Just Watched Movies (2015)

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Hansel and Gretel Get Baked-After her pot-head boyfriend disappears around town, a teen and her brother trace him back to a local witch using magically-enhanced marijuana to attract youths in order to remain young and must put a stop to her actions. Overall this one was a lot of fun if slightly flawed here. For the most part, the fact that this is a horror/comedy yet nothing here is really all that funny is the biggest issue since this one is really only funny for the fact that everyone here is a raving pot-head, including the supposedly innocent lead. For anyone who does not find drug-related humor funny in the slightest, much of what happens here where everyone acts completely stoned and out looking for more marijuana won't in the slightest bit seem funny or appealing and it just really tends to wear on some who don't offer up anything else here to really get a handle on. Still, outside of this facet the film provides plenty of exciting and enjoyable elements throughout here which come from the fact that this one's built more as a straight-forward horror film with a goofy-sounding device to set things in motion as if this one dropped all the drug jokes it's a perfectly enjoyable effort about a witch using the drug to lure those in the community over to her quarters. It plays a lot of these scenes straight about the witch's powers getting stronger and stronger as it goes along as there's some fine story lines about her expanding magic to charm those into letting her go, the addition of zombified slaves that she controls for peace and security reasons and the ability to get younger-looking as time goes on which makes this a lot of fun when these are out and about. As well, there's plenty of fine action here in the basement as the use of charmed marijuana plants that act as guards and trap intruders, a fantastic play on the original story where they get away from the ravenous guard-dog and the final fight in the basement all make this one quite enjoyable with some fine action scenes needing to get away from the witch and making the finale a lot better than it should. Likewise, this one really gets a fine boost from the fact that it plays along so well with the fairy tale throughout here that it certainly comes closest to telling that particular tale better than expected considering the additional material it utilizes in tying it all with pot instead of candy. Along with some fine gore from the early kills and an engrossing mystery angle searching for the missing boyfriend that takes up the majority of the first half here, this one comes off as highly enjoyable that would've been better had it been played straight.

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- It Follows (2014, Dir. David Robert Mitchell). Nineteen-year-old Jay has just lost her virginity to a newcomer in town, Hugh --and shortly thereafter is informed that he has passed on to her what could be described as a supernatural STD, a curse transmitted through sex which makes you the target of a relentless entity. But said entity is no laughing matter: As stated in the title, it follows the intended victims assuming all sort of shapes (people both familiar and not to the victim), and if it gets you, you're on for a gruesome death. Jay must now figure out a way to shield herself from an enemy that never stops, knowing that the only immediate means of protection (sex to pass on the curse) is temporary at best and in the end only a way to condemn other people...

This indie feature is an extremely intriguing psychological horror film that manages to overcome its' weak spots (occasional amateur acting and low production values) to build an effective atmosphere of fear and anxiety. The ambiguousness of the film's premise is a very effective element. It is clear that "It" is a metaphor of something, but of what? In principle it's a literal STD, though it works the opposite way as an epidemic --first it targets new victims, working it's way farther back until, presumably, the original instigator will die. It can also be a metaphor for shame and guilt: For Jay it takes such shapes as a naked woman, her father, what appears to be a beaten-up prostitute, a sickly old woman, and so on. For another victim, it takes the shape of his mother, and in one notorious scene, essentially rapes him as it kills him. Perhaps it is a nightmare incarnate, something harmful that acts without a reason. Or perhaps it is merely death incarnate, inescapable and something that only be temporarily postponed by enjoying life.

Such considerations aside, this is an effectively unnerving, low-key fear flick, especially recommended for fans of quiet horror.

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Edge of Tomorrow-Sent into battle against his will, a soldier finds he can relive the day over again if he dies and uses it in his advantage to help stop the alien forces invading the planet who have used the same powers to conquer other worlds. Overall this one wasn't all that bad as long as you don't think too hard about what goes on in here. Not only is the story completely confusing in most every sense, including the unanswered question of why a powerful general sets up a military reporter who has been on TV credited as such to be in the infantry division with obvious zero experience working their equipment simply to get the main set-up of the movie to feel plausible, along with several other completely obvious and irritating plot-holes throughout here but after that it gets a lot of fun with the different battle scenes here being quite elaborate and exciting, packed with the chance to see the suits in full prowess which handles themselves quite well here giving this a lot of rather cool moments of them in use. The repeating day gags allow for plenty of different ways to enhance the action here with the same days coming and going allowing for different plays on the same theme, and by constantly going back to what's previously been established so it brings even more fun here by engaging in different scenarios for each time it passes through the different days here which really makes this fun. If you try not to think about it too much, it's quite fun.

