The Haunted, The Possessed, and The Damned (2023) - Horror Film Review

From the title, I think I could be forgiven for assuming that Joston Theney's (Axeman At Cutter's Creek, Stained) latest horror film was a supernatural one. It dawned on me rather too slowly watching The Haunted, The Possessed, and The Damned that it is in fact a film simply about a deranged suit wearing killer. After a bizarre start, I thought that this might not be for me, but there was something about this that kept pulling me back in, while not a perfect film by any means, there are moments of excellence to be found within.

Adam Kraul (Tonny Touche) is a somewhat odd claims insurance agent, who underneath his polished and serious exterior hides a deranged mind. With a lack of friends in his life, the man has become obsessed with getting one, mistaking the slightest act of kindness as an invitation for his particular brand of friendship. Often, this leads to devastating results, something that soon gets the attention of the police, and in particular, disgraced detective, Kelsey Andrews (Kristin Wall). With her future career under threat, she becomes determined to catch this psychotic killer.

There is a repeated musical number that comes from an old timey clip shown at the film's start, and which is used to excellent effect. That was the best part of the prologue, having a wonderful integration. I admit the rest of the prologue was more confusing than intriguing, with a young Adam witnessing the murder of his step father by his actual father, who is then in turn gleefully murdered by his mum and her friend, the gleefulness and cruelty are what made this part so bizarre to watch. Fast forward to present day and Adam has grown up to be someone who appears to have modelled himself on Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, though without much of the fake charm that character had. Adam is immediately shown to be a bit of a weirdo, and it isn't long before this is confirmed with his over the top violent actions that culminate with him delivering a gift-wrapped severed head of a man to his new best 'friend'! Like Bateman, Adam tries to give a manufactured persona to the world, something shown early on with a phone call he is making to a client in which he forces himself to put on fake cheer. Over the course of the film, Adam becomes more and more insane, with the performance from Touche relatively constrained until the madcap finale. There is a bit of a split personality to the man, with some techniques used to reflect this that reminded me of the way Gollum's split personality was shown on screen in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Of course, as essential as he is, there are plenty of other characters to be found here. Kelsey is a bit of an anti-hero, with her path going to some twisted places along the way. Constantly drinking and doing drugs while on the job, she isn't the most likeable of characters, her intentions as the film progresses appearing to be for personal reasons, rather than actually wanting to help society by stopping a madman. Her colleague, Maury Bovine (John Charles Smith) was one of the highlights, being just as corrupted as her. Elsewhere there are some fun cameos, including horror icons Jessica Cameron (Camp Twilight, All Through the House) and Brinke Stevens (Xenophobia - wraparound segment 'Trona Pinnacles', Mrs. Claus), with their inclusion not feeling out of place.

One of the highlights are the special effects and blood effects during the murder scenes. I always appreciate blood and here there is lots of the stuff, victims really do look like victims. My favourite scene of the movie was to be found here, when a character badly beaten with a crowbar, crawls across the floor to their dead partner, managing to hold their hand before dying, blood seeping out from under the character, lovely stuff! I appreciated how gruesome these scenes were.
The story left a little to be desired in places, especially with how ineffective the police are shown to be, Adam able to easily go to places that should have had a big police presence. Maybe this was down to the characters, but it felt like he should have easily been caught early into the film, but that's just nitpicking. It leads to a thrilling finale, let down slightly by a cheesy one-liner a character spouts.

From a confusing start, I kept thinking throughout the film that it was good but not great, yet there was something about this that constantly kept my attention engaged, and which had it just about scrape a higher score than I expected I would give it. As decent a character as Kelsey was, I did wish she had been more likeable, with some of her actions being quite repellent to me. The side characters also were not that likeable. Adam of course wasn't someone to like, but the performance given made him someone who often stole his scenes. Then there is the icing on the cake, the bloody scenes of violence that the blood fiend in me enjoyed seeing. The Haunted, The Possessed, and The Damned can currently be rented or bought on Vimeo.

SCORE:

Strip Club Massacre (2017) - Horror Film Review

You can pretty much tell exactly what type of film Strip Club Massacre is going to be from it's title alone; Shakespeare this is not. Instead we have an indie exploitation horror that doesn't take itself too seriously, but which does suffer from some occasional pacing problems.

After having the worst day of her life in which she gets fired from her job, evicted from her house, and finds her boyfriend cheating on her with her house mate, Megan (Alicia Watson) travels across country to stay at her best friend's house. Desperate for money she accepts a job offer from her friends boyfriend Bobby (Stefan Rollins) to work as a waitress in a local strip club, but sick with the abuse from the strippers she decides she wants to become one of them. However unknown to her three of the strippers are quite murderous and randomly kill clients and colleagues alike, and soon Megan finds herself on their hit list...

