It’s Alive 2008

Director: Joseph Rusnak

Writers: Larry Cohen, Paul Sopacy and James Portolese

Starring Bijou Phillips, James Nurray, Raphael Coleman, Skye Bennett, Owen Teal, Ty Glaser, Arkie Reece and Todd Jensen

    This was a remake I was looking forward to seeing because I was never a big fan of the 1974 original film.  When I think Larry Cohen I usually think of The Stuff, that is my favorite work of his.  I am pleased to say that this is a superior remake and in my estimation loads better than the original.  It has a great cast which is well anchored by the performance of Bijou Phillips, a solid story with a nice and plausible explanation of why the baby is a mutated aberration and great gore and splendid kills.  I think another reason the film worked so well was the dynamic of the mother protecting her child at any costs no matter what the cost.  This made the film had a lot of similarities to the recent baby shocker Grace.  But, where that film was mainly interested in skewing and satirizing things like new age fads, It’s Alive was more interested in being a scary and suspenseful horror film.  And I believe it really succeeded on those terms.  This was one of the big surprises in horror I have seen recently, I was not expecting much but this film really delivered the goods. 

    The plot basics are this, Lenore (Phillips) is in college and expecting her first child and she decides to take a leave of absence to have the baby and raise it a bit before returning to her studies.  She goes to live out in the country with her architect boyfriend Franck (Murray).  Everything is going well until the fetus had doubled in size and then the doctors have to go ahead and perform a Caesarean.  Everything goes well until they cut the umbilical cord and the baby kills everyone in the surgery room except for Lenore.  When she comes out of the room Lenore is questioned by the police but she remembers nothing and is allowed to go home.  Though, the police want her to talk to a psychologist to see if they can discover anything she may remember.  Soon, the baby bites her, while she is breastfeeding and discovers a taste of blood and soon Lenore is covering up the trail of bodies her baby is leaving behind him.  Lenore refuses to believe her baby has something wrong and it comes down to Franck and his wheelchair bound brother (Coleman) to put a end to the insanity.

    This was a great horror film.  Rusnak’s direction is taut and palatable.  He sets up the tension of what the baby might be and slowly reveals it scene by scene.  He films the attack scenes very expertly, and you never see much of the baby attacking and that works really well.  The script is very well done too.  The viewer really gets to feel the pain and discomfort Lenore feels as she tries to protect her homicidal newborn.  Also, the explanation of why the baby is mutated is handled really well and I totally accepted Lenore’s reasoning.  The cast is good, I loved Phillips as Lenore, she was the anchor of the film and you felt everything that she felt and sympathized with her.  I also liked Bennett as her college friend, she was very annoying and I think that was how she was supposed to come across and I think that is why her death is the most fulfilling for me.   The SFX and the effects are great too, you never see much of the baby and that really works well for the film.  The deaths were bloody and fun, especially when Bennett gets killed and you see the baby’s hand come out of her mouth.  This was a great film and it proves what can happen when a remake makes the story it’s own.  You sometimes come back with a superior story.

This one gets 5 out of 5

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Dead Air 2009

Director: Corbin Bernsen

Writer: Kenny Yenkel

Starring Bill Moseley, Patricia Tallman, David Moscow, Corbin Bernsen, Dan Lauria, Elle Travis, Susan Ruttan, Larry Drake, Lakshmi Manchu and Federico Dordei

    This was a film that piqued my interest mainly due to the fact that Bill Moseley and Patricia Tallman were in it.  It sounded like a very cool concept, a besieged late night radio talk show besieged by zombie attacks.  The film did not disappoint it was like Talk Radio combined with 28 Days Later.  The film is anchored by the excellent performances by Moseley and Tallman, they are always a delight to watch and here there is no difference.  The film has a very isolationist and claustrophobic feel and it works very well.  It also feels a lot like a 3 person play and I could definitely see it played on the stage.  Also, the idea of terrorist biological warfare is a theme that everyone can relate too in these modern times.  All of these conceits are melded together well and it ends up being a great little horror film.