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Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit-Hired onto a secret CIA branch, a rookie agent is sent to Russia to investigate supposed terrorist activity only to learn he's stumbled onto a plot to take down the US government and tries to stop it from happening. Overall there wasn't a whole lot to this one as for the most part this one is centered on the investigation and the spying rather than actually doing anything with regards to action so there's hardly anything happening here for long stretches of time and really doesn't offer up anything worthwhile in that area until the finale when it gets in a short-but-decent car chase in Moscow and a nice brawling finale that makes for quite the enjoyable parts here with the rest of this delivering not much else of interest. There's some good in the fact that it's entirely watchable and never really dull as he goes through the assignment trying to unravel the mysterious accounts and keep up his secret identity, but a deluge of plot-holes, numerous scenes forsaking action for keeping up the spy/thriller motive here and a few utterly haphazard moments in the action scenes where they're still being edited beyond all comprehension really tends to lower this one significantly.

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3 Days to Kill-Learning of a terminal condition that will kill him in months, a veteran agent is sent to kill a criminal kingpin in exchange for a miracle drug that will help prolong his life in order to get closer to his estranged daughter. Overall this was enjoyable enough even though the main focus here is on the relationship building both with his daughter and ex-wife, including the hilarious running gags of returning to a mobster for fatherly advice in the middle of assignments or having her inappropriate ring-tone burst out right before he's to undertake a dangerous part of his mission which makes them all the more fun when set against the dearth of action here trying to get them back on the same page. Not only is this quite problematic in extending the film longer than it needs to be and really puts a damper on the amount of action. While that is indeed quite a bit of fun with the action scenes for once coming off rather nicely and exciting, the best of which is the opening tactical assault on the hotel that includes some decent gun-play and a nice set of chases and shootouts among the explosions, though pretty much most of them are quite exciting. These here make it enjoyable enough despite the focus away from the action at times.

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The Hunters-Trying to secure a potential client, a detective escorting a witness away from an abandoned fortress in the middle of the woods finds the area overrun by sadistic hunters attempting to keep their hunter grounds quiet and must try to get away alive. Overall this was quite a disappointing effort that does have a few good points. When this one gets to the end, this one is incredibly entertaining as it tends to focus more on the stalking and brutality of the hunters than possible, which is immensely fun with the first seemingly innocent encounter along the trail and the following ambush setting the stage for their game through the woods resulting in his capture making for a fine start to this. There's the demented escape attempt from the underground tunnels and the fun brawling encounter with the deranged hunter that comes off rather nicely here, as well as the first big chase through the woods after his escape where he comes into a thrilling gunfight along the mad dash to get away which is highly exciting, along with the final gunfight pinned down against the wall that makes for a good time overall here. Those are enjoyable enough but the big flaws here manage to hold them off quite well. The biggest issue here is the fact that this one is just so boring and bland to get going that it's nearly impossible to get anything really interesting here for most of the first hour. Tending to the utterly down-beat and depressing lives of the hunters makes the film a drag to get through with this one as hardly any of these scenes make you interested in where this one's going, and the other scenes of the detective trying to get acclimated to life on the force and gaining a girlfriend with the secretary here are no better since these are just dull and lame, and both of them keep this one from getting to its horror scenes for an extended period of time. As well, this goes to such an extent at trying to humanize them that the groups' actions become quite curious as to why they would engage in this, especially at such a crowded area that occurs here and makes their decision to do this quite hard to reason. Lastly, there's also the incredibly lame finale that just doesn't seem to know what it wants to do, from agonizingly slow, drawn-out scenes with background characters that don't mean anything, a torturously slow captive sequence that makes no sense and a limp, lifeless resolution that goes nowhere and really tends to stand out as being really lame. These here do manage to bring this one down significantly.