Scream: Season 2 (2016) - Horror TV Show Review

Season one of Scream was an unexpected hit with me, I had heard it was good but wasn't prepared for how much I enjoyed the majority of it. I loved that it was a more mature imagining of the Scream story (albeit still packed with in jokes), I loved the quality of it also, the effects were decent and for me the only let down was the over the top finale. With huge plot holes left open I was interested to see how a second season would fare.

Scream: season two takes place some months after the first one, Emma (Willa Fitzgerald) has been away from Lakewood at a mental institute after suffering PTSD due to the horrors she witnessed at the hands of the now deceased masked psycho. Her return to the small town brings with it a new wave of terror, the original killer had a secret partner who is now looking to carry on the torment, this time Audrey (Bex Taylor-Klaus) is targeted and black mailed into helping this new psycho carry out its sick games...

My Master Satan: 3 Tales of Drug Fueled Violence (2016) - Horror Film Review

My Master Satan: 3 Tales of Drug Fueled Violence is an anthology film comprised of (surprisingly enough) three separate short films. This is going to be a slightly different review in that I have previously seen all three of the films as stand alone shorts. Not only that but the first in the movie's trilogy; Satan's Coming For You I have previously blogged about, and so I wont go into much detail on that one.

The trilogy (roughly ten minutes, then two half hour ones) follows Alister (Dakota Bailey who also produced, wrote and directed) and his collection of despicable friends as they go about their messed up lives. In Satan's Coming For You him and his friend Bubba (Matt Marshall) see the Devil while on LSD and go on a killing spree in his name. The middle piece titled Nights of Depravity has Alistair help out his drug dealing friend Charlie, while the last film My Master Satan has him and Bubba reunited where they go on another acid trip and see Satan once again.

Larry (2014) by Adam Millard - Comedy Horror Book Review

Adam Millard is a regular guest author at the Leicester based UK Festival of Zombie Culture. In the past I have heard him read an excerpt from a zombie book of his, and he once offered to take a photo of me with David Moody (author of the Autumn and Hater series), yet I had never actually read any of his books. Last year I remedied that and brought one of his books to try; Larry, and am glad to say I am likely to read more of his books going forward.

In the 1970's Larry 'Pigface' Travers stalked Camp Diamond Creek killing no end of teens there, that is until one day in 1978 when the final girl finally stopped him. Now in 2014 Travers decides to once again head to the camp site and start up his killings again, but this time he is certainly not as young as he used to be...

You Are Not Alone (2014) - Horror Film Review

You Are Not Alone (directed by Derek Mungor) was released back in 2014 over in America but this month sees it's UK DVD release. It is a slasher film, but one with a difference, the whole movie is shown from the perspective of the main heroine, something that I personally have not seen before (of course I watched P.O.V last year but that's not a slasher).

Natalie (Krista Dzialoszynski) has returned to her home town to celebrate the fourth of July celebrations, she plans to meet up with friends and party. There is a curfew in effect though as a killer is on the loose, and soon the paths of these two people cross...

Satan's Coming For You (2015) - Short Horror Film Review

Last December I mentioned upcoming short horror My Master Satan which is coming out sometime this spring, and in exciting news is going to be a full length anthology now. That film is actually a sequel to Satan's Coming For You which was released 2015 and so I felt a review of that was in order.

Satan's Coming For You shows a day in the life of two psychos; Bubba (Matt Marshall) and his friend Alister (Dakota Bailey who also wrote and directed this short). Starting off with a visit to a cemetery to dig up Bubba's deceased wife the duo then take some acid and during their trip see Satan and so decide to go out and kill in his name.

Scream (2015) - Horror TV Show Review

For a few months I had been hearing people go on about how great they thought the Scream TV show was, then one day it turned up on UK Netflix and I just had to see it, and from pretty much right away I was hooked. I had thought the show would be a sequel to the often dodgy films but was interested to find this is actually more of a reboot telling an original tale.

After a cruel and embarrassing YouTube video goes viral the perpetrators; Nina and her boyfriend Tyler end up dead at the hands of a hooded figure wearing a creepy surgical mask. This is only the tip of the iceberg and soon Nina's friend Emma (Willa Fitzgerald) finds herself at the centre of a sick game. An unknown person keeps calling her, threatening her, dropping hints about her family's secret past, while one by one her friends turn up dead. An incident in which a disfigured boy went on a killing spree fifteen years previous seems to be the key to the mystery of just who is trying to recreate the terror.

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) - Horror Film Review

It is that time of year again and as part of my Halloween plans I wanted to watch the rest of the Halloween films I had not yet reviewed. Previously of the originals I have done Halloween, Halloween II, and Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, I would have started with Halloween III: Season of the Witch but I wanted to lay in bed to watch a film and could not find my VHS copy of that one! Also as an aside this review was originally meant for Thursday but Blogger decided to delete the review I had planned to put up today.

