tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53591151071211236122024-03-19T01:48:34.157-07:00Horror and Zombie film reviews | Movie reviews | Horror Videogame reviewsZombie, videogames, and horror film reviews, the latest horror releases and games reviewed. Post comments with your favourite zombie films to The Rotting Zombie Blogspot.RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.comBlogger3173125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-64152550549446385802024-03-18T10:28:00.000-07:002024-03-18T10:28:45.312-07:00Greed & Gore (2023) - Short Horror Film Review<p><i><b></b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIdvX8w4Jsbtr7fM4ac9TXWWgJWt8G_vHCWtfFhFQT9bLncAfUjV0KoMmHhTl-6rihU6LG8Mwy2HmHQvJ-PIzpdt4qu_aksh5__cptiZ_tyGEkGkLQjTyzP_6_v0js8pROHeLMHNZv3KuSKtrktV-lVWT_hVrMmhIe35aoe-To-YMpIf5VhY9sWmyMql4/s1481/Greed%20&%20Gore%20-%20Poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1481" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIdvX8w4Jsbtr7fM4ac9TXWWgJWt8G_vHCWtfFhFQT9bLncAfUjV0KoMmHhTl-6rihU6LG8Mwy2HmHQvJ-PIzpdt4qu_aksh5__cptiZ_tyGEkGkLQjTyzP_6_v0js8pROHeLMHNZv3KuSKtrktV-lVWT_hVrMmhIe35aoe-To-YMpIf5VhY9sWmyMql4/w432-h640/Greed%20&%20Gore%20-%20Poster.jpg" width="432" /></a></b></i></div><i><b><br />Greed & Gore</b></i> is a short fourteen minute horror film that was directed and co-written by Adam Kirkey. It lives up to its title with a story that is a cross between <i><b>Reservoir Dogs</b></i> and <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2011/05/strangers-horror-film-review.html" target="_blank">The Strangers</a></b></i>, featuring plenty of greed, and indeed, plenty of gore.<p></p><p>After robbing a bank and taking a hostage, a group of criminals are out in rural Canada on the way to a safehouse that their driver has chosen. When arriving, despite the poor condition of the property, they decide to hunker down for the night, celebrating their heist with alcohol and partying. After the lights suddenly go out one of them heads into the basement to check the generator, unaware that there is an intruder in the house who is none too happy to see them there.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAu5ZJJgjoj3odbhj0JgpNo046fNhxLO_LN2Di8EEuZs5LE92u7SNJzmVhVr8zFQVXh1dW4eyHyuqkqPZTerH4Sr6WMxQxU-fTo_XABsdtmPEulXNkvvbBmL-aL5d4NFyKIYWoXTFCAwwdrjdbaM6lomN8G63fPkHmrzhEaCraUQhqbPN0ybuaowfdwg/s3840/Greed%20&%20Gore%20-%20Hostage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="3840" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAu5ZJJgjoj3odbhj0JgpNo046fNhxLO_LN2Di8EEuZs5LE92u7SNJzmVhVr8zFQVXh1dW4eyHyuqkqPZTerH4Sr6WMxQxU-fTo_XABsdtmPEulXNkvvbBmL-aL5d4NFyKIYWoXTFCAwwdrjdbaM6lomN8G63fPkHmrzhEaCraUQhqbPN0ybuaowfdwg/w640-h270/Greed%20&%20Gore%20-%20Hostage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I love short films that feel like they are much longer than they actually are. With <i><b>Greed & Gore</b></i> you have a feature length story crammed into a short, but without feeling like it is really missing too much. From the initial car journey, to the partying montage scene, up to the first kill, events move along swiftly but without seeming rushed. The anti-heroes are a slightly generic bunch, you have strong silent Whiskey (Nick DeWolfe), comedic joker Tango (Matthew Bell), perpetually angry Romeo (Krishan Dutt - <i><b>The Boys</b></i> TV show) cold Sierra (Monica Zelak), with calm and collected Delta (Curtis Desrosiers) rounding out the crew. I did enjoy the montage scene of Tango throwing notes around everywhere, was a fun little sequence.</p><p>From the moment of the first kill events ramp up. The gore part of the title fits well as there are some really fun looking moments of violence. From a severed hand, to a head split in half horizontally, and numerous axe blows, this all looked great, if a little clean. While there is a reliance on practical effects, some of the stuff around the edges seemed like it had some CG assistance, such as the frequent cutaways to show the house in the howling wind and rain. The killer was a typical masked maniac, but I liked his look, the mask that looked like a zombie clown was pretty neat. In terms of the story, I liked the hostage angle, it is never made clear if the killer is purposely leaving her, or if they have just seen her as a non-threat. The first kill that takes place in the basement around the blindfolded victim (Julie Mainville - <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2021/03/confessions-of-haunting-2021-short.html" target="_blank">Confessions of a Haunting...</a></b></i>, <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2020/06/we-are-missing-2020-horror-film-review.html" target="_blank">We Are the Missing</a></b></i>) was a highlight, loving the way the blood from the kill splashes over her.<br />There was variety with the filmmaking throughout, from drone shots, to shots that appear to have been done from chest mounted cameras on the actors, and insert shots, it was varied but never felt too much.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2bpDdnFtal9erI4QbLE-JiEwUev7SO9iuurMrBpu7xcrBD5c5VjJT2WeIPxQ2GtMvFLdlY8ITyKQAaEbJaaj-Ud_EJ0SZybNE6pO53uD2_a2ZftUloCHfo1PGBLSBI2WPHD7g845yFOWq-l6GN9CTs9vvKqYd8LXaoadZi0NjV0xD0X6ui_PrlDeWeCU/s3840/Greed%20&%20Gore%20-%20Monica%20Zelak.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="3840" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2bpDdnFtal9erI4QbLE-JiEwUev7SO9iuurMrBpu7xcrBD5c5VjJT2WeIPxQ2GtMvFLdlY8ITyKQAaEbJaaj-Ud_EJ0SZybNE6pO53uD2_a2ZftUloCHfo1PGBLSBI2WPHD7g845yFOWq-l6GN9CTs9vvKqYd8LXaoadZi0NjV0xD0X6ui_PrlDeWeCU/w640-h270/Greed%20&%20Gore%20-%20Monica%20Zelak.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The award-winning <i><b>Greed & Gore </b></i>is available to stream now from <i>Slinger Pictures</i>, with the filmmakers hoping to start production on a feature version of this idea this Autumn. This short doesn't outstay its welcome, is full of violence, and looks fantastic. Maybe some of the kill effects looked a little too crisp and clear, but overall I was impressed with how this was made, exceeding my expectations.</p><p>SCORE:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBG69qDiqoffOE4IVxDm0Mu2jR6XV-dv-XgkHFbnhulGyUK1lhIYIzMvpACqDN85oxnVvNSeVzpCd1X6KfbjR5uZNKUdeRCcsbenQFZ6P8BFJi2sIlMLYIAG3kADX7aglAjXfTeGmYDDm29mXe2QtwqnGOdJ4ygXUc9pZT5hdXR71nQ4GAhHClNYJD-jI/s277/zom-rating-8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="36" data-original-width="277" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBG69qDiqoffOE4IVxDm0Mu2jR6XV-dv-XgkHFbnhulGyUK1lhIYIzMvpACqDN85oxnVvNSeVzpCd1X6KfbjR5uZNKUdeRCcsbenQFZ6P8BFJi2sIlMLYIAG3kADX7aglAjXfTeGmYDDm29mXe2QtwqnGOdJ4ygXUc9pZT5hdXR71nQ4GAhHClNYJD-jI/s1600/zom-rating-8.jpg" width="277" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/mLWyrM03KF0?si=OioUe3z5mZCQqt4V" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-83727097137220151072024-03-15T05:26:00.000-07:002024-03-15T05:26:49.567-07:00It's A Wonderful Slice (2024) - Horror Anthology Film Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4UqsPlSvlTOZ8VQKHtsXlAKLiiMA34J6vHjBmehyphenhyphenx7X6YT-OXZ4xYIskpUorubQ_GgUNr2uZgE-b-el9s7EKthcHXs0s-eKP3_MbZ83bfhqzc9TVa35q_jvQHtgB1sxCbuQptzGVVDZFR23OE9O0Wnt6i8oNy6mWNkc3NEnjKFfObR5KoEePk06XJVus/s1591/It's%20A%20Wonderful%20Slice%20-%20Poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1591" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4UqsPlSvlTOZ8VQKHtsXlAKLiiMA34J6vHjBmehyphenhyphenx7X6YT-OXZ4xYIskpUorubQ_GgUNr2uZgE-b-el9s7EKthcHXs0s-eKP3_MbZ83bfhqzc9TVa35q_jvQHtgB1sxCbuQptzGVVDZFR23OE9O0Wnt6i8oNy6mWNkc3NEnjKFfObR5KoEePk06XJVus/w452-h640/It's%20A%20Wonderful%20Slice%20-%20Poster.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><br />Towards the end of last year I reviewed Phil Herman's Christmas themed anthology horror, <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2023/11/i-slay-on-christmas-2023-horror.html" target="_blank">I Slay on Christmas</a></b></i>. Recently he contacted me about another Christmas themed anthology horror, this one titled <i><b>It's A Wonderful Slice</b></i>, written, directed, and produced by Michael Moutsatsos. There was certainly a lot packed into this ninety five minute anthology, but did at times feel a bit lacking in terms of variety. I couldn't find this on <i>IMDB</i> and there isn't much of a credit sequence at the end of the movie, so apologies for leaving out actor names.<p></p><p>The film is split up into five different short films, but there are also a lot of little sequences around these, most notably at the film's start. The introduction sequence has a man dressed as Santa armed with a machete dancing around streets while festive music plays out. This brought a recurring idea of a juxtaposition between wholesome music and twisted visuals. I liked that this sequence seemed to be shot around real people rather than actors, giving some nice reaction shots. This is then followed by a little sequence '<i><b>Santa's Woods'</b></i>, in which Santa, Krampus and an Elf frolic around woodland getting up to mischief. This kind of introduces the shorts as it is explained that there are many stories of horror that take place around Christmas time. Following this is a short sequence of a vlogger heading to woodland before encountering a festive slasher, before a similar one titled <i><b>'Krampus: Prologue'</b></i> that is set in 1975, represented by a sepia look and fake <i>Super-8</i> style film grain. This barrage of shorter sequences also sets up some of the issues I had with the anthology as a whole. They mostly feature a victim encountering someone dressed up as Santa who then proceeds to kill them as the finale of the short. It led to a repetitive feel, with some of these being better than others.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7krf7AIqU_9ILjvhOLWsoIOo5di8A2hyhJUpWIhx7R5zDMI-bHlemwdJv6hdIskqGcJxL2Ep6_V9KKKK82t8Ti92RyPEaoe9TgBNSwEyr532xiCeg1oAJgTq0PEhEGaII7hvyxYInm1q7BrYGAx-5SRSPL4tSxx1SMcU8WF1Sk8q_NaNBEb1P_GowXj4/s700/It's%20A%20Wonderful%20Slice%20-%20Intro.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="700" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7krf7AIqU_9ILjvhOLWsoIOo5di8A2hyhJUpWIhx7R5zDMI-bHlemwdJv6hdIskqGcJxL2Ep6_V9KKKK82t8Ti92RyPEaoe9TgBNSwEyr532xiCeg1oAJgTq0PEhEGaII7hvyxYInm1q7BrYGAx-5SRSPL4tSxx1SMcU8WF1Sk8q_NaNBEb1P_GowXj4/w640-h266/It's%20A%20Wonderful%20Slice%20-%20Intro.webp" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The first proper short was<i><b> 'A Slay to Remember'</b></i>. In this one, a peppy Airbnb host named Alex is delighted to be hosting a famous actor and writer, Tom, a man who has headed to a remote American town to get away from his fame for a while. The character of Tom was played by an actor who appears in nearly all the shorts, playing a totally different character each time. With multiverses being in vogue at the moment, it was almost like each short took place in a different reality for this character. It's good he was entertaining to watch, but not as much as the character of Alex. I liked how it wasn't too clear to begin with which of the two characters the horror would stem from. This was a fun short, though I felt it stuck around a little bit too long.<br />Next up was <i><b>'Here Wolfie Wolf'</b></i>. A man (the actor who played Tom) has headed to woodland with his filmmaker friend Carlos. After Carlos vanishes, the man discovers a werewolf type creature dressed up like Santa, who swiftly takes chase. I liked the sound effects used for the creature, and it had a fun finish that was unexpected twice in quick succession.</p><p>The third film is<i><b> 'Santa's Got an Axe to Grind' </b></i>and serves as a kind of sequel to the first short, as the character of Alex pops up again, but this time in a woodland setting. As fun as it was to see this character again, there wasn't really much going on here, making it probably the most unneeded part of the anthology as a whole.<br /><i><b>'Demonic Intensions' </b></i>is the penultimate one, again starring the actor who played Ben previously. This one tries something a little different by featuring just the one character. A man who is either demonically possessed or who is suffering mental health issues.<br />Final short is<i><b> 'A Doll to Die For'</b></i>, and for a change we have a female antagonist. Filmed in black and white, this one stood out visually, though is the same sort of thing by having a crazed person torturing a tied up victim. The actress had a neat enough Harley Quinn style craziness, believing the mall Santa she has kidnapped is the real deal.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhey_TM1zjY3AYcr57E4362qoNsdPFdlWtFPHKAg_XUWg9KssZ_-8fI1W-7WxpenWRAgebmO6RDhQrLsZlBrG0UJZ1KBADnz2jm3ODuU8OBv9ZvudHAyJy5LaCiNSKDEEXEZNWe8yD9WNIFmqdPREz20x07zAFvzIEeqbbzx6qaUnyHGl9CATJXX8IJpME/s700/It's%20A%20Wonderful%20Slice%20-%20A%20Doll%20to%20Die%20For.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="700" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhey_TM1zjY3AYcr57E4362qoNsdPFdlWtFPHKAg_XUWg9KssZ_-8fI1W-7WxpenWRAgebmO6RDhQrLsZlBrG0UJZ1KBADnz2jm3ODuU8OBv9ZvudHAyJy5LaCiNSKDEEXEZNWe8yD9WNIFmqdPREz20x07zAFvzIEeqbbzx6qaUnyHGl9CATJXX8IJpME/w640-h264/It's%20A%20Wonderful%20Slice%20-%20A%20Doll%20to%20Die%20For.webp" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Christmas and horror does go well together, and this indie anthology does have good parts to it. The shorts were obviously linked together, there are two different creepy looking Santa masks that the various killers wear throughout, while the tools of violence they use are also shared between them all. This also goes to the interior locations, with the first and fourth film having the exact same building, while the woods used for most the others is functional, but again brings a conjoined familiarity. This indie horror never tries to be something it isn't, the acting can be a bit basic at times, but this is leant into, with some enjoyable moments coming from some of the dialogue. The sound quality wasn't always fantastic, with some moments that sounded a bit tinny, but I did love the music throughout, a definite highlight, the mix of light music and dark actions never got old.<br />While I wish there had been a bit more variety than just short after short of a festive themed killer capturing victims, I still thought <i><b>It's A Wonderful Slice</b></i> had a decent enough unified look to it, and regardless of variety it felt like a lot was stuffed into this, and there were some definite stand out actors, such as the recurring bearded character and the man who played Alex. </p><p>SCORE:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVX_8KoUqpQlDTdmwemvf_tCNcoPdAnCuuZdqCTbCPu6jaw8G4FZfq0EXO-9uPe0quG-k4aVknMWAUJY7XdEIW0mevr6qU5I2vMXYALhHv4qv2vklZHFY-tHYajlG-zSnDyHPl-JBPySVfaaL779jO_Rf3gzlTcTjJPey-otYLUlAR0NnwQvICqIkyNOg/s278/zom-rating-6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="36" data-original-width="278" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVX_8KoUqpQlDTdmwemvf_tCNcoPdAnCuuZdqCTbCPu6jaw8G4FZfq0EXO-9uPe0quG-k4aVknMWAUJY7XdEIW0mevr6qU5I2vMXYALhHv4qv2vklZHFY-tHYajlG-zSnDyHPl-JBPySVfaaL779jO_Rf3gzlTcTjJPey-otYLUlAR0NnwQvICqIkyNOg/s1600/zom-rating-6.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/R9zTk9mY_j4?si=HXG1rUY6vFNuZDBX" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-12123514186003230362024-03-14T10:23:00.000-07:002024-03-14T10:23:49.442-07:00The Rotting Zombie's News Anthology for Thursday 14th March 2024<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiG7SnKRqJHewBYKdy5peRCnsMpnxhSsBYyfYpgsQvhYgkl0jSdaQBQXRIzpNrbpnKlIp55SzBifd2sgFaMf-t9jmRJ-uRg7vWxrarQEuEfu7LH78J-svRFTzWc6IEhKY1JxN3zFBe7LfhpszNrhfkYi3cworJK26a4kySvM-GxjlIKB2koJ5XlDW1DE4/s740/Friends%20Forever.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="740" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiG7SnKRqJHewBYKdy5peRCnsMpnxhSsBYyfYpgsQvhYgkl0jSdaQBQXRIzpNrbpnKlIp55SzBifd2sgFaMf-t9jmRJ-uRg7vWxrarQEuEfu7LH78J-svRFTzWc6IEhKY1JxN3zFBe7LfhpszNrhfkYi3cworJK26a4kySvM-GxjlIKB2koJ5XlDW1DE4/w640-h364/Friends%20Forever.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br />For the second news anthology of the week I bring three more rotted pieces of news from my bloody mail sack of horrors. In 'me' news I am currently playing <i><b>Helldivers II</b></i>, though I don't think that really fits into the horror spectrum. I haven't mentioned it previously, but the current season of <i><b>Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III</b></i> has a zombie theme to its battlepass. Not only is it full of zombie calling cards, stickers and emblems, but it also features Rick Grimes from <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2012/01/walking-dead-season-1-zombie-tv-show.html" target="_blank">The Walking Dead</a></b></i> as its big skin. That would be cool, but not only does he have something of a cheap knock-off look to him, but they have someone very much not Andrew Lincoln providing his lines. As a paid skin there is also Michonne, thankfully she does look a bit more like the character she is meant to represent!<p></p><p><i><b>Friends Forever </b></i>is an eighties styled slasher film that is streaming exclusively on <i>Reveel</i>. The synopsis has a mother of a family going insane and killing her family as a result of discovering their years supply of food has been ruined. Thirty years later a bunch of teens break into the abandoned family home in order to throw a wild party, but no doubt discovering a killer who is none too happy to see them there. To see this head over to <i>Reveel</i> <a href="https://reveel.net/programs/1303204/friends-forever?utm_source=highlevel&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl-reveel&utm_term=01-14-2024&utm_content=Friends-Forever-Button&utm_brand=RTV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><i><b>Afterlife</b></i> is a documentary that is out now on digital platforms from <i>BayView Entertainment</i>, and is due to head to <i>AVOD</i> platforms on 30th March. Described as<i> '...compelling and thought-provoking...'</i>, this follows a filmmaker (Ben Harl) as he explores what could happen to us once we die. The documentary includes interviews with spiritual teachers, scientists, and medical professionals. </p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/9tFxbO_ruwM?si=NZo_B8UBfJyFO3B4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>Finally for today, too crazy not to mention is horror parody (should that be parrotdy?) <i><b>Murdaritaville</b></i> which came to digital, <i>Blu-ray</i> and <i>VHS</i> from <i>Amazon</i> and <i>ByTheHorns</i> on March 1st. This is about a group of friends who find themselves the target of a deranged were-parrot(!) while on route to an impersonator contest. Being a lover of both birds and horror, this seems like the perfect (birdseed) mix.</div><div><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/yepomGZ7zlw?si=ptDO9tFQHe7HZvRR" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-36399245686703004672024-03-13T10:07:00.000-07:002024-03-13T10:07:51.703-07:00Aware of the Wolf (2023) - Horror Film Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglf65m7-vbt2Y54BD799TAuz4OmSe-9DIQ98nOtIstU1XN569P9DWom3GoC5zKYGWfValz9nb8xLLym9nZ-jJUsHwB2RjhzNaOsTbqA3kCA9XccHxr7xaeR7ohrLrLA9zpmTFdYVQsWWYLk4Z2OEf4L8pOPcoEdG106D43bHU84dhBHRGwVbHCDPQgYLk/s1125/AwareOfTheWolf_Portrait_2000x3000.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="750" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglf65m7-vbt2Y54BD799TAuz4OmSe-9DIQ98nOtIstU1XN569P9DWom3GoC5zKYGWfValz9nb8xLLym9nZ-jJUsHwB2RjhzNaOsTbqA3kCA9XccHxr7xaeR7ohrLrLA9zpmTFdYVQsWWYLk4Z2OEf4L8pOPcoEdG106D43bHU84dhBHRGwVbHCDPQgYLk/w426-h640/AwareOfTheWolf_Portrait_2000x3000.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />I had originally intended to watch something completely different for today's review but the link had expired, and so I turned instead to the Joshua Nelson (<i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-things-we-cannot-change-2022-horror.html" target="_blank">The Things We Cannot Change</a></b></i>) written and directed horror <i><b>Aware of the Wolf</b></i>. This horror might have a bit of a decent message at its heart, but the horror sure takes a long time to come.