Atrocious (2010) - 2/5

As if there isn't enough "found footage" horror films out there, Bloody Disgusting decided to tempt me with the Spanish film "Atrocious". Being the curious fellow that I am and with the well crafted "[Rec]" still kicking my ass to this day, I decided to bite. And I bit into a little atrocious film here. Unfortunately, its not 'atrocious' in the good way. The cliche' aspects of the film handedly bog the experience of our haunted woods story with boring characters, lots of jiggling of cameras, and not enough pay off with its ending 'twist'. Leaving a film that seemingly rides on the coat tails of far superior films like "Paranormal Activity" and the surprisingly solid "The Last Exorcism".

A brother and sister are off to spend a fun Easter with their family on a dilapidated family house on the edge of the woods. They decide to bring with them two cameras to film the woody labyrinth around the estate to capture the ghostly girl Melinda to prove her existence. Although the boring house leaves not much to be desired for filming, the two get their kicks out of trying to capture the girl in the labyrinth. When things start to go bump in the night and suddenly their dog goes missing, our two siblings might find out more than they want about the secrets of their little family vacation.

Do we call taping one another on cameras character development? I sure don't.

One thing that director Luna does well on "Atrocious" is that he builds some nice atmosphere. The house is admirably creepy and the thicket of foliage outside is damn dense to add to the isolating feel of the film. What doesn't happen to make all of this effort worth it is the payoff. Our characters are oddly detached from the audience with actors who do their best with what they have and, being honest here, nothing happens in the movie. We get one missing dog before the climax of the film. A few odd noises. Nothing that's worth your investment until the crescendo of the film. It just drags on and on and on.

Fucking hell, indeed. A third of this movie are shots like this.

This should be offset by the massive build to the finale. Luna works his ass off trying to sell this major twist to the obviously formulaic ghost plot and all that happens is that it comes off as completely out of left field. We get a whole lot of running around in the labyrinth with night vision cameras (it was like an entire third of the film that was spent looking at bouncing tree branches), a few awkward finds for our siblings including some oddly placed almost 'ritualistic' set-ups to scare the audience, and then the twist which is not at all set up well. In fact, the motives and reasons for the events of "Atrocious" seem to leap from out of nowhere and take the audience by surprise...then leaving them confused for the rest of the play time. It was quite frustrating honestly.

She must have been as bored as me with "Atrocious".

Not that I have a whole lot of faith in the 'found footage' style horror films, but my hopes were somewhat heightened for "Atrocious". Hopes that were only crushed by its rather mundane writing and poor payoffs of what might seem like clever twists. Further proof that 'found footage' horror films only work if the gimmick does for which it doesn't on "Atrocious".

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Pieces (1982)

PIECES

"Pieces" has the notorious reputation for being the most bloody and violent slasher from the golden age of the genre (late70s through the early 80s). I can attest to that as it is certainly the goriest and most brutal slasher I have ever seen from the era. From it's poster artwork featuring a chainsaw and a stitched together dead body to it's fitting tagline "it's exactly what you think it is", the filmmakers knew exactly the film they were trying to make and they succeed making one of my biggest guilty pleasures I own in my large DVD collection.

The film opens in the 1940s (though many of props say otherwise) with a boy chopping up his mother with an axe after she discovers his porno picture puzzle. Flash-forward to the 1980's and brutal killings with a chainsaw start occurring on a college campus which for some reason seem to dumbfound detective Christopher George. Red herrings are aplenty (like groundskeeper Paul "Bluto" Smith and dean Edmund Perdom) as our useless college student and undercover tennis pro try to solve the case before the killer completes his pieced together human jigsaw puzzle.

I guess she won't be attending that hat convention in July

Schlock producer Dick Randall set out to make the most violent, intentionally offensive slasher ever made and he succeeded in every way imaginable. These killings are so over-the-top that they become unintentionally funny, adding to the sheer fun nature of the film. The most brutal scenes include a bathroom dismemberment and waterbed killing with a kitchen knife. Why a kitchen knife? Maybe just to switch things up a bit though it does seem a step down the ladder from a mighty chainsaw.

