Review: House of Evil (2017)

Review:  House of Evil (2017)

By William Pattison

For Horror Bob’s Blog

Gore and scares everyone and welcome to my latest movie review. This time I’ll be looking at the retro 70s style demonic haunted house thriller House of Evil.

House of Evil tells the story of Kate and John McKey (played by Lucy Drive and Andrew Harwood Mills) who have moved into a remote old mansion in the countryside. Kate is a portrait artist and John is a photographer. They have come to the country for inspiration, the quiet and to start a family.  Unfortunately, unknown to the couple the mansion is infested with a demon and the spirits of its victims. As time goes on the couple begins to suffer horrifying nightmares. John starts to get obsessed with his photography and spending all his time in the cellar where he has his darkroom. Kate sees phantom children and keeps dreaming of the demon stalking her and her unborn baby.

I loved the style of this film. It reminded me of the haunted house films of the late 60s and 70s, like House of Dark Shadows. The clothing, hair styles, light blue Volkswagen van the couple drives screams the 70s. John even has the long sideburns that were popular.  Also the pace of the film is very 70s, meaning slow, which will annoy a more modern audience, but for me it was a nice change. The annoying part for me was when the cult with the old guy in the Catholic priest outfit show up.(Spoiler) Having them explain to Kate that they had called up the demon, before the last owners of the house murdered themselves, and that Kate’s baby is not really John’s but the demon’s. I just found that a lazy, sloppy, way to end the film. After all the build-up and work the filmmakers  put into the story to end it in that way, like The Last Exorcism, spoiled the film for me. So, unfortunately, I can’t recommend this film. Though it did manage to capture the 70s feel and pace the last ten minutes of the film trashes all that good work.  I ended up leaving this film feeling cheated and I don’t want to put anyone reading this through that….Also they tried to end the film by saying that it was based on a true incident…I sorely doubt that….

Keep on Creepin’, Horror Bob’s Blog

Review: Circus Kane

Review: Circus Kane

By William Pattison

For Horror Bob’s Blog

Gore and scares everyone! For my review this time I have the torture porn style fun house from hell film Circus Kane.

Circus Kane tells the story of a group of people from various parts of the horror community, a memorabilia collector, a scream queen a blogger, a movie reviewer, a website owner, and an everyday horror geek, who get sent messages to meet in a certain place for a chance to win $250,000. When they get to the meeting place they are all roughly put in an old S.W.A.T. van by men wearing clown masks. In the van they find that the wall are covered with old posters that promoted a traveling horror circus called Circus Kane. Big Ed, the collector (played by young Al Pacino look a like Ted Monte) remembers and is a fan of The Circus Kane and it’s circus master Bathazar Kane. He also reminds the others that Kane is infamous for burning a man to death in his act, so famous that he inspired a song all of them know. It is then that a monitor lights up and the shadowy image of Bathazar Kane (played masterfully by Tim Abell) appears. Kane informs them that they are in route to take part in the revival of the Circus Kane and the chance for one of them to win the money if they can face their fears. After this, knock out gas is released in the back of the van. The group is woken up when they arrive at their destination, a huge mansion decked out in plastic gargoyles and other horror decorations. After the guys in the clown masks let them all out they all head up to the house and are greeted at the door by a tall pale man in a bowler hat (played by former Night Court star Richard Moll). Inside the house Kane appears again on another monitor and informs them that in order to win the money they must make their way through his house of horrors and his “friends” that they will meet along the way. He tells them that some of them will die during this journey through terror and pain. He also tells them all they have to do to give up is say the magic words “Bathazar Kane, you win.” and they will lose out on the money and will be set free. What these unfortunate people find is a hell full of horrifying rooms full of traps, a demonic killer clown, a sadistic court jester swinging chains with hooks on them, a cannibalistic Nazi zombie, and the burned and scared master of this house of terror Kane himself.

I have to say I really enjoyed this film. It has been quite a while since I saw a really good film of this type. The pace of this film is perfection. There is no filler in this film and it keeps your interest from the beginning to the end.

I also loved the makeup work as well. All the characters were well designed without being so over the top as to distract you from the story.

And I have to say I was completely caught by surprise by the twist at the end, which is a rare thing for me.

All in all I can highly recommend Circus Kane if you want a slick well craft horrorfest. This is a horror pleasure you will enjoy…

Keep on Creepin’, Horror Bob’s Blog….!