Halloween 5 takes place exactly one year after the events of the fourth instalment. Believed dead after being shot to pieces, falling down a mine shaft and getting blown up (!) the psychotic Michael Myers has instead survived, spending a year being looked after by a hermit in the mountains. Myers niece Jamie (Danielle Harris) meanwhile now lives in a children's mental institution after her encounter with her uncle left her a mute and prone to psychotic episodes. She also seems to have picked up a psychic connection to him and so when he returns to Haddonfield once more she knows. With the manic Dr Loomis (Donald Pleasence) again out to stop Myers will the killer succeed in his obsessive goal to kill Jaime?

The People Under the Stairs (1991) - Horror Film Review

This is another film I have being meaning to watch for review, alas again due to another iconic person sadly passing earlier this year. The People Under the Stairs is written and directed by horror legend Wes Craven and is quite the under rated classic. The general message of the rich taking advantage of the poor coincidently has a bit in common with my first Halloween film They Live.

Learning on his 13th birthday that he and his poor family are going to be evicted by their cruel landlords unless they can pay rent by the morning Fool (Brandon Adams) reluctantly teams up with family friend Leroy (Ving Rhames) and his partner in order to rob the landlords house as it is known that they have an expensive coin collection there. However once in the giant house Fool soon ends up all alone as it turns out the landlord couple are psychotic and don't take kindly to intruders. Not only are they and their vicious dog out for his blood but the house is full of deadly booby traps and all the exits all locked up. In Fool's search for an escape he comes across the couples terrified daughter Alice who decides to help him out, and also discovers...the people under the stairs.

American Horror Story: Asylum (2012-13) - Horror TV Show Review

Right off the bat I need to say I really don't know how this review is going to pan out, It has taken me the best part of a year to watch the whole second season of horror show American Horror Story and so my memory of much of it will be lost to the mists of time, Still I will try my best as it is horror (the clues in the title) and so deserves a place on this blog. It has been said that this second season, titled Asylum, is the very best the show has given.

Each season as far as I can tell is a stand alone story with no links to any other season, so the first one set in a haunted house in modern day has no relationship to Asylum which for the most part takes place in the 1960's in Briarcliff Manor; a mental institution owned by the Catholic church. There are many interweaving stories going on, one of which features reporter Lana Winters (Saran Paulson) who is discovered when sneaking into the mental home to do an expose on the appalling conditions there and is held against her will by the sadistic manager Sister Jude (Jessica Lange - American Horror Story: Murder House). Others include Kit Walker (Evan Peters - American Horror Story: Murder House) who is an inmate at the asylum after being accused of being 'Bloody Face' a notorious serial killer, a possible ex Nazi in the form of Dr Arden who is performing inhumane experiments on the patients, and even a supernatural storyline with one of the sisters apparently becoming possessed by a demon.

The plots all interweave and many times things that seem unrelated become so. For season two the horror is a lot more real than the ghosts of season one. With serial killers, corrupt staff, and sins of the past this goes down a different track. That is not to say it is all more human horror as along with the demonic possession storyline there is also one involving apparent alien abductions. That last plot in particular ran the risk of turning into farce due to it's unbelievable nature, but the show just about manages to keep things grounded. Previously around half the show was set in modern day and half was set in the past, here roughly 90% takes place in the past. There are brief snippets set in present day, mostly revolving around a killer who is murdering people who break into the abandoned Briarcliff Manor. These modern day parts help to create questions in the minds of the viewer due to things characters say, and visual clues as to the fate of the institution. There is a lot of misdirection here which is very clever and makes you think things are going to play out differently to how they actually do.

The show is split into thirteen episodes and there does not seem to be any filler at all, there is even a Christmas episode neatly inserted, again similar to series one this isn't actually a scary show, but that is not to take away from the sheer quality. Briarcliff is a dank and dark place but thanks to the focus on drama rather than horror you settle in nicely. Some nice throwaway sequences (such as a dance number!) help to provide variety, while towards the end time starts zooming forward years at a time to show the long term changes to the cast which was a nice way to end the show (a great final episode). There is a large amount of great acting here, I was pleased to see at least six returning actors from the original series, here playing different roles, a few bit characters from that are now in leading roles, while a couple of the main characters are now secondary ones. It was a delight to pick out these actors and gave a sense of continuity despite being an unrelated story.

The special effects and direction is again quite strong, when there is violence it is usually quite bloody with an initial statement being someone losing an arm within the first part of the very first episode. There are some sick storylines here and a fair number of twists, some of which really blew me away, the whole 'Bloody Face' storyline in particular serving up some real thrills.