<p></p><p>Terry (Tony Murphy - <i><b>The Things We Cannot Change</b></i>) is a self help guru who provides his own special type of therapy for downtrodden, weak and mild people. He calls his class 'Terry's Transformations' and teaches that within everyone is a wolf, and that by seeking out your inner wolf you can become a predator rather than prey. Elsewhere, Detective Wagner (Suzanne Johnson - <i><b>The Things We Cannot Change</b></i>) and Detective Hoffman (Kelly Fine) are investigating a series of strange murders in the area, the victims covered in bite marks.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimwNNMaJ2pDF6LpH1AVHPoP6p41SgGx7mh6IqCxV4lVEts6aaeAiHA2_lzfR0Cc92jQX1ZTVDWJ94XhmdnhdP1MGYYv16hUaY4_A4i2mubQSFGfG3G1ujUL-xZa6VOcyOX1maZdKwjeVyGvWPWpF-peb0qgnR2evssGhRbXZo7A2ojvK4J7sZ2ZpxiYm8/s1600/Aware%20of%20the%20Wolf%20-%20Tony%20Murphy.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="1600" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimwNNMaJ2pDF6LpH1AVHPoP6p41SgGx7mh6IqCxV4lVEts6aaeAiHA2_lzfR0Cc92jQX1ZTVDWJ94XhmdnhdP1MGYYv16hUaY4_A4i2mubQSFGfG3G1ujUL-xZa6VOcyOX1maZdKwjeVyGvWPWpF-peb0qgnR2evssGhRbXZo7A2ojvK4J7sZ2ZpxiYm8/w640-h318/Aware%20of%20the%20Wolf%20-%20Tony%20Murphy.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>This is only the second film of Nelsons that I have watched but there really seems to be a style that is gone for. The last one of his I watched was about a vampire self-help group, and that is repeated here, with a vague werewolf tone to it instead. The majority of the film takes place at the self-help meetings in which various weak people listen to Terry as he tries to get the meek to stick up for themselves. It starts with a few different scenes showing how each of the characters are put down in their lives. You have a pregnant girl whose step-mum (Debra Holtzman - <i><b>The Things We Cannot Change</b></i>) constantly belittles her, you have Veer (Vamshi Krishna Achutha) whose cruel boss threatens cancelling his work visa should he try to go against her, you have a woman whose husband has no respect for her, and Ella Mae (Katie Raulerson - <i><b>The Things We Cannot Change</b></i>) who has let men walk over her her whole life. The actors were fine for this type of indie film, their individual antagonists might be very over the top and exaggerated but it worked in making you as the viewer pity them. Their sessions led to some cringy moments, such as when they all try and howl like wolves, but these moments feed into their lack of confidence.<br /><br />The actual horror takes a very far back seat to the rest of the movie. The detectives investigating the murders only feature in a couple of short scenes, that subplot makes up less than a fifth of the overall film. A shame as the prologue featuring two lovers getting seemingly attacked by wolves out in woodland made it seem like the horror would be more pronounced. <i><b>Aware of the Wolf</b></i> finally gets going in its third act, but it is only really in the final scene that things begin to move, by that point it was a little too late. That isn't to say it was dull leading to that moment, but as well intentioned as some of the first two acts felt, this was light on action and heavy on scenes of people sitting around talking in the therapy sessions. Some of the make-up effects were passable, but the few times violence is shown on screen it wasn't sold that well, with actors trying to make it seem like they are throwing punches, but looking a bit lame.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEp9iPFI-NEfk6q2iGvOsyl5C61-PJcpBY5T2cofgNL7KQ4yBJcZZKurLCqkfyz3JDFYFlNcBVrow6XSHqEpH4xM_cgdLA-Jb_hDWlCVuFcmMNQhYLpKQwEWUyfxYLZt_ZI9-iKnGOtsHLwuUiTLDdrq7YXSPu3ngh3mC7WIjGGOGsLDVrGs_KmKFpyM/s600/Aware%20of%20the%20Wolf%20-%20cups.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="600" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbEp9iPFI-NEfk6q2iGvOsyl5C61-PJcpBY5T2cofgNL7KQ4yBJcZZKurLCqkfyz3JDFYFlNcBVrow6XSHqEpH4xM_cgdLA-Jb_hDWlCVuFcmMNQhYLpKQwEWUyfxYLZt_ZI9-iKnGOtsHLwuUiTLDdrq7YXSPu3ngh3mC7WIjGGOGsLDVrGs_KmKFpyM/w640-h346/Aware%20of%20the%20Wolf%20-%20cups.webp" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I though the character of Terry was the best part of this, and I thought the later revelations about his real intentions were not that badly implemented. I also thought the <i><b>Tales From the Crypt</b></i> style end twist was amusing in a morality tale type of way. Far too much of the lead up to the third act had a kind of holding pattern feel to it, with not much really happening despite the amount of run time that was happening. <i><b>Aware of the Wolf</b></i> is out now on digital platforms worldwide (excluding <i>Amazon Prime Video</i>) and will head to <i>AVOD</i> digital platforms on 30th April.</p><p>SCORE:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPdS5Vd4ZEofw_u62lsW6XGHCoEf6SuPM7_Kw5zMrGJ4DMzPZxwOzvmWtIYOzIRjh3-Hp2C6sJbX1vzfDQrrKbaAUZsVjXCC_CTqLZpjbju7R_O5lNe7wUhrIUUhoyg00YoJ9XTka9dayzGtnhIvI0KZgEIml4XVnDnwVhesb9PF55mF_8mGdKVdCMB4/s278/zom-rating-5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="36" data-original-width="278" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPdS5Vd4ZEofw_u62lsW6XGHCoEf6SuPM7_Kw5zMrGJ4DMzPZxwOzvmWtIYOzIRjh3-Hp2C6sJbX1vzfDQrrKbaAUZsVjXCC_CTqLZpjbju7R_O5lNe7wUhrIUUhoyg00YoJ9XTka9dayzGtnhIvI0KZgEIml4XVnDnwVhesb9PF55mF_8mGdKVdCMB4/s1600/zom-rating-5.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/VIH3X19KzYU?si=UPmq-p5eO2So5cKI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-35540979347989179982024-03-12T11:39:00.000-07:002024-03-12T11:39:49.665-07:00The Rotting Zombie's News Anthology for Tuesday March 12th 2024<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1cANP3gMJfmGxJCWlNjAHgy08Ljf83YHISQlw0LfMFfLMfv_E-uv-miPz0FFI0OZd-Gy4NaZTuMLS2bf10scJqh1VNNDTqFEXS917shaAxQIyNbmfGxfIBz1hbLFFqHsN6doePxOPVJhxckahG0FBos4Y5xucfxVVlmaCWOeqXZEeuskO0ULTtGbZzA/s1280/Listen%20Carefully%20-%20Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="853" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1cANP3gMJfmGxJCWlNjAHgy08Ljf83YHISQlw0LfMFfLMfv_E-uv-miPz0FFI0OZd-Gy4NaZTuMLS2bf10scJqh1VNNDTqFEXS917shaAxQIyNbmfGxfIBz1hbLFFqHsN6doePxOPVJhxckahG0FBos4Y5xucfxVVlmaCWOeqXZEeuskO0ULTtGbZzA/w426-h640/Listen%20Carefully%20-%20Poster.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>With an inbox that isn't getting any smaller, here is the first of two news anthology posts for this week. Onwards as ever to the news.<p></p><p><i>BayView Entertainment</i> are a regular inclusion on my news posts, and today's post features two of their horror films that are due for release soon. The first of these is <i><b>Raveland</b></i> which is out now on digital platforms in the UK, USA and Canada. This fantasy mystery thriller follows a group of teenagers on a supernatural island in their quest to find the person able to prevent ominous forces from harming them and their loved ones. Written and directed by Rebecca Ugo, and starring Racheal Ihim, Kent Shocknek and Will Horton, this is also due to head to <i>AVOD</i> digital platforms worldwide on 30th March.</p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/rMMIkR627EA?si=4MRZX6zFIWPDBfrK" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><i><b>The Exorcism Tapes</b></i> was voted <i>'Most Original Concept'</i> at the <i>Videoscream Film Festival</i> 2021 and is now out to rent or buy on <i>Amazon Prime Video</i> in the UK and USA as well as on <i>AVOD</i> worldwide. Written and directed by Jason Hawkins and starring Hawkins, David Mitchum Brown and Jason Reynolds, the synopsis is that a video coined <i>The Exorcism Tapes</i> was uploaded to the internet, purporting to show a real life exorcism. </div><div><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/rrD9Z_kQG6M?si=p7HctvaySDIMbg8E" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>Finally for today, <i><b>Listen Carefully</b></i> has its world premiere at the <i>Fantaspoa Film Festival</i> in April 2024. This American indie psychological horror film was written, directed and stars Ryan Barton-Grimley. It is about an assistant manager who is forced to carry out the twisted instructions of a voice on a baby monitor after his baby daughter is kidnapped. Also starring is Simone Barton-Grimley and Ari Schneider (as the voice). For more information check out the film's website <a href="https://listencarefullyfilm.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-35210244102783616182024-03-11T09:38:00.000-07:002024-03-11T09:38:52.122-07:00The Well (2023) - Horror Film Review<p><i><b></b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNilsXXRgvffsIu6bp-mk7QveQyWKaLFJajBfmyJxuOM1xVsW08xoM5zY6hN1UrJj0RmyszIDfN8UUOggDkF9uGVtc1lJCMqUdEoO0b6wyngbWU273lOyxhuP9tZAWWfkfe7Wo4jE0sn8ReO_eiKcGV4xDQegFBEoxHM__sNM_AuWTJqf8gp7tQkBMXFQ/s1440/The%20Well%20-%20Poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="932" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNilsXXRgvffsIu6bp-mk7QveQyWKaLFJajBfmyJxuOM1xVsW08xoM5zY6hN1UrJj0RmyszIDfN8UUOggDkF9uGVtc1lJCMqUdEoO0b6wyngbWU273lOyxhuP9tZAWWfkfe7Wo4jE0sn8ReO_eiKcGV4xDQegFBEoxHM__sNM_AuWTJqf8gp7tQkBMXFQ/w414-h640/The%20Well%20-%20Poster.jpg" width="414" /></a></b></i></div><i><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The Well</b></i> is an Italian horror film that comes from Federico Zampaglione (<i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2011/01/shadow-horror-film-review.html" target="_blank">Shadow</a></b></i>), who both wrote and directed this. He has been dubbed<i> 'the Italian Rob Zombie'</i> and that is a moniker that really fits as even before reading that I was reminded of that director's work while watching this gruesome slaughter-fest. While this just misses out on being a fantastic film, there is still plenty to enjoy here.<p></p><p>Lisa (Lauren LaVera - <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2022/11/terrifier-2-2022-horror-film-review.html" target="_blank">Terrifier 2</a></b></i>, <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2019/06/clinton-road-2019-horror-film-review.html" target="_blank">Clinton Road</a></b></i>) is an American art restorer who has been contracted to head to a remote Italian village in order to restore a 15th century painting that a rich duchess is in possession of. She is told the painting recently received smoke damage and that it is essential it is restored within a fortnight as it is due to be sold at an auction. The more she works on the creepy painting, the more disturbing nightmares and hallucinations she gets, but is compelled to ignore her instincts and carry on the work for fear of her father's business being ruined by breaking the terms of the contract.<br />On the way to the village Lisa had befriended some botanists who had planned to camp out in the nearby forest to conduct some research. Elsewhere, things went bad for them, as on their first night camping they are all captured by an unseen person. The three, Tony (Gianluigi Galvani), Tracy (Taylor Zaudtke - <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2022/12/the-leech-2022-comedy-horror-film-review.html" target="_blank">The Leech</a></b></i>) and Madison (Courage Osabohine) awaken to find themselves imprisoned in an underground cell which faces onto a large well. Their brutally sadistic mute jailor systematically begins to slaughter them, in order to feed them to a monstrous creature that dwells at the bottom of the well.<br />Needless to say, these two separate events are more linked than at first it might appear.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYWSfA_SWK6TApwgeo0vIFXu5bLJ3Ia09EiGBb82_aNaI2T2XOCi87fRgXy2X1OTWHeB5LciiXJAh2JAknI6gW2LIopU7jNWnVHfFi4NkS95ZYWHC_Kg_syQDZNye2tehV6t6aC7kKjKB956AMUp1LVeW6H6S6LV00jgcXBIpYKE6JwYfRCeBysMq6W0/s800/The%20Well%20-%20Lauren%20LaVera.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYWSfA_SWK6TApwgeo0vIFXu5bLJ3Ia09EiGBb82_aNaI2T2XOCi87fRgXy2X1OTWHeB5LciiXJAh2JAknI6gW2LIopU7jNWnVHfFi4NkS95ZYWHC_Kg_syQDZNye2tehV6t6aC7kKjKB956AMUp1LVeW6H6S6LV00jgcXBIpYKE6JwYfRCeBysMq6W0/w640-h360/The%20Well%20-%20Lauren%20LaVera.webp" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The most striking part of <i><b>The Well </b></i>are the nasty stomach churning special effects. Thankfully, these special effects are all practical (apart from one key scene during the finale), and they look horrific in the best possible way. Among the visual horrors are some strong almost torture porn moments of victims really being made to suffer. Limbs are hacked off, an eyeball is raked out, a rusty nail goes through a foot, someone is pinned to a door by a crossbow bolt, and some poor unfortunate even has the skin peeled off their face! The mute and mentally unstable jailor really felt like he stepped out of a Rob Zombie movie, while there are some nightmarish moments that Lisa suffers through. The creature design for the thing in the well was great, I admit it did initially remind me a bit of Gollum from <i><b>The Lord of The Rings</b></i>, but the more you saw of it, the more I came to appreciate how horrid it looked. </p><p>The cast were mostly great, I thought that the duchess' teenage daughter Giulia (Linda Zampaglione) was one of the weakest links, the petulant rebellious teenager came across as a bit one dimensional, making for not that compelling a character. With most the characters here, the less you know about them the better, it is only really Lisa herself who gets some character development. Special mention goes to Melanie Gaydos as Dorka, her expressive turn during the culmination of the movie was so cool to see, putting the other actors in that particular scene to slight shame.<br /> As always with cursed painting horrors, the art needed to look effectively dark, and here the painting was ace. A slight possible plot issue might have occurred should Lisa had chosen to work on a different part of the painting than she did at the start. I found Lisa's story the less interesting of the two going on, but I enjoyed how they linked together. It did lead to an epilogue that was a little bit cheesy, the plot in general had some good moments to it, but I would be lying if I said that any of the revelations that occur were that surprising to see.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPWb1xeiFc5QmntcmTUzZCPqQPBghLBh6dUu7RYxD-VR_2L37gQ-GggEyYW5dXKMdez6OwNAL53LZTpObGQuzFi6L8nUH1eYlT2qxjMDfBKwws2846kMj8jSyh9lf4ociL_LjvCUPGcjMsK-YlKlZwx0E9rw9gSGsP4nreABDKeHzFCChG05bKsF-4TU/s1200/The%20Well%20-%20duchess.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="1200" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPWb1xeiFc5QmntcmTUzZCPqQPBghLBh6dUu7RYxD-VR_2L37gQ-GggEyYW5dXKMdez6OwNAL53LZTpObGQuzFi6L8nUH1eYlT2qxjMDfBKwws2846kMj8jSyh9lf4ociL_LjvCUPGcjMsK-YlKlZwx0E9rw9gSGsP4nreABDKeHzFCChG05bKsF-4TU/w640-h268/The%20Well%20-%20duchess.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I thought <i><b>The Well </b></i>was really well made. The locations all looked very dusty and grimy, the special effects were gruesomely delightful, and I found myself invested in the events of the movie. Only really let down by a couple of generic characters, and an epilogue that I wasn't that sure about. <i><b>The Well </b></i>had its UK premiere at <i>Frightfest</i> in Glasgow on 9th March.</p><p>SCORE:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibO9l7PEOTKFNYaLL2jTC6zUQ0eRQfzoohHzHs8veFzR5wxqf04QA8PRxYgQYpc682VMPSEYP-xhQakcikyue0rfVds_DvWzarDQ2WDAceCoTO8uaALHZLnqxUhi6qoSuzdFNibAkHlzfiHsIxzn1FdaYvDQCy9SJxCr29PLG-qAffxSh-Jj_bNb81YkA/s278/zom-rating-7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="36" data-original-width="278" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibO9l7PEOTKFNYaLL2jTC6zUQ0eRQfzoohHzHs8veFzR5wxqf04QA8PRxYgQYpc682VMPSEYP-xhQakcikyue0rfVds_DvWzarDQ2WDAceCoTO8uaALHZLnqxUhi6qoSuzdFNibAkHlzfiHsIxzn1FdaYvDQCy9SJxCr29PLG-qAffxSh-Jj_bNb81YkA/s1600/zom-rating-7.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-9355476798289347942024-03-08T04:38:00.000-08:002024-03-08T11:07:40.465-08:00City of the Living Dead (1980) - Zombie Horror Film Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3QBaBfHHjv15S5xKsNyPPT_lonhQJ-c8AO7aVtfk2qoKj4hJugQO1qH_K6V5I-Qr0IgSUCrfT_lRp3aOUCT9itnh1rAIVTAOI-jRBQ5fATYk62rHWuHa3FqbaxdZUcrOODoUkRuxp8mmPbWRXogdskim_8Un7EwfHiVyq3u4c3FLyXEbXjtPp4Rh4cU/s2048/City%20of%20the%20Living%20Dead%20-%20Cover.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3QBaBfHHjv15S5xKsNyPPT_lonhQJ-c8AO7aVtfk2qoKj4hJugQO1qH_K6V5I-Qr0IgSUCrfT_lRp3aOUCT9itnh1rAIVTAOI-jRBQ5fATYk62rHWuHa3FqbaxdZUcrOODoUkRuxp8mmPbWRXogdskim_8Un7EwfHiVyq3u4c3FLyXEbXjtPp4Rh4cU/w640-h360/City%20of%20the%20Living%20Dead%20-%20Cover.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Back when I was first properly getting into horror films at the turn of the century I would pretty much buy anything that looked interesting. The zombie genre in particular was a highlight of horror for me, and so seeing Lucio Fulci's <i><b>City of the Living Dead</b></i> (a horror legend, not that I knew that at the time) on <i>DVD</i> I purchased it, fully expecting it to live up to the title. I did not like what I got, instead of an undead filled extravaganza I instead had a supernatural horror full of bizarreness. I hadn't seen it since, but hearing it was heading to limited edition <i>4K UHD</i>, as well as heading to the <i>ARROW</i> streaming subscription service I just had to check it out, to give it a fair chance that my younger self didn't do. It turns out some of my memories of this were correct, but other parts I had thankfully misremembered.<p></p><p>A priests suicide in a graveyard in the American town of Dunwich results in the gates of Hell being opened. Having had a vision of this event occurring, a young New York based psychic woman, Mary (Catriona MacColl - <i><b>The Beyond</b></i>) teams up with a reporter named Peter (Christopher Bell), as she believes her vision has shown her that the only way to close the gateway to Hell lays with the priest, and that they must get the gate closed before the approaching All-Saints Day is reached. Their task becomes a lot harder once they arrive at the town, and discover that a variety of supernatural events are occurring, including the dead refusing to stay dead...</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvW7TD83-DarQcp08Q3nmb3Qi-pr_-LLMh6AfVoL6SPI67Xu2uUW9d06BljXcGfJbrHyXoyEaWykyMjIofDeegIm1w7h-ojjfuDtTLdlHgD00A8RNxs8kveuGCe9SBbDHI1UUDmxl-dR4-1Pv5jTyXg9EW74vNmV8n1JsOIevl6HTU6hgXokAT0TvX_mM/s1366/City%20of%20the%20Living%20Dead%20-%20zombies.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1366" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvW7TD83-DarQcp08Q3nmb3Qi-pr_-LLMh6AfVoL6SPI67Xu2uUW9d06BljXcGfJbrHyXoyEaWykyMjIofDeegIm1w7h-ojjfuDtTLdlHgD00A8RNxs8kveuGCe9SBbDHI1UUDmxl-dR4-1Pv5jTyXg9EW74vNmV8n1JsOIevl6HTU6hgXokAT0TvX_mM/w640-h342/City%20of%20the%20Living%20Dead%20-%20zombies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The whole film has a feeling of a nightmare to it and so elements of this only make sense in a kind of dream logic type of way. From what I remembered there were not actually any zombies in the movie, thankfully that turned out to be incorrect, with the whole third act turning the film into a zombie one. The make-up effects on the walking dead was fantastic, corpses look to be rotting, with live insects such as worms and maggots crawling over them. In a really novel way, the undead are supernatural in nature, having the pretty chilling ability to not only teleport, but having super strength and able to make people literally puke up their internal organs just by locking eye contact with their chosen victim! The story is a bit bare bones, and it is never really stated exactly how the heroes are going to be able to close the gateway to Hell. It all leads up to an infamously terrible ending that rumour says wasn't actually meant to the end, but that the footage was somehow lost or destroyed and so, not being able to afford a re-shoot, Fulci had to make do with what he had. It is a shame that the last scene in the film is also the worst, it leans into the dream logic, but it really makes no sense whatsoever. Following on from some really strong scenes it did put a bit of a dampener on an otherwise near flawless final thirty minutes.