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Fear Clinic-After an experimental phobia treatment is stopped, a group of people find their nightmares returning and seek the aid of their original doctor and his specialized machine, unaware of the dangers with starting it up again. This was a decidedly disappointing and uneven effort. What really tends to hold this one back is the overall lack of feeling like this one was a true horror film, as it's only in the final minutes where this one goes for that kind of feeling and really loses a lot of steam on the rest here without this one really going for the horror. The first half here is simply boring about the group finding their fears coming back and trying to cope with the reluctance to start using up the machine again, which is compounded by this one simply going off on useless tangents about the staff and the patients' lives that aren't in the least bit horror-based and let it really lose steam as it gathers along trying to gain some momentum about the machine but it just falls apart due it's decided non-use that keeps this one from really doing anything. This is due mostly to this one taking place more as a drama about the power of fears potentially taking over a person rather than actually doing anything horrific to showcase that, leading to more scenes here featuring everyone going around talking about how to get them over their fears or him trying to get the nerve to use his machine again rather than letting loose and really showing it off, which makes this one feel quite slow-paced and drawn-out. Likewise, the finale is pretty over-done with the rather lame and tedious CGI that comes barreling out of nowhere to look so out-of-place in what's going on that there's a real sense of being dragged out of time with it when the creature shows up which is so painfully obvious here it takes a lot of the potential fear out of it, along with the lame pacing of the scenes draining a lot of suspense taking forever to get going and a disorienting effect of flickering lighting throughout these scenes that makes it nearly impossible to focus on anything. These here are enough to drag this one down enough that the few flaws here aren't really given all that much weight. About all that works for this here is that utterly delirious final half when the fears come out to haunt the facility and there's plenty of suspense in trying to get out, some great action with the creature chasing them through the hallways and corridors and offering up some utterly schizoid images that makes for a truly thrilling time here. It's just too little too late against the other flaws here.

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Excision-Trying to follow her delusional dreams of being a surgeon, an outcast teen becomes overwhelmed by her increasingly psychotic sexualized dreams and uses them to help appease her domineering mother. On the whole this one wasn't all that impressive. What really tends to turn this one down is the fact that there's just absolutely nothing appealing or interesting about the lead here who comes off as every outcast cliché rolled into one form and it comes off as incredibly off- putting. The obsessive desire to fit in despite being interested in grotesque and morbid hobbies, the need for continuous scatological remarks to any situational comeback ever, the overt sexualized discussions with everyone around her and butting heads with anyone and everyone around her just because she's right are just some of the behavior around here and it's so clichéd, so unremarkable and handled so ineptly that it's not only uninteresting but simply furthers here outcast feeling in the first place and makes it completely warranted for why she's treated as such which tends to make this one go along so agonizingly slow it can't sustain anything in the first half here. The one bright spot about that part, the need for her career as a surgeon, not only makes these scenes so easily foreshadowed later on but also adds delusional to her list of credentials due to the increasingly bizarre self-destructive qualities exhibited here that allow for her to throw them away despite her continuing pressure to become one which is what really tends to make this one feel so empty-headed and lame that it would've been totally justified for physical abuse at the hands of her parents to get her in line in life. Apart from all that, this one wasn't all that bad when it focused on areas other than her, as the main focus here is really on her psychotic dreams and visions that come along with her burgeoning sexuality, as these are vivid, lurid and quite graphic with tons of bloodshed, graphic and sexualized kills and a rather hypnotic quality that makes them incredibly watchable and chilling, which is nearly enough to save this almost by itself. Due to the severity of the other flaws, though, it only makes this one watchable.

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Rites of Spring-Following a kidnapping-gone-wrong, a group of thieves stumble upon a young woman intended to be sacrificed to a deadly creature as part of a ritualistic tradition and get caught up in the fight to survive against the being. On the whole this one was a pretty disappointing if still overall enjoyable effort. Among the better efforts here is the fact that this one manages to really let loose and get enjoyable during its second half by featuring some enjoyable elements here from its' turn-over into more of a slasher film which requires this one to let loose with the best aspects here quite nicely. The main location itself is well utilized as the abandoned school is given a great, grungy look that reeks of disuse and disrepair that always works in these kinds of films, gives off plenty of tight, cramped rooms and endless corridors perfect for stalking and ambushing and really makes for quite an enjoyable time here with these forming the best part of the film with the endless chases, stalking and attacks that come of being there. As well, the main facet of what works here is the killer itself, which looks creepy and cool with the flesh-mask and scarf wrapped up around up it's lower half of the head but the weapon allows for plenty of graphic kills, it's main stalking tactic of appearing off in the distance behind the unsuspecting victim and then galloping at full-steam towards them to deliver a strike without let-up is insanely original and provides this with tons of suspense while also giving him a rather disturbing air about him due to the rather chilling ceremony that must be enacted to appease him that comes about providing this with plenty of solid, enjoyable times here. That this all comes in the later half means the first half is where the problems are, and it starts with the kidnapping ploy here that really serves no purpose other than to give the creature more of a body-count by slashing his way through the gang regardless of their motives. This is agonizingly slow, doesn't really offer much value to anything here and comes off incredibly confusing by intertwining the group pulling off their getaway with the preparations of the first girls for the ceremony to be taken place that later intermingles the two stories. This is entirely hamfisted and cliché how this goes about mixing the two together as well and simply serves to make the story even more lame with all the confusion offered here. These hold it down while the other efforts make it watchable.