Another quality season of this fantastic show and while I think I did prefer the first one, American Horror Story: Asylum is still a damn good show and well worth a watch if your after some quality horror that doesn't feature the walking dead.

SCORE:

Clean Break (2013) - Horror Film Review

Last week it was Silent Retreat, this week it is director Tricia Lee's first feature horror film Clean Break that I review. This won best drama at the Atlanta Horror Film Festival. Due to internet problems it has taken me all weekend to watch this film so was viewed in many different parts.

Cam (Samy Osman), Dan and Scott are three housemates whose life revolves around having a good time, however Scott is after something more and after meeting seemingly benign Tracy (Tianna Nori) at a party she moves in with him much to Cam's dismay. While Cam thinks Tracy is not a good person little does he realise that not only is she not nice but that she is also a psychopathic killer who will do anything to ensure the perfect relationship for herself.

For much of the 85 minute run time of Clean Break it plays almost like a drama with horror only really appearing towards the bloody finale. It is more a look at the effect relationships have on close friends, everyone knows someone who has gotten with a boy or girl who has tried to change them and turn them against their friends. The tension in the house between Cam and Tracy in particular is well done and at times even made light of with a couple of montages of the two trying to get one over on each other.

Of the four main characters Cam has the most background given to him but on the whole he is not that likeable with his questionable ethics on how to live life, Dan has nothing really to him, while Scott is a complete wet blanket and soon gets wrapped up around Tracy's manipulative little finger. As with Silent Retreat all the males characters are flawed, a hint of anti-male sentiments here again, but Tracy herself is saved as the most flawed and awful character. She is irritating and controlling with no redeeming qualities at all, her motivations are twisted, and while she gets a fun quote explaining the title of the film she is just someone I wanted to be stopped from the off. In that respect she is played well, as the bad guy she should be someone the viewer wants stopped. Cam is the perfect foil to Tracy and this rivalry was well written.

A lot of Clean Break takes place in the house the trio share, the majority in fact, this is ok except the set design is very dull with no trace of personality seen in any of the furnishings, even the bedrooms are minimalist, it doesn't feel like a lived in location.  The acting on the other hand is not bad, there is no one terrible here, even Tracy seems somewhat believable at times, though her psycho parts turned her into film villain rather than real. As I said previously there is not much horror but when the violence does come it has some decent enough wince inducing effects, and some classic horror shots such as a shadowy figure appearing behind a character all of a sudden. One scene in particular is full of suspense and reminded me of Hitchcock which was a good thing.

This is a solid drama and flows well and is well shot but all in all it wasn't really for me, the subject matter was relatable in a way, but I was itching for a change of scene. If crazy psycho ladies are your thing though then check it out. It is currently available to buy on iTunes and comes out on DVD 25h August.

SCORE:

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate (2013) - Fantasy Videogame Review (Playstation 3)

Don't ask me how I came to be reviewing all the Batman Arkham games on my blog, occasionally they have horror elements to them I guess. With all the main line games reviewed I find myself left with the downloadable companion game to Batman: Arkham Origins.

Blackgate takes place three months after the end of Origins and starts with Batman encountering Catwoman for the first time, they fight and after capturing her she is sent to Blackgate prison. A few weeks later Batman learns there has been a riot at the prison, all the staff have been taken hostage and three super villains have taken over parts of the complex. Black Mask's turf is the industrial complex, Penguin rules over the prisons, while Joker is in control of the administration block. After arriving at Blackgate, Batman forms an alliance with Catwoman who tells him the staff are being held in the Arkham wing and to get there he is going to have to battle everyone.

I had muted hopes for this game but I still had hopes nonetheless, I loved Origins so hoped this would at least manage to capture some of the magic of that. The game is a Metroidvania 2.5D  explorer with you able to tackle the three areas of the game in any order you choose, though the plot will eventually lead you to all three regardless. As you progress the main story you unlock new abilities that let you get to previously inaccessible areas. One thing the game does right is giving you the freedom to do either of the areas first. The three main bosses can be battled in any order with the ending changing slightly depending who you were last to defeat.

My initial complaint is just how dull Blackgate looks, the levels are grey and dreary and ooze a level of blandness that made everything look all the same. The administration block is the most varied due to Joker's graffiti everywhere but even that is dull as dishwater. There was a similar problem with Castlevania: Mirror of Fate that seemed to think that turning a third person battler into a side on game meant locations should be passable but with no love given to them. This is not helped by the confusing map screen that makes it hard to get your bearings and the fact that the 2.5D perspective means often you view will switch round so a simple walk down a straight path will take you all over the shop.