</p><p>It is an upward path to this living up to its title, but the horror that comes before is frequently pretty neat. The priest teleports around town murdering random people (always showing up still hanging from his noose), there is a tense scene in which a woman buried alive is constantly nearly pick-axed to death by the man trying to save her(!), and at one point the protagonists have to endure a rain of maggots. Disgustingly this scene was actually done using real maggots, with the poor cast having thousands and thousands of the insects blown over them by a giant wind machine. I hate insects being used as a means of generating horror, I don't find it scary, just gross and sickening. Maggots likely don't have feelings, but I still felt bad seeing them treated in such a bad way. Other moments are cool though, such as a mysterious fireball that erupts out the floor, mirrors smashing on their own, cracks in walls opening up, and walls bleeding. Then there is the ultra violent scene where the town idiot has his head forced into a spinning drill. Being the eighties the effects are of course all practical ones and look suitably great. Also great is the soundtrack, it sounds very much like <i><b>Goblin</b></i>'s style, and was wonderfully catchy.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfv0dRYmCrmixVR1hRnwsUSxJa9OzDjjJQvkRy09PyomX2au_HJCiH5lp1fVPmJEDbVkoeo5605BT_lgOYWb2BT3BNfVyLG_SI5yRQ3Fgf6QXps9iqDcYQ4KJlbWqKxfsWZ2TEovFMKYS3fhR_ZqkYkBAR6plZ9wUFsyMXcCKIdEwv95gppCmebScjC_g/s2048/City%20of%20the%20Living%20Dead%20-%204K%20UHD.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1373" data-original-width="2048" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfv0dRYmCrmixVR1hRnwsUSxJa9OzDjjJQvkRy09PyomX2au_HJCiH5lp1fVPmJEDbVkoeo5605BT_lgOYWb2BT3BNfVyLG_SI5yRQ3Fgf6QXps9iqDcYQ4KJlbWqKxfsWZ2TEovFMKYS3fhR_ZqkYkBAR6plZ9wUFsyMXcCKIdEwv95gppCmebScjC_g/w640-h430/City%20of%20the%20Living%20Dead%20-%204K%20UHD.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I had hoped that giving the film a second chance would improve my feeling towards it, and I was right. Rather than a poor quality <i>DVD</i> transfer, the film here looked crisp and clear, really adding a lot to all the nightmarish scenes. I still think the many scenes involving real insects was ill-judged and gross, but the other horror makes up for it, especially with the undead whose ability to teleport made them an intimidating foe to face, and of course the wonderful practical effects. <i><b>City of the Living Dead</b></i> comes to <i>ARROW </i><a href="https://www.arrow-player.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">(here)</a>, and releases on limited edition <i>4K UHD</i> on 25th March.</p><p>SCORE:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsSOV-ACWzVwqfQyJl8NqrmsNPHN43AMKlHnhI2WN20RFtt6fcJm5TfrJvYlpo4oTqWU3EBEdbCEj8m0dCTRJHO5lv4Su57lRh5TI_Cm2H-GkfwrIVs_NBsJxrRCMa-jaQmYk1k5J4LxT6kN4lD4myUxOdUI_rrP4578fKXjw25Og1S72zzis2TsetlU/s278/zom-rating-7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="36" data-original-width="278" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsSOV-ACWzVwqfQyJl8NqrmsNPHN43AMKlHnhI2WN20RFtt6fcJm5TfrJvYlpo4oTqWU3EBEdbCEj8m0dCTRJHO5lv4Su57lRh5TI_Cm2H-GkfwrIVs_NBsJxrRCMa-jaQmYk1k5J4LxT6kN4lD4myUxOdUI_rrP4578fKXjw25Og1S72zzis2TsetlU/s1600/zom-rating-7.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-5464229956583564102024-03-07T09:21:00.000-08:002024-03-07T09:21:05.006-08:00Dead by Daylight - A Beginner's Guide to The Mastermind<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGAZrkPvRFTh3_YVOVR2C-07wX31tgY8N2lIjbqKaFC8qxIqxAAcfUljHQsI9VDR5zVCGPbcrSUAKdJ_8xzK8iB11fi9MJfyk2Dz91EpbyromJOQXLnvkEMm3ZDrYCa7pA0lg8cowKgOQa5Q9Y0VW706X7rk7ZUTHrj28-DHdeVlq7bRaL2VEFZtZ_eA/s1920/Dead%20by%20Daylight%20-%20The%20Mastermind.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGAZrkPvRFTh3_YVOVR2C-07wX31tgY8N2lIjbqKaFC8qxIqxAAcfUljHQsI9VDR5zVCGPbcrSUAKdJ_8xzK8iB11fi9MJfyk2Dz91EpbyromJOQXLnvkEMm3ZDrYCa7pA0lg8cowKgOQa5Q9Y0VW706X7rk7ZUTHrj28-DHdeVlq7bRaL2VEFZtZ_eA/w640-h360/Dead%20by%20Daylight%20-%20The%20Mastermind.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I have now been making an effort to get into asynchronous multiplayer horror game <i><b>Dead by Daylight</b></i> for four months. Each month sees me randomly picking a new killer to spend the month trying to get to grips with. For February the killer chosen was The Mastermind, better known to all as <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2008/07/zombie-game-no2-resident-evil.html" target="_blank">Resident Evil</a></b></i>'s Albert Wesker. When I initially saw this killer was my new pick I was excited, I thought it would be cool to play as this iconic bad guy. Over the course of the month however I just never really got to grips with exactly how he controlled, leading to frustration more often than not.<p></p><p>The set-up for how the killer came to be in the nightmare realm of <i><b>Dead by Daylight</b></i> is often pretty cool, though with Wesker his introduction comes not at the end of his natural time in the <i><b>Resident Evil</b></i> games, but instead is made non-canonical with him weirdly getting pulled into the realm mid-way through the events of <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2009/09/resident-evil-5-apology-and-first.html" target="_blank">Resident Evil 5</a></b></i>. I have a somewhat sad knowledge of the <i><b>Resident Evil</b></i> world and so this really is just nit-picking on my part. As for being a killer in this realm, it makes sense Wesker would relish the chance to use his powers to kill those deemed as weaker than him, I imagine it would feel like a welcome break for someone used to dealing with boulder punching action heroes and global conspiracies. He was added to the game in <i>Chapter 25: Resident Evil: Project W</i>, while he didn't get his own stage, he was joined by Ada Wong and Rebecca Chambers who became survivor characters.<br />Wesker was at the height of his coolness during the events of <i><b>Resident Evil: Code Veronica</b></i>, where his powers were blatantly inspired by <i><b>The Matrix</b></i> films. The version of the character here isn't that though, recently infected with the Uroboros biological weapon, his main form of attack is transforming his arm into a tentacle.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCuqLkj2pk0oeswaDCarmWl9zEvVdxjddVE52sLKsQX29nQF3kq7l1_yFYKgMUwhc3E_sFF2SD9kMhdm15yu57qMqETqfxzxvCfdhnvFeyYBV8aBLisTfCpUAtPax3ls9_-09lvKNVyPxX-GGTq1Y-fIp4bH3w_s9x24gL-vAO2tW4ImojmWPXIpOrTs/s1920/Dead%20by%20Daylight%20-%20The%20Mastermind%20Menu%20Screen.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCuqLkj2pk0oeswaDCarmWl9zEvVdxjddVE52sLKsQX29nQF3kq7l1_yFYKgMUwhc3E_sFF2SD9kMhdm15yu57qMqETqfxzxvCfdhnvFeyYBV8aBLisTfCpUAtPax3ls9_-09lvKNVyPxX-GGTq1Y-fIp4bH3w_s9x24gL-vAO2tW4ImojmWPXIpOrTs/w640-h360/Dead%20by%20Daylight%20-%20The%20Mastermind%20Menu%20Screen.webp" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Being perfectly honest, I'm a little ashamed of how little I played <i><b>Dead by Daylight</b></i> last month. In total I only actually played three matches with Wesker, one of which was a unique limited time mode which took away the threat detection ability as well as the use of items. In that time I was met with a lot of frustration getting to grips with how Wesker's move set worked, despite him being rated as 'moderate' to use. His default weapon is a knife, perfectly fine, no trouble there. His power move sees him rush forward quickly, his arm transforming into a black tentacle to either grab survivors and hurl them against walls, or to use his dash to swiftly vault over barriers and through windows. Hitting a survivor in this way infects them, the infection eventually causing the hinderance status effect (movement speed reduced by 8%) if the survivor doesn't find and use a first aid spray. My main problem came with using his rush ability. He has the ability to rush twice in a row, but I was rarely able to get this to work. Sometimes I would see a button prompt to do the follow up dash, but other times it seemed I wasn't even being given the option to do this. It led to me charging at survivors expecting to get a second dash to actually reach them (the grab and hurl motion being automatic once contact with a survivor is reached), but never usually getting to reach them. This, coupled with a cool down for the dash move, led to me being the least effective killer I have been since I started playing <i><b>Dead by Daylight</b></i> again.<br /><br />Wesker was fine as a killer, I left him in his default black trench coat look as I have only been purchasing alternate skins for the killers I had previously used in the past.. He is prone to saying cheesy one-liners when attacking, something that fits him perfectly as the <i><b>Resident Evil</b></i> games are often full of cheese like that. I did have to turn off the subtitles in the settings however as it was quite distracting having them come up on screen in large text. <br />The sole highlight I had playing with Wesker came right at the end of a match. Survivors like to troll killers by hanging out at the exit doing the tea-bagging motion rather than immediately going through it when it opens up. One such player was doing that, obviously forgetting that Wesker has a dash, I swiftly shot forward, grabbed this player and threw them against the exist (which then turned solid due to the killer not being able to pass through). This put the player in a downed state, so I quickly picked them up before they could crawl to freedom, put them over my shoulder and went and hooked them. I have to say that was really satisfying!<br />So, I have done a random killer pick for March and that killer is The Cannibal, which I recall is actually Leatherface from <i><b>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre</b></i> series of films. I will aim to play more than the paltry amount I managed for February!</p>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-14031865489695370552024-03-06T12:47:00.000-08:002024-03-06T12:47:45.313-08:00Children of the Corn: Revelation (2001) - Horror Film Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfuwLoHNFrY3Oi1K3NctFwc9BsslaaAb1Clkb8QbyreM77dhA328QCj_Zp02vBYHwIXFTt2Lf5tbJ1cfccy2h-yfND39dcETkI5gggkrHs6QH_i3-sUCR9OghOcAbOXUMcfxkR6gEVdc2TNb2qYOMY5cLcQCIGmolZoHJFdq4tY-HtRqW3MVIpWnc23U/s1024/Children%20of%20the%20Corn%20Revelation.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="718" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfuwLoHNFrY3Oi1K3NctFwc9BsslaaAb1Clkb8QbyreM77dhA328QCj_Zp02vBYHwIXFTt2Lf5tbJ1cfccy2h-yfND39dcETkI5gggkrHs6QH_i3-sUCR9OghOcAbOXUMcfxkR6gEVdc2TNb2qYOMY5cLcQCIGmolZoHJFdq4tY-HtRqW3MVIpWnc23U/w448-h640/Children%20of%20the%20Corn%20Revelation.jpg" width="448" /></a></div><br />Originally, I was meant to be watching something totally different for today's film review, but due to being an idiot and forgetting to request a screener, the film I intended to watch was locked away from me. Without looking I reached a rotting hand into my unwatched <i>DVD</i> shelf and pulled out randomly <i><b>Children of the Corn: Revelation</b></i>. This is the seventh film in the series, but having been a fan of these in my teens, I have actually seen all the ones that came before. This wasn't a good film, but it came from a nostalgic era for me, the early 2000s where CG was just starting to be used, and horror films were often enjoyably cheesy.<div><br /></div><div>Jamie's (Claudette Mink -<i><b> R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour</b></i> <i>TV</i> series) has been increasingly worried about the behaviour of her beloved grandma. First she moved to a dilapidated apartment building in a small rural town that was subsequently marked as condemned two months after she moved in, and then, more recently, she stopped returning Jamie's phone calls. Worried for her, Jaime decides to head to the apartment to see if everything is ok. She finds the building in a very poor state, with most the inhabitants save for a few already left, and her grandma nowhere to be seen. Of course, we as the viewer can guess her fate, as she was seen likely on the way to her death in the movie's prologue sequence. Jamie keeps seeing creepy children dressed in old fashioned clothes around the town who all give her evil looks. With the local police station not believing her grandma is actually missing. Eventually, she comes to believe that all the spooky goings on may be down to a cult made up of children, who operated in the area in the distant past.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLxqsfD-u07t-mHsLRdBHgsQogVCTMpDhbWxFNJemO3oerBcdxNkmV8HadNqGelmyPem9Qx8iezIJkK_3TOEdF3CMD5niTFyKVUeQnz30rOh-V3eMN93oPSr2IcNhtu1V35dh65mvCvU_LKc_MCZgA_O1-hALdarIZbjxNo92-Omx4kj_iDLA_8zUXGw/s600/Children%20of%20the%20Corn%20-%20Apartment.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="337" data-original-width="600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLxqsfD-u07t-mHsLRdBHgsQogVCTMpDhbWxFNJemO3oerBcdxNkmV8HadNqGelmyPem9Qx8iezIJkK_3TOEdF3CMD5niTFyKVUeQnz30rOh-V3eMN93oPSr2IcNhtu1V35dh65mvCvU_LKc_MCZgA_O1-hALdarIZbjxNo92-Omx4kj_iDLA_8zUXGw/w640-h360/Children%20of%20the%20Corn%20-%20Apartment.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>This carries on the fine tradition of the <i><b>Children of the Corn </b></i>movies by having the evil antagonist <i>'He Who Walks Behind the Rows'</i> turn up in a completely different look to previous films. Before, it has been portrayed as an invisible force, a giant monster, even as a sentient grain silo(!), here, the eventual reveal is that of a child dressed up like a preacher, but who speaks with a dubbed over deep adult voice that both made me laugh out loud as well as being pretty neat. While this is a sequel, there is a bit of a ret-con going on, as the child cult are now said to have been operating in the 1960's, not in the eighties and nineties as the previous films had it. I thought it was cool that it is suggested that rather than be actual children, this time around they are actually evil ghosts of the cult members. It leads to one cool scene in which a man is able to see the children while wearing night vision goggles, but each time he removes them the children are nowhere to be found.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is a decent enough body count, but it is a shame that all the on-screen deaths, while fun, aren't exactly that exciting. Included are people being thrown from heights, a drowning, and someone who has a heart attack. The most exciting looking kill, that of a character getting their head sliced off, is sadly one that takes place off screen. I did think the moving vines from the nearby corn field leaking blood when cut into was a decent idea. There is some use of obvious CG, but thankfully this is kept to a bare minimum rather than being over-used. I liked Mink's protagonist, but only really because she really resembled Claire Redfield from the <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2010/02/resident-evil-2-playstation-review.html" target="_blank">Resident Evil 2</a></b></i> video game. Her determination to locate her missing grandma becomes a bit silly, especially when she has visions that clearly show what happened to her. I thought Michael Ironside (voice of Sam Fisher from the <i><b>Splinter Cell</b></i> video games) was a great side character, was just a shame it was an almost blink and you miss it appearance, despite his exposition serving role. The majority of the movie takes place in the apartment block, and it has a great grimy run-down look to it.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclus__AGl7nxk-1bZ0efuyI7-jtk5W1ZlQ499zu7vbcmoWz23i_w-moXsXn9AgF0F9NeiQk8dYevi74J8d-NTc_da9nTrir8OkZj4f5JGLpi4GpIstJMcy7VwHECtu3xDBAarZVAIj-5Oz6X7RmgSXEGo9ZgOPbMSyqDmB9_1uw1zN_R8jHC27D4DjDw/s1280/Children%20of%20the%20Corn%20-%20Antagonist.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1280" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjclus__AGl7nxk-1bZ0efuyI7-jtk5W1ZlQ499zu7vbcmoWz23i_w-moXsXn9AgF0F9NeiQk8dYevi74J8d-NTc_da9nTrir8OkZj4f5JGLpi4GpIstJMcy7VwHECtu3xDBAarZVAIj-5Oz6X7RmgSXEGo9ZgOPbMSyqDmB9_1uw1zN_R8jHC27D4DjDw/w640-h384/Children%20of%20the%20Corn%20-%20Antagonist.webp" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>I have a soft spot for this series, this straight to video sequel is not a great film, but it sure does feel like a horror from the early 2000s, an era that is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. I like that like the other films before it, it isn't afraid to mix up the formula somewhat, even if the many kills aren't the most exciting to watch, and ghostly kids were lame rather than spooky. This is certainly better than the snore fest that was the 2020 <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2023/07/children-of-corn-2020-horror-film-review.html" target="_blank">Children of the Corn</a></b></i> reboot.</div><div><br /></div><div>SCORE:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1u1Z0qC83x-y-X9t9neD_acc8v6VG3zvnuHXAxxnTBkYXXMfPvnPpEsp2mO9458WTdvC_PHt-WCk1_vJHCWQcENKDwZ1Zt16OKYm15R0Kyo4itLiHPRwmpxXOUPYY-HcbnEP4CysdNQ9Wzm69Vh40CYvr68P6MLQ_RriYPk5Cn4VR_7madH5OeD4hAI/s278/zom-rating-6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="36" data-original-width="278" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1u1Z0qC83x-y-X9t9neD_acc8v6VG3zvnuHXAxxnTBkYXXMfPvnPpEsp2mO9458WTdvC_PHt-WCk1_vJHCWQcENKDwZ1Zt16OKYm15R0Kyo4itLiHPRwmpxXOUPYY-HcbnEP4CysdNQ9Wzm69Vh40CYvr68P6MLQ_RriYPk5Cn4VR_7madH5OeD4hAI/s1600/zom-rating-6.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-3752930214301781972024-03-05T09:03:00.000-08:002024-03-05T09:03:13.374-08:00Post-Climax (2024) by Assassun - Music Album Review<p><i><b></b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBoO3QBjxhs6ny1UgYC_5ovs77cUtmeD-070SKOtBPWtwFOg6ost-L0Rc5nHHQvLxF3vGpw100r_4FITkw0dL01qssTf1TTLfMW_6e7XTxuUsS599XSJAeAd8y57brLvO0yzVJfAeRLpQR28bCS0c8W2I7ksnycDTWpH9tX9q7fVAcEGCQTYeeoqWcRE4/s500/Assassun%20-%20Post-Climax.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBoO3QBjxhs6ny1UgYC_5ovs77cUtmeD-070SKOtBPWtwFOg6ost-L0Rc5nHHQvLxF3vGpw100r_4FITkw0dL01qssTf1TTLfMW_6e7XTxuUsS599XSJAeAd8y57brLvO0yzVJfAeRLpQR28bCS0c8W2I7ksnycDTWpH9tX9q7fVAcEGCQTYeeoqWcRE4/w640-h640/Assassun%20-%20Post-Climax.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></i></div><i><b><br />Post-Climax</b></i> is the third album released under Berlin based musician Alexander Leonard Donat's Assassun moniker, following on from last years <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2023/04/chronic-quicksand-depression-morning.html" target="_blank">Chronic Quicksand Depression Morning</a></b></i>. This brings together twelve delightful tracks of electro-goth gloom. I have a habit of saying this whenever I review a follow up album of an artist, but I really think this is the best album yet from Assassun.<p></p><p><i><b>'You Can't'</b></i> kicks off the album and brings with it a slightly different sound to what I was used to. While the vocals are as mean and frustrated as ever there was a simple repeating electronic beat that gave an almost contrasting feel to the tone of the lyrics. Track two,<i><b> 'Footnote' </b></i>is when the Assassun I remember comes into sound, the familiar and welcome eighties style music, with the artists repeating refrains such as <i>"I can't find the antidote" </i>giving this an almost stream of consciousness feel to it. <i><b>'Sling Me Out'</b></i> has Assassun sounding his most fed up and bitter. That track was an early highlight with a fantastic and addictive backing beat conjuring up memories of <i>Megadrive</i> video game music (not a slight, that's my favourite console). So much of the music on this album just sounds sublime, there is a sense of urgency that comes from many of the songs (most nightmarish, the freefall feeling <i><b>'If'</b></i>), such as <i><b>'Hell Here' </b></i>and the best track on the album, <i><b>'Cpr' </b></i>that has great machinegun style beats to it <i>"With my lips melting like wax, Both sides turning into trainwrecks"</i> this had some inventive lyrics to it.<br /><br />Heading towards the last third of the album things slow down slightly with<i><b> 'Spectator'</b></i>, <i><b>'Sink Your Sword Into Me'</b></i>, <i><b>'Swallow My Sky'</b></i>, and epic sounding penultimate track<i><b> 'Used to Glow'</b></i>. Final track <i><b>'Skull-Line'</b></i> is a return to the frantic fast sound, closing out <i><b>Post-Climax</b></i> in a fitting manner. Throughout I loved the dirty sounding off-kilter electronic sound, it really sounded so good.