    The plot basics are this, it seems to be another average night for late night radio talk show host Logan Burnhardt (Moseley) who decides to talk about paranoia tonight, but that seems to be a prophetic choice of topics.  When a group of terrorists unleash a biological attack on the city, he sees things begin to unravel and soon he is the only person on the air that is able to warn people about what is happening.  It seems that the infected begin to act like zombies and anyone who is outside will be torn to pieces.  Not long after, one of the terrorists (Dardei) breaks into the station and holds Burnhardt captive along with his co worker and ex girlfriend, Lucy (Tallman).  It seems the terrorist wants to take over the broadcast and trick the city’s denizens into going outside so more people are infected and now it is up to Logan to find a way to stop him before more blood is shed.

    This was an exceptional film.  Bernsen’s direction is taut and suspenseful and there are lots of times where you feel nothing is going right for the characters.  They way he filmed it reminded me a lot of Talk Radio and that is one of my favorite Oliver Stone films.  The way Burnhardt eggs on and goads both his audience members and his coworkers is mesmerizing to watch.  Bernsen also films the attack scenes very well they are frenetic and quick and that works well in propelling the film forward.  The script is great too, you really get into the head of Logan and see how his brain machinations work.  He can be thoughtless and rude, but you also see sparks of his humanity in there and that makes him more than a stereotype.  The cast is phenomenal, Moseley steals every scene he is in and when he goes on one of his diatribes on the air, you are transfixed.  Tallman is another great member of the cast, you watch as she tries to get the humanity to come out of Logan, and you can see it is an uphill battle, yet she still perseveres.  The SFX and effects in the film are quite effective, there is not much but what is used is used effectively.  The film is more about mood and atmosphere and that works really well in this film.  If you want a original and fresh take on zombie films with something to say, definitely seek this one out.

This one gets 5 out of 5

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Poltergiest 1982

Director: Tobe Hooper

Writers: Steven Spielberg, Michael Grais and Mark Victor

Starring Jobeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Beatrice Straight, Dominique Dunne, Oliver Robins, Heather O’Rourke, Zelda Rubinstein and James Karen

    Haunting films are getting really popular of late, and all of them seem to take a nod from Poltergeist, which in my book is the best haunted house film.  A lot of people are more fans of The Haunting, but I think the everyday family feel of the film puts it a step above that film.  It is a film that I get more enjoyment with every viewing.  It has a great story, excellent cast and some excellent special effects.  The film is really anchored by the heartfelt performance of Jobeth Williams as the mom that will do anything to keep her family safe.  Another great thing about this film is how it has given many viewers phobias of clowns.  I never looked at them the same way after watching this film and it has the most terrifying clown until Pennywise from IT.  The film has a real casual feel to it, so from the opening shot you are pulled in and it doesn’t let you go till the final frame of the film.

    The plot basics are this, the Freelings (Williams and Nelson) live in a idyllic housing division and everything is going great.  Until their youngest daughter Carol Anne (O’Rourke) begins connecting with otherworldly beings through their TV set.  At first it seems to be innocuous pranks but soon it takes a horrifying turn and Carol Anne is taken by the spirits and they will not let her go.  The Freeling’s then get a group of ghost hunters and they bring in a medium to rescue Carol Anne and exorcise the home of its demons.  At first it is a resounding success, but then the house attacks the family yet again and tries to prevent Diane (Williams) from saving her kids.  It all leads to them finding out the secret of the building of their house and why they have been besieged by vengeful spirits.