A slasher with balls... okay maybe that's not the best analogy

The plot and dialogue is a complete mess no doubt due to English not being Spanish director / screenwriter Juan Piquer Simon's first language. We get tons of unintentional laughs as characters say the most absurd things at the worst situations, like our cop wanting to know someone's opinion if a chainsaw was the murder weapon. What, you mean that large bloody chainsaw sitting next to a pile of body parts... uh... yea I'd say so!

There are so many things wrong with this picture

Three other things that give me a good chuckle is that 1) the killer is shown in shadow form and with his hat he looks just like the old radio show hero, 2) the outrageous WTF ending and 3) a psychotic Chinese kung fu expert that almost kills our dull college guy playing detective. Seriously this scene comes out of fucking no where! Well there is an explanation... sort of. Producer Dick Randall traveled all over the world to make movies and one of his stops was in Hong Kong to make a number of Bruceploitation efforts including "The Clones of Bruce Lee" and in order to generate some free advertisement for his other productions, he forced the director to throw one of the Bruce Lee clones in the film. Bruceploitation and slasher films go together as good as blood, milk and sky!

Look at the bright side... at least it's better than having a chainsaw rammed through your head

"Pieces" is sleazy, degrading, but damn if it ain't entertaining! It's definitely not for all tastes but for fans of grindhouse type cinema that prefer their slashers to go-over-the-top and overflow the blood gates with gore than this is a must. A great film to get together with friends and watching them squirm and yell "oh my god!".... and that's why it's one of my all time favorite guilty pleasures!

Written By Eric Reifschneider

Raid: Redemption, The (2012) - 4.5/5

Now that action films have come back to what made them good in the 80s and 90s (you know charismatic heroes, extensive fight/action set pieces, great gimmicky villains) thanks to the likes of returning vets like Stallone, Lundgren, Van Damme, and newcomers Statham, Jaa, and Vin Diesel, the US is getting behind the "let's watch things blow up and get the shit beat out of them" phase. Hence why a foreign action/martial arts film like "The Raid: Redemption" gets a fairly wide release here in the United States. Thank you Sony Pictures for making that possible and thank you Gareth Evans for giving us such a brilliant work of kick-assery.

When a SWAT team gets the call to take down a ruthless drug lord on his own turf, a multistory dilapidated complex used to house fugitives, killers, and drug runners, the rookie Rama (Uwais) seems set to make his mark as one of the best that the SWAT team has to offer. What he doesn't know is that there are different reasons for this raid and not all of them are legit. Now he and his team are going to have to survive and fight their way out of this massive trap.

Bitch, I AM JOHN WOO!!

"The Raid" has everything that made 80s action films so much fun and so intense. It keeps its story to a minimum (after an initial intro to our lead, we leap right into the SWAT van taking the squad to the building), throws in a few twists for the fun of it, focuses on creating intense sequences of action, and lets the charisma of its lead carry the rest. No, its not going to win an Oscar for anything - but if they had an Oscar for bad-assness in a film then "The Raid" would be a shoe in.

"The Raid": Giving all new meaning to the term 'face plant'.

The film is simple and like what "The Protector" did for Thai action films and Tony Jaa's career a handful of years ago, it builds on the fact that its lead can fight. That's what they let him do. After an initial and very intense gun fight to kick off the film where the body count hits double digits within minutes, (and they blow up a fridge with a grenade and gas tank just thought you should know that) the film pulls away from its higher budgetary sequences and let's Uwais do his thing. Which happens to be lots of kicking ass martial arts style. This is where "The Raid" truly shines. Yes, the writer/director/editor Gareth Evans adds just enough artistic flair to give the film some depth with its moments of betrayal, silence, and built up tension, but its the very long and beautifully choreographed fight sequences that take the breath away. Knife fighting, some baton whapping, and lots of flying fists and feet consume the film with brutality and swift movements. It's like an action fans wet dream of skull cracking and throat slashing!