<br />It's a bit of a running joke that I usually listen to albums while doing some type of housework, with this I listened to it twice before doing my review, once while on my lunch break at my day job, and a second time while having a shave and a shower first thing this morning (at time of typing), both times the music was a delight. <br />It is always apparent that I know next to nothing about music, but I do like what I like, and Assassun's <i><b>Post-Climax</b></i> is one such album that fits that bill.</p><p>SCORE:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkNWWeiwHywl38tIx_L337MDIeOhl2aPjUT32q-h30DVJJYURe-BeGw6wFKT3dsVoTNgRm7_AkgEaAK4Tu5dw1ACMjeP4x1nmGvslb0k2U-mjPITfECO6dBvVCll08_UWUjtz-3QkNxJ7ccjdRJKseExdXOnw8kJ7PRRDiUuPjM3rPWqEuUQL0wq518s/s277/zom-rating-8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="36" data-original-width="277" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkNWWeiwHywl38tIx_L337MDIeOhl2aPjUT32q-h30DVJJYURe-BeGw6wFKT3dsVoTNgRm7_AkgEaAK4Tu5dw1ACMjeP4x1nmGvslb0k2U-mjPITfECO6dBvVCll08_UWUjtz-3QkNxJ7ccjdRJKseExdXOnw8kJ7PRRDiUuPjM3rPWqEuUQL0wq518s/s1600/zom-rating-8.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-58780122654485647632024-03-04T06:00:00.000-08:002024-03-04T06:00:32.820-08:00The Skinwalkers: American Werewolves 2 (2023) - Horror Documentary Review<p><i><b></b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4eD6syEwG3oXIjMkLTM3ZquKeAhY-1VG1Oaf2vdF1o07swJd23lMnmr8NjA_t8TQOrhAjPBjBm2UcbgNIXdDHiIgrrOVuTUYXlwHU8N4-_8gGV0W-xsV02PA9TZAJUiar6VPF3RgoGnak9mZoZRj8cN7te7MpRYeCbhJbFIRcHvkTqyvx_-9lqe-2Xs0/s1600/The%20Skinwalkers%20-%20Poster.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4eD6syEwG3oXIjMkLTM3ZquKeAhY-1VG1Oaf2vdF1o07swJd23lMnmr8NjA_t8TQOrhAjPBjBm2UcbgNIXdDHiIgrrOVuTUYXlwHU8N4-_8gGV0W-xsV02PA9TZAJUiar6VPF3RgoGnak9mZoZRj8cN7te7MpRYeCbhJbFIRcHvkTqyvx_-9lqe-2Xs0/w480-h640/The%20Skinwalkers%20-%20Poster.png" width="480" /></a></b></i></div><i><b><br />The Skinwalkers: American Werewolves 2</b></i> is <i>Small Town Monsters</i> follow up to 2022's <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2022/07/american-werewolves-2022-horror.html" target="_blank">American Werewolves</a></b></i> and covers a slightly different topic. While werewolves do feature again, this time around the focus is more on skinwalkers; creatures existing between life and death who are able to take on the form of both humans and animals by 'wearing' their skins.<p></p><p>This is set out in a very similar format to that other documentary and so for me falls into some of the same pitfalls. The eighty minute documentary is split up between nine or so different eyewitness accounts of purported skinwalkers. Each of these is split by a chapter heading giving the name of the next witness. Directed by Seth Breedlove, this again sees him taking more of a backseat. These interviews just have the witness talking on screen, sometimes with aerial shots or stock footage playing over their words. There is a definite horror vibe, both with the eighties synth sounding music, as well as inserted shots of close-ups of werewolves and skinwalker creatures.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju1NuSW3NFdDfceq8BsQ_RnkQprpRl2M8XemhJjPk7YHlgom3Iit0F3UeBjTRDaY-seqGcMEM6ZjlMSYerWLDXyclmMWNfeVlY7afR9bIxXB-Z-dYC2HC2GJ4zh3mezjLtdznPKUIKuGeDmTkM2giP7eU-f6m-1FYUDKr_uGYj6jb4xKiUEzCfftEhmfg/s1920/awstill12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju1NuSW3NFdDfceq8BsQ_RnkQprpRl2M8XemhJjPk7YHlgom3Iit0F3UeBjTRDaY-seqGcMEM6ZjlMSYerWLDXyclmMWNfeVlY7afR9bIxXB-Z-dYC2HC2GJ4zh3mezjLtdznPKUIKuGeDmTkM2giP7eU-f6m-1FYUDKr_uGYj6jb4xKiUEzCfftEhmfg/w640-h360/awstill12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>Many of the accounts come from Native Americans, it was really interesting to hear these tales based on their viewpoint of what these creatures are. It is apparently a taboo topic for them to talk about and so it isn't something they are that comfortable speaking about, one of the witnesses even has their face in shadow and their voice altered to keep their identity secret. The descriptions take on a similar vibe, people encountering either a large beast like creature on all fours, or a beast standing upright. Sometimes these creatures are spotted from afar, sometimes there is a direct interaction. One woman talks about seeing her dogs attacked by a creature, another speaks of the time some of her animals went missing. One still visibly affect man talks about how as a child one of these creatures got into his father's house. As always, these people speak with truth behind their words, whether what they encountered were actually supernatural creatures or explainable wild animals, they act in a matter of fact way about these being unnatural.<br />With a focus on New Mexico there comes a unified feel to these accounts. The problem of having nothing but account after account is that again it felt like the documentary would have benefitted by having more variety to it. There are little interjections where text on screen gives some facts about the area, but no overarching narration, nor any attempt to state a viewpoint either way.</p><p><i><b>The Skinwalkers: American Werewolves 2</b></i> certainly had some interesting moments, but is more like a series of stories (however true they might have been), rather than a more detailed look into the subject. This documentary comes to Cable VOD and Digital HD on <i>Blu-ray/DVD</i> on March 15th.</p><p>SCORE:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaI50NrJK13wvlq635poTyGW2By99hrx9QCOjp01kQTtYBIgSnAga-lh9uXryWLjPlZ1iOWpyFxk7N4KdAksQuoRox1SIVTPxW13digXNMXPx_zqfX8CtCu7iLQo9NkdZbY75bucHQ45iHPwTCbR6_ihHO_VIvM0HtOIbY6lUcbOg2GvuJ6nvoV2zc0o/s278/zom-rating-6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="36" data-original-width="278" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaI50NrJK13wvlq635poTyGW2By99hrx9QCOjp01kQTtYBIgSnAga-lh9uXryWLjPlZ1iOWpyFxk7N4KdAksQuoRox1SIVTPxW13digXNMXPx_zqfX8CtCu7iLQo9NkdZbY75bucHQ45iHPwTCbR6_ihHO_VIvM0HtOIbY6lUcbOg2GvuJ6nvoV2zc0o/s1600/zom-rating-6.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/-Mi-aaEi408?si=_fDNreq8tMXTSQDL" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-32986224982563125922024-03-01T04:25:00.000-08:002024-03-01T04:25:39.157-08:00There's No Such Thing as Zombies (2020) - Comedy Horror Film Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDlFztoGXWBIKsy8DmgqYkd7tyhSsSJ3YgTZp2RYdut8ceLUHquf3f626f5P10s6UPhig9Qo6wRI2B_dPp72lBjczvsltJSDgYK8F_yANVqIleUa7a_sMlBUnGRO0XoygAn2Y3RAu5ux-koUxSvB6rzCHe87O2yPKWTeNsy_YjJZGKqSaZ6K96A5bLGU/s2100/There's%20No%20Such%20Thing%20as%20Zombies%20-%20Poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2100" data-original-width="1575" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwDlFztoGXWBIKsy8DmgqYkd7tyhSsSJ3YgTZp2RYdut8ceLUHquf3f626f5P10s6UPhig9Qo6wRI2B_dPp72lBjczvsltJSDgYK8F_yANVqIleUa7a_sMlBUnGRO0XoygAn2Y3RAu5ux-koUxSvB6rzCHe87O2yPKWTeNsy_YjJZGKqSaZ6K96A5bLGU/w480-h640/There's%20No%20Such%20Thing%20as%20Zombies%20-%20Poster.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />Directed by Eddie Bammeke (<i><b>Talk of the Dead</b></i>) and written by Michael Haberfelner (<i><b>Talk of the Dead</b></i>, <i><b>A Killer Conversation</b></i>), <i><b>There's No Such Thing as Zombies</b></i> is a horror comedy that felt like it would have worked a whole lot better as a short film than as a feature length one. Due to this I found it quite a struggle to get through, a shame as the zombie genre is by far my favourite one.<div><br /></div><div>The film takes place within a world in a which a miracle drug for depression has very recently been discovered to have the unfortunate side effect of reanimating the bodies of heavy users of it. This has resulted in it being banned in the UK, though is still in use elsewhere, in particular the USA. To combat this threat, an organisation named the Z.I.A (Zombie Investigation Association) has been formed, though its members are all inexperienced. After her ex-boyfriend Paul (Rami Hilmi - <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2023/11/artifacts-of-fear-2023-horror-anthology.html" target="_blank">Artifacts of Fear</a></b></i>, <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2009/11/colin-review.html" target="_blank">Colin</a></b></i>) arrives at the apartment of the very dense Carlotta (Luana Ribeira - <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-eschatrilogy-2012-zombie-horror.html" target="_blank">The Eschatrilogy: Book of the Dead</a></b></i>), she welcomes him in, unaware he is actually a zombie. When her husband Colin (Rudy Barrow - <b><i>Dead Walkers: Rise of the 4th Reich</i></b>) returns home he is alarmed to see Paul, and realises immediately he is undead due to Paul being responsible for the man's murder in the past.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYehBWA3F12xF3g1rMV3eM9mBnBlHPYGQ0w_rOdrk5pZha0pxvmE1EZAysDhdVlXckw8OhQj6szH1pv1Mb2WE_NxFVp8Fkd7fYMR4mRB-EWZ7vH1gw_tBoumSaUTujaIkHZThkFZBnGatRcDBKlm5utzS60Mn_PU3faGPaN32FIilMVzBt06KukAW7JM/s640/There's%20No%20Such%20Thing%20as%20Zombies%20-%20Luana%20Ribeira.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnYehBWA3F12xF3g1rMV3eM9mBnBlHPYGQ0w_rOdrk5pZha0pxvmE1EZAysDhdVlXckw8OhQj6szH1pv1Mb2WE_NxFVp8Fkd7fYMR4mRB-EWZ7vH1gw_tBoumSaUTujaIkHZThkFZBnGatRcDBKlm5utzS60Mn_PU3faGPaN32FIilMVzBt06KukAW7JM/w640-h360/There's%20No%20Such%20Thing%20as%20Zombies%20-%20Luana%20Ribeira.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>The main issue I had with <i><b>There's No Such Things as Zombies</b></i> is that there is only really the one idea used to carry the film, but the long length for this type of idea (clocking in at ninety five minutes) is just too extended for this to work well. It essentially boils down to a three person single room drama with division between Carlotta and Colin, due to the former not believing Paul is really a zombie, and the later knowing full well that he is. This got old really fast, so it seemed crazy to me that the back and forth of this conflict was what the whole movie was based around. I found Carlotta to be intensely annoying due to how unbelievably stupid she was. Colin was no better as he frequently physically abuses his wife, someone who is happy to take the punishment in her simple minded obliviousness that this is far from the right way to behave. Much of the humour comes from her interactions with Paul, seeing his many attempts to bite her as him just playing around.</div><div>It seemed at first that the two Z.I.A members who appear at the film's start would have a key role to play. These two (played by Debra Lamb and Scott Hillier) instead spend the majority of the film standing outside the apartment, their power as Z.I.A members appearing to be extremely slight. It did lead to some actual humorous moments of them constantly being startled by gunfire happening in the apartment, but trying to act like what is going on in there is none of their business.<br />Bizarrely, the very best storyline in the film was taking place on a TV screen that the protagonists occasionally turn on. This was set in a UK news studio in which an American high-up member of the zombie causing drug company (Lynn Lowry - <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2023/12/wolf-hollow-2023-horror-film-review.html" target="_blank">Wolf Hollow</a></b></i>, <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2021/08/cynthia-2018-comedy-horror-film-review.html" target="_blank">Cynthia</a></b></i>) is trying to convince everyone that zombies don't exist, despite increasing evidence that isn't the case.</div><div><br /></div><div>With much of the humour not to my tastes there wasn't much here to keep my attention, I really struggled to pay attention to the dull meandering story. I'm never keen on jokes about sex, which is what the main form of humour is about here, and I found the characters all unlikeable. Being an indie film, and being a comedy, the make-up effects for the zombie were very slight. Paul has white make-up on his face, but the rest of his body is free of make-up. The only blood to be found in the movie is very obviously computer generated. The actual number of undead featured in the movie is a small handful, in total I think there were only around six or seven, with the majority of the run time just focussed on Paul, who being tied up for nearly the entire film doesn't actually do much. The set had barely any detail to it, not seeming like an actual apartment, the floor didn't even have carpet on it. I did like the use of sound effects, such as when characters suggest something (such as firing an imaginary gun) and the sound of the real thing being inserted.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzhOS2Ol72CGYHevoKal0-E8h4Vt9Y-MH_xBPg1herF4Zm3Nxprcvu8WltMMNUZ-e523sZn9macck1PkNHfPmLI5lGoyOszvTLiRhmhYldJlSzaIaa6LAleiYQt0l9DV-I0kR7hsvDPFfWlbmE8wtvrlCu-9aSxWHXs4wlir0QwAHoB-lHLuXGL5sKtg/s1920/There's%20No%20Such%20Thing%20as%20Zombies%20-%20Zombie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzhOS2Ol72CGYHevoKal0-E8h4Vt9Y-MH_xBPg1herF4Zm3Nxprcvu8WltMMNUZ-e523sZn9macck1PkNHfPmLI5lGoyOszvTLiRhmhYldJlSzaIaa6LAleiYQt0l9DV-I0kR7hsvDPFfWlbmE8wtvrlCu-9aSxWHXs4wlir0QwAHoB-lHLuXGL5sKtg/w640-h360/There's%20No%20Such%20Thing%20as%20Zombies%20-%20Zombie.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>I love a good zombie film, I even love bad ones, but with <i><b>There's No Such Thing as Zombies</b></i> I found myself getting increasingly bored, I found it a chore to sit through for review. There are little moments that worked well, such as the subplot set at the news studio, but all in all, I just couldn't shake the feeling that this would have worked so much better as a twenty to thirty minute short film, as there just wasn't enough to warrant this being feature length. <i><b>There's No Such Thing as Zombies</b></i> has been released on streaming services worldwide.</div><div><br /></div><div>SCORE:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUbUAk_klgl2_87aBExESKOm5PFRIAbiodzS0ol3WFmft-08SJRFEJ-Iq1PdDCZHeCGvi9h_4x8mjwJo_DRgutvclAK9u89kihu9imkQxiEnelFsDkcm2mrSfKcxJYakpTs67rZ-7sGmm70gsYeythyP8c-EwJR-Mno12n7HlWL6FP52l-68e-2HWAz30/s277/zom-rating-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="36" data-original-width="277" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUbUAk_klgl2_87aBExESKOm5PFRIAbiodzS0ol3WFmft-08SJRFEJ-Iq1PdDCZHeCGvi9h_4x8mjwJo_DRgutvclAK9u89kihu9imkQxiEnelFsDkcm2mrSfKcxJYakpTs67rZ-7sGmm70gsYeythyP8c-EwJR-Mno12n7HlWL6FP52l-68e-2HWAz30/s1600/zom-rating-3.jpg" width="277" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
<iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/844524691?h=df6a7835d8" width="640"></iframe>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-29752780137333182502024-02-29T04:25:00.000-08:002024-02-29T04:25:06.548-08:00The Rotting Zombie's Round-up of Horror News for February 2024<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpblbQsZ_OxlkFTrOFXqc8U2oXFIxaQRvtntOJ7kKBiP4Iwj10NDuOEPaS0DiA7mDXX9zvIj08XNM28yFEKfu9dCO596ywPY8fNgULyYg3mexp4FBA9NXyph6-wR7Dh3F2HRGxw-1QydyGx3nkL9EwIrByLD8cqCcD6gXAmoYf18E3F7h_hbS4hllTuuc/s2436/Bloody%20Summer%20Camp%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2436" data-original-width="1657" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpblbQsZ_OxlkFTrOFXqc8U2oXFIxaQRvtntOJ7kKBiP4Iwj10NDuOEPaS0DiA7mDXX9zvIj08XNM28yFEKfu9dCO596ywPY8fNgULyYg3mexp4FBA9NXyph6-wR7Dh3F2HRGxw-1QydyGx3nkL9EwIrByLD8cqCcD6gXAmoYf18E3F7h_hbS4hllTuuc/w436-h640/Bloody%20Summer%20Camp%202.jpeg" width="436" /></a></div><br />Another month passed and another news round-up. I have just under an hour allocated to write this post, so hopefully it will be longer than last months round-up. In 'me' news, I have come up with a new plan for doing my blog, something I came up with while taking a rare week off of writing it. Elsewhere, I briefly lost the use of my PC, but discovered laptop blogging actually wasn't that bad, anyway, onto the news.<div><br /></div><div><i><b>Bio Raiders</b></i> is an Asian vampire horror film that has been released on <i>Blu-ray</i> in the US by<i> BayView Entertainment</i>. Directed by Tommy Leung and starring Luo Tian Chi, Siu-Ho Chin and Richard Ng, this Chinese language horror tells the story of a herbalist who accidentally transforms his sick daughter into a zombie, and so most prevent the world from finding out.</div><div><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/E39XeLDAuiw?si=eXiHYcTA-0IbewP3" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><i><b>The Dead Follows</b></i> is now available to rent/buy on <i>Amazon Prime Video</i> worldwide, again via <i>BayView Entertainment</i>. This is about two ghost-hunting detectives who get trapped in a haunted complex, and so must find a way to escape the horrors. This was directed by Victor Huesca and Jazmyne Nikole, also starring them, alongside Malcolm Alvarez.</div><div><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/2QfeHiadnNY?si=jVfb1z96eWoCHzji" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>Yet another <i>BayView Entertainment</i> release next, another Asian horror, this time the David Chuang directed <i><b>The Tag Along: Devil Fish</b></i>, which has been released on region free <i>Blu-ray</i> in the US. This one has a spirit medium who is charged with exorcising a demon from a possessed man. Two students inadvertently prevent this from happening when they capture the possessed man, hoping to make a documentary about what is happening.</div><div><br /></div>
<iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/717982352?h=a3d082f874" width="640"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>Another Asian horror and another <i>BayView Entertainment</i> release, <i><b>Vampire Cleanup Department</b></i> is out now on region free <i>Blu-ray</i> in the US. In this one, a young recruit (Babyjohn Choi) to a secret vampire hunting group falls in love with one of the vampires he is tasked with killing.</div><div><br /></div><div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/CD8K_QIAbCM?si=oVBBHoaH1PHj1NGf" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Starring the iconic Bill Oberst Jr (<i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-man-in-room-6-2022-horror-film.html" target="_blank">The Man in Room 6</a></b></i>, <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2020/07/devils-junction-handy-dandys-revenge.html" target="_blank">Devil's Junction: Handy Dandy's Revenge</a></b></i>), 2009's <i><b>Dismal</b></i> sees a group of students heading out to a remote area of the Great Dismal Swamp as part of an extra credit assignment for a biology course. It is there that in the fashion of <i><b>The Hills Have Eyes</b></i> and <i><b>Wrong Turn</b></i>, they discover a group of cannibals. This releases March 26th from <i>Bayview Entertainment</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/9EW6FpKswgE?si=WImiwi_ExnKSlmXC" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>It has turned into an unplanned <i>Bayview Entertainment</i> month as <i><b>Aware of the Wolf</b></i> is another one of theirs. Releasing later this year, this was directed by Joshua Nelson and stars Tony Murphy, Suzanne Johnson and Katie Raulerson. Terry is a life coach for the more nervous and timid of those in society, however, his methods are able to unleash the 'wolf' hidden deep inside of them.</div><div><br /></div><div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/rV3kdVfCyjE?si=u1SkOP5ZTQW7m9l4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Freestyle Digital Media</i> have acquired the documentary, <i><b>Shadows in the Desert: High Strangeness in the Borrego Triangle</b></i>. Due to be released on North American <i>VOD</i> platforms and <i>DVD</i> on March 5th, this feature length paranormal documentary follows Derek Hayes and David Flora as they head to the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park that is notorious for reports of cryptids, ghosts and UFOs.</div><div><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/9Fp1tZu1Ff0?si=v6GOA8llu9WDHTYe" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>Finally for today, <i><b>Bloody Summer Camp 2: Red Horizon</b></i> has launched a crowd funding campaign on <i>Indiegogo</i> which has already exceeded its goal. This comes from <i>Slasher 15 Productions</i> and as the title suggests is a sequel to their 80's slasher throwback, <i><b>Bloody Summer Camp</b></i>. This sequel is due to take place in 1994 and will bring back several members of the original cast, including Felissa Rose (<i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2020/10/camp-twilight-2020-horror-film-review.html" target="_blank">Camp Twilight</a></b></i>, <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2021/01/sleepaway-camp-1983-horror-film-review.html" target="_blank">Sleepaway Camp</a></b></i>) in a film that sees Camp Holiday Trails re-opened after the massacre of the first movie and rebranded as Red Horizon. Check out the <i>Indiegogo</i> page <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bloody-summer-camp-red-horizon-horror-film#/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-59128528637926058732024-02-28T04:39:00.000-08:002024-02-28T04:39:46.704-08:00Ship of the Damned (2024) - Horror Film Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEoHw40wGxOm0gTArgbggKvDXXbuQwIkG6ruXRrvqpw8qbXCttLuTypm5YyMsx5g2zpFQcYYZOY7WObI8qKTRqJKfQiOKEKe3IY8uEzwf31e0elRJhuYV4MgkSY3x7TNaO1OLfE92QDTKfHoaLSRq_n7b8AANnm_KCI6AI21Kc6yaeHrvTkTlQI_sDU0/s1200/Ship%20of%20the%20Damned%20-%20Poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEoHw40wGxOm0gTArgbggKvDXXbuQwIkG6ruXRrvqpw8qbXCttLuTypm5YyMsx5g2zpFQcYYZOY7WObI8qKTRqJKfQiOKEKe3IY8uEzwf31e0elRJhuYV4MgkSY3x7TNaO1OLfE92QDTKfHoaLSRq_n7b8AANnm_KCI6AI21Kc6yaeHrvTkTlQI_sDU0/w426-h640/Ship%20of%20the%20Damned%20-%20Poster.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />As soon as I saw that Steve Lawson (<i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2023/08/wrath-of-dracula-2023-horror-film-review.html" target="_blank">Wrath of Dracula</a></b></i>, <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2023/01/the-mummy-resurrection-2022-horror-film.html" target="_blank">The Mummy: Resurrection</a></b></i>) was the writer and director on <i><b>Ship of the Damned</b></i> I knew exactly what to expect. I know this indie director for horror films that feature plenty of talking and not much action, and which take place almost exclusively in sparsely decorated interior locations. In that respect this didn't contain any surprises, but any film of his I see nowadays that isn't set in Victorian London (a regular haunting place of his movies) is fine by me.<div><br /></div><div>An apparent five hundred year old ship is discovered floating abandoned out in the sea off the coast of England and is towed to land by the coast guards. Elena (Hannaj Bang Bendz - <i><b>Wrath of Dracula</b></i>, <i><b>Dead Island 2</b></i> video game voice work), an expert of ships from that era is called in by her coastal worker ex-boyfriend Michael (Jacob Anderton - <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2021/05/ripper-untold-2021-horror-film-review.html" target="_blank">Ripper Untold</a></b></i>) to verify that the ship is as old as it appears to be. Fascinated by the ship, she convinces Michael to give her access to explore it, so together they head off to have a look. Upon going below decks however they discover a crew of pirates who swiftly take them prisoner before setting sail. They learn that these are the original crew members of the ship, cursed with immortality, who are forced to forever roam the seas, able to only exist on human flesh and unable to ever leave their vessel. The captain, Jacob (Ben Manning - <i><b>The Snarling</b></i>, <i><b>Cleavers: Killer Clowns</b></i>) believes that the only way to break the curse he is under is to create life on the ship, and for that he needs Elena...</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGCFWtSiTxHzz5__lveB3S98RARBDgVQUNWQon0FnAxosYm7YzFNbjlthLudYUqyeENfOyQ_jACI6OGfqEbavZgOQTnCgbP5vJvQXUKm4RsDY6SAnoyuL20PPnUw5Wx6vVj2qatI-ixoWY2xpb1Apbw_6jqnia0s3etf1wDRtLKt9n9q29fxRSa1sIZQ/s900/Ship%20of%20the%20Damned%20-%20Crew.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="900" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGCFWtSiTxHzz5__lveB3S98RARBDgVQUNWQon0FnAxosYm7YzFNbjlthLudYUqyeENfOyQ_jACI6OGfqEbavZgOQTnCgbP5vJvQXUKm4RsDY6SAnoyuL20PPnUw5Wx6vVj2qatI-ixoWY2xpb1Apbw_6jqnia0s3etf1wDRtLKt9n9q29fxRSa1sIZQ/w640-h272/Ship%20of%20the%20Damned%20-%20Crew.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>It was both a blessing and a curse itself to see Lawson was the director on this. I was well in the mood for a pirate based horror film, but I knew that his involvement would lead to only claustrophobic dimly lit interior shots. The pirate side of things was fantastic, the pirate crew are as generic and as stereotypical as they come, but this is exactly what I want my pirates to be like. It at times felt like a more horror focussed version of <i><b>Pirates of the Caribbean</b></i>, with the crew members being a highlight. Jacob was a great antagonist, while a bad person, he has elements to his character that makes you ever so slightly pity him. I thought Bang Bendz was great in <i><b>Wrath of Dracula</b></i>, and here, she pretty much plays the same headstrong powerful character she did there, though this time in a modern day setting. This of course was a good thing, she made for an enjoyable protagonist. The cowardly Michael was probably the weakest link here, playing a bit of a comedic awkward character that didn't lead to me having much time for him.</div><div><br /></div><div>The film mainly takes place in narrow wooden corridors, but to be fair there are plenty of sound effects of creaking wood and outside waves to simulate the feeling of being on a ship and not a static set. Less impressive are the exterior shots of an obviously computer generated ship, which even led to me initially thinking this was going to be a CG film entirely. There are a few action sequences that were entertaining to watch, leading to some unexpectedly violent moments, typically involving a large dagger prop. When it comes down to it, this is far more content for long scenes of characters talking, but I didn't mind this, and I thought the mid-film exposition of exactly what had happened to the crew was fun. With how easily the cursed pirates are able to die, it did make me wonder how they had lasted over four hundred years, surely they would have all killed themselves or each other by that point as they don't appear to have any more vitality than a regular person. <br />Throughout there is a perfectly suited soundtrack that was at once both generic and exciting in a swashbuckling way.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>Ship of the Damned</b></i> may not be high art, but it was fun and exciting, helped by a good choice of characters on the whole. I felt engaged with the protagonist's plight, thought Manning made for a compelling (if stereotypical) antagonist, and really liked how the film ended.</div><div><br /></div><div>SCORE:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_tofuW2gDuc-oOyqz1wb_r4DvP5sNfs4GPyZWlNMxLeiOlmTPfzatPSZz4OhFoFiYA5BtOkrdpp8UsrAmmc3DlZe1bb7zxmIgFVVmuqEViB7VxVBattNh5B9pp5xzb-lp3VAM2WYOV_Sw0irCpmI3iZepMvsmG_D5P953ieYvgb4e5YU9S8zrx_dN2xI/s278/zom-rating-7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="36" data-original-width="278" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_tofuW2gDuc-oOyqz1wb_r4DvP5sNfs4GPyZWlNMxLeiOlmTPfzatPSZz4OhFoFiYA5BtOkrdpp8UsrAmmc3DlZe1bb7zxmIgFVVmuqEViB7VxVBattNh5B9pp5xzb-lp3VAM2WYOV_Sw0irCpmI3iZepMvsmG_D5P953ieYvgb4e5YU9S8zrx_dN2xI/s1600/zom-rating-7.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-72517918196038135342024-02-27T05:36:00.000-08:002024-02-27T05:39:26.403-08:00Loop Hero (2021-24) - Post Apocalyptic Video Game Review (Xbox Series X)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpjtfsvdifyfJHiewreRwWDdmOS9jPIQa8TSsU8nxkN-0AIYE5BG7a5a7W5Muncr6kWFhPyKZbY5lKfVlRWKp7quZAiU81vzt2SuQ8juSkrrqIcIWOug3ZDQI7swOlwJ9v2w5NpUs4whcKDNaFIuxgns1p-MJ5ftbpYz36SCVJpyUIm_83pyhnBzG7Hs/s2000/Loop%20Hero%20-%20Title.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpjtfsvdifyfJHiewreRwWDdmOS9jPIQa8TSsU8nxkN-0AIYE5BG7a5a7W5Muncr6kWFhPyKZbY5lKfVlRWKp7quZAiU81vzt2SuQ8juSkrrqIcIWOug3ZDQI7swOlwJ9v2w5NpUs4whcKDNaFIuxgns1p-MJ5ftbpYz36SCVJpyUIm_83pyhnBzG7Hs/w640-h320/Loop%20Hero%20-%20Title.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I first heard of <i><b>Loop Hero</b></i> from a work colleague in my day job. He often recommends games he has been trying out on <i>Xbox Game Pass</i>, and usually they really aren't my thing. With <i><b>Loop Hero</b></i> though he struck gold, while originally released back in 2021, this only arrived on the <i>Xbox</i> platforms last April. After ten months of playing, and with an overall play time of forty six hours, I finally finished this fantastic game a week or so back, and can easily state that it is the best game I played out of all those wonderful gems of 2023.<div><br /></div><div>The game has a very basic and charming old school look to it, with the entire game taking place on just the one screen, but it has a compelling set-up that combined with its addictive nature kept me coming back again and again. The synopsis is that the world the game takes place in has ended, not the typical post apocalyptic landscape, but a world in which everything has literally ended, with there being nothing but an endless black void. The intro text states that an evil lich was the one who ended reality, though it later turns out not to be quite as simple as that. For reasons unknown, the only thing that has survived is a small camp. You play as the simply titled 'Hero' who has awakened to find himself in this camp. Leaving the place you discover that your travels cause the world to be filled in and re-built around you, but should you retreat back to the place of safety, or should you be knocked unconscious and brought back home, then the world will once again fall away into nothingness. Initially you set out to defeat the evil lich, hoping with his death the world will be restored.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCFFPmoivXNrDJVUNGYW_02kpzGm32TzF6nl3cQxTAlZYjgv6CKkd6FAk7ozDzlkpH-uthVHndnGeMTwqF5uxgVTkng2rtnyMXUCxcGql5s3Zh2hUsEWCyI-iikSB7GWxbSaCnMJGjtrnGfwEYDYD212VQ_j2KS2-o14yOqA7kjvzP9LuF1tbqnEpUss/s1200/Loop%20Hero%20-%20Loop.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCFFPmoivXNrDJVUNGYW_02kpzGm32TzF6nl3cQxTAlZYjgv6CKkd6FAk7ozDzlkpH-uthVHndnGeMTwqF5uxgVTkng2rtnyMXUCxcGql5s3Zh2hUsEWCyI-iikSB7GWxbSaCnMJGjtrnGfwEYDYD212VQ_j2KS2-o14yOqA7kjvzP9LuF1tbqnEpUss/w640-h360/Loop%20Hero%20-%20Loop.webp" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>The story ties into the gameplay as it provides a lore reason for why this is a rogue-like. The world being filled in also fits this, as you have a hand in creating the small world of the loop. Each new run you start creates a random smallish loop which your character automatically travels around. There will be various enemies you encounter, but again this results in automation, with you automatically attacking enemies until either you or they die. By defeating enemies you receive a variety of things. Resources can be used to take back to camp in order to develop it, items and weapons can be equipped to make yourself stronger, while tile cards can be placed both on the loop itself and the surrounding world can be used to force particular enemy encounters, as well as to increase your stats. Loop tiles can for instance be a forest, this area will spawn wolves of a kind, as well as give you wood resource for passing through them. Placing mountains on the world outside the loop will increase your health, suburbs will increase your experience, grass will increase the healing granted at the start of every day (there is a swift day cycle that also constantly is looping). The cards can also be combined to give different boosts. For instance, putting a village tile on the loop (which grants you a quest against a stronger enemy in order to get a reward, as well as healing you for passing through it) combined with a vampire mansion tile on the world next to it (which spawns vampires) creates a cursed village that will then spawn zombies for the next three or four loops but then results in a better village after this.</div><div>You can have a total of fifteen different tiles equipped at any one time. My favourites were an Oblivion card that has the ability to destroy a placed tile, and an outpost card that sees an A.I join you in any battles taking place on the loop around it.</div><div><br /></div><div>The game is split into two parts, the loop journey itself, and all the management back at camp. This later part gets more involved the further you develop it. Buildings placed give permanent boosts to your character such as more health and more strength, and also help you in the crafting aspect. Huts increase the number of stat increasing items you can have equipped, lost books recovered allow you to unlock really interesting lore (multiple bits of lore not only exist for enemies and tiles, but even furniture and resources have their own lore). The alchemy section become essential for later upgrades as they allow you to transmute any resource into any other type of resource. You can also build a potion area which provides you with health potions you automatically use on your loop, and guard towers that will cause soldiers to join in any battles near the camp tile. This camp section is essential enough that the game even deems fit to give you stats for time played both in and out of the camp. I had an overall playtime of forty six hours, but ten of those hours were spent fiddling around back at base.<br />While I thought the game was unique and fascinating it isn't without its faults. I loved the music, but there are only a handful of tunes, so you are constantly hearing the same couple of background tunes while travelling around. These sometimes had some audio distortions to them which didn't sound intended. A likely bigger stumbling block for most will be the amount of grinding needed to be able to beat the game. It is split up into four chapters, each giving enemies more abilities, as well as resulting in a different boss encounter. From the simple presentation it might seem impossible that you could put so many hours into it, but these for me included around ten to fifteen hours of pure grinding. Enjoying the game so damn much this wasn't an issue, I liked sticking on a podcast and just doing a few runs for resource gathering purposes.<br />An actual real life issue might arise for people in that the studio behind the game, <i>Four Quarters</i>, are based in Russia. The team did put out an official statement stating their opposition to the terrible invasion of Ukraine, and also said that they are perfectly happy with people pirating the game if they are unable to purchase it due to sanctions placed on Russia currently.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuDOroLlC5aqUeDZy8KUaE6AiY9l-gV_99DmTUBKk_RXqzzAVAdR4Ij90ByUUKCTp13u8354qsNpsFXjiVcUb_s2M6QFmgx-rxA9nSaAbdJsKBX8CFD4k-dqKgK4zjIUp0YTZDnVpsLbgaAeQQFeIa8yxVWDdLXDD506dtwR6qs5a7yXTWxgw-FB7q8uo/s1920/Loop%20Hero%20-%20Combat.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuDOroLlC5aqUeDZy8KUaE6AiY9l-gV_99DmTUBKk_RXqzzAVAdR4Ij90ByUUKCTp13u8354qsNpsFXjiVcUb_s2M6QFmgx-rxA9nSaAbdJsKBX8CFD4k-dqKgK4zjIUp0YTZDnVpsLbgaAeQQFeIa8yxVWDdLXDD506dtwR6qs5a7yXTWxgw-FB7q8uo/w640-h360/Loop%20Hero%20-%20Combat.webp" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>I found <i><b>Loop Hero</b></i> to be an almighty breath of fresh air. I enjoyed every second of this wonderful game, I loved the atmosphere, I loved the world, I loved how something so simple looking could be so much fun to play (for an idea of just how purposely simple the game is, the player character is represented by a small all-white stick figure on the map screen. As always when reviewing a game I have loved, I have waffled on without even going into everything. I could have mentioned the three different classes (warrior, rogue, and necromancer), gone into more detail on the amount of tiles and combinations there are, and explained everything in general better. <i><b>Loop Hero</b></i> is currently free to play if you own <i>Game Pass</i>, but is also not that expensive (I believe around £10). Due to liking it so much I happily brought a copy to be able to keep. Well worth playing, and my top game of 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div>SCORE:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmO_rtzyFDLqon5a2C_TDYUXMTzjID_CTPwjgsgqYRaF0sQ_m3amVWj9RQtzBrhinnYxtpOP3G021GkG1h-wwb7KovM8PYR0G383htsgWYl6I-JeBV-B-kaKd5-9tydEb5pu3aiB8_41nXY9gbCiTmPAVab71__wSyQHRIQz2hfSoSsiz7qzOCIBTE_PM/s279/zom-rating-10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="36" data-original-width="279" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmO_rtzyFDLqon5a2C_TDYUXMTzjID_CTPwjgsgqYRaF0sQ_m3amVWj9RQtzBrhinnYxtpOP3G021GkG1h-wwb7KovM8PYR0G383htsgWYl6I-JeBV-B-kaKd5-9tydEb5pu3aiB8_41nXY9gbCiTmPAVab71__wSyQHRIQz2hfSoSsiz7qzOCIBTE_PM/s1600/zom-rating-10.jpg" width="279" /></a></div>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-74627249728142530272024-02-26T06:00:00.000-08:002024-02-26T06:00:22.257-08:00Ingress (2024) - Sci-fi Film Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwP9w5cDDX8oix5Bb1n39HDa7pxSX9uiQkohcR6XrlCmuGzLFsVXz4fM1mf5fTHBp4jW586CPvA1ryZ3xdOmgbojG6Y21xowZC_KlmLUj4__JiwLNj5bi1b14NyvKVegVvkIabg73dDNV8UiG77qDHd1-DC-B1hswm3Rb3sjXJndKQ5QcJixo6an6ayog/s1333/Ingress%20-%20Poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwP9w5cDDX8oix5Bb1n39HDa7pxSX9uiQkohcR6XrlCmuGzLFsVXz4fM1mf5fTHBp4jW586CPvA1ryZ3xdOmgbojG6Y21xowZC_KlmLUj4__JiwLNj5bi1b14NyvKVegVvkIabg73dDNV8UiG77qDHd1-DC-B1hswm3Rb3sjXJndKQ5QcJixo6an6ayog/w480-h640/Ingress%20-%20Poster.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><i><b>Ingress</b></i> is one of those films that at first glance doesn't look like it is a decent fit for a horror based blog. Truth be told, the Rachel Noll James written and directed sci-fi movie doesn't really have any moments of horror, but there are some themes that I personally love, and so I always jump at the chance to watch films including them. I love films about time travel, so they always get a free pass, but I also love the idea of multiverses. Sure, this topic might not appeal to everyone, especially after the glut of not so stunning <i>Marvel</i> films dealing with the topic, but its still a cool thing to think about. There is scope for this subject to be a confusing mess, but<i><b> Ingress</b></i> deals with it in quite a thoughtful if not perfect fashion.<p></p><p>With a nearly two hour run time there is plenty of time to ease the viewer into the set-up for the film. For the first forty or so minutes we exist alongside the protagonist character of Riley (played by Noll James herself) and have to try and piece together what is happening to her without any type of easy explanation. It appears that Riley has the unwelcome ability to travel between different realities, but that this ability isn't something she has had much control over in the past. In the present Riley has found a method to combat this travelling, and by recognising the early signs of it happening (represented on screen by a loud buzzing noise and the world around her starting to become digitally distorted), is able to prevent it happening.<br />Riley discovers that there is a man in the small town she lives in that might understand exactly what she has gone through. This man, Daniel (Christopher Clark in his film debut according to <i>IMDB</i>), is able to channel a consciousness calling itself 'Lucas' (voiced by Tim DeKay - <i><b>Oppenheimer</b></i>, <i><b>The Crow: Salvation</b></i>), this being states it has the power to be able to give Riley what she is most desperately missing in her life, something she believes to be the ability to travel to a dimension where her recently deceased husband Toby (Johnny Ferro) still lives.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJThmLf_zLZPPvo69wECxXEMjZ7_6XiOBRymGkCtSpxTSC3Qp5hOAJ-47kraXRmJyIetyoDIZvQQgg6sthDYm-bc4-NsUe5iXD4TjuL9qTN0wNqRVMBUl_tyVq66b_xTg-7XFFBq0uzGk6jOyJqdkcB0zLf95UsU2jmdSwS1uzcrYjcY9euzBc_tTWMw/s1280/Ingress%20-%20Noll%20James.