'THE TASK': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five)
An 'After Dark Original' about a reality TV show staged at a prison with a dark past where six students must survive the night accomplishing random spooky tasks. The film stars a group of mostly unknown attractive young wannabe stars, playing mostly attractive young wannabe stars (or at least the want to be rich). It was written by Kenny Yakkel and directed by first time director Alex Orwell. This one has slightly higher productions values than most of the other 2011 'After Dark Original' entries and is some what amusing but there's definitely nothing too special or memorable here.
The story begins with six students being kidnapped off the streets, stuffed in a van and driven to a prison out in the middle of nowhere. Once released from the van they're handcuffed together and told they've been chosen to participate in a reality TV show filmed at the prison behind them. They have the option of participating and winning $20,000 by surviving the night in the prison or leaving in a taxi that we'll drive them home. The catch is that the prison used to be the home of an insane warden that butchered a bunch of inmates there several years ago and is believed to be haunted by his ghost. The students must then take part in terrifying tasks assigned to them by the TV show while mysterious things continue to happen all around them, it's just never quite clear whether it's part of the show or something else.
The movie is stylishly shot and edited and like I said the actors all look good and so does the scenery. The problem is that the movie is never really that spooky, until the end but it takes way too long to get there. For too long were kept in the dark on what is really happening and the characters never really seem like they're in that much danger. Horror fans do get what they want and expect closer to the end but by then it's just a little too little too late. Still it's not nearly as atrocious as the other 'After Dark' films I've watched recently. For 2011 I'd place it right in the middle of the bunch; it's an average horror film that gives us something but nothing worth getting too excited about.
Watch our review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhQaTxuL7SQ
An 'After Dark Original' about a reality TV show staged at a prison with a dark past where six students must survive the night accomplishing random spooky tasks. The film stars a group of mostly unknown attractive young wannabe stars, playing mostly attractive young wannabe stars (or at least the want to be rich). It was written by Kenny Yakkel and directed by first time director Alex Orwell. This one has slightly higher productions values than most of the other 2011 'After Dark Original' entries and is some what amusing but there's definitely nothing too special or memorable here.
The story begins with six students being kidnapped off the streets, stuffed in a van and driven to a prison out in the middle of nowhere. Once released from the van they're handcuffed together and told they've been chosen to participate in a reality TV show filmed at the prison behind them. They have the option of participating and winning $20,000 by surviving the night in the prison or leaving in a taxi that we'll drive them home. The catch is that the prison used to be the home of an insane warden that butchered a bunch of inmates there several years ago and is believed to be haunted by his ghost. The students must then take part in terrifying tasks assigned to them by the TV show while mysterious things continue to happen all around them, it's just never quite clear whether it's part of the show or something else.
The movie is stylishly shot and edited and like I said the actors all look good and so does the scenery. The problem is that the movie is never really that spooky, until the end but it takes way too long to get there. For too long were kept in the dark on what is really happening and the characters never really seem like they're in that much danger. Horror fans do get what they want and expect closer to the end but by then it's just a little too little too late. Still it's not nearly as atrocious as the other 'After Dark' films I've watched recently. For 2011 I'd place it right in the middle of the bunch; it's an average horror film that gives us something but nothing worth getting too excited about.
Watch our review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhQaTxuL7SQ