The combat is ok, your attacks seem to have no weight behind them but other than that they are fun enough with combos you can do and slow motion finishers. Later in the game regular enemies suddenly become invincible with no warning or explanation, it was only after many many trials and errors that I realised they were wearing explosive devices on their backs; a single line of text on the screen to tell me this would have been enough rather than just expecting the player to know from constantly getting killed seemingly at random.

The bosses are all different and all require different ways to take them down but again this led to huge frustration as again regular attacks inexplicably just didn't work. An example is the Penguin boss that requires you to get above him and kind of jump on his head; this method takes off a bunch of his health bar, should you get to him any other way though your attacks just don't register and you get instantly killed; very frustrating when you don't know why, again a single bit of text could have prevented this annoyance.

Your tools and gadgets can be used on the environment to say blow open a hole in a weak wall, or electrify a junction box, all good in practice but first you have to go into detective mode and slowly scan the environment which takes a fair few seconds, once again this is an annoyance when it is blatantly obvious what you need to do but the game forbids you until you jump through its hoops. Talking of level design a lazy way to prolong the games conclusion later on gets you sent on a tedious fetch quest back through all the areas of the game. This was an archaic method that did nothing to improve my enjoyment.

The plot is bare bones and dull with characters acting out of...well character, it all ends badly too with the final boss pretty much being a rehash of the very first boss and no harder at that really. The plot is told via comic book cutscenes which are ok I guess but look a bit amateur though the voice acting isn't bad. There are side missions that involve scanning items that appear as question marks on your map, these result in a few lines of text explaining bits of the games back story. There are also collectable items for you to destroy as well as power ups that increase your health and give you different suits. None of these were interesting enough for me to see to completion.

Overall I was disappointed with Blackgate, I didn't expect it to be mind blowing but I at least hoped it would keep me entertained for at least a moderate chunk of it's six hour run time. Maybe one to avoid as it doesn't really bring anything to the series.

SCORE:

Knock Knock (2015) - Horror Film Review

Knock Knock sounded like a terrible idea on paper; a home invasion film starring bland Keanu Reeves who has the emotional acting range of a vase. This film is directed by Eli Roth though (Cabin Fever, Hostel) and so my interest was successfully gained.

Reeves stars as family man Evan Webber who is left home alone for the weekend when his artist wife Karen and their two young children head off to stay at their beach house. Late at night Evan gets a knock at the door, answering it he discovers two teenage girls who are looking for their friends house. As it is pouring with rain he invites them in to dry off and call for a taxi, but it is not long before the duo have seduced Evan. The next day riddled with guilt he is horrified to then find out the girls were underage, he eventually manages to get rid of them and thinks it is all over with, but the following evening the girls turn back up, and this time they are there to teach him a lesson he will never forget...

The best thing about this movie is the excellent soundtrack, really cannot fault that at all and even ends on a classic Pixies track (that coincidentally I had been listening to on my drive to the cinema). It also does not look bad either, despite a small cast and a small location the set design is pretty solid. The main cast of Reeves, and the two psychos; Genesis (Lorenza Izzo who is actually Eli Roth's wife in reality) and Bel (Ana de Armas) are all easy on the eye and so it was not a bad film to watch, also nudity if that is your thing. The theme of paedophilia runs deep in this film with it pretty much sign posted that an event from at least one of the crazies pasts is what has set into motion their nefarious plans.

For a lot of the 99 minute run time I thought this was a terrible film, home invasion thrillers have been done to death and this seemed nothing too different. Reeves playing the guilt ridden husband and father increasingly tries to outdo himself with impassioned pleas and monologues where he tries to justify his actions, the two insane girls on the other hand are so crazy and over the top that they become increasingly irritating. A lot of Knock Knock sees Reeves tied to an office chair, it was quite humorous to see him wheeling himself around on the chair trying constantly to find a way out of his terrible situation.

This is where Knock Knock really steps up a gear, I came to the conclusion the decision to cast Reeves was a stroke of genius. Not just me but several other people in the cinema were laughing out loud at every single thing he does and says by the halfway point, such as seconds after getting hold of a weapon accidentally flinging it out of shot never to be seen again, or tied in his chair shouting empty threats and begging to be let go but with the monotone way he speaks coming across as absurd. This was not so bad it was good, this was a poor film, but it became bearable by Reeves's performance. The joke was on me though, the events gets increasingly bizarre and more silly until it dawned on me that this was all purposeful; Eli Roth was playing a joke on the audience it seemed to me! A real curve ball ending devolved the thriller into a farce and seemed to become a parody of home invasion films, the humour became more obvious and purposefully funny and I was left feeling I had been played for a fool.

