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Hallowed Ground (2007)
[Jaimie Alexander; Brian McNamara; Ethan Philips; Chloe Moretz; Hudson Leick]
After she becomes stranded in a small town, a young woman discovers her arrival there was foretold a century earlier by the town's founding preacher and that she is an integral part of his impending - and terrifying - rebirth.
This is a run-of-the-mill stranded girl/cut-off cult town horror flick. The lead actress is good, and the scarecrow killer is creepy, but nothing really new or terrifying here.
Recommended for horror fans who have nothing else to watch.
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Sugar Hill (1974)
[Marki Bey; Robert Quarry; Don Pedro Colley; Betty Anne Rees; Richard Lawson]
When her boyfriend is murdered after refusing to be shaken down by a local gangster and his cronies, Sugar Hill wants revenge. She begs the help of ancient voodoo queen Mama Maitresse (Zara Cully), who calls up Baron Zamedi, the Lord of the Dead. He asks for her soul in exchange for a zombie army ready and willing to do her bidding. Soon enough, Sugar Hill is getting the revenge she wants on those who done her wrong.
This is an exploitation film, with some definite stereotyped characters. But, as films like that go, this one is pretty damn good. The story makes sense, the horror is appropriate and the characters and dialogue are watchable.
Definitely one of the better of these types of films, and recommended for horror fans.
Love Train for the Tenebrous Empire reviewed the flick in more depth than I.
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Shadow Zone: The Undead Express (1996)
[Ron Silver, Chauncey Leopardi; Natanya Ross; Tony T. Johnson]
Zach, a teen with a habit of telling ghost stories, stumbles upon an underground lair of vampires. The leader, Valentine, wants to be able to walk among humans, but he needs help from someone, and tries to trick Zach. At home, no one believes his tales of vampires, but when a friend is kidnapped, Zach may have to give the vampires what they want in exchange for her safe return.
This is a film based on a series of Goosebumps-like books by J.R. Black. Definitely more suited to the teen or pre-teen set, this isn't really scary, more just an atmospheric Halloween-esque tale.
Recommended for fans of lighter, less scary or gory horror films.
View the trailer for "Shadow Zone: The Undead Express"
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Dressed to Kill (1980)
[Michael Caine; Angie Dickinson; Nancy Allen; Keith Gordon; Dennis Franz]
A bored housewife looking to spice up her life winds up the victim of a killer in an elevator. A call girl catches a glimpse of the killer and soon is embroiled in mystery involving the dead woman's son and shrink, as well as a cop who may or may not think she is the killer. But just who is the killer?
This is the thriller written and directed by Brian de Palma. The film itself is good, even if the mystery isn't too hard to figure out. But Nancy Allen is not the best choice to lead a film, even if it is only about two-thirds of said film.
Yet Dickinson and Caine are great, as usual, and Franz is an early stand-out here, even if he is just playing the same grumpy cop role that he is so good at.
This flick is good, very sexual, delving into some then-taboo themes. Recommended for fans of films of that genre or from that late 70s/early 80s time. Has some shock, some blood, some nudity.
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Perkins' 14 (2009)
[Patrick O'Kane; Richard Brake; Mihaela Mihut; Shayla Beesley]
A police officer arrests a discovers that one of their prisoners may be the man responsible for the disappearance of 14 children over 10 years, one of them being the officer's son. An illegal search of the man's home turns up all 14 missing children. But they aren't the same. And when they are set free, all Hell breaks loose.
This was one of the AfterDark Horrorfest flicks for 2009. While the story is different, with an intriguing idea, most of it just left me wishing it had been better. Too many moments left me rolling my eyes.
Better than some, worse that others. See it, if you like zombie films, I suppose.
Perkins' 14 Official Site
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Here is a short film, "The Cat with Hands" by Robert Morgan
Creepy, eh?
We have Darius at Adventures in Nerdliness to thank for bring that to our attention!
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What I read, write, watch, listen to or do between hot cups of the good stuff.
Love that short!
ReplyDelete(shivers) at the short. eclectic list today wings.
ReplyDeleteHorrors On A Monday!Yea, I Loved The Short Too.
ReplyDeleteAs a De Palma fan, Dressed to Kill is a movie I've always wanted to love but every time I go back to it, it still comes up short for me. Some of De Palma's best sequences are in this film but as you say, Allen is a weak lead and the Psycho-style twist is more laugh-inducing than chilling. Still, just for the fact that the ads for this terrified me as a kid, I'll always have a soft spot for it.
ReplyDeleteI like DRESSED TO KILL, but Im with Jeff on this one.
ReplyDeleteI have been meaning to see PERKINS 14 for a while now, everyone seems to have the same reaction to it though, so Im not expecting much.
Zara Cully was from Worcester. haha
ReplyDeleteI love a good thriller and Jeff has this one pegged! Awesome shorts!
ReplyDelete