    This is a near perfect film.  Hooper’s direction is flawless, the mundane feeling of suburban life he sets the film up with feels completely natural and the way he slowly cranks up horror elements is a work of greatness.  It is like each scene is like making a cake and he is adding another layer with each scene.  The script is great as well, you really feel the dilemmas the family faces as the combat this spectral attack on their well being.  The characters of the mother and father are crafted very well and before all the horror falls upon them they are built up as very full and sympathetic characters.  The cast is amazing.  The lynchpins of the cast are of course Williams, O’Rourke and Rubinstein.  Williams is the moral and emotional anchor of the film and this is by far her best role.  O’Rourke is great as Carol Anne and she really portrays the precocious and frightened little daughter very well.  Rubinstein’s role is not much more than a extended cameo, but she is such a vital part of the film that it would not be the same without her.  The SFX and effects by ILM is stupendous.  The scene that always sticks with me is the ghost hunter who peels his face off in the bathroom, that still freaks me out.  The climax of the film with Williams in the pool surrounded by corpses is gut wrenching as well.  The score by Jerry Goldsmith is the final piece of the film that brings it all together.  The score is at times both harmonious and ethereal.  It really fits the film and if you hear the first few notes you know exactly what kind of film you are seeing.  This is a great Haunting film with a great sense of a family sticking together and fighting to overcome all the obstacles in their way.

This one gets 5 out of 5 

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Beast Within 2008

Directors: Wolf Wolf and Ohmuthi

Writer: Wolf Jahnke

Starring Anna Breuer, Phillip Danne, Marvin Gronen, Thomas Heubeck, Jesse Inman, Nikolas Jurgens, Joost Siedhoff and Birthe Wolter

    This is yet another entry into the ever burgeoning zombie genre with some modern health scare terror in it thanks to the avian flu.  This makes the film seem more potent than it normally would be, combining a zombie outbreak with the bird flu.  It is kind of surprising no one had thought to combine these two disparate devices and make a new kind of horror.  It comes together well in this film and the way the film plays out it has elements of both Night of the Living Dead and John Carpenter’s The Thing.  It works really well.  The bleakness of the film is another great part about this film.  There is never any feeling that anything that happens in the film is going to end well and that is refreshing.  It is nice to see a horror film that is unrepentantly dark and with totally unsympathetic characters that you cannot wait to see die horribly.  I wish we got more American made horror films like this.

    The plot basics are this, a professor discovers a new strain of avian flu that when it infects humans they become ravenous zombies.  He is attacked and killed and not long after a group of twenty something’s looking to have a good time, arrive at his home where his grandson (Danne)  is going to sign some papers to take over the home.  It has been a long time since he has been there and he does not seem very welcome by the local authorities.  Soon, many people get infected with this zombie strain of bird flu and now they are all fighting for their lives.  But, there is infighting between the group and this leads ultimately to their doom and it looks as if this zombie virus will spread worldwide.

    This was a damn good film.  The direction is very good, unlike most modern zombie films it is filmed as a movie and not as some viral video, which seems to be the norm these days.  It is very classic in its style.  The direction really plays well within the style of the classic zombie siege film.  The movement of the zombies and their attack styles are fun and exciting to view.  The script is quite good too, I loved the conceit of a avian flu variation that creates zombies.  The characters were interesting too.  I especially liked Patrick, he was hysterically paranoid and that made him a delight to watch as his psyche unraveled.  The cast was good too, with a special nod to Gronen as Patrick, he really relished his part and was by far the best actor in the film.  The SFX and effects are great too, they never look too fake and always bring out the desired effect in the viewer.  This was definitely one of the better zombie films that I have seen recently and well worth a look for zombie fans.

This one gets 4 out of 5

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The Taking of Pelham 123 2009

Director: Tony Scott

Writer: Brian Hegeland

Starring Denzel Washington, John Travolta, Luis Guzman, Victor Gojcaj, John Turturro, James Gandolfini and Michael Rispoli

    Tony Scott is one of the best modern action film directors today, so whenever he has a new film I always see it.  I had heard of the original version of this film but had never seen it.  I will definitely seek it out after seeing this version.  This was a solid action film with some very tense scenes in it and a great interplay between Washington and Travolta.  I always have liked Travolta more when he plays the heavy, such as his great performances in John Woo’s Face Off and Broken Arrow.  This is a fast paced and expertly executed crime film and all the lead actors do an excellent job.  The only fault I have with the film is that it doesn’t bring anything new or exciting to the action film genre.  But it is still a enjoyable and gripping film to watch.