The plot is not the best thanks to a fair few glaring plot holes and conveniences, not least the fact that despite living in a suburban neighbourhood in Los Angeles all the neighbours have apparently all left for the weekend which one of the girls usefully explains when Evan is in the back garden screaming his head off for help (though this could also be a jab at other home invasion films were no one ever intervenes to help). Also just how they came to choose him as their victim is never explained when they insinuate they had somehow been spying on him previous to first meeting him. Also, and minor spoilers here they state he is not their first victim yet with the astonishing amount of DNA they must have left at his house it is baffling how they have never been caught before.

While I did enjoy the fun ending (which had a frankly hilarious scene involving social media) the rest of the film did not stand up, Evan is flawed enough that I didn't really care if he escaped his fate or not, while Reeves does a terrible job of playing a loving father. The two girls I really wanted to be brought down a peg or two with their over the top antics reminding me of Harley Quinn from the Batman franchise but they barely ever have anything bad happen to them. This certainly has Roth's stamp mark on it but with its strong themes of sex and not too much going on this just didn't really appeal to me.

SCORE:

Easy Pickings (2015) - Short Horror Film Review

Easy Pickings is a ten minute long horror written by Michelle Gruver and Dack Guy, as well as directed by them along with Jamie Dawson as part of Dead Box Productions. I have to say I did think the title was very appropriate and playful in how it could be interpreted.

The film follows Billy the redneck; a drunken jerk who is nasty to everyone he meets. He heads to a local cafe where after hassling a mother and her two children leaves to cause trouble elsewhere. The waitress warns the mum that there is a killer on the loose who has been attacking lone drivers and that she should be wary as Billy fits the bill, but is he really the one to be afraid of?

As I often say it is not an easy task to get an entire story down in such a short amount of time, pacing can be an issue or something can end up feeling half completed. There is a definite beginning middle and end for Easy Pickings so that goal was achieved. The idea that a killer was on the loose was introduced late into the short, and the notion that this particular redneck could be the killer was hard to swallow as while he is an idiot he is not at all threatening in the way he looks. The plot in general was predictable and went exactly as I imagined it would but it was fun to see it play out regardless.

The acting was passable but the majority was pretty average, it wasn't helped by a bad sound mix, the music was fine and audible, but I did struggle with hearing the dialogue as especially in the diner scene it was quite hard to make out what people were saying, like they were talking through a tube which was a shame. The music was generic American rock but it fitted the redneck tone Easy Pickings went for.

This indie short didn't outstay it's welcome and despite some average acting and sound quality issues it was quite fun, avoiding being boring. Check it out below if you so wish.

SCORE:

Postal (1997, 2001)) - Horror Videogame Review (PC)

Postal is quite a notorious game due to levels of violence you can inflict upon unarmed civilians but that was back in the 90's where it was often time for Klax. Having played through the game tonight would I also find it utterly reprehensible?

You play as Postal Dude; a trench coat wearing man who has gone postal and is on a killing spree. It is implied that your character has been evicted from his house prompting his psychotic episode but the story is quite vague. Believing there is a plot against you, you head out to confront the authorities.

Postal is an isometric 3d shooter, and sometimes almost overhead in perspective. Each level gives you a percentage of hostiles you must kill to move on to the next level, usually ranging between 80-90%. There are police, soldiers and other enemies all armed with anything from pistols up to rocket launchers dotted around the twenty or so smallish maps. The levels are also populated by civilians who for the most part if they die it is collateral damage though Postal does seem to encourage you killing them on occasion. For example one stage starts with a marching band appearing, just too tempting to resist!

There is not much variety to the game at all and there seems some weird difficulty spikes with some levels being quick and easy while others requiring more thought. The lack of story was a bit of a shame, apart from diary extracts between levels and a suitably grim ending there is no real explanation for what you are doing. Levels range from suburbs to military bases, cities and scrapyards and have a nice hand drawn style to them. The controls are fiddly and take a while to get to grips with, while once you have reached the objective percentage of kills it is up to you to press F1 to exit the level rather than it happen automatically which was strange.

Nowadays this doesn't feel controversial, going on a killing spree has happened in lots of games and is done far better, Grand Theft Auto being a great example. While I played through the entire game in one sitting I wouldn't say I was enthralled, more it felt like doing a crossword or a jigsaw puzzle; just something to while away the hours on a cold and windy night. Tasteless at times but it can never be taken seriously as it tries to be darkly comic (the shopping mall level opens with Postal Dude saying something like "What? They don't sell Postal here?") and people you put down often crawl around begging to be put out of their misery which you can actually do via the execution button (X of course). An average game, can't imagine I will ever play it again but it did keep me occupied for a while.