Piranha DD-Escaping into a nearby drainage lake, the prehistoric fish make their way into a local water park during it's opening weekend forcing the staff of the facility to save the guests and stop the ravenous creatures before it's too late. Overall this was an immensely and utterly enjoyable sequel that has a lot more going for it. Among the biggest positives here is the fact that this one makes for a rather enjoyable time here in detailing the cause away from the location of the first one into a more outrageous setting being quite natural and believable as there's a nice connection here following up the effects of the first one by again using the logical manner of the underground tunnels to explain everything. That of course follows up the even greater fun here of this one's seemingly glorious cheesy nature on display as there's so much fun here during the main attack of the park that it's an immensely enjoyable sequence all on it's own as the action-packed encounters are so fun and bloody that there's a lot to like on that principle alone. The viciousness of the swarm ripping into bodies and generally taking advantage of the different confines around a water-park to make for a rather exciting time throughout here unleashing plenty of action, solid gore and kills here from the savage bites and dismemberments while also giving this the kind of demented atmosphere and fun found in numerous other works here with this one really taking solid advantage of the creatures to pile on some rather goofy, fun scenarios of the creatures appearing where they really shouldn't be. As well, the fact that this one can certainly play it straight and keep things running along nicely with some suspenseful scenes at times is a great ploy at counteracting the cheesy nature of the rest of the film where it keeps things focused on the seriousness of the creatures by featuring such great early scenes as the attack on the couple in the van as the water rapidly begins filling the van while they try to get out to safety, a later scene where they attack the friends on the wooden dock by launching themselves through the planks knocking them into the water or the fantastic night-time attack in the lake that's really eerie and chilling for the setting and the knowledge of their attacks previously. By combining all this with the fantastically cheesy sexualized attacks on the couple that are quite shocking and disturbing, the rampant well-delivered nudity and feverish gore, there's enough here to make this one wholly enjoyable enough to hold off the minor flaws present. The biggest issue here is the fact that this one tends to go for a lot more of a clichéd feeling overall here by running through the same notions as the original only it tends to feel even less impactful because of simply running along the same lines. There's a lot of similar ground covered here that came from the original, and it tends to be quite noticeable. As well, the fact that this one was filmed for 3D means that a lot of gore gags and shots look absolutely atrocious and noticeable when seen elsewhere and if that's not the format being shown in it looks awkward and clunky quite often throughout here. Otherwise, this one tended to be quite exciting and enjoyable.

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Starve-Traveling through central Florida for research, a man and his friends find themselves abducted by a psychotic tenant and forced to undergo extreme starvation then fighting other prisoners for their entertainment, forcing them into an extreme test to survive. Overall this one was another disappointing and frankly unimpressive Torture Film without too many positives. As is usual in these types of films, the main purpose of this one is the fact that so much of this one is undone by the rationale of logic and common sense that it becomes merely laughable to continue to sit there in such situations that ultimately become dull and lame. The fact that a large majority of this comes from the fact that so much of the film is simply sitting around their cages waiting for the fighting to occur does seem to keep that rationale held off so late into the film regardless of where it occurred there's nothing here that makes this seem like what's going on has any relevance to what they're dealing with motivations. There's just way too much of that throughout here, and it's not only taxing to get through but to then get through it with that for their logic and reasoning is only more frustrating than before with it really going for the lamest motive possible. Likewise, it's nearly impossible to get into so many other sections of the film here as there's just so much of the film that's not really fun to get into, from the lame rescue attempt that comes up short, the group holding them hostage that aren't scary at all but only remain so because of the condition they're held in or the rather clumsy way this brings them around to being captured by the group makes this incredibly lame, dull and padded out really for much longer than it needs to be. Where this one really works, and about the only point for it, is the savageness of the kills and fights throughout here, going for an animalistic way of fighting that's brutal and designed to kill more than anything else. There's a great sense of urgency and seriousness to these, and coupled with the savage gore for them really makes these quite worthwhile and the only part of this to really be enjoyable through the heavy set of flaws. Those are just too much for this one to overcome.