    The plot basics are this, four amred men hijack a subway train one afternoon in Manhattan.  They stop and decouple the first car and then begin their plan too blackmail money out of the city by holding the people on the train hostage.  The leader of the terrorists is Ryder (Travolta) and he gets in contact with dispatcher, Walter Garber (Washington), who has been recently demoted due to being investigated for taking a bribe.  He makes aconnection with Ryder and he refuses to deal with anyone but Garber.  Ryder demands ten million within a hour or for every minute the payoff is late he will eliminate a hostage.  The Mayor (Gandolfini) okays the deal, but it seems the payoff is putting the stock market through the wringer and the negotiator in charge (Turturro) is wondering if Ryder only wants the money or is making a stock broking gambit with it too make himself obscenely rich.  As the time limit comes and goes Garber has to meet Ryder with the money and what follows is a tense face off and a game of cat and mouse, and who knows who will come out on top in this gambit?

    This is a good film.  Scott’s direction is great as always.  His style of fast cutting and quick edits is not for everyone, but I always enjoys what he does with the camera.  The film is violent too and never skirts away from showing it.  The way he sets up the SWAT sniper’s attacks is tense and when everything goes wrong it comes together perfectly.  Hegeland’s script is tightly woven and he really breathes life into both Ryder and Garber’s characters.  The cast is good too, Washington and Travolta have great chemistry together and as usual Travolta hams it up and it suits the film well.  Turturro is also good as the negotiator trying to get to the bottom of what is happening here.  I also really enjoyed Gandolfini as the mayor, he brought a much needed comedic element to the film and with all the tense face offs in the film it is much needed for the viewer to catch his breath from time to time.  The action sequences in the film are very good, I especially liked the sniper attack, that was the most memorable one in my book.  This was a tense and exciting film, but in my final estimation it does not add anything great to this type of crime film.  I think the thing that makes this film the most enjoyable was Travolta’s performance.

This one gets 3 out of 5

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Until Death 1987

Director: Lamberto Bava

Writers: Lamberto Bava and Dardano Sacchetti

Starring Gioia Scola, David Brandon, Giuseppe De Sando, Roberto Pedicini, Marco Vivio and Urbano Barberini

    Lamberto Bava is one of my favorite of the Italian horror directors, not on the level of his father Mario, but very good nonetheless.  My personal favorite of his is Demons.  So, when I caught a look at this one over at Netflix, I grabbed it up pretty quickly.  It was nothing amazing but still an entertaining film nonetheless.  It was a combination of a Hitchcockian suspense film with a supernatural twist at the end.  It kept that twist under wraps till the very end, for the most part you think the film is following the general rules of a suspense film until the final act comes along and reverses everything.  IT has a steady and brisk pace that carries the viewer along for the ride and also makes you care for what will happen to most of the characters.  Bava sets up the dilemma well in the beginning and ratchets up the tension with each scene till the tension becomes so heavy that you know something is going to break under the weight of all this anticipation.  Bava balances all these ingredients well and it forms into a nice potboiler of a film.

    The plot basics are this, Linda (Scola) has killed her husband with the aid of her lover, Carlo (Brandon) buries the body and hides this nefarious deed from all.  Linda is pregnant with her son and much time passes, six years in fact and everything seems to be going well until a drifter (Barberini) appears at their doorstep.  This drifter becomes helpful but soon Linda begins to fear that he knows something and is trying to bring back the old nightmares of disposing of her husband.  This causes a rift between her and Carlo and things begin to turn violent between them.  It soon seems that the drifter is not who he appears and the justice that has long eluded Linda and Carlo is coming for its comeuppance and not even death will stop it.  Will Linda come to terms with her foul deed or will she perish herself?