How about your face to my knee style?

Simple put: "The Raid" is easily one of the best action films to grace the silver screen in the last ten years. Along with throwback films like "The Expendables" or the previously mentioned bone breaking "The Protector", any self respecting action fan needs to support this film and those involved. Uwais could very well be the next big action star and if the writing and directing of Evans tells one anything - this could be a whole new era of kick ass films.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Witchboard (1986)

WITCHBOARD

Though director Kevin S. Tenney has faded into obscurity in recent years, he did start his career in the late 80's with two solid horror efforts. The better known of his films is his second feature, the tongue-in-cheek gorefest "Night of the Demons" but his first film, the more subtle "Witchboard", very well might be the best of the two. Considering how celebrated "Night of the Demons" is it does come out as a bold statement but trust me, the solid characterizations makes this come out a hair on top for me.

While at a party, a smarmy arrogant rich snob brings a Ouija board and with the help of the luscious Tawny Kitaen (ex-wife of Whitesnake leading man David Coverdale, and she's best known for appearing scantly clad in his music videos straddling cars and such) they conjure up the spirit of a 10-year old boy. All goes well until Kitaen gets addicted to using the board and the spirit decides to turn evil, causing all sorts of poltergeist and exorcist shenanigans. Can her skeptical boyfriend learn to work with his arch rival, the rich snob, in order to save her from being possessed?

Haveing two 2 tons of drywall face plant ya will leave a mark

For me, what makes "Witchboard" better than "Night of the Demons" is the characterizations and strong character arcs, which is a rarity of horror films of this nature. Many horror fans might find the first half of the film to be 'boring' as it takes time to develop characters. For this I applaud Kevin Tenney as his script truly got me involved with the characters and actually care about their outcome. The strongest part of his script has to be how our two feuding males in the love triangle learn to solve their differences in order to save a human life. The twist at the end on who they really contacted while using the witchboard was also a treat. Well done Tenney!

Pass the axe... don't throw it!

Tenney is also able to craft many scenes of shock, including and not limited to a scene where a guy gets crushed by selveral slabs of dry wall. It might be light on gore (something Tenney would amp up in his next film) but he makes up for it with so clever kills and chaotic climax which mixes supernatural and slasher essentials. To top it off he gives the audiences some great creative camerawork, the most memorable being a scene were our hero gets pushed out a window and a scene where he shoots the Ouija board at the camera with the camera going through the bullet hole!

David Coverdale's reoccuring dream about his ex-wife?

It may not be as gory or over-the-top as "Night of the Demons", but the subtlety works for "Witchboard"'s advantage making it an effective low budget horror film. Sure the acting can be shaky at times, but for the most part it's good and strong characterizations makes this for a more engrossing horror film experience and definitely one of the better horror films I've seen to emerge from the late 1980's. "Witchboard" is definitely a horror film worth hunting down. Like "Night of the Demons" it did inspire two sequels: "Witchboard 2: The Devil's Doorway" and "Witchboard: The Possession", which I have yet to see mostly for the fact that the second film is not available DVD.

Written By Eric Reifschneider

Terminator, The (1984) - 4.5/5

"You're terminated, fucker." --Sarah Connor 

Sometimes the problem with loving cult cinema comes in the form of what makes cult cinema so great - the die hard fans. The fact that this early 80s robot carnage flick garnered such success makes it seem more like a mainstream film then the true science fiction/action cult film it is at heart. It's success, luckily, doesn't affect how the film comes across and "The Terminator" still remains one of the best science fiction and action films made to this day. With a great cast, great story, and tons of that grimy 80s charm "The Terminator" easily overcomes its flaws to be the aesthetically awesome film it's now considered. A personal favorite here at Blood Brothers too.

Sarah Connor (Hamilton) is your average young woman. Works hard as a waitress in the city. Earns enough to get by having fun being single while living the simple life with her roommate. Her life is capsized when she finds herself on the run from a cybernetic assassin from the future called a Terminator (Schwarzenegger) whose intent is to kill the mother of a future human leader that will defy the machine uprising. Her only help will come in the form of a resistance soldier Reese (Biehn) sent back in time to save her from certain execution.