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiJThmLf_zLZPPvo69wECxXEMjZ7_6XiOBRymGkCtSpxTSC3Qp5hOAJ-47kraXRmJyIetyoDIZvQQgg6sthDYm-bc4-NsUe5iXD4TjuL9qTN0wNqRVMBUl_tyVq66b_xTg-7XFFBq0uzGk6jOyJqdkcB0zLf95UsU2jmdSwS1uzcrYjcY9euzBc_tTWMw/w640-h360/Ingress%20-%20Noll%20James.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>It was interesting to me how the film allows you to just exist alongside Riley for the film's first act, before giving you an exposition dump on her prior life via an interview she has with Daniel. It was nice how neatly that all matched up with the information provided to the viewer. The film takes itself seriously, and wants the subject to be looked at in a mature way. This is sometimes to the detriment of the story being told, or at least it felt that way to me. There came a point in the movie where it felt like events were progressing nicely. There was a good mix of drama and romance, with an undercurrent of sci-fi. This leads to a mostly confusing third act in which Daniel develops into a protagonist in his own right, rather than a side character. While Riley is off trying to deal with her very strange curse, Daniel is off trying to deal with his own demons. With 'Lucas' having been with him his whole life, he had a troubled childhood, with it assumed he was schizophrenic, and this is something that still causes him to doubt himself. These events were both needed I feel, but it did rip the momentum out of the story a tiny bit, even if it leads to some neat moments where characters get to experience if 'the grass really is greener on the other side' as the saying goes.</p><p>Outside of the visible digital and audio effects used to display Riley's travelling, there are lots of moments where echoes of alternate presents bleed into the film, with both protagonists seeing ghostly visions, people appearing and speaking dialogue before fading away into nothing. Some of the ideas where terrifying in a real world sense, something people would be able to empathise with. The mid-film moment where Riley explains that one day she moved realities to discover her parents had died many years previously, and that since that point she had been unable to find a reality in which they still lived was heart breaking, and represented well by a flashback scene showing the moment this happened to her as a teen. Effects used throughout are all obviously digital ones, but there isn't much you can do when the effects need to demonstrate people phasing out of existence. There was one neat scene where Daniel is face-to-face with his inner voice of Lucas shown by him talking to an alternate version of himself in a mirror.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LFvimya0OkmBbmGmo6GvPj4BMllGlUtKv7UzyRNmT6uXz34LMFyUXku5zIywTrkCbxzvDhkw7nw93txI80yihVnSiJSPWqWUYqAUQElPG3AUUeNe4kPwF8qC_KoqbUZbbofZLaq4hkaK1K7LlOaI1Veaua_ftIesvGXZJDvW7pUuqwaJDpzWfqz5Gnk/s1920/Ingress%20-%20Noll%20James%202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LFvimya0OkmBbmGmo6GvPj4BMllGlUtKv7UzyRNmT6uXz34LMFyUXku5zIywTrkCbxzvDhkw7nw93txI80yihVnSiJSPWqWUYqAUQElPG3AUUeNe4kPwF8qC_KoqbUZbbofZLaq4hkaK1K7LlOaI1Veaua_ftIesvGXZJDvW7pUuqwaJDpzWfqz5Gnk/w640-h360/Ingress%20-%20Noll%20James%202.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i><b>Ingress</b></i> put a lot of thought into best getting its ideas across to the viewer. It may have lost me a bit in the slightly confusing later part of the film, but still got me enough in the feels that I did find myself getting a little bit teary in the epilogue of the movie. I thought Noll James, Clark, and Ferro in particular were perfect choices for the characters they played, and the rest of the cast were solid with no one feeling out of place. <i><b>Ingress</b></i> was released theatrically on January 23rd in ten theatres across the U.S, has previously been nominated for nine awards, and is the first narrative feature film helmed by US and UK-based production company, <i>Emergence Films</i>.</p><p>SCORE:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOPHpkaTf9s1VyGwhacppKIWj51fC-kVl5AkaNZBbtv2Rz_l6Zc3TYNi_ri-XnQo99zPpj1S1itdBNWk7OhpDvTcNVP1BjOjje4iGylyzt5HDo980U9NfTX3L7EVpojpl9jxI5dX2xHD1lqYtAH_Fdlop696AFeSb_vQHOVT5PvdqoJ7YUVqvCCKwn-M/s278/zom-rating-7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="36" data-original-width="278" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOPHpkaTf9s1VyGwhacppKIWj51fC-kVl5AkaNZBbtv2Rz_l6Zc3TYNi_ri-XnQo99zPpj1S1itdBNWk7OhpDvTcNVP1BjOjje4iGylyzt5HDo980U9NfTX3L7EVpojpl9jxI5dX2xHD1lqYtAH_Fdlop696AFeSb_vQHOVT5PvdqoJ7YUVqvCCKwn-M/s1600/zom-rating-7.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/FjyMgQwoYak?si=88Yf9xL0Fzz7iyYI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-30117676402618825982024-02-23T08:52:00.000-08:002024-02-23T08:52:32.071-08:00Create or Die (2024) - Documentary Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxofAQ3Zzi8wERe2hCZceBaID5tc3IxiHaUpUzltouqZvEBD1B6yFB2wVJ_0PSMyYTFX8DzZZRqTej9Moju-FblDPMLT-fEUPB4l2d4nwUXq6ff3RhdMAlbi7bIDOqCzIp2qyNQk0hDwB_ISM-bfYotzSLZOV1sDzLa1Vnf2oHA5VsKMQRpEtKuBNJSw/s2963/Create%20or%20Die%20-%20Poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2963" data-original-width="2000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxofAQ3Zzi8wERe2hCZceBaID5tc3IxiHaUpUzltouqZvEBD1B6yFB2wVJ_0PSMyYTFX8DzZZRqTej9Moju-FblDPMLT-fEUPB4l2d4nwUXq6ff3RhdMAlbi7bIDOqCzIp2qyNQk0hDwB_ISM-bfYotzSLZOV1sDzLa1Vnf2oHA5VsKMQRpEtKuBNJSw/w432-h640/Create%20or%20Die%20-%20Poster.jpg" width="432" /></a></div><br />At the start of the month I watched David Axe's latest film, <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2024/02/acorn-2023-fantasy-film-review.html" target="_blank">Acorn</a></b></i> for review. The film was meta in that it was about a filmmaker making a film within a film, and they in turn were being followed around by a documentary crew. <i><b>Create or Die</b></i> (directed, shot and edited by Sarah Massey) is a companion piece to that film, a more straightforward documentary, not only about the making of <i><b>Acorn</b></i>, but about Axe's creation process in general.<p></p><p>Having liked <i><b>Acorn </b></i>(personally thinking that it is Axe's best film to date), I was interested to see a behind the scenes documentary about its creation. I found this seventy minute piece to be really interesting, and also a bit inspiring. Not that I ever have any intention to do anything as creative as creating a film, but I could sense the drive that the director has, which compels him to carry on doing what he does. I could draw some very minor parallels with my perseverance with this blog, knowing full well that likely barely anyone ever reads it, but it is something that gives me personal satisfaction and a sense of leaving something behind for after I'm gone. Even if that something is just a poorly written blog where I critique the work of people that I could never create myself in a million years!<br />It was interesting to see how self deprecating Axe is, he openly admits that he doesn't think he is a good film maker, and that it is a constant work in progress. He states it is better to make bad movies than to make nothing at all, and that each film he does is a work in progress towards being a good filmmaker. It was cool to see his passion for filmmaking, despite his own criticisms of his ability as a creator, he is compelled to carry on, not for the hope of finding fame and fortune, but his own creativity as an artist.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAfQD05D786nLitu9P-lSi0m-GhKnhRC33fn1Gd9nimSeRvmKbWjkqZ5Pq6A-Y0b_GFCZueMfcXe379PFGry7UJchnjZilGBkp-DU-tb4U78KrsIm1HhR2L6QR-5AMpkVeD10CIKM2-7CVvhb07vt6h7pjb7LglGFGuKsrt8DjSkszNwicQPxVu3VSlQA/s3456/Create%20or%20Die%20-%20Actress.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="3456" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAfQD05D786nLitu9P-lSi0m-GhKnhRC33fn1Gd9nimSeRvmKbWjkqZ5Pq6A-Y0b_GFCZueMfcXe379PFGry7UJchnjZilGBkp-DU-tb4U78KrsIm1HhR2L6QR-5AMpkVeD10CIKM2-7CVvhb07vt6h7pjb7LglGFGuKsrt8DjSkszNwicQPxVu3VSlQA/w640-h360/Create%20or%20Die%20-%20Actress.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The creation of <i><b>Acorn</b></i> itself made up a lot of the documentary. That this was shot over just three weeks and is essentially two films in one was impressive. Talking about the editing process, and how this was very nearly two separate films rather than one integrated whole was fascinating. Again with the passion, the director talking about the most important scenes in his own movie was so interesting to watch. This is of course intercut with clips from the film, and also features parts about his prior films, such as <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2019/12/lection-2019-post-apocalyptic-film.html" target="_blank">Lection</a></b></i> and <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2022/01/bae-wolf-2022-comedy-fantasy-horror.html" target="_blank">Bae Wolf</a></b></i>. There are many talking head parts from people who worked on the film, both from the actors themselves, as well as crew members who have worked with Axe a lot over the years.</p><p>Maybe if you saw <i><b>Acorn</b></i> and didn't enjoy it then you wouldn't get so much out of this than I did. Usually I really am not a fan of behind the scenes stuff, I prefer to leave the creation process as much a mystery as possible to avoid me being pulled out of the movie I happen to be watching. I thought this was both really inspirational as well as enjoyable to watch. Best of all, the fantastic soundtrack from the film is used lots throughout, possibly the very best part of <i><b>Acorn</b></i> was that music, so a big plus for my enjoyment of <i><b>Create or Die</b></i>.</p><p>SCORE:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0b7Fg30pN-tsLCs4Cq6yIIwEp_zmGMM-aEpET_PrYMtRCHnbIzHWHLF-VwkMgHvieWHfDqmONfTDQJsZUmpEvmfI2FAh2esXbjUtTsL1gtsOHDhIFKscsvsQko3RiHMMGa-j2vESdNp99IBn0Conhw1r-Oa0T8MMY7s6DjFsFl2yGSBExOpDgMBzOkI/s277/zom-rating-8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="36" data-original-width="277" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0b7Fg30pN-tsLCs4Cq6yIIwEp_zmGMM-aEpET_PrYMtRCHnbIzHWHLF-VwkMgHvieWHfDqmONfTDQJsZUmpEvmfI2FAh2esXbjUtTsL1gtsOHDhIFKscsvsQko3RiHMMGa-j2vESdNp99IBn0Conhw1r-Oa0T8MMY7s6DjFsFl2yGSBExOpDgMBzOkI/s1600/zom-rating-8.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-74238794869311059132024-02-22T05:01:00.000-08:002024-02-22T05:01:10.203-08:00The Rotting Zombie's News Anthology for 22nd February 2024<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4lzy9qSukwhqDHzP-ll2HXLp-vgbzt-lEJGrd7XERZJX8E-wYpdXsdgiTeqg6TQ1Iui2SQBlM0YREEm-ny4evtYPhDiIaIMzacDn9ZO2ybxNyyxiJrCubIoV3_W9e5aql5BBan-h_gBN48zHYZVFe3wG0bNQeDPoZsJg9zCFLJMHoDJoAVvlM1XnExM/s931/Binding%20Souls%20%5BBlu-Ray%5D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="931" data-original-width="711" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4lzy9qSukwhqDHzP-ll2HXLp-vgbzt-lEJGrd7XERZJX8E-wYpdXsdgiTeqg6TQ1Iui2SQBlM0YREEm-ny4evtYPhDiIaIMzacDn9ZO2ybxNyyxiJrCubIoV3_W9e5aql5BBan-h_gBN48zHYZVFe3wG0bNQeDPoZsJg9zCFLJMHoDJoAVvlM1XnExM/w488-h640/Binding%20Souls%20%5BBlu-Ray%5D.jpg" width="488" /></a></div><br />My inbox doesn't get any smaller, I really need to dedicate some time to going through it at some point. Hopefully my monthly news round-up next week will be larger than it was last time around. With that all said and done, on to a trio of news stories.<p></p><p>An <i>Indiegogo</i> campaign is currently running to get funds for a sci-fi horror feature film that currently looks to be untitled. The film is to be about an underground cult who are attempting to discover the secret of immortality by performing experiments on victims. Jamie Langlands is to write, direct and produce this, I recognise him from his acting roles in <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2021/11/cam-2013-found-footage-horror-film.html">C.A.M</a></b></i> and <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2021/11/as-prelude-to-fear-2021-thriller-film.html" target="_blank">As A Prelude to Fear</a></b></i>. Meghan Adara is on board as the lead actress, and key crew roles have been decided. The campaign is to raise funds for hiring of the final two locations, for props, and to pay the salaries of the cast and crew. At the time of typing this campaign has raised £160 of its £2000 flexible goal with fifty three days left to go. For more details, check out the <i>Indiegogo</i> page <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/sci-fi-horror-feature-film#/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><i>Bayview Entertainment</i> have released Asian horror film <i><b>Binding Souls</b></i> on <i>Blu-ray</i> (region free) in the USA. This was directed by Pang-Chun Chan and written by Chaohong Huang, and stars Carlos Chan, Esther Huang and Yu-Ning Tsao. The synopsis states that a group of students return to their former high school. There they discover a diary that results in the group beginning to experience strange visions and occurrences, possibly linked to the school's dark past as a Japanese military laboratory during World War II.</p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Zci8OzDdJrw?si=6wImM9j7_5Ob6WrW" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>Finally for today, cult 1970's horror film <i><b>Night of the Blood Monster</b></i> is coming to <i>4K UHD</i> and <i>Blu-ray</i> on March 26th from <i>Blue Underground</i>. This is a complete and uncensored version of Jess Franco's horror (also known as <i><b>The Bloody Judge</b></i>). This stars Christopher Lee (<i><b>The Wicker Man</b></i>, <i><b>Dracula</b></i>) as Judge Jeffreys, the Lord Chief Justice of 17th century England, who abuses his position to condemn women as witches for his own 'political and sadistic desires'.</div><div><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/IKdFMl_lhIU?si=foR3b1Z7fLl8JhC1" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-77458581784411726792024-02-21T08:58:00.000-08:002024-02-21T08:58:54.365-08:00Lacuna (2021) - Horror Film Review<p><i><b></b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69e4637uk8_Vg_jAvYtLrpy2rFdDGrSLEw4gw9sCMxqemOTY5ssCHy806-ZP7FZG-I_GLU2hI4hA2ZXAaTR2-FaPDYRor0yWuknLp6VxjG546LgLxSGrXnG1NLNCwHjlWWsshFW3CgU7u9HyJO9Qd3fqUqH3ByYYKum30IBPdVHwY-wTcEUmkhE_x6Wk/s1600/LACUNA%20BAY4171%203X4%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69e4637uk8_Vg_jAvYtLrpy2rFdDGrSLEw4gw9sCMxqemOTY5ssCHy806-ZP7FZG-I_GLU2hI4hA2ZXAaTR2-FaPDYRor0yWuknLp6VxjG546LgLxSGrXnG1NLNCwHjlWWsshFW3CgU7u9HyJO9Qd3fqUqH3ByYYKum30IBPdVHwY-wTcEUmkhE_x6Wk/w480-h640/LACUNA%20BAY4171%203X4%20copy.jpg" width="480" /></a></b></i></div><i><b><br />Lacuna</b></i> is a Brazilian demonic possession film that was written and directed by Rodrigo Lages. Sure displays my lack of knowledge about languages as I was split between thinking this was either in Italian or French! While being a demonic possession film, it actually keeps that part slightly more grounded than a typical horror of this type. It makes for a bleak and morose movie dealing with the relative of the possessed, rather than the possessed themself.<p></p><p>Ever since her father passed away, Sofia (Lorena Comparato) has had to deal with her mother, Helena's (Kika Kalache) erratic behaviour. This culminates in a car accident that leaves the woman in a coma, with it unknown if she will recover from it. It isn't too long however before she does awaken, with her moving in to Sofia's apartment so that she can be looked after. The coma has changed Helena however, she becomes extremely withdrawn, prone to episodes of self harm, and often found muttering to herself in an unknown language. After Sofia discovers a notebook full of disturbing drawings and strange writing, she, with the help of her work colleague Dante (Guilherme Prates), reaches out to a demonology expert, to see if what is happening to her mother may not be medical in nature.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxFtOI4aIILOJ5ST249sH27-hbT6se-eB0k6NQnIyAXHAQoZpWMODktb2mVKFe6mAmNHCcg3K8SKN55UA5vhpbAuBtDIXvKRendycFyf9FLIfyfnNeIPL0c1_lTeiT4SUuX2fUVtHZ6-AO0PcvfOrwks1SO-Ogb5VYjZP7dw0PuJ3Ek8qtDCOOOUQOWXg/s3840/Lacuna%20-%20Hospital.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="3840" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxFtOI4aIILOJ5ST249sH27-hbT6se-eB0k6NQnIyAXHAQoZpWMODktb2mVKFe6mAmNHCcg3K8SKN55UA5vhpbAuBtDIXvKRendycFyf9FLIfyfnNeIPL0c1_lTeiT4SUuX2fUVtHZ6-AO0PcvfOrwks1SO-Ogb5VYjZP7dw0PuJ3Ek8qtDCOOOUQOWXg/w640-h320/Lacuna%20-%20Hospital.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>It appears rather early on that Helena may be possessed, with a shadowy figure that appears and disappears around her. There are no floating objects or spinning heads, instead the horror is more grounded in that it feels like Helena is a bit of an empty vessel since the accident (the title '<i><b>Lacuna</b></i>' being a word meaning an unfilled space). She has brief moments of clarity it seems to Sofia, and her behaviour is alarming but not something that makes Sofia feel she herself is in any sort of danger. Much of the film takes place away from Helena, with Sofia and company trying to find out what is happening. The middle of the film is when the demonology investigator makes an appearance, I liked that he doesn't really get much chance to interact with the protagonist, he knows far more than he lets on, but doesn't get a chance to reveal his knowledge. This leads to a bit of an obvious later twist, it may not have surprised, but it was well implemented, calling back to earlier events in the movie, while also showing how Helena came to be possessed.</p><p>This was a dark film, literally, with lots of it taking place at night. There were a few flashback sequences, but not enough to really show more of the relationship between mother and daughter that well. Outside of one sequence, it was never shown they had a good bond, and so her present day interactions with the disinterested woman doesn't really feel any different to their fractured relationship before the events of the movie. Special effects are used sparingly, often with key moments happening between scenes, they are effective however. Comparato was fine as the protagonist character, I thought Dante was a bit bland and generic. I thought Kalache managed to do a lot with a little. Despite her being near mute the entire film, her tallness and gaunt look made for a somewhat intimidating presence.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vK4Fb9gUUXxTpD4kdtFU22MhPy1PUabBhkXifMK_7ow0ayC5IgL8PXc4k7pQ1fEzgONBTHStzZoG6mIKAPg7tRXlBvJuXSw4qLPUuMtpUF_bnD-_MTqGO1zu3FbUdkpSEb_0yGWBPv8GF29zbJ_qCuXXd346_LcEpUnBnu19KTuPugeSUKG5_tHSfOs/s1200/Lacuna%20-%20Kika%20Kalache.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vK4Fb9gUUXxTpD4kdtFU22MhPy1PUabBhkXifMK_7ow0ayC5IgL8PXc4k7pQ1fEzgONBTHStzZoG6mIKAPg7tRXlBvJuXSw4qLPUuMtpUF_bnD-_MTqGO1zu3FbUdkpSEb_0yGWBPv8GF29zbJ_qCuXXd346_LcEpUnBnu19KTuPugeSUKG5_tHSfOs/w640-h360/Lacuna%20-%20Kika%20Kalache.webp" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i><b>Lacuna</b></i> succeeded as a horror film as there was no light to be found here. I do enjoy demonic possession films and thought this did something a little different, while also feeling influenced by films such as <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2018/06/hereditary-2018-horror-film-review.html" target="_blank">Hereditary</a></b></i>, but keeping more grounded on the whole. Perhaps a little slow, I wouldn't have minded a little more happening here, but it told its story well enough. <i><b>Lacuna</b></i> came to <i>Blu-ray</i> and EST/VOD/SVOD digital platforms on 28th November, and became available to view on AVOD on 1st January from <i>Bayview Entertainment</i>.</p><p>SCORE:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_DTUyHQFIk7zw4-Vxxnb58IqaDvctMcqDEY5bUTHG03q-4Oyry3MuWLFdTNI7_IZfJAxdt_SIlFxiIEODXAJCjltnbEptobWHVcQZqcXTIvX8tHSw7tMLAXaBHZQ3BUnS5dbYxGVUVK1EZlYDX362NwJITbvRC5SypuSzLHlH7B3gf4rdxFrTbq3pdw/s278/zom-rating-6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="36" data-original-width="278" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_DTUyHQFIk7zw4-Vxxnb58IqaDvctMcqDEY5bUTHG03q-4Oyry3MuWLFdTNI7_IZfJAxdt_SIlFxiIEODXAJCjltnbEptobWHVcQZqcXTIvX8tHSw7tMLAXaBHZQ3BUnS5dbYxGVUVK1EZlYDX362NwJITbvRC5SypuSzLHlH7B3gf4rdxFrTbq3pdw/s1600/zom-rating-6.