SCORE:

Outlast: Whistleblower (2014) - Survival Horror DLC Review (PS4)

Outlast was a solid survival horror that saw you as an investigative reporter exploring an asylum after getting a tip off that horrific experiments were taking place there. For the Whistleblower DLC for that game you play as the man who leaked the information to the reporter. Needless to say there will be giant spoilers if you have not actually played Outlast.

Waylon Park is an I.T contractor working at the Mount Massive Asylum for the shady Murkoff Corporation. The game starts with you sending leaked info out via email. Pretty soon afterwards you are caught by the corrupt DLC antagonist; Jeremy Blaire the head of the facility. He imprisons you for an unknown amount of time, performing experiments in the process. After an event happens which results in the inmates escaping you too get to make a bid for freedom. With not only the patients to watch out for but the staff as well you must try and make your bid for freedom.

Whistleblower is shorter and snappier than the main game and clocked in at around two hours. This was two joyous hours though as the action never lets up. Much like Outlast your character has no access to weapons and carries around a camcorder that can be used in night vision mode to allow you to see in the dark. Batteries are hidden around the locations as well as files that shed more light on the patients and goings on of the facility.

Plot wise the game obviously starts before the events of Outlast but by some plot contrivances it also takes place both during and after the events of it which sets up some great story beats. You explore areas that the reporter also visited but being at a different time there are slight differences. You needn't fear it would just be a rehash though as I would estimate around 80-90% of the DLC takes place in new areas. There is plenty of outside exploring while a chunk takes place in workshops and surgical rooms.

The main game had its share of boss type characters who would stalk your character and who could only be hidden from. I feel these sections (that return here) are the weakest part of the game, though also the scariest. On more than a few occasions you would need to head into a minor maze like area to find a key or flip a switch while a boss stalked you. Pretty early on a creepy cannibal armed with a buzz saw pursues you, later on you get a serial killer who wishes to make you into a 'lady' by most cruel and unusual means. There is also some cross over with a couple of the boss characters from the main game popping up. While the weakest part of the game they did have the power to make me shout out in fright!

Mostly the game gets you by jump scares, I lost count of how many times something would leap out the darkness or something sudden would happen to make me shout out. Like a ghost train attraction these work wonders but only the first few times I would imagine. As your character is dressed like an patient there seems to be far more instances where other patients ignore you or let you pass while they are in the midst of doing barbaric things (such as opening a bathroom stall to see someone drowning a guard in the toilet) and the games start in which all is calm was a nice touch. The staff seem to be afraid of you and often your way forward will be blocked by guards hastily locking you out of areas.

I can't see much replay value here but while it lasts Whistleblower is a blast and dare I say it actually better than the actual main game as there is no down time and doesn't repeat itself as much, while the boss characters are far more interesting. There is much more messed up imagery (rooms full of suspended bodies, people getting eaten and a patient...touching himself while looking at some corpses. If you own the game then pick up the DLC basically.

SCORE:

The Killing Games (2012) - Horror Film Review

I meant to watch this for review early on this year, however a combination of factors (some my fault, some not) led to my viewing being delayed until this weekend. I have previously covered The Killing Games (here) where I wrote about it had been banned from being played at a film festival due to high levels of violence.

The Killing Games takes place in a remote part of Canada. After witnessing the brutal murder of a couple and her best friend by two psychopaths Elysia runs home to her father who vows to do anything to protect her. Meanwhile a misfit bunch of criminals head out to do a heist which doesn't quite go according to plan. These two separate story-lines seem unrelated and play out almost like two different films but come together in an interesting way.

From the trailer I saw many moons ago this seemed like it was going to be a home invasion film but it is actually much deeper than that with the focus of the film different to what I expected. I thought it would revolve around the two psychos; Son of Satan (Edwin Autridge) and Dirty Jesus (John Scott). These two characters are nasty, awful scum who live to rape and kill anyone they wish to do so. I detested these characters but at the same time they are almost hypnotic in the way they carry on. Satan is almost feral, the physical acting is top notch here, Jesus on the other hand seems the more intelligent of the two though both are evenly matched. Their time in the film is limited but they manage to steal all their scenes and come across as quite menacing and intimidating.

From the brutal opener I was not sure I would get any enjoyment out of The Killing Games but as I settled in to the bad acting I found myself laughing out loud at the silliness of it all, the dialogue is ridiculous, the characters hyper unrealistic and everything is really surreal and barmy that I come to see that this appears to be completely intentional. For the most part I saw this as a darkly comedic venture, I can't recall the last time I laughed so much during a film. Characters constantly over explain everything over and over again; the wacky Birdman being the prime culprit. Characters also flip between emotions like they are all bi-polar being happy then super sad or angry then back to being happy all in the blink of an eye, is all so wonderfully inconsistent.