Despite the relatively low budget of "The Terminator", this blast of a film sparks with a chemistry that many films can never achieve. The cast clicks. The story flows evenly and dramatically. The special effects astound for 1984. This movie simply kicks ass all the way around the merry-go-round. James Cameron, still fresh with ideas and an eye for the epic, delves deep into a rather B-grade concept and comes out with treasure. The minute details of the plot that builds on this fear of being an outsider and facing an unbeatable destiny match up with the robot carnage of watching things explode, body counts rise, and Ahhnold stomping around stone faced while our heroes desperately reach to find a way to survive it all. It's oddly in depth with its great characters (Biehn steals this movie as a love and war torn soldier doing his best in a world he has never known) and its effective pacing only helps let this tale of high octane science fiction grab the viewer by personal parts.

The grittiness of the film's style and pure 80s look only adds to the intensity of its premise. The constant darkness of the film (there is only a handful of scenes in the daytime) adds to its underlying post-apocalyptic elements and gives "The Terminator" a great atmosphere. This is perhaps the one part of this film that many seem to overlook - the aesthetic of its style is pure 80s cult if there ever was any. The violent sequences are intense (the dance room double draw of when the Terminator first finds Sarah is still one of the most underrated sequences in film) and the tension thick. It simply makes for a dense and charming watch.

Although most people love "The Terminator", it takes a special something to be an underground cult film and find the financial success that this film did. It crosses boundaries with its smart script and great characters. This single handedly makes it a must watch for science fiction and action films. Definitely Blood Brother approved!!

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Five Shaolin Masters (1974)

Director: Chang Cheh 
Notable Cast: David Chiang, Ti Lung, Alexander Fu Sheng, Chi Kuan-Chun, Leung Kar-Yan, Mang Fei, Fung Hak-on, Tsai Hung, Johnny Wang, Gordon Liu

Although Executioners From Shaolin struggled to impress with its stuttered story telling but impressed certainly with its action choreography, the very similar Five Shaolin Masters improves on it in every way...and it was made three years prior. With an insanely strong cast, a great kung fu revenge plot that's surprisingly well written, a director of legendary status in Chang Cheh, and choreography by the just as legendary Lau Kar Leung - there isn't a single aspect of Five Shaolin Masters to dislike...sans some of its over the top emotional pan shots that seem to litter the film, but even that is just a small issue that arises.

Dream Home (2010)

Director: Pang Ho-cheung
Notable Cast:  Josie Ho, Eason Chan, Derek Tsang, Lawrence Chou, Juno Mak, Michelle Ye, Norman Chui, Wong Ching

The slasher genre is one that might appeal to cult fans, but generally speaking is repetitive, silly, repetitive, simple, repetitive, and usually littered with heaps and heaps of lower than B-grade garbage films. This is the reason why when a film takes a new stab at the genre by doing something unique (pun fully intended), it tends to come as a shock. 2010's "Dream Home", not to be confused with the vastly inferior psychological horror "Dream House", is Hong Kong's answer to the still impressive "American Psycho". Full of nuance and detail, this slasher takes a run at justifying the genre with the current economic state of the world and the pressures of living in the fast paced society. It pushes limits, throws in enough dark humor to break the massive amounts of tension, and accomplishes at creating a slasher based on real estate...one that's surprisingly artistic and well executed.

Barbarian Queen II: The Empress Strikes Back (1989)

 BARBARIAN QUEEN II: THE EMPRESS STRIKES BACK

"Men don't understand power - they think all it's good for is getting more" - Barbarian Queen

The last thing the film world needed was a sequel to "Barbarian Queen" but being the B-movie enthusiast that I am I still welcomed it with open arms. I mean how could a cheap sword and sorcery junk film with bad acting, low production values, loads of nudity and starring blond bombshell Lana Clarkson not be at least a wee bit entertaining?