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/DRKE11gHDZI?si=Ch0_WsKf3s5NdjuL" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-38457466897574143642024-02-20T09:18:00.000-08:002024-02-20T09:18:54.961-08:00Unstoppable (2023) - Horror Video Game Provisional Review (Steam)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oxNZP25EjJSwI_nH_IAVMbS7O4fyZbRcGWwGuATV65DmKcJXMF9ZyiKUSAgZ7wrPb74CgPl6yA0MvI4UN6zQh7U7B68vdfUUYvFvj5iYWnuqNiCKDiof2JGoPOY8iZAchtTS_bvz3zi9PwuYRxV-WLVf2Z9z_dTfJMjH2FM71HC_i9QWbAo0EJZ5yQU/s900/Unstoppable%20-%20Poster.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="900" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oxNZP25EjJSwI_nH_IAVMbS7O4fyZbRcGWwGuATV65DmKcJXMF9ZyiKUSAgZ7wrPb74CgPl6yA0MvI4UN6zQh7U7B68vdfUUYvFvj5iYWnuqNiCKDiof2JGoPOY8iZAchtTS_bvz3zi9PwuYRxV-WLVf2Z9z_dTfJMjH2FM71HC_i9QWbAo0EJZ5yQU/w640-h300/Unstoppable%20-%20Poster.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />First off, I will point you to the part of the header that states 'provisional'. That is there as I have not actually completed Korean survival horror video game <i><b>Unstoppable</b></i>. In contrast to its title, I frequently hit roadblocks, with my journey coming to a current end at the chapter three boss, that after weeks of trying I just cannot seem to beat. I do feel I have played enough of the game to write a review, though when I do eventually actually beat the game I will update this review to reflect my thoughts on the whole game.<p></p><p>This takes place in 1999, you play as a delivery man who has been tasked with delivering a package to an office block. Not long after delivering it however all chaos breaks loose, with the delivery man getting knocked out. He awakens to find that the staff in the building have gone feral, affected by a poison gas, they have become afflicted with rage, killing all that they come across. His task now is to make his way down through the floors of the office block, trying his best to avoid both the dangerous infected, but also a shadowy group who appear to have orchestrated the whole event for unknown reasons.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXo9YOnM6Y6Yajwzx1EhMyi0Z6neShLvvQzOtOT6-mfdpcFRipL-TLU8rdE67sCJrVxFKAZm1MhjOcXmmThaZlfQ6c41by4G4XiGcTpf3SKggBQ_2ux7mfEzA437tVjyd0xNnXZiYwiowDicPWYXPL-vNibenZIMFeZ-9WGQBf2KrJIJ2_0ro0Z2x8M4/s1920/Unstoppable%20-%20Shop.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXo9YOnM6Y6Yajwzx1EhMyi0Z6neShLvvQzOtOT6-mfdpcFRipL-TLU8rdE67sCJrVxFKAZm1MhjOcXmmThaZlfQ6c41by4G4XiGcTpf3SKggBQ_2ux7mfEzA437tVjyd0xNnXZiYwiowDicPWYXPL-vNibenZIMFeZ-9WGQBf2KrJIJ2_0ro0Z2x8M4/w640-h360/Unstoppable%20-%20Shop.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><i><b>Unstoppable</b></i> is split over four chapters, each of which is made up of around four to five floors of the building, each chapter culminating in a boss battle. The game has an isometric overhead perspective, and reminded me a lot visually of the '<i><b>Die Hard</b></i>' section of the video game <i><b>Die Hard Trilogy</b></i>. That is no bad thing as I loved that game. Each floor of the building has you searching for the access stairway to get to the next floor down. Along the way you have to fight infected, mainly using melee weapons that have durability. I'm assuming the business based at the office complex dealt with hardware, as the default weapon the infected carry are hammers, so many hammers! Levels are small, but they feel logical, the lack of variety in the locations makes this feel more realistic than if each level looked wildly different to the last. There is visual storytelling with many corpses and signs of past violence dotted around the rooms and corridors. There are some notes and files to be found, but I wish there had been more than the handful there seemed to be.</p><p>Combat is mainly melee focussed, though there are a variety of guns with limited ammo to be found. You have both a quick and heavy attack, as well as a dodge ability. Playing with a gamepad I found the combat to be enjoyable, if a little on the hard side at times. If you don't pay attention the enemies can swiftly make short work of you, and I sometimes found the dodge button caused me to leap forward towards an enemy rather than away like I had intended. It is the boss battles that really slowed down my progress. These were always against non-infected humans working for the shadowy group behind the outbreak, wielding unique weapons. The first boss took me a good while to work out how to beat, but I found this more interesting to decipher than frustrating, even if dying meant you had to re-do the level leading up to the boss each time. The chapter three boss was just too much for me, its attacks able to kill me in around three hits, while even after a good two to three minutes of fighting I was unable to reduce his health by even a quarter.<br />You can hold up to two weapons at a time, but melee weapons have limited durability, while guns have limited ammo that can't be replenished. You later get a special rage ability that allows you to attack with unlimited stamina for a time once a bar has filled up. During this state however you are still susceptible to attacks, so makes you a bit of a glass cannon.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJRedf-gwLRO25qXu9mVenUxEQII4paZbyKbqnYL4RZu0abO02NemxIonasYE852dUCY78d1QK3bnJJvUFSHNJofp4qB1rv1PSNAt3q2lZf1exHN16quYUqzfOd42veCQNGl6PcarwKV2YJUnw8yg9dUpBzKy8nv8PwiLgZiV67Tzf83aLeTKF1oulYo/s1920/Unstoppable%20-%20combat.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZJRedf-gwLRO25qXu9mVenUxEQII4paZbyKbqnYL4RZu0abO02NemxIonasYE852dUCY78d1QK3bnJJvUFSHNJofp4qB1rv1PSNAt3q2lZf1exHN16quYUqzfOd42veCQNGl6PcarwKV2YJUnw8yg9dUpBzKy8nv8PwiLgZiV67Tzf83aLeTKF1oulYo/w640-h360/Unstoppable%20-%20combat.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>The cutscenes were not amazing looking, but they had an old school charm to them. The same goes for the barebones story, it is completely functional, and gives you reason for doing what you are doing. I did like the transitions between chapters, as well as the playable character slowly getting access to better armour. If not for the tough boss battles and a lack of difficulty settings I may have enjoyed this more than I did. It certainly is not a bad game, but it does fall a little on the bland side. <i><b>Unstoppable</b></i> is out now in its completed form, it can be purchased on <i><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2289780/Unstoppable/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Steam</a></i>.</p><p>SCORE:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKE30Fay69hh1Pm9Du9_knQfK21Ou52Rs1UyWbJl6BcBsHdioDSesf2Pyuhqi07aqdMM9lXJYj-KkB1VnBuol-2idw8ejQhMgWyt-BOoqKzL2VRJILkxT6IykP6shsMEMpQ7BvBkuNjSB2MjGA-zxwyaqrm9PMI54r3XfaahnrcMCzJkZmq411-hmqUM/s278/zom-rating-6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="36" data-original-width="278" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKE30Fay69hh1Pm9Du9_knQfK21Ou52Rs1UyWbJl6BcBsHdioDSesf2Pyuhqi07aqdMM9lXJYj-KkB1VnBuol-2idw8ejQhMgWyt-BOoqKzL2VRJILkxT6IykP6shsMEMpQ7BvBkuNjSB2MjGA-zxwyaqrm9PMI54r3XfaahnrcMCzJkZmq411-hmqUM/s1600/zom-rating-6.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/s1x4YdL1KY0?si=KQih1kYCWSfWRcoA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-91491092915735976812024-02-19T12:16:00.000-08:002024-02-19T12:16:59.419-08:00Deliver Us (2023) - Horror Film Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIqWZLQtKl-XJVXwaaBVSL065kZsRPW2Ea7W6YL9uWuYbY_VUSj2Hk8gtKkMJ_P8hl2FyTJRdW72lXBhV8Yz3tqzQZ_ZgD_x4hyphenhyphenlYjgX2qsdPaDx5dXE8gmAvVRAB8N_4C8u9fxfTziCi_GNZeiI64ehQ-SftdGsQlNUB2I_SS8V3Lm1zt7OSPzQo6cY/s1500/Deliver%20Us%20-%20Poster.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIqWZLQtKl-XJVXwaaBVSL065kZsRPW2Ea7W6YL9uWuYbY_VUSj2Hk8gtKkMJ_P8hl2FyTJRdW72lXBhV8Yz3tqzQZ_ZgD_x4hyphenhyphenlYjgX2qsdPaDx5dXE8gmAvVRAB8N_4C8u9fxfTziCi_GNZeiI64ehQ-SftdGsQlNUB2I_SS8V3Lm1zt7OSPzQo6cY/w426-h640/Deliver%20Us%20-%20Poster.png" width="426" /></a></div><br />I rarely take time off from writing this blog, but a spur of the moment decision a week or so back saw me deciding that once a year on my birthday week I would do just that. This has led to all my scheduled posts being delayed by a week, but I think it has also helped me return to blogging more focussed.<br /><i><b>Deliver Us</b></i> is a religious horror co-directed by Cru Ennis and Lee Roy Kunz (the later also starring in the film and co-writing this with Kane Kunz) dealing with the antichrist. While I'm not a religious person, I do enjoy a good demonic possession film, and religious horror is a cousin of that genre.<div><br /></div><div>Father Daniel Fox (Lee Roy Kunz) is a priest looking to leave the Catholic church in order to start a family with his pregnant girlfriend. Having had a history of helping those who believe themselves to be possessed, he is asked to take on one last job. In a Russian convent there is signs that one of the sisters there, Sister Yulia (Maria Vera Ratti) is experiencing religious miracles, having gotten pregnant with twins in an apparent immaculate conception. Daniel assumes this to be something that can rationally be explained, but the convent leader, Cardinal Russo (Alexander Siddig - <i><b>Game of Thrones</b></i>, <i><b>Star Trek: Deep Space Nine</b></i> <i>TV</i> shows) believes it relates to an ancient prophecy older than the bible itself. The prophecy states that twins will be born, one an instrument for good and one an instrument for evil. This is something that Father Saul (Thomas Kretschmann - <i><b>Avengers: Age of Ultron</b></i>, <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2013/10/resident-evil-apocalypse-2004-zombie.html" target="_blank">Resident Evil: Apocalypse</a></b></i>) also believes, but his intentions are not noble, secretly worshipping the devil.<br />With Saul's intentions laid bare, Daniel, Russo and Yulia flee the convent, with the woman later giving birth on a train. They head to a remote house in Estonian woodland hoping to raise the children in peace, but Saul is hot on their heels, determined to kill the 'good' twin and usher in a time of darkness.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIfPwhx1Vp3h-weT9RruMD0_bST8VMvCSZF1itIsEpGeMJlAmDmVLrRbv6rGXrd68wz9LjVHO17ScTpwLAo5cWKlg-U0BG9lt-cjSqBC8_DEuDQ2ccZTyMbXndGxFaI-Pr56IQ9qLEm_i_Sc-Z_DGZ8A0Xm6To04Gjouee6r61JmqR92SaRI4vSdmfZBs/s1600/Deliver%20Us%20-%20Dream.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIfPwhx1Vp3h-weT9RruMD0_bST8VMvCSZF1itIsEpGeMJlAmDmVLrRbv6rGXrd68wz9LjVHO17ScTpwLAo5cWKlg-U0BG9lt-cjSqBC8_DEuDQ2ccZTyMbXndGxFaI-Pr56IQ9qLEm_i_Sc-Z_DGZ8A0Xm6To04Gjouee6r61JmqR92SaRI4vSdmfZBs/w640-h360/Deliver%20Us%20-%20Dream.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>Of course, the most well known antichrist film is <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-omen-horror-film-review.html" target="_blank">The Omen</a></b></i>, and this shares some similarities with that one. The difference here is that it is known that the antichrist is there in person. There is some justification for keeping it alive with Yulia believing that it can be taught to see the world as good, as well as not wanting to see either of her children dead. To be fair, it would probably be better off dead as it has a habit of being able to psychically link with people in order to try to get them to murder its brother! There was a slight slow pace to the film, with much of the first two acts consisting of the babies giving Yulia and Daniel shared dreams/visions, while Saul has his own subplot of mercilessly seeking out their location.</div><div>Of course, their paths eventually do cross, and while I thought Kretschmann was decent in his role, this antagonistic character didn't really have too much to him, his every action is evil, with him happy to kill anyone even remotely in his way. It does lead to a great payoff, with some scenes in the movie being quite gory. From someone being mauled to death by wolves, to a crucifix in the eye, a poker through a face and people's throats being slit, this violence looked great on screen. I especially liked the opening scene of a row of victims being killed one by one, the blood from each kill splashing onto the next person.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><b>Deliver Us</b></i> has quite a saturated look, with an absence of much colour to be found in the washed out imagery. For a dark and despondent feel this worked well, as did the choice of locations. Whenever protagonist rock up to an apparent place of safety that itself looks like the setting for a horror film, you know that things are going to remain bleak. I loved the remote house due to the bizarre paintings left there by the previous owner that seem to relate to what is happening in the present. I also thought this taking place against a backdrop of a world falling into ruin was neat, Daniel's girlfriend might not have really done much, but she gave a look into the goings on of the outside world. This does lead to one of the more silly looking scenes. There was supposed to be a big brawl happening in one scene, but if you pay attention to the background characters, they are blatantly pulling their punches, making for unwelcome distraction from the part of this scene that is meant to be the focus!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIUrRBIWtz_4vvIQPggN31yHRhzGzuqvh5puWn_h_hOkf-L49H-rvyv032p6aRKS-LF6hCNIuNXwd2mM9TrzODnS_rM6cswaap2KB1k1jqqsQWFny3k7ExtISRRQJqtikse9hDlKmZCtq3glr_B6jPQemdy5rjL4wwDoMZuelrCl3FX1TUcb13qYtqwiU/s1200/Deliver%20Us%20-%20Girlfriend.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1200" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIUrRBIWtz_4vvIQPggN31yHRhzGzuqvh5puWn_h_hOkf-L49H-rvyv032p6aRKS-LF6hCNIuNXwd2mM9TrzODnS_rM6cswaap2KB1k1jqqsQWFny3k7ExtISRRQJqtikse9hDlKmZCtq3glr_B6jPQemdy5rjL4wwDoMZuelrCl3FX1TUcb13qYtqwiU/w640-h266/Deliver%20Us%20-%20Girlfriend.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>I enjoyed <i><b>Deliver Us</b></i>, it worked well as a religious horror. With a somewhat slow middle, and characters who weren't the most engaging this wasn't all perfect, but the special effects and choice of locations were all fantastic. <b><i>Deliver Us</i></b> had its UK and Irish release on 19th February on digital platforms including <i>Google</i>, <i>Apple TV</i>, <i>Sky</i> and <i>Amazon</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>SCORE:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1239DMVdeTlJcSJE14PW6U5jh1iEPmoD8HlIPS8ESY5-DG3EfpDUw4G-EOohwptY8TaSESjNtX5Fna5VIkFfxlic0e2N41ZVM05XVjetwpkONZPVlmQoRlMw6YnPdjEkCw-gV13dW_Jfw1VnaoKrLQwOrGVBdsScsbrwUftsr5jipN5u4adtPJr_meiE/s278/zom-rating-7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="36" data-original-width="278" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1239DMVdeTlJcSJE14PW6U5jh1iEPmoD8HlIPS8ESY5-DG3EfpDUw4G-EOohwptY8TaSESjNtX5Fna5VIkFfxlic0e2N41ZVM05XVjetwpkONZPVlmQoRlMw6YnPdjEkCw-gV13dW_Jfw1VnaoKrLQwOrGVBdsScsbrwUftsr5jipN5u4adtPJr_meiE/s1600/zom-rating-7.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-70921973749388275182024-02-09T08:59:00.000-08:002024-02-09T08:59:25.307-08:00They Are Strangers (2018) - Drama Film Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFkP8-5_5dzXCgKnnw0B2w1Y-WmqGj1GOgoizob5BRKo4SZrCbXvs7JfOhSPFSUp4dKZBpFNQp8SbheP7dOZCRtJ0Bo8VP9NJJ6Effvha39iEnG1UOFgGNSNA0sFoIxqUx1un2bxu7ak4YlPPthLdtL6KXSXjeoLeItVoGvX0oxBuXAkcVwBMVBQxe6IE/s1600/THEY%20ARE%20STRANGERS%20BAY3869%203X4%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFkP8-5_5dzXCgKnnw0B2w1Y-WmqGj1GOgoizob5BRKo4SZrCbXvs7JfOhSPFSUp4dKZBpFNQp8SbheP7dOZCRtJ0Bo8VP9NJJ6Effvha39iEnG1UOFgGNSNA0sFoIxqUx1un2bxu7ak4YlPPthLdtL6KXSXjeoLeItVoGvX0oxBuXAkcVwBMVBQxe6IE/w480-h640/THEY%20ARE%20STRANGERS%20BAY3869%203X4%20copy.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I rarely read the synopsis for any film I am going to watch for review as I prefer to go in with my expectations completely neutral. Sometimes that does bite me however if I realise the film I have requested a screener for might not actually fit anywhere near the horror genre. For much of its eighty minute run time I was certain that <i><b>They Are Strangers</b></i> (written and directed by Zane L'Erario) may be one such film. Having agreed to review it I had to carry on, hoping there would be some way I could tie it to the horror genre. Thankfully this does finally deliver even if that does come virtually at the dead end of the movie.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Emilie Krause stars as Rebecca Thayer, a successful romance novelist who has hit writers block trying to write the follow up novel to her critically acclaimed last novel. Part of the reason for this is that she strongly suspects that her boyfriend William (Tom Schmitt - <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-listing-2017-horror-film-review.html" target="_blank">The Listing</a></b></i>) is cheating on her, but not wanting confirmation of this, she hasn't confronted him about her suspicions. With a looming deadline for an initial draft of her new novel, Rebecca struggles to focus, becoming obsessed with finding out who the woman is that she believes has stolen her man's heart.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, until around ten to fifteen minutes before the film ends is when elements of thriller move into what was otherwise a straight up drama. While not a perfect fit for this site, I still found myself enjoying <i><b>They Are Strangers</b></i> (the title referring to what happens to a once madly in love couple after they have broken up and gone their separate ways). I thought the protagonist was a great character, someone who is manic, confrontational, and a little bit eccentric. Meeting the character with her relationship already seeming doomed means that her wild persona makes sense, due to dealing with a broken heart. With a vivid imagination there are parts of this that have an unreliable aspect to them. This even includes a whole scene that plays out before it is revealed that it was just a daydream of Rebecca's. There was a good supporting cast for her, in particular I thought her publicist Kendra (Julie Stackhouse - <i><b>The Listing</b></i>) was great. The actions of the main character make a kind of sense, coming from a place of hurt as she is. It leads up to a twist ending that while not the most original was still something that I really did not expect, made for an interesting way to finish the film.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I thought the editing and directing worked well for this type of film. I liked the way the words she is typing when she is in the zone then show up floating around her. I also thought the close-up flashbacks of Rebecca and William in love were done well. For the most part there isn't much call for special effects, but when they are used I thought they looked great, can't really say what the effects actually were for fear of spoiling later elements of the plot.<br /><i><b>They Are Strangers</b></i> might not have exactly been what I was expecting, but it still told a good story with a twist that I appreciated, making this not a waste of time to watch. <i><b>They Are Strangers</b></i> has won numerous festival wins. It was released on <i>EST/VOD/SVOD</i> Digital platforms on 28th November 2023 and came to <i>AVOD</i> on 1st January.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">SCORE:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOnovfeTqFQUHjI6EIuOrkYVVohT66rfEo9qHnAfkKOlvkVroJf6phqlv4CIP7AtQzoXsoFVK_gJN4vqztkqrj3dDD_C7o_42HjMWuzAWFA-WZtR3JORe_M-bAxd-diF-YBbV6-CxjS_uouVoApxonWBNMJ_J5ESq-aOczmPaUvcvvrQioLASVuSHfmk/s278/zom-rating-7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="36" data-original-width="278" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOnovfeTqFQUHjI6EIuOrkYVVohT66rfEo9qHnAfkKOlvkVroJf6phqlv4CIP7AtQzoXsoFVK_gJN4vqztkqrj3dDD_C7o_42HjMWuzAWFA-WZtR3JORe_M-bAxd-diF-YBbV6-CxjS_uouVoApxonWBNMJ_J5ESq-aOczmPaUvcvvrQioLASVuSHfmk/s1600/zom-rating-7.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/9v8YFZUeyGk?si=CECfZpQj0u3dSirV" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-77436284937190180762024-02-08T13:15:00.000-08:002024-02-08T13:28:45.927-08:00The Rotting Zombie's News Anthology for Thursday 8th February 2024<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_clhezBhBYYO-FWZQZK_M4nXSNBTNDbA2pPPxYtXg1enyg5UCAfMnGJLyk1qpUPs3rB4OsCoi86gVr170Qknu_tEsxCEb4nFDtXAy_g_HZCL3bNvOVkLK1EBhKj4Ydapd48PGsAsO6NgDpyFCpwO-PFrgrzN6m3_-FStt0uXHRFzv4Wsty4NtJAhZG4/s3000/Horny%20Teenagers%20Must%20Die!