So for a film that has previously been banned is it extreme? Hell yes, there are a few rape scenes that were not pleasant to watch at all, quite a bit of nudity and bloody violence and bucketfuls of swearing. This seems to exist in an alternate reality where life is cheap. Case in point is Elysia who runs constantly screaming for what must have been a fair few hours but then as soon as she makes it home she starts acting like not much has happened, her Dad so unconcerned that he even leaves her to go help a stranger whose car has broken down. Meanwhile her cousin shows up who tells a macabre story and puts on a super violent film for her to watch. There are a few mini films and short stories told that are quite disturbing and cement the fact that what we are seeing doesn't take place in our dimension!

In general the acting is pretty bad but I can't tell if this was intentional, the weird gang of criminals in particular are so bizarre in how they all act that even the heavy use of drugs throughout can't explain away. So weird, but so funny at the same time. Barry J.Gillis has the makings of a cult classic here. It is not all silliness here though, the way the disparate plots thread together is very well done and there is a twisted sense of justice in that everyone who is killed in the film have been shown to have done immoral things earlier on in the film and so in a way deserve it (excluding the murders in the initial intro sequence). Special mention goes to Kim Sonderholm's genius bit part here (who I swear appears in every indie film that has ever been made!)

I enjoyed The Killing Games far more than I ever expected to, it is a unique experience and feels like a world like no other, surprised to find myself recommending this if it sounds like your thing.

SCORE:

The Purge: Anarchy (2014) - Horror Film Review

I must admit that I was more in love with the idea behind the first The Purge film than the actual thing itself. It was not a bad home invasion film but didn't really do anything new. At the time I thought to myself if a sequel was ever made then it should feature an entirely new set of characters, and that it should take place outside during the Purge rather than inside. Looks like someone was listening as that is exactly what has happened.

The Purge: Anarchy takes place in the future America of 2023. Unemployment and crime is at an all time low as once a year during the night of an event called The Purge all crime becomes legal. Citizens are encouraged to expel their aggression during this night of madness.  On the way home troubled couple Shane and Liz's car breaks down as a result of sabotage. They find themselves pursued by a masked gang downtown. Meanwhile poor waitress Eva and her daughter Cali become the target of a shady group of armed soldiers until they are rescued by a lone gunman who is out for his own reasons. The stranger agrees to help the group get to a safe location in exchange for gaining access to a car so he can complete his mission. Together they make their way across the city running a gauntlet of thugs and psychos as they go.

Anarchy far exceeded my expectations, it looks and sounds amazing and seems to have at least three times the budget of the first film. It steals ideas from a variety of places but joins them together to create a satisfying whole. A big influence seemed to be The Warriors, there are many different gangs roaming the streets, all with their particular style of uniform. The start of the Purge gives a montage of these different groups such as skinheads riding around in a school bus, doll mask wearing thugs on motorbikes, a lorry with a mini gun firing madman hidden in the back, lone snipers and more. It was a great sequence that really set up the tone of the film. The videogame Manhunt I was also reminded off, especially with the military presence that pops up now and again. I was also reminded of Battle Royale, Hostel, and even The Punisher in the form of the friendly stranger character (played fantastically by Frank Grillo) who drives around in an armoured car, has an over abundance of weapons and is dressed all in black with a great coat.

Initially this is very much a horror, the tense moments of the start of The Purge were just as effective and nerve racking as the first film. Knowing the characters have to survive twelve hours of this madness get you really worried for them. Later it turns into far more of an action horror with the hapless characters going from one bad situation to another. Being pursued down an underground railway tunnel by a loon armed with a flame thrower in a beach-buggy one moment to becoming stuck in the middle of an escalating family dispute the next; it never lets up. I was worried for the films end, I could not see how it could manage to bring the suspense and action to a fitting end but it was achieved.

The overall message of the film is one of the rich benefiting from the persecution of the poor and this is very heavy handily drilled in, it is done in a fun way that makes you root for the rich to fail. A sub plot focusing on this was brought into the forefront in a way that was predictable but welcome. One annoyance of this film was that if I were in a world in which this murder night took place I would not be out doing food shopping a few hours before it commences such as Shane and Liz are doing, is a bit unbelievable so their introduction into the film was a bit far fetched, though other characters have a natural fit into this world. I did expect a big twist with the characters that never came so did feel a little under whelmed that everything is in fact as it seems on the surface.

Even if you have not seen the first film I implore you to check this one out as apart from a blink and you miss it cameo (I must have blinked as I indeed missed it) this has nothing what so ever to do with that and is a stand alone film in it's own right. By focusing on the poor instead of the rich, by being set outside rather than inside and by being adventure rather than survival this is a different and better beast than its predecessor. I really hope Anarchy is successful, judging by the packed cinema I was in things looks positive.

SCORE: