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marklehew
Reviews
The Dead Don't Die (2019)
I Wish the Dead did die...
...because this movie was so slow and uneventful it was painful. With a cast like this, it should have been good, but it's just not. Only a couple scenes and interesting cinematography save this from being a 1.
The Haunting of Sharon Tate (2019)
Pointless exercise in exploration
Just no point to it, you know? An alternative universe where Tate turns the tables on the Manson family? A ridiculous film.
Blessed Are the Children (2016)
Angry Baby Mask Killer!!
Ah, the good old American slasher! Films such as Halloween, Friday the 13th and Scream have scared us and inspired others to pick up the camera and give it a go themselves. The result is hundreds of slasher films that are mostly low to no budget, but nevertheless are passion projects of directors seeking to put on screen their own special vision of what a slasher should be. This film is yet another one of those passion projects.
"Blessed are the Children" is a 2016 horror slasher film written and directed by Chris Moore. Although this project was finished in 2016, it is just now getting wide-release distribution.
The film revolves around three young ladies, one of whom has recently had an abortion. While at the clinic she is freaked out by a guy in an angry baby mask, wearing a red sweatshirt and holding a sign that says, "God Hates You". After she finishes her appointment, she is then stalked by this person and those around around her start dying.
I say that this film is a passion project, because there certainly was next to no money behind it. The film itself is generic in it's quality and the cinematography is rather uninspired. There was an attempt at some blue and red lighting schemes, but honestly it didn't fit with the rest of the film. The pacing of the film was a bit slow and I feel that at 1 hour and 38 minutes, this film was at least 20 minutes too long. The editing didn't help either as there are some weird and abrupt cuts that don't seem to be an artistic choice.
One of the ways I know I might appreciate the quality of a film is the sound design. A film with a great sound design can really transport you to the fictional world you're watching. However poor sound design is devastating. This film had some of the worst sound design I've heard this year. I think maybe the sound was just being captured off of the cameras being used, because humming noises, chewing sounds, cars in the background were more than a little distracting.
I also have to point out the writing and the acting. The writing is weak with conversations happening that feel so unnatural that it is painful to watch. The acting is below average and there wasn't a single character I liked and wanted to root for.
That said, the killer was decent, with a creepy and appropriate baby mask, although this is not an original design...they can be found at any Halloween shop. There is some fun gore here...a tongue cut, knife through the mouth, a throat slash and a head smashing, and that might be enough to save this film for some fans of the sub-genre, but sadly, not for me.
I'm also not sure if there are any sociopolitical statements being made here about the evil's of abortion. It didn't seem that it was being preachy at all and the abortion device was just a set piece the writer used to move his story forward.
If you like cheaply made slasher films (many do) then check this film out when it hits VOD on October 23rd. If you need a higher quality cinematic experience then you would do well to skip "Blessed are the Children".
1.5/10 Angry Baby Masks
Red Eye (2017)
worst slasher of the year
Just when I thought "Party Night" was the worst slasher of the year, "Red Eye" comes along. This is a 2018 horror film from writer/director Tristan Clay. Gage and his friends head to the hills of West Virginia to film a documentary about a local bloodthirsty legend, Red Eye. Little do they know, it's about to become a reality. Where do I start with this film? The acting is abysmal with the lead, Scott King being the worst. The delivery of the admittedly basic and juvenile dialogue was like they recorded and used a table read...zero expression or emotion. The directing and camerawork is generic and generic heavy metal is used in lue of an actual score. The kills were not brutal or creative and there is a laughable decapitation. This is basically a first year student film or worse and i'd like my money back. The tagline is, " He wants to see your insides", well I did want to vomit while watching, so.... 1/10
Party Night (2017)
Part Night? What Party?
"Party Night" is a new 2018 slasher film from Troy Escamilla. The story is very simple...a small group of teens hang out at a secluded cabin after their prom even though there is a series of missing girls in the area! The cinematography here is poor and
unimaginative and needed some sort of filter. There were lots of shaky cams when i don't think it was intended. The pedestrian score didn't help as the film had zero atmosphere. No scenes at the prom? Really? Bad acting and juvenile dialogue are abundant here as well as poor sound mixing...people walking and clothes/sheets rustling just as loud as the dialogue. In parts the voices were tinny. As far as the kills....they were unimaginative and straightforward with a pretty laughable decapitation at the end. Honestly, when someone says, "The Nun" or "Slenderman " is the worst film of the year, they most definitely haven't seen this. Gets 1 point for being a finished movie and another half point for cool artwork that doesn't match the quality of the film. The tagline is "Try and make it till morning", but it should be "Try and make it through this entire movie!" 1.5/10