High Lane (Vertige) (2010)

Director: Abel Ferry
Cast:
Fanny Valette/Chloe
Johan Libéreau/Loic
Raphaël Lenglet/Guillaume
Maud Wyler/Karine
Nicolas Giraud/Fred

Plot: Five friends are rock climbing in Croatia, but when a bridge falls leaving them stranded on a mountain their day is about to take a turn for the worst as they are being targeted and killed someone or something.

Review:
I actually saw this film about a year ago, but I saw a dubbed version (ugh!). It was good but I didn’t love it. It was rather generic and predictable. But a year later I got my hands on the original French version with English subtitles and I put it in again. Was it worth tapping it again? In my mind, yes! Re-watching this film I was able to enjoy it much more than the first time. I think it also helps that I hate dubbing! So not having to listen to dubbing probably helped my enjoyment factor of this film this time around. But lets get away from this subject and talk about High Lane.
Wow! I don’t remember this film being THIS good! The first half of this film is simply astounding. It is beautiful shot and the cinematography was beautiful. Watching these people rock climb was amazing. I didn’t notice ANY CGI or green screen, so it seems like this was all done in the real outdoors! That’s fuckin’ great! The first half also had genuine suspense that had me biting my nails, in particular a scene where a bridge collapses. The first half of the film was my favorite part! It was beautiful and suspenseful. The directing was astounding and the music score kicked ass. Plus the acting was great from all five actors. Fanny Valette as our heroine Chloe stood out the most. She hit some great emotional peeks and made her very likable. I was always behind this girl and wanted her to make it through this situation.
Which brings me to the second half of the film…once the threat was revealed, I couldn’t say I was thrilled. The second half of the film was still scary and full of suspense, but the threat didn’t really scare me. I found him more ridiculous. He was just your basic crazy mountain man that felt like he belonged in Wrong Turn (although honestly I preferred this movie). But just because I wasn’t fond of the threat in the movie didn’t ruin the film. I got over it and I was taken on a brutal experience. The deaths were brutal and violent and quite bloody in some scenes. The fight scenes were brutal and shot very well. Watching these people fight the mountain man was a visceral experience that went for the jugular. The final five minutes of the film were especially amazing when there is one fight scene between a character and the killer. It was brutal, bloody, and I couldn’t peel my eyes away!
But alas the film wasn’t perfect. It was still quite a flawed film. First of all the characters needed some more work. The heroine was very well written and likable, and the other girl Karine was also very likable. But the three guys in the movie…man! One was an idiot, one was a whiny baby who always cried, and the other guy was an asshole (but he wasn’t that bad). The asshole guy played by Lenglet was the best of the male characters. He at least had great charisma. But seriously the other two men needed to be better written. Then there were the stupid character decisions that they made which annoyed me. But my biggest issue is that in the end the first half was better than the second half. While brutal and fun, the second half was just very generic and predictable. I really wish the film went in a different direction and gave us something a bit different than the same old-same old.
But in the end, I still recommend this film. It is perfect on a technical level and it is still a good creepy film with great suspense scenes. Go check it, because the French have done it again. This isn’t another French classic (ala High Tension, Inside, Martyrs, Them, Frontier(s)), but it is still a worthwhile movie.

Grade: 7/10

Night of the Demons (2010)

Director: Adam Gierasch
Cast:
Monica Keena/Maddie
Edward Furlong/Colin
Shannon Elizabeth/Angela
Diora Baird/Lily
John F. Beach/Jason
Bobbi Sue Luther/Suzanne
Michael Copon/Dex

Plot: Angela is throwing a party at the Broussard mansion, but when the party is broken up by the police Angela and six others are about to realize what really goes down in that house, as they each become possessed by demons. Fun fuckin’ times ensue!

Review:
I’m a fan of the original 1988 Night of the Demons (8/10). It wasn’t a scary film, but it was a fun one. The acting wasn’t good, and if you think about it neither was the film itself. It was trashy smut with gore, fun, and more gore. The film was out there and was a party from start to finish. When news broke of a remake, I wasn’t upset. I hate this remake craze but I have to learn to live with it. I was curious to see how they would treat this remake and I finally got to check it out today. And you know what, it isn’t bad!
Like the original this film isn’t an intense character study and isn’t about drama. The characters are one-dimensional and you know what! It didn’t bother me. This isn’t a flick that needs intense character development. The actors were decent and knew what type of film they were in and they each had fun with their roles – in particular Monica Keena and Edward Furlong. Every one seemed to have a good time, as was I.
But the main reason to see this film is the gore and the trash. How did they do in this option. Not bad; not bad. I don’t know if it lived up to the original in trashiness but this film did fine on its own. The gore was pleasing and very nice to the retinas and I relished in the fact that most of the gore effects were practical. Thank fuckin’ god! Another great thing about this film is that it paid tribute to the original in various ways. They kept a couple of the character names the same and they even re-did the now infamous “lipstick” scene. If you have seen the original, you know what I’m talking about. They took it to a new demented level in this film! But there was one cameo that FLOORED me in the beginning of the film by the original Suzanne herself, Linea Quigley. The directing was energetic and the soundtrack was kick ass (although if there was a score – don’t ask me. I don’t remember it). I also want to mention the opening scene that was shot to be like a silent film was CLEVER as hell! Loved that! The script is witty with some great lines…and holy shit was some hilarious! This film just never took itself seriously and that was the way to go.
But in this party of a film, there were still some problems to be had. Mostly the middle section lagged quite a bit. Most of the characters got possessed towards the beginning of the film, so for a majority it was three people just hiding in a “safe room.” That was another thing I didn’t like – the inclusion of a safe room that the demons couldn’t enter. This was a stupid idea that brought the action and horror to a halt in the middle. Another problem of mine is some of the demon designs. Some were pretty great, while others were pretty boring and ho-hum. They were too cgi in some scenes as well. I prefer the demon designs in the original film.
But the film brings it all home with gusto in a bad ass finale that had me cheering at the screen. This is one of the better remakes out there and is one fun movie. It didn’t ignore the original film but it also went in its own direction. It had a great comic feel (I love the way they react to the demons and Keena’s random monologue about them half way through the film) and ample gore. Plus straight dudes will love the many boobs in the film! This is the prime example of a film to watch while getting drunk at a party! Watch and enjoy!

Grade: 7/10

Good Horror...we need some!

America wake up!
Why do you keep releasing all these crappy horror remakes?! Enough with the new Nightmare on Elm Street and the new Friday the 13th! Either make a sequel or STOP disrespecting these classics. When it came to the Nightmare remake, I legit walked out on it. I thought it was a piece of shit. I will one day finish it...to review...for you guys...DON'T MAKE ME!!! PLEASE!!! =[

Which brings me to this, I KNOW there is good horror out there! We have Adam Green's Hatchet 2, which got ousted from theatres after three days. WHAT THE FUCK America?! A non remake and UBER gory slasher film that was released unrated! This could have changed the horror genre in this country forever...but instead as usual you fuck things up =/

And not only Hatchet 2. At least that will make it to DVD. We have a certain indie flick, a personal favorite of mine, that has been waiting to be released for years. All the Boys Love Mandy Lane. It was supposed to be released in 2006...and well I'm still waiting for it America. Instead I've been treated to the Prom Night remake and The Omen remake and The Fog remake and EVEN that PATHETIC The Stepfather remake...does anyone else notice a trend here? All the Boys Love Mandy Lane is one of the best and most original slasher films I've seen in my life. It is in my top ten favorite movies and has one of the best endings to a film. Why has it not been released yet? It would be a hit!

Then we have the new Australian horror masterpiece, The Loved Ones. I can tell you right now this will be another Mandy Lane. Who knows when it will see the light of day. It was a perfect movie and it was EVERYTHING I love about the horror genre - great acting, likable characters, brutal violence/gore, suspense, scare, and morbid humor. THe film was perfect! Just give this a theatrical release! Lola could be the next big horror villain. We haven't really had a good villain to add to the list of the greats (Jason, Freddy, Michael, Leatherface, Chucky, Pinhead and the Cenobites) and I'm sorry but Jigsaw does NOT count. Lola could be added to this list. She is scary as shit.

I'm not saying all remakes are bad. If you can improve upon a film, fine! Go for it! But if the film is already perfect *cough*Halloween*cough* why bother remaking it? You're only going to embarrass yourself. So I am begging America to wake up and to stop ruining the one thing I care about more than anything else in the world - Horror Films. We can still save it, if we start now. What happened when horror films were made with heart? Now they're all made with money in mind.

The Loved Ones (2010)

Director: Sean Byrne
Cast:
Xavier Samuel/Brent
Robin McLeavy/Lola
Victoria Thaine/Holly
John Brumpton/Lola’s Father Eric
Jessica McNamee/Mia
Richard Wilson/Jamie

PLOT:
Lola wants to go to the end of school dance, and what Lola wants, Lola gets…
Brent is a high school teen who lost his father in a car accident and now deals with depression, but it is his adorable girlfriend Holly that keeps him from giving up on life together. When he rejects Lola’s invitation to the dance, he is kidnapped and wakes up tied to a chair in Lola’s kitchen with her father. What ensues is a night of horror, torture, blood, knives, brutal violence, and morbid humor.

REVIEW:
The Loved Ones is a movie I have had my eye on all year. It all started when I saw the picture of a lone woman dressed in pink running through a field as the sun rises behind her with a knife in her hand. The screen shot was both beautiful and creepy and that one picture is one got me interested in the film. For months there was almost no information about this film, and the moment I saw the trailer, I knew this was going to be more than just a basic horror film, and right I was.
By the time this film ended, my jaw was on the floor. I didn’t just watch a horror film, I had a horror experience. For a sad year in horror, it has been saved in the past few months with the releases of Piranha 3D, Frozen, and now The Loved Ones. The film opened up with Brent swerving out of the way of a ghostly boy in the street, crashing into a tree, which kills his father. The movie starts with a bang. Cut to six months later and Brent now lives a depressed life where he cares about three things: metal music, pot, and his girlfriend Holly. The movie already started off on the right bat by giving us a great hero to root for. He was interesting and very likable and I could instantly relate to him. He reminded me of myself when I was in high school. So right there I was behind the hero all the way through. It also helps that the very sexy and VERY talented Xavier Samuel played him. He is a very underrated actor in my opinion, so its nice to see him in a lead role and he gave a very visceral and likable performance as Brent.
When the horror starts, it never lets up. The violence continues to ramp up and the film continues to get more and more brutal. The movie was scary as fuck! There were scenes were I was honest to god (or whoever is out there) terrified! It’s been a while since that has happened to me with a movie! This film gives us a new villain to add to the list of great horror villains. Lola. What can I say about this beautiful creature? She was scary as fuck, and I wanted her to die so badly! But strangely I also found her sexy in a strange way and was still a bit sympathetic towards her in scenes. Talk about a BRILLIANT performance by Robin McLeavy. I’ve never even heard of this girl before, but I will definitely keep tabs on her. This girl has major acting chops. She blew me away with her scary as shit performance. She and Xavier Samuel were both amazing in their roles. Brumpton as her father was also creepy, yet endearing in the role in how he just wants his daughter to be happy.
Another aspect I loved about the film is another certain relationship between Brent and his girlfriend Holly (wonderfully played by Victoria Thaine). Thaine was adorable as Holly, and I just wanted to hug her and be friends with her. We can understand why Brent really cares for her.
I loved how the film had a big set of balls. It wasn’t afraid to go farther and farther, and as the time went on, the film continued to get crazier and crazier. I loved the implied incest of Lola and her father’s relationship. It just added to their insanity. Another thing I admire is the morbid humor. There were some scenes where the film will just have me laughing at the absurdity (that scene with Brent in the tree and Lola’s laugh LOL!). The movie was gory per se, but it was one brutal film. What it didn’t show didn’t take away from the film, because I was still squirming at many of the scenes and my jaw dropped down in terror at some of these scenes. But when they did show the bloody good, boy did it work! No CGI in this film – all practical! Another great mark to the film and this film had a real knack for creating some suspenseful scenes. There was one particular scene towards the end and a police car that had me on the edge of my seat. I honestly had NO idea how this film would end and there were some twists that took me aback.
On a technical level, this film was perfect. The directing was beautiful and Byrne really knew how to create a scary scene and the cinematography really was astounding. The beauty of the shots really clashed with the harsh brutality of the situation and it worked for me. As for the soundtrack and that musical score – it KICKED my ass! I must own it!
By the time the movie reached the last half hour, it went beyond what I ever thought would happen and it just became all insanity. Wait until you see what is in the basement – WOW! I didn’t see that one coming.
One thing I haven’t mentioned is a certain subplot with Brent’s best friend Sac who is having the perfect night with his dream date, the beautiful Goth Mia. His subplot brought up some laughs and was a breather for anyone who couldn’t take Brent’s horror anymore. At first I was confused by this storyline, because I didn’t think it was necessary but in the end it came together quite well with the main storyline. The character of Mia was quite tragic and sad and was very well played by McNamee. She played her with such sexiness that oozed from every one of her pores, but you could also always tell how much pain she was in inside.
I’m going to say it now; this film is a horror masterpiece. Yes! I said it. In my opinion, this is a perfect film. I haven’t been this satisfied with a horror film in a long while – of course it is a foreign film. It’s from Australia. I say SEE this movie and it is now one of my favorite films.

Grade: 10/10