The plot has no connection to the previous film... it's just about another 'barbarian queen' (a different character) having to rise up against the corrupt ruler of her kingdom after her father, the king, dies in battle. Since she refuses to let the new dictator have the magic words to gain control of a powerful scepter, she is sentenced to death but escapes to join some rebels to bring down his iron grip on the countryside.

Nice hair

The plot for the most part is the same of the previous film but the setting is more medieval (like 'knights in shining armor') as opposed to barbaric times (aka "Conan the Barbarian"). Typical with later 80s Roger Corman productions, the production values are also lower (which is hard to believe) more on par with the later "Deathstalker" films than the first "Barbarian Queen".

Only women have the power to touch hard rods

Like the first film (and all other sword and sorcery films from the Corman factory), the film is loaded with nudity. The filmmakers even have the audacity to throw in a topless mud-wrestling scene, as if they're winking at the audience saying "oh yea, this is how low we're willing to go". Hell there is even a topless torture scene of our heroine that copies the original film, so much in fact I had to do a double take to make sure it wasn't stock footage (common in Corman films) and to my surprise, sure shit, it's new footage just filmed in a way that it will be deje vu some viewers.

Another topless torture scene... why the hell not?

Unlike the "Deathstalker" films which changed actors in the title role in about every film, "Barbarian Queen II" benefits by having Lana Clarkson returning. She might not be the same character, but she plays it the same and she has the looks and warrior woman presence to help the audience keep the audiences attention, suffering through some of the dire dialogue and stiff acting (one odd bit of dialogue has a man yell "take it like a man" at a woman he is trying to rape... seriously?!).

A mud wrestling scene... why the hell not?

"Barbarian Queen II: The Empress Strikes Back" delivers nothing new for audiences but fans of this type of B-movie cinema should not expect anything new or groundbreaking. When it comes to filmmaking from a technical standpoint than this is a complete failure and a textbook example of how not to make a film, but all this badness and exploitation elements makes it worth a watch for fans and despite it's lower budget, it really isn't that much worse of a film than the first "Barbarian Queen." Hell I even enjoyed it more than the last few "Deathstalker" sequels.

Written by Eric Reifschneider

In Time (2011) - 2/5

If there was a belief that I hold for modern science fiction films, its that there rarely are ones that are mediocre. They are either amazing or suck royal hell. Despite my excitement for the intriguing and seemingly Philip K. Dick inspired plot of "In Time", this film falls into the latter. It's got a great concept and some great moments, but this watered down and plot hole riddled science fiction thriller never seems to get it cohesive and it fails to obtain the impact it could have had.

In the not to distant future, the world has now replaced currency of bills and coins with time. Time is either added or subtracted from an individuals clock (which is read by green numbers on the forearm) for purchases and debts. Enter a young man Will (Timberlake) whose life in the ghetto has him living day to day and not necessarily by his own choice. When he suddenly finds himself with hundreds of years added to his life for a good deed, he decides he needs to use it for the best and give the people of his home the time they desperately need. In the process, he just might need to become the villain of a corrupt system to prove his point.

I love the idea for this movie. Let's talk about western society's weird obsession with time. Let's talk about inequality between classes. Let's talk about the inaccurate distribution of wealth (in this case, time) between individuals and let's do it with enough science fiction snazz and thriller action set pieces to make it entertaining without losing the commentary. Here's the problem: Andrew Niccol's script and directing abilities can't get done properly. The concept is there. The execution is not.

Right away, the film's obviously leaning towards the mainstream audience waters the entire thing down. Timberlake is fine as the lead, but nothing special. As is, none of the cast is. Even the normally captivating and subtle Cillian Murphy is wasted on a poorly built Timekeeper (cop) that is after our anti-hero lead. It's frustrating to watch as the film takes this great concept, brushes over its themes, throws in some half thought through villains, riddles itself with illogical plot holes, and then ends up being a Bonnie and Clyde knock off film. Hold on, the damn thing on paper certainly looked impressive...where did it all go?