    This is a finely crafted film.  Bava’s direction is taut and suspenseful.  The more time that progresses in the film and the higher the levels of tension get till it permeates every scene.  I like how Bava tries to start a love triangle within the film but then pulls the rug out from under you and goes in a different direction.  The script is good too, the only complaint I would make is the film would have benefited more from just being a straight suspense film and really did not need the supernatural twist at the end.  The main story was good enough it did not need that.  The cast is good too, Scola reminds me a lot of Sophia Loren and she has a musky sexuality that permeates all her scenes.  She also has a good acting range that she is able to show all the emotions needed when she finally breaks down at the end.  Brandon is also great as the scummy and amoral lover who doesn’t care about anything but his own base needs.  Barberini is the drifter is very good too, he makes you sympathetic for him from the get go, but deep within you know he is plotting something.  The SFX and effects are good, there is not much but what there is shown and used very well.  The fire at the end of the film is probably the best effect in the film.  This is a solid suspense film that would be a great film if not for the unnecessary supernatural angle at the end.

This one gets 3 out of 5 

The Seamstress 2009

Director: Jesse James Miller

Writers: Mark Garbett, Bob Hume and David Andrew Lloyd

Starring Lance Henriksen, Kailin See, David Kopp, James Kirk, Lara Gilchrist, Sarah Mutch, Richard Stroh, Kevin Mcnulty and Andee Frizzell

    I had seeked this film out mainly due to Henriksen being in the film and I am glad I did.  It is a original and tense horror film that I think more people should see.  It has a very cool monster that is very original and creative.  The film has some great kills in it and it also makes great use of the isolationist location of using a island.  It is a film that works on many levels>  As a revenge film, as a supernatural horror film and finally as a suspense film.  What is best about it is how all these things combine to make it a solid film that is well worth repeated viewings.  It has a great cast that is anchored by Henriksen and I also dug Frizzell as the Seamstress, her voice was really quite freaky and was used for excellent effect.  This is a great alternative horror film to fans who are sick of the remakes and the sequels.  It uses the classic archetype of a horror film.  A bunch of people in a isolated area that discovers something horrible is happening to all of them.

    The plot basics are this, Allie (See) is searching for her father who has disappeared after delving into a story.  Allie investigates and talks to a local sheriff (Henriksen) and discovers where her father went too and decides to investigate the island where he disappeared too.  She brings a bunch of friends to help her and things begin to get strange.  It seems a vigilante mob cruelly killed a seamstress (Frizzell) who they thought had killed some local people and now she has risen from the grave to exact revenge on the members of the mob.  This is bad for Allie and her friends because they have ended in the middle of all this and are all potential victims for the Seamstress.  The 2 remaining members of the mob show up on the island and Allie learns the truth and the question is will she preserve her innocence or enact her own bloody vengeance?

    This is a great film.  Miller’s direction is great.  He makes excellent use of shadows and lights and you never know what to expect from scene to scene.  He slowly unravels the films, so the more you get into it the deeper the mystery gets.  He sets up the attack scenes of The Seamstress effortlessly.  The script is good too, it really gives you a well rounded look at all the characters of the film.  No one seems to be a stereotype and all have reasons for what they do in the film.  The cast is very good too, Henriksen steals every scene he is in as usual.  I also really liked Frizzell as The Seamstress, she had a real ethereal and spectral quality to her scenes and it really sent chills down your spine.  See was a good lead protagonist who had her own weaknesses which made her character much more than the “white hat” of the piece.  The SFX and effects in the film were phenomenal, the kills by the Seamstress were gory and macabre and definitely a highlight of the film.  The scene where the one guy has his eyes and mouth sewn up and hung upon a tree like a crucifixion scene was really amazing.  This one gets a high recommendation just for being a original piece of horror cinema.

This one gets 5 out of 5

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Deadly Little Christmas 2009

Director: Novin Shokiba

Writers: Jeremiah Campbell and Novin Shokiba

Starring Felissa Rose, Barbara Jean Barrielle, Anthony Campanella, Eric Fischer, Leah Grimsson, Samuel Nathan Hoffmire and Monique La Barr

    This was yet another in the expanding sub category in horror films of the Christmas horror film.  I mainly sleeked this one out because it stars Felissa Rose and I have always liked her work since Sleepaway Camp.  The film borrows a lot of its plot elements from Halloween and that does work in its favor.  It pretty much follows the beat of that story until the last act of the film which turns it all on its head at the end and it works really well for the film.  There is not much originality in the film but I think the performance by Rose really pushes this film past being another mediocre horror film.  The kills are quite good too and the ending is quite pleasing and is they definite ending you want for this type of film.  It is a very low budget film, but I think it really works in its favor and does not detract from my enjoyment of the film.

    The plot basics are this, a family is celebrating Christmas and everything goes well until the young boy in the family goes crazy over not getting to play with his sister’s gifts and for that grabs a knife and brutally kills his father and his nanny, who his father was having an affair with.  We flash forward 15 years later and Devin (Hoffmire), the young boy is grown now, and in a psychiatric asylum.  He is brooding and seems to be waiting for something.  His mother )Rose) is visiting him and is distraught that he is spiraling into madness.  While his 2 sisters Taylor (La Barr) and Noel (Grimsson) are far from this and planning a Christmas play.  Soon, Devin escapes and begins killing anyone involved with the family in gruesome ways and working his way to his family, or so it would seem.  This all leads to a showdown between all the family members and the truth is uncovered.  What this all leads too will shock the sisters and will end with a dramatic ending.

    This is a fun slasher film.  The direction of Shokiba is very good, he does the killer POV scenes very well and also sends the viewer into great misdirection till the final act.  But, as you think about what you saw it becomes clear to you that this was where it was headed from the beginning.  The script is good, if somewhat predictable.  The characters are all pretty stereotypical, but still entertaining.  The cast is good, but the shining star of the film is the performance of Felissa Rose, she really digs into her part and really hams it up.  She is a delight to watch especially when she is berating the staff of the hospital when her homicidal son escapes.  Hoffmire is good as Devin too, he has a quiet intensity that reminds me of John Sheperd as Tommy Jarvis in Friday the 13th: A New Beginning.  The SFX and makeup effects are very well done.  The kills are extreme and very bloody.  I especially liked the bullet to the head scene, that was excellently done.  This is a fun Christmas horror film, but not on the par of my favorite, which is Santa’s Slay.

This one gets 3 out of 5

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The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003

Director: Marcus Nispel

Writer: Scott Kozar

Starring Jessica Biel, Jonathon Tucker, Erica Leerhsen, Mike Vogel, Eric Balfour, Andrew Bryniarski, R. Lee Ermy, David Dorfman, Lauren German and Kathy Lamkin

    This was the first of the modern remakes to really make a killing at the box office and I think really started the trend of remaking just about every horror film that has come down the pipeline.  Though the film does not hold a candle to Hopper’s seminal classic, I think it is a solid and good horror film.  I think what helps it the most is Ermy’s portrayal of Sheriff Hoyt.  He steals all the scenes that he is in and to me he is more diabolical and evil than Leatherface.  I also think it did not help that Bryniarski is a weak Leatherface, he has nowhere near the presence that Gunnar Hansen has and it really shows in this film.  The film also relies much heavier on gore than its predecessor and though it works well for the film, the less is more approach of the original is better.  The cast of victims is good too, I personally really enjoyed Biel as the final girl in the film and it didn’t hurt that she fills out a tank top so well.   The film has many pros as well as a fair number of cons.

    The plot basics are this, five youths are traveling through Texas on their way to a Lynryd Skynyrd concert, when they stop at the side of the road and pick up a hitchhiker (Leerhshen) who seems to have been through hell.  They try to get answers out of her, but before they know it she pulls a gun out of her dress and puts a bullet through her head.  They then freak out and stop, and look for help from the locals and soon they meet the local Sheriff (Ermy) and all is not well.  Soon, they begin to get picked off one by one by a disfigured maniac with a chainsaw (Bryniarski).  With the malevolent sheriff on her heels it is left to one lone survivor (Biel) to outwit the maniac and his family.  But will she retain her sanity when all is said and done?