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Elfie Hopkins: Cannibal Hunter-Attempting to find meaning in her world, an amateur detective finds her new small-town neighbors are the perfect opportunity to refine her skills only to stumble upon an even deadlier secret that threatens her small-town home. This one here didn't really turn out all that bad and had some decent stuff about it. What really tends to work here is the slow-broiling mystery throughout here which comes off rather nicely with the strange, odd family seeming like completely worthwhile avenue of study here that really makes for quite a nice time. The fanciful stories and traveling quips, the secretive glances and looks at each other and then the sudden slow-turn into being mysterious and somewhat intimidating lets this initiate the mystery into the fine later half here as this one manages to get that paid off in rather exciting form here as there's a lot of rather enjoyable encounters to come from how they manage to keep up their true nature in the face of the continually persecutions. That leads to plenty of fun here with the building evidence fully realized in the rather brutal encounter in the woods where the entire family is shown engaging in the stalking which is what makes for quite a fun time overall here as the night-time forest setting is put to great use here. Likewise, the family brawling in the final half is all kinds of fun with the stalking taking place on the multiple floors of the house, the brutality in the kills is appealing and it pays off the mystery quite well here. These here are enough to make this one worthwhile despite the fact that there's not much else in here. The film is more of a mystery film about her sleuthing their behavior for the majority of the film and that doesn't tend to offer very much in the way of interesting efforts here since these consist of her sitting in front of a computer piecing everything together or going off on accusations that don't really amount to much throughout here in terms of exciting sequences since nothing happens until the end. The mystery does work, but it's not how it goes about accomplishing it which is where this one falls. As well, the film also tends to run along a big side-plot about her friend and how he's carrying on in life without her, and despite this attempting to stir up a rather noticeable amount of teen-angst drama about it there's just nothing really interesting about them due to the low-key nature of their discussions really bringing anything about them. Otherwise, this here was pretty decent overall.

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Hatchet III-Still alive after her battle with Victor Crowley, a woman is forced to go back into the swamps to save the rescue team attempting to find the cause of the disappearances and find him still alive and hunting them down with barbaric viciousness. Overall this was an utterly enjoyable and over-the-top entry in the series that makes for a wholly enjoyable time here. What really works for this one is the sheer, utter ruthlessness on display throughout the film, which ranges from the opening attack that continues on the themes from the previous entry to the way this one goes for the different attacks and encounters throughout here, there's hardly anything in here that goes for subtlety as it's so over-the-top and gleeful in doling out this extremely fun time. There's also the return here of the utterly brutal and graphic kills that were part of the first one being put to great effect as this one is just so bloody and graphic that it manages to top the original in several cases with the brutality of the kills on display which are not only impressive for the spectacle but also for the creativity into featuring them all in one singular film. That alone would've made this one incredibly enjoyable even before the exploits of what really make this one work in the outstanding action scenes that are simply overflowing throughout the film, not only giving this another positive itself in the frantic pace but also giving this one some of the most enjoyable aspects of itself. The opening attack in the swamp is a great continuation, but it also sets up the first of the many encounters here where the recovery team meets their fate on the river-boat, the resulting massacre in the swamps and finally the film's best parts where the SWAT team is targeting the killer in here through some utterly fantastic action scenes where their weaponry is brought to bear on his hideout which results in a frantic firefight in the jungle, a series of blazing encounters where he just annihilates the entire troupe and being forced to using a bazooka in the situation all to no avail as he continues the assault on them. The final attack on the survivors in the remains of the river-boat is equally impressive resulting in some genuine tension and suspense in the situation as the slowly-growing hole and reduced shelter spaces works against the race to get there for the final dealing blow here is equally enjoyable. Likewise, the suspense from their trek through the dim, eerie swamps at the beginning makes for quite an enjoyable time, as well as allowing for a great break against the unrelenting violence, and coupled with the grisly humor throughout here and the strong story that ties the series together all makes this one truly a lot of fun. While some might find issue with the over-the-top gore, it's not enough of a detriment here against this to hold it down.