The whole film succumbs to poorly expressed options. You know that feeling when you want to say this brilliant comment that will have everyone laugh for ten seconds and think for ten minutes, but when you go to say it all that comes out is 'ummmm...yeah'? That's what "In Time" is. It's this great thought, ill expressed and hindered by its mainstream catering and rushed writing where all of its elements come out jumbled. It's casting is shoddy with actors desperate to latch onto something solid for their characters, its story jumbled and unfocused, and its visual execution void of deeper impact. "In Time" could have been the next great science fiction film...but as is, it's another film one finds in the $5 bin at the local Walmart to be scavanged by those looking to just kill time.

Written By Matt Reifschneider

Hunger Games, The (2012) - 3/5

There had been much hoopla over "The Hunger Games", both as a book and as a film version. It was a story I was familiar with despite never reading the book or reading a synopsis and the massive amount of hype definitely peaked my curiosity. Could a film geared for a younger audience provide the necessary commentary to make the story relevant? Could this truly be a "Battle Royale" for American audiences and a slightly younger generation? The answer to both those questions is a mixed result of a film that definitely wants to punch out a social commentary, but finds itself hindered by its boundaries of being a more family friendly film.

Katniss (Lawrence) has always done what she could to provide for her poor family in the mining district. She hunts with a bow, she works, and she takes care of her little sister. What she isn't prepared to do is fight in The Hunger Games, a nationally broadcast fight to the death by two "tributes" from each district as remembrance for their failed uprising against the government. When she volunteers for the games to save her sister from an unlikely drawing, Katniss must dig deep inside of her, take the lessons of her life, and find a way to survive the Hunger Games.

Believe it or not, I wasn't completely disgusted with this film. Films of this type tend to hype it up beyond its own worth and going into the film my expectations were lower than low. Like "Twilight" low. Luckily, "The Hunger Games" comes off much stronger than the previously mentioned young adult film with a bit more of an artistic flair and stronger performances. Director Gary Ross (the guy that gave us "Seabiscuit" and "Pleasantville" for those who don't know) does use a bit of artistic license to the film's advantage. He toys a lot with sound and more intense moments are done in silence while his eye for visual ticks certainly adds to the enjoyment of this film. The high production values help in many areas to visualize the concept although at times it can be a bit overbearing (the oddly ineffective CGI dogs in the finale for example), but it works effectively for what the film is.

"The Hunger Games" also strikes out with some strong performances. The hit or miss script (which I'm told makes much more sense if you read the book...one of the many things I simply hate about popular books that are made into movies...just make it make fucking sense, don't rely on me to read the book for the details to be right!) is held together by a strong supporting cast where Woody Harrelson steals every scene he's in and the creepy high society folk feel like they are hiding something. Lawrence also stamps her own mark on the lead using her talents to make the best out of a rather oddly built character.

Let's just say that the film is executed in a fine and cohesive manner. Some elements can be hard to swallow (Peeta's ability to make camouflage out of cake decorating skills is a big reach), but for the most part the filmmakers and cast did exactly what needed to be done to get this film on the right track. Most of the major issues come from its concept and how it was to be approached in film form. It's a story about kids killing kids. Not something major studios want to broadcast as a "family friendly" go to blockbuster. Thusly, "The Hunger Games" tries extremely hard to play it safe without losing the societal and moral commentaries that its concept requires for it to work.  It waters the whole thing down. The killing and violence is diminished to almost nothing and takes away from how one should feel about it and the thusly Katniss' struggle seems almost lackluster - as if the urgency is taken out of the equation. Something that is required for the necessary punch of her character growth to work.

Although "The Hunger Games" is a well crafted film that is sure to please fans of the book (or so I'm told), it doesn't have the cut or the edge to get the most bang out of its buck. By the end of the film, I wasn't sold on the entire concept nor felt myself getting sucked into the plot. The watered down attempts at playing it safe for the sake of its young audience hurt the film more than it benefited it beyond financial worth. I was definitely impressed in the end, but to be honest...it doesn't even touch some other films of this same concept.

Written By Matt Reifschneider