    This is a expertly crafted film.  Nispel’s direction is taut.  It is very atmospheric and scary.  He sets up the scenes very well, one of my preferred scenes is right before the hitchhiker puts a hole through her head.  The scene is dripping with dread until the moment when she pulls the gun out.  It is a great scene that uses the viewers dread to accentuate what will happen.  The script is good.  It is similar to the original but different enough to be seen as its own film.  It gives you some character development with some of the lead characters, such as Erin and Kemper.  Which makes it all the more tragic when Erin finds out what Kemper was planning to do that fateful weekend.  The high point of the script though is Sheriff Hoyt, he is by far the most memorable character in the film.  The cast is good, especially Ermy he relishes every scene he is in and commands all of the viewer’s attention with every moment.  Biel is a good protagonist.  The only real failing cast wise is the poor choice of Bryniarski as Leatherface, he just brings no personality to the character, and that is a shame.  The SFX and makeup effects are quite amazing in the film and definitely one of my favorite things about the film.  The hole in the hitchhiker’s head dripping with blood is a personal favorite.  The amputation scene toward the end of the film is great too.  The score by Steve Jablonsky is great too, it uses the score from the original well but also builds on it and makes the music its own.  This is not the best remake, but I think is a damn good one.

This one gets 4 out of 5

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Flesh, TX 2008

Director: Guy Crawford

Writers: Guy Crawford and Kathleen Benner

Starring Kathleen Benner, Wendy Crawford, Dale Denton, Joe Estevez, Melinda Evans, Jimmy Flowers, Davina Joy, Jada Kline and Eleni C. Krimitsos

    This is yet another film that follows in the veins of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and House of a 1,000 Corpses.  It is not a bad film, but not a very good one either.  Like most films that follow the same formula s these films it adds nothing new.  It odes have some good performances and some very bloody kills and if that is enough to appease you, you may find yourself entertained by this film.  It seems to meld together  characters like Baby from Corpses and Sheriff Hoyt from the new versions of TCM.  It does this very well and you are intrigued and interested to see what will happen with these characters, but they are never given much of a spark of life, so there is no real empathy for them.  That is a shame because the film would have really shined if they had put in the extra effort.

    The plot basics are this, Donna (Krimitsos) is traveling with her daughter, Abigail (Kline) across state lines planning on starting a new life with her after divorcing her husband.  They stop in a backwater town and as they stop at a gas station a beguiling lady, Sugar (Benner) talks to Abigail and gets her to run out and then she abducts her.  Donna complains to the Sheriff (Denton) but it does not seem to d any good.  It soon becomes clear that he is in league with Sugar and that they are all harboring a deep dark secret that Donna will be shocked to uncover.  It would seem that Sugar beguiles unsuspecting victims to her family’s house and they then kill and cook them.  Will Donna be able to rescue Abigail and escape in one piece or will they be the next item on the family’s menu?

    This was a decent film.  Crawford’s direction is good, he has the feel of a back woods horror film down pat.  The opening scene that sets up the modus operandi of the family is executed very well.  It sets the stage and you know exactly what kind of film you will be seeing.  The script is decent as well.  As I mentioned before it cribs well from other films but does not add anything new to the mix.  So if you enjoy seeing the usual genre trappings for this sort of film, I think you will enjoy it.  The cast is good.  Brenner as Sugar really channels Sheri Moon zombie in her performance and to me that is not a bad thing.  Denton as the patriarch of the family reminds me too much of R. Lee Ermy in Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  His acting also reminds me a lot of Kevin Gage.  Both fine actors to emulate but he doesn’t;t really give it his own touch.  I also really liked Estevez as the town drunk, he was the most entertaining character in the film.  The SFX is exceptional and really grabs your eye whenever someone gets killed.  The opening kill is one of the best in the film.  This was a fun diversion, but nothing groundbreaking or a film I would revisit too much.

This one gets 3 out of 5

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