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The Dead 2: India-As a zombie plague threatens India, a man and the orphan he picks up along the way try to deal with the influx of the ravenous creatures on his plans to return to the city for his pregnant lover and escape the zombie-infested country. Overall this one wasn't all that bad and provided a lot to like here. What works the best here is the fact that there's just no rest allowed throughout here from the zombie massacre, which is really from the start here on throughout the rest of the film. With the initial encounters starting just minutes after the opening credits and basically put forth from that point onward, there's hardly any let-up here as the encounters with the swarm continually provide this one with plenty of enjoyable scenes throughout the landscape filled with zombies that provide this one with plenty of high-quality scenes. The initial attack on their fortress is quite enjoyable with the creatures creating some rather impressive moments here amongst all the panic and chaos creating a dizzying confusion that's incredibly exciting, the early scenes of him stumbling onto the truth about the plague with the various quick encounters here leaving this one with a rather impressive set of action scenes of him fighting through the hordes at the hang-gliders' office and the group swarming through the lost village in the desert as these have plenty of rather fun encounters. Even later ones in the hut with the zombie children and the large assault on the swarm with the soldiers moving into the city provide this one with plenty of action and outstanding gore effects with their being blasted in the head continuously while also offering up plenty of traditional bites and gut- munching displayed here to really give this one a lot to like. There's also a few small flaws here in the fact of this one coming off pretty much like a retread of the original on in a new country which allows for a different culture atmosphere to permeate the film as the main selling point between the two. There's not a whole lot different here that really warrants the difference in country-specific setting as done here, and that even runs into the film's other problem in this one being basically a road-movie plot line that runs throughout here. That happened in the first one, and continues here with this one based on having brief, quick encounters as the need to flee is the main survival instinct at hand so while there's a ton of action it doesn't have the grand, epic action scene rather than dozens of brief encounters to move this along since they need to keep going away from them, which also popped up in the first one. Otherwise, this one had a lot of great parts to make it enjoyable.

Gallowwalkers-Cursed with a rare ability, a gunman who finds his victims returning to life as zombies plan to overtake the sacred grounds of his origin and break the barrier to let the dead souls return to Earth, forcing him to action to stop them. Overall this one was quite a disappointing but still enjoyable enough effort that has some decent elements for it. The biggest factor for this one is the absolutely kinetic comic-book style throughout this one here, which tends to leave this one with a distinct visual style throughout the action on display which is quite fun here. There's the type of appearance that suits the villains throughout here which is very apparent in the way they come back to life as different zombies which meshes quite well with the graphic kills, rampant action scenes and the old-west setting being quite well utilized by this one to make for quite a fine time here. That first part, about the different zombie appearance on display offers up another stellar point in the film by offering a rather gruesome series of main villains that effectively make an impression here as to inspiring fear in others, as the lizard-like skin, battle ornaments and even masks and helmets come into play here which makes them quite imposing and definitely creepy, especially given the Old-West setting which is quite well utilized here as it makes for quite an enjoyable time overall here utilizing this kind of setting for all the different action scenes here which makes this one quite enjoyable. These here are what make it enjoyable, though there's some big flaws here that hold it down. The main factor against this one is the fact that there's just no story at work within this, as events tend to come and go without any explanation or force acting on the rest of the events that play out here leading things to just happen without reason. There's little told here about what they're trying to do in the town, why they need the radical Christian group or even why he's cursed to have those killed come back to life. We're told the curse has a part of it but there's little here that makes sense as to why that would befall him in the manner depicted or why that would bother him in the first place which tends to make their motivations simply being killing random people innocently and having him play a hero of some kind which is quite telling of the story as a whole. This is also confusing in what happens to the zombies here as they're quite far removed from what is normally considered zombies as they're basically the same person only with lizard-like contact lenses and a more invulnerable-but-not-invincible body that can be wounded more than normal but still die, are allowed to talk and think like people and aren't in the slightest bit worried about eating flesh which tends to make them quite different from what's normally found in the genre with no reason again for offering this kind of change. The last factor here is the rather pedantic and relaxed pace throughout here which tends to really take it's time going anywhere and not really offering the kind of action-packed spectacle that would've benefited from this kind of set-up, which might also have to do with the lame story as well. Otherwise, this one wasn't all that bad.

