guide.  He gets bit by a rattlesnake, leaving the two to fend for themselves.  While searching for cell phone service, tragedy strikes, making their already bad situation a whole lot worse.

I found this movie to be pretty fast paced and realistic.  The special effects were pretty on-point, and although apparently this wasn't even filmed in the Grand Canyon, I liked the cinematography.  The ending was very reminiscent of The Mist and after watching this whole movie, I wonder if the writer took all of their favorite elements of various survival movies and put them together to make The Canyon.  A good watch though, and available on Netflix instant.

















photo source

Zombie Hunters: Follow-Up/Season Finale

I usually don't do follow ups (I prefer to love 'em and leave 'em) but I've found myself invested in Zombie Hunters: City of the Dead.  Amidst all the hype surrounding zombie movies and shows, ZH is like the little zombie show that could.

I've spoken about my love for this show before and after hanging out with the cast for a bit at Chiller Theatre, I was able to get hooked up with a copy of the eighth episode, which is also the season finale.  I mentioned previously that the special effects in this show have really grown and improved throughout the episodes, and after watching 8, I can say that the storyline is really tightening up as well.

Whereas in the beginning of the season, you might find yourself a little lost in the myriad of activities and characters, episode 7 (the warehouse zombie battle) really stood on its own and left you with something to look forward to in the next ep.  And the final installment of season one did not disappoint.

Carrie (Teri Hansen) and Bates (Christopher Murphy), pictured in the back right of the above promo photo, have really become standout characters on the show.  Carrie is badass while still looking cute as hell, and Bates is running shit, armed to the teeth, and always looking for the next zombie around the corner.  The plot has progressed to really start and show the drama between the characters, even touching on an illicit romance.  We're starting to get a 28 Days Later, and maybe even Stand-esque vibe as the characters find themselves strangely isolated in what was a bustling and packed city.  Billy (Patrick Devaney) has really found his place as the optimistic, yet imperfect member of the group.  Waiting for the world to go back to what it was, he finds himself clashing with Bates, while struggling with his own demons, so to say.

There have been a ton of improvements and awesomeness throughout the first 8 episodes of this series.  I think for next season, tightening up the editing and skipping more drawn-out scenes (particularly the fight scene in ep. 8) would really keep the show going on the right track.  The ending was not an annoyingly dramatic cliffhanger, but enough to get my mind working about what we'll see in season 2.  Support independent horror and stay tuned ;o)

Zombie Hunters: City of the Dead

I was lucky enough to receive the first eight episodes of the underground-ish zombie show, Zombie Hunters: City of the Dead.  For those of us who love low-budget horror goodness, this is the Evil Dead for zombie fans.

Long before The Walking Dead hit AMC, Zombie Hunters was creating undead drama in delicious half-hour bites. ZH follows a small band of vigilantes fighting a zombie attack that threatens to consume New York City.  Although the group's core is John, Billy, and Bates, they join together with others along the way.  It's an interesting look at a zombie plague.  They're not in 28 Days Later survival status quite yet, but defending their city and preparing for the apocalypse.

The zombie makeup on this show is impressive, and very reminiscent of Savini's style.  Although this is produced on a limited budget by people with day jobs, the special effects are pretty good, and keep improving as the series progresses.  The drama is solid, and I definitely looked forward to each episode to see what would happen next.  There are several unique storylines and viewpoints to keep your attention.

That's not to say that Zombie Hunters doesn't have its faults.  The acting is hit or miss, with the main characters being pretty damn believable and the supporting cast being generally meh.  The storyline tends to be disjointed at times, and you might find yourself asking, "hold on, what's happening?  Did I miss something?"

Creator Patrick Devaney is definitely a graduate of the Romero zombie school.  His influence is seen everywhere, but not in a rip-off type of way.  The vigilantes, and many of the supporting characters, are down-home types that you really find yourself rooting for.  The show's got a hell of a lot of heart, and that's more than you can say for most horror nowadays.

So support independent horror, bitches!  Zombie Hunters airs on television in NYC, but you can also order and watch episodes at their website: www.zombiehuntershow.com.  They'll also be making an appearance at the Chiller Theatre Con in Jersey this weekend.