%20-%20Poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_clhezBhBYYO-FWZQZK_M4nXSNBTNDbA2pPPxYtXg1enyg5UCAfMnGJLyk1qpUPs3rB4OsCoi86gVr170Qknu_tEsxCEb4nFDtXAy_g_HZCL3bNvOVkLK1EBhKj4Ydapd48PGsAsO6NgDpyFCpwO-PFrgrzN6m3_-FStt0uXHRFzv4Wsty4NtJAhZG4/w426-h640/Horny%20Teenagers%20Must%20Die!%20-%20Poster.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />I really didn't get much into my news sack during my last monthly news post. To make very slight amends, here is a trio of news stories that will hopefully be interesting to read. I'm due to go out to a work night out later today (at the time of typing), as a die-hard introvert I'm really not looking forward to it!<p></p><p><i><b>Horny Teenagers Must Die!</b></i> released on VOD on January 5th from <i>Lion Heart Distribution</i>. This horror has managed to pick up twenty three awards on the film festival circuit. Described as a throwback to classic teen slashers with a modern twist, this is about a group of high schoolers who go on vacation to a remote woodland cabin and inevitably end up the target of a masked maniac. This was written, directed and produced by David Zagorski (<i><b>Killing Brooke</b></i>), and stars Matthew Marcus (<i><b>Abaddon's Pit</b></i>), Chhoyang Cheshatsang (<i><b>Hocus Pocus 2</b></i>), Alicia McNeill and more.</p><p>The February streaming line-up for horror streaming service <i>Screambox</i> has been announced. <i><b>3-Headed Shark Attack</b></i> arrived on February 2nd, this creature feature stars the iconic Danny Trejo as well as <i>WWE</i> star Rob Van Dam. Also on that date was the arrival of season three of <i><b>The Dead Hour</b></i>, a horror anthology that features a different story in each of its twelve episodes.<br />The fun horror comedy <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2024/02/here-for-blood-2022-comedy-horror-film.html" target="_blank">Here For Blood</a></b></i> arrives on February 9th, which is also when psychological thriller <i><b>Waking Nightmare</b></i> arrives.<br />Other notable releases includes mocumentary <i><b>Everybody Dies by the End</b></i>, found footages <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2015/02/bodom-2014-horror-film-review.html" target="_blank">Bodom</a></b></i>, and the China based <i><b>Perfect Horror</b></i>.</p><p>Finally for today,<i><b> What Happened At 625 River Road</b></i> received a <i>VOD</i> and <i>DVD</i> release in North America on January 12th via <i>Freestyle Digital Media</i>. This is a psychological thriller about two students who travel to the titular location where they find themselves at the centre of a series of enigmatic events where the line between reality and illusion is blurred. This was directed by Devon Jovi Johnson, who also co-wrote and co-produced this.</p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/GJpDaphfBoU?si=SHTCX_W8akq5Z9oR" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-88862181401619208272024-02-07T13:12:00.000-08:002024-02-07T13:12:51.103-08:00Acorn (2023) - Fantasy Film Review<i><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVs1JV7kteY_eTqhurTh02iYaptPX5B8jONcQqSxp21IMJIfOttwfhnWOzJdsfhkmBm0OLjYEVajt-KYza8Iwy3LsYo_x_pXVhb76jagk7hDQ0GkZPN11_JOrfkL7CsqnBrs5XToq-JsDCXFqOsibgIPmZf0j_GpcgZl0Goik7ElEHAS7AhbbXGTE70KQ/s2801/Acorn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2801" data-original-width="2000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVs1JV7kteY_eTqhurTh02iYaptPX5B8jONcQqSxp21IMJIfOttwfhnWOzJdsfhkmBm0OLjYEVajt-KYza8Iwy3LsYo_x_pXVhb76jagk7hDQ0GkZPN11_JOrfkL7CsqnBrs5XToq-JsDCXFqOsibgIPmZf0j_GpcgZl0Goik7ElEHAS7AhbbXGTE70KQ/w456-h640/Acorn.jpg" width="456" /></a></div><br />Acorn</b></i> is the latest film from David Axe (<i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2022/01/bae-wolf-2022-comedy-fantasy-horror.html" target="_blank">Bae Wolf</a></b></i>, <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2019/12/lection-2019-post-apocalyptic-film.html" target="_blank">Lection</a></b></i>), something that he wrote, directed, produced, shot, edited and mixed. It uses the concept of a film within a film, essentially telling two stories around the same theme in a clever way. I watched this early on a Sunday morning, I was quite hungover, and once end credits rolled I promptly feel asleep for three hours. I'm hoping those factors don't effect this review as I have a feeling its going to be a bit difficult to write due to the strange (but cool) way the film was set out.<div><br /></div><div>Chloe (Morgan Shaley Renew - <i><b>Bae Wolf</b></i>) is a low budget film director who learns she has inoperable brain cancer and only six months to live. She decides as her last act she wants to make one last movie, and pitches an idea for a fantasy western titled '<i>Die Standing Up</i>', a story that is to mirror her real life struggles and acceptance of death. Along the way she has to deal with a variety of issues, from troublesome actors, to studio interference and unfinished sets.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvdHHvjtSDJ7jTk9K7j3HEe7NZjgjPqdqFC27wAEQbbyxbNw7kesqgR4bBGOqr2Q1GjxGdtIr_3ow59hZ4TlbI5Wuxcu45FWIfZm-y_E_eDrMEkwSSpQaTFnQn20UZ3t4UsfM3YcuAsdEsUenm1rVYhzf0yd8OPEUMmDQBL27efOTGn8Oc3MZG6ODt7Kw/s2000/Acorn%20-%20behind%20the%20scenes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="2000" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvdHHvjtSDJ7jTk9K7j3HEe7NZjgjPqdqFC27wAEQbbyxbNw7kesqgR4bBGOqr2Q1GjxGdtIr_3ow59hZ4TlbI5Wuxcu45FWIfZm-y_E_eDrMEkwSSpQaTFnQn20UZ3t4UsfM3YcuAsdEsUenm1rVYhzf0yd8OPEUMmDQBL27efOTGn8Oc3MZG6ODt7Kw/w640-h272/Acorn%20-%20behind%20the%20scenes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>This opened in a strange enough way that I briefly wondered if I had been given a boot-leg version of the movie to watch for review. It shows the film within a film from the perspective of David Axe (I believe) in a theatre, so the screen showing the film is badly framed and only taken up about two thirds of the actual picture. Despite this, I was getting into the fantasy western that was playing on that screen, so was unprepared for <i><b>Acorn</b></i> to cut away from that around ten minutes in and reveal what the actual film was about. This was one of those times when I was glad I hadn't read the synopsis as I had fully expected the film within a film to be the actual piece. I know Axe as a director often uses a fantasy setting to tell his stories, whether it is the post apocalyptic <i><b>Lection</b></i> or the mythical setting of <i><b>Bae Wolf</b></i>. Due to that, a fantasy western wasn't something unexpected from him, and shares the DNA of a vaguely low budget look. <i><b>Acorn</b></i> itself is much more grounded and realistic, with Morgan doing a fantastic job in the lead role. Even here things aren't quite as they seem as not long into the first act the film again cuts away to show that Chloe herself is being filmed, with it seeming that someone is making a documentary about her last six months (David Axe). <br />As grounded as this part of the film was, there were some suggestive supernatural elements to the story, with Chloe having seen visions of a strange looking tree, which she is then shocked to find exists in reality close to the set where her film is to be made. This tree plays some important roles both 'on' and 'off' camera.</div><div><br /></div><div>'<i>Die Standing Up</i>' is an integral part of the whole experience, after the start of the movie, the creation of this becomes the focal point of Chloe's story. We get to see scenes taken out of context, but are able to piece together the story for this. In this story, a lone wanderer (Mandy Applegate who also plays the actor character of Starr) is injured while trying to hunt down a monster terrorising a town. She learns that the toxins from the monster's attack has no antidote, and that she doesn't have left to live. Having heard rumours of a cursed tree that has the ability to perform miracles, she sets out to find it, but encounters the jealous guardians of the tree who are prepared to die defending it. As an analogy for Chloe's battle against cancer the similarities are obvious to see. I enjoyed this film almost as much as the core story, both share a great soundtrack (soundtrack highlight was a really creepy messed up version of '<i><b>Dream A Little Dream of Me</b></i>'). In a somewhat odd twist, Chloe's story ends around half an hour before the end of this nearly two hour film. The final thirty minutes are an abridged version of the film within a film, complete with their own ending credits. I did enjoy both parts of <i><b>Acorn</b></i> as a whole, but was slightly jarring to have the main story finish so long before the actual end. I get why it was set out that way though as that created a type of meta-experience of watching the 'real' part of the film along with the director of it. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jPrgTVAXEiQi_tZDcrKyshUdLxwoALKi5aC34X-ddAUZ-wtQekPWEYucjpXa4v-fERmMwcQGOhD832ncVwkfV_Kz8pIQ-6N9zLrpzOKrRUCA2iOoI2HiQzkn-Qnok_ECgDV1npsEcbE_QdFxTvkvuTQ6KspHw4-bED4OPoaooI0CULjWzZ-A_3ip1G8/s2000/Acorn%20-%20Chloe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="2000" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jPrgTVAXEiQi_tZDcrKyshUdLxwoALKi5aC34X-ddAUZ-wtQekPWEYucjpXa4v-fERmMwcQGOhD832ncVwkfV_Kz8pIQ-6N9zLrpzOKrRUCA2iOoI2HiQzkn-Qnok_ECgDV1npsEcbE_QdFxTvkvuTQ6KspHw4-bED4OPoaooI0CULjWzZ-A_3ip1G8/w640-h272/Acorn%20-%20Chloe.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div>I've managed to write this review without really talking about the film in a competent way. I thought the duel storylines playing out worked really well together. I found Chloe to be a sympathetic character with the topic of terminal cancer handled well, and I also liked the more generic lone wanderer character found in '<i>Die Standing Up</i>'. With a superb soundtrack and some interesting editing decisions, and slightly fourth wall breaking moments, I thought <i><b>Acorn</b></i> was the best film of Axe's that I have yet seen, something special.</div><div><br /></div><div>SCORE:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWrDLg145nsg4aWvUewyUi4cLnv1GjSk0UFj-p5qqHKiDwhAqqfDU0viZkHBzDDL1dZEV8x5nHLrs8SfImeYOEx1DR36ExOW9LBRQqJQ7lgoU2JcqTBANiQejM7PWW2k0r3xH5T00sgsqIEWFrKxuzzlHv4HFq5ZPJONMR8QkVdTE5QzHVRqnTgdJ6E0Q/s277/zom-rating-8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="36" data-original-width="277" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWrDLg145nsg4aWvUewyUi4cLnv1GjSk0UFj-p5qqHKiDwhAqqfDU0viZkHBzDDL1dZEV8x5nHLrs8SfImeYOEx1DR36ExOW9LBRQqJQ7lgoU2JcqTBANiQejM7PWW2k0r3xH5T00sgsqIEWFrKxuzzlHv4HFq5ZPJONMR8QkVdTE5QzHVRqnTgdJ6E0Q/s1600/zom-rating-8.jpg" width="277" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/858508678?h=e9f579cd65" width="640"></iframe>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5359115107121123612.post-7221950884649777602024-02-06T10:00:00.000-08:002024-02-06T10:01:23.111-08:00Silent Hill: The Short Message (2024) - Horror Video Game Review (Playstation 5)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrnmRwZebvzF4oGs-uMZYCpG0EtclHQfosMBiL_kudfa7aqIY2gFvXFKbzGIpwOR9UGb6uwpi_ol7yLDiM07toAmF1JQXefFehE7R5SHGyQckzpq4KuVIeZJEQXuFbURW4zkn5DZgfSqSsTR5sBVmOf3iYcsJ7FmXqD93gvY3MTpZsCnDOQga5W7xhak/s1088/Silent%20Hill%20The%20Short%20Message.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="1088" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrnmRwZebvzF4oGs-uMZYCpG0EtclHQfosMBiL_kudfa7aqIY2gFvXFKbzGIpwOR9UGb6uwpi_ol7yLDiM07toAmF1JQXefFehE7R5SHGyQckzpq4KuVIeZJEQXuFbURW4zkn5DZgfSqSsTR5sBVmOf3iYcsJ7FmXqD93gvY3MTpZsCnDOQga5W7xhak/w640-h360/Silent%20Hill%20The%20Short%20Message.webp" width="640" /></a></div><br />During the <i>Playstation</i> presentation last week there was the surprise announcement that <i><b>Silent Hill: The Short Message</b></i> had not only been shadow dropped and was available to play, but also it was free. Heavily inspired by the infamous <i><b>Silent Hills</b></i> <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2014/09/pt-demo-horror-videogame-news-ps4.html" target="_blank">P.T demo</a></b></i>, this two hour game isn't perfect, but is a huge step in the right direction after the inadvertent horror that is <b><i><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2023/11/silent-hill-ascension-2023-horror-video.html" target="_blank">Silent Hill: Ascension</a></i></b>. Being a giant <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2009/09/you-know-i-cant-actually-recall-if-i.html" target="_blank">Silent Hill</a></b></i> fan, I think I am well placed to give an accurate view of this mini-game, it certainly doesn't deserve some of the over the top criticism some reviews have heaped on it.<p></p><p>You play as troubled teenager Anita (voiced by Fadile Waked), who has been asked to meet her artist friend Maya (Haruka Sakaguchi) at an abandoned apartment complex that is a popular hang-out spot for teens. Unable to locate her friend, Anita begins to explore the apartment complex, and unknown to her, begins a slide into a Hell dimension where she is forced to confront her many perceived past sins.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW3Zf9MF5BytDAP5cLGdYr8Jn60ZV1tBBi64AewE6zMoiZ13UFQRnTi-Kh8dPpmuy7iA8ts8KjpUoGIC_g6j6dkWePakuJPkZCTubuebjCtxyBQZmL05TkBydFQiK6SuxWib4b2KuUxKHBcN0ZDpSTcGqlXleDH3dI7grWVENN1AVn-6TbRjJJtdYQuWI/s1200/Silent%20Hill%20The%20Short%20Message%20-%20Bullies.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW3Zf9MF5BytDAP5cLGdYr8Jn60ZV1tBBi64AewE6zMoiZ13UFQRnTi-Kh8dPpmuy7iA8ts8KjpUoGIC_g6j6dkWePakuJPkZCTubuebjCtxyBQZmL05TkBydFQiK6SuxWib4b2KuUxKHBcN0ZDpSTcGqlXleDH3dI7grWVENN1AVn-6TbRjJJtdYQuWI/w640-h360/Silent%20Hill%20The%20Short%20Message%20-%20Bullies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I had zero expectations for this new game and went into it having avoided anything at all about what the game would be like. Inspirations from the <i><b>P.T</b></i> demo are very apparent. The game takes place in a first person perspective, features a looping structure that sees you go through the same area of rooms over three separate chapters, and is far more focussed on psychological horror than anything more action based. Walking simulator is often a term used to put something down, but that is a genre with some great games in it (<i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2017/11/what-remains-of-edith-finch-2017.html" target="_blank">What Remains of Edith Finch</a></b></i>, <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2017/10/paranormal-activity-lost-soul-2017.html" target="_blank">Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul</a></b></i> spring to mind). This falls into that sub-genre of horror and is a solid example of one of those. The game unfortunately isn't scary on the whole, I even waited until around midnight to play this in order to get the optimum experience. It does have a low level feeling of oppressive atmosphere with the abandoned apartment building feeling suitably ominous. I liked the backstory to the place and the town itself, with the apartment complex a suicide hotspot for troubled teens. It is created with some often wonderful looking graphics, each room daubed in graffiti and covered in piles of trash. The core of the game has you exploring these rooms and corridors, reading diary entries and getting constant messages on your mobile phone from your friends Maya and Amelie (Debora Uehara) There are a few slight puzzles to solve, such as working out a combination lock for a locker, and then there are set moments where you find yourself pursued down labyrinthian corridors by a fantastically designed monster that resembles a humanoid woman covered in cherry blossom petals.<br />These sections really brought to mind a similar idea from <i><b><a href="https://therottingzombie.blogspot.com/2012/07/silent-hill-downpour-horror-videogame.html" target="_blank">Silent Hill: Downpour</a></b></i> (I was one of the few who actually really liked that one!), of having your character auto-running while pursued by something that will instant kill you should it catch up. These moments have been described as frustrating, but I really liked the change in pace, with the first person perspective and sound design combining to make it feel like you are constantly on the verge of being caught by the monstrous pursuer.</p><p>It isn't all fantastic however, and unfortunately part of that is down to the story. <i><b>The Short Message</b></i> prides itself on trying to tackle some serious subjects in a sensitive way, but ends up beating the player over the head a bit with its many themes it tries to stuff into the two hour game. In addition to a message at the game's start talking about what to do if someone you know is struggling with mental health problems, this same message pops up again at the end of each chapter, initially making me think I had reached the end when I was far from there. The topics were interesting, but shoving so many of them together made things seem a little bit over the top. Self harm, neglect, emotional, physical and sexual abuse, suicide, social media toxicity and pressure, depression, bullying and more are all themes explored, with all three main characters having parts of these as their backstory. I thought playing as a teenager trapped in a <i><b>Silent Hill</b></i> style Hell dimension was neat (the game takes place in a troubled German town, but isn't the first not to be set in that titular location), and it was also interesting to play the role of someone who self harms, having struggled with that myself for a decade or so in my earlier years.<br />Some of the ways the story is told were neat, Anita's sole object she has is her mobile phone, which is used to light her way. I thought the aspects of reliance on this technology felt cool for a <b><i>Silent Hill</i></b> game, but the messages between her and her friends didn't read as believable due to how cheesy they were all written. Other parts of the story are done via live action scenes of Maya talking to you. It was super distracting that Maya was obviously heavily dubbed, and also that the voice given to her and other characters had an American accent despite being set in Germany. Still, live action cutscenes in a <i><b>Silent Hill</b></i> game was something I felt was very cool.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRHXQFAYESLByIG-lGoLVc4A3Ya_dvQe2LQfSoszGZIhIwz1OnMyz52JijJFR7d8tFCDpnwFh7ML2CIGloPCJm_ECSpSIpY-lX7hz-jBSQT8IIyN5yhcf_7uGKedKfMehRU-UFe7sDkqtaoYDMY9ghUnzXkuvMgEXFgV2WIXnuCSoUuBVOIbJzaHu4i1M/s1024/Silent%20Hill%20The%20Short%20Message%20-%20Rooftop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRHXQFAYESLByIG-lGoLVc4A3Ya_dvQe2LQfSoszGZIhIwz1OnMyz52JijJFR7d8tFCDpnwFh7ML2CIGloPCJm_ECSpSIpY-lX7hz-jBSQT8IIyN5yhcf_7uGKedKfMehRU-UFe7sDkqtaoYDMY9ghUnzXkuvMgEXFgV2WIXnuCSoUuBVOIbJzaHu4i1M/w640-h360/Silent%20Hill%20The%20Short%20Message%20-%20Rooftop.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy <i><b>Silent Hill: The Short Message</b></i>. It looks great, feels just about suitably <i><b>Silent Hill</b></i>-ish, includes a wonderfully designed monster, and tackles some often side-lined topics. It's a shame the way the story is told can lack nuance at times, and would have been nice to have this in German with subtitles. Not a complete return to form, but for a free experience, this was a step in the right direction, and was something I am glad to have played.</p><p>SCORE:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3h-7uE2zId0HawGjraSJv3hdwTrZ7Avg_c0fMJ8MheE4xNtXeX52zvrsM4U3UgRccrIfXjNajH1dWy6ElbbH-IXgBg6nU63CfaFkflFG3uxA3hiCy6bPq7Iiaf4St7QvtrZwgeTA6n5KnFSxKnchpgl0RXqMinS6Nma7CWaiaGYdnnrUzQHbzQyzeaQ/s278/zom-rating-7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="36" data-original-width="278" height="36" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU3h-7uE2zId0HawGjraSJv3hdwTrZ7Avg_c0fMJ8MheE4xNtXeX52zvrsM4U3UgRccrIfXjNajH1dWy6ElbbH-IXgBg6nU63CfaFkflFG3uxA3hiCy6bPq7Iiaf4St7QvtrZwgeTA6n5KnFSxKnchpgl0RXqMinS6Nma7CWaiaGYdnnrUzQHbzQyzeaQ/s1600/zom-rating-7.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>RZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16341762909505425871noreply@blogger.com0