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Night Vision-After moving to New York, a small-town writer receives a strange VCR as a gift only to find that the tape's contents of Satanic rituals and ceremonies allows him to see a series of gruesome murders committed around the city. Overall this one isn't all that spectacular and didn't have much going for it. Among the many problems with this one is that there's just not enough screen-time here to really get invested in the horror angle behind this one as far too much time is taken up with lame and non- frightening scenarios that just don't give off any true horror feel from any of the scenes. The main part here is the inherent fish-out-of-water storyline about how he's just arrived in the big city and completely inexperienced in life to be able to handle this which leads to his struggles to find a place to live and support himself which leads into the drawn-out romance angle here that isn't in the slightest bit interesting being telegraphed from the very beginning by the first moment they meet which really spoils that storyline quite early. The second half of this, him meeting up with the shifty hustler is just plain drawn-out and lifeless which just makes this seem all the more lame by furthering a plot-line already featured throughout this one and quite weakly by making it out like all New York inhabitants are seedy individuals. Not only do these plot-points make this one quite troubling overall in terms of pacing and generating interest, the mere factor of keeping the horror off-screen is also quite a large hurdle to overcome here which also tends to run this down by turning the horror into quite lame scenes anyway. The process of watching him go crazy and turn into a beady-eyed paranoiac doesn't really ring true all that much since the majority of time the possessed VCR is running on static and indecipherable snowy pictures which tends to make his reaction to them all the more confusing and incoherent. While the last half does tend to make this quite enjoyable as the slowly-unraveling police investigation turns out to be far better than expected at piecing everything together while generating a few solid suspense scenes here with the playback of the Satanic rituals finally being shown in full and getting the film with a solid gore count, these here aren't enough to really hold this up against the flaws.

[slayrrr666]

Voodoo-Forced to apply for the only open fraternity on campus, a college student finds that they are headed by a voodoo mastermind intending to make him part of a sacrificial ceremony and tries to stop it from coming true. Overall this one wasn't all that bad and had some good points to it. What this one does exceptionally well is manage to deliver an effective atmosphere of distrust here about the fraternity members and what they're really all about, managing to make the first half here pretty enjoyable as it winds through the suspense of the rather distant and aloof gang with rather nice times here getting this one going with their initial reactions to him and the set-up rivalry against the other fraternity. These here are compounded by the rather timely use of their voodoo skills which are spiced up nicely amongst the events to really make it seem as though there's something not quite right with the guys that augments the suspense nicely, and it's not really until the big scene in the tattoo parlor where he's initiated alongside the reanimated corpse in an abbreviated voodoo ceremony that it really starts coming along nicely with the whole vibe here getting a lot more creepy at the perfect place to do so. The events that follow, from the voodoo- influenced massacre of the rival fraternity while sitting around thinking it's nothing more than a party game is fun while the events that play out in the fraternity are incredibly chilling, the series of hallucinations that occur while under their control and the final battle between the two to get his kidnapped girlfriend back all make up a truly thrilling and enjoyable series of action that plays rather nicely with the events set-up here once they get to their powers and eventual purpose here. Still, there's a few minor problems on display, the biggest of which is the fact that the beginning here doesn't really get a lot of action going. While nicely setting up the unease of the cult and how they're hiding out on campus, the fact that they don't actively do anything here does make this seem a lot longer to get going than it actually is which is only compounded by the irritating romantic troubles they're having which aren't in the slightest bit interesting listening to them try to maintain a relationship that doesn't seem all that likely anyway. This also highlights the films' other problem in the rather lame amount of time the group actually spends on their voodoo practices, merely showcasing a few rudimentary spells and control pieces that don't seem all that dangerous and don't make them all the more deadly and unopposable simply because that's what's needed to move the film along. Not to mention the rather depressing fact that beyond the rival fraternity massacre, their powers here really come off weak and non- threatening only because of the lack of time spend actually showcasing what they can do. Otherwise, this one is certainly enjoyable.