Review: Hollow Creek

Review: Hollow Creek

By William Pattison

For Horror Bob’s Blog

For my review this time I have a horror/thriller by actress, director, and screenwriter Guisela Moro, Hollow Creek.

Collaborating screenwriter Steve Daron plays author Blake Blackman. Blackman travels to do a retreat in a cabin in the Appalachian Mountains with Angie, the woman he is having an affair with, played Guisela Moro. Blake is going to the cabin to write his next horror novel. On the trip to the cabin they hear an Amber Alert and hear that there are several boys missing in the area. Soon after they arrive Angie’s dog starts acting strange like there was in the woods. Meanwhile Angie goes to the local doctor because she has been sick for a couple days and is shocked to find out she is pregnant with Blake’s child. In a twist of fate, on her way back to the cabin she sees a rusty old white car with what she realizes is one of the missing boys in the back. She follows the car to a house in a remote area of town. There she is caught by the husband and wife who have stolen the boys. The wife finds out that Angie is pregnant and convinces her husband to lock up Angie and keep her alive until she has her baby.

Meanwhile Blake is the prime suspect in Angie’s disappearance and spends months trying the mystery of what is going on in the small town.

I have to say that Guisela Moro and Steve Daron have written a wonderful script full of tension and strong characterization. Guisela shows herself a real talent as she takes on the hats of director and screen writer, as well as delivering a powerful performance as Angie. Former Hollywood superstar Burt Reynolds also gives a wonder performance in the role as the rich Grandfather of one of the missing boys. All in all this is a well done thriller with a bit of ghostly action as well. If you are looking for gore this won’t be the film for you, but is you want tension and drama this is the film for you.

All I can say is I highly recommend this film and I look forward to Guisela Moro’s next film.

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Review: Dark Summer

   

Review: Dark Summer
By William Pattison, aka Eric Morse
For Horror Bob's Blog

I just finished watching the 2015 film Dark Summer. This film tells the story of a 17 year old cyber stalker named Daniel who was obsessed with a girl named Mona. As the story opens Daniel is under house arrest and has to wear a sensor on his leg that only allows him to walk around his property. Also because of his cyber stalking he is banned from going on the internet. But his close friends Abby and Kevin help him find a way to get back on the net. But when he does he receives a Skype message from Mona. Mona makes him watch as she blows her head off with a gun. After Daniel starts having frightening experiences and suspects he is being haunted by Mona. Now it is up to Abby and Kevin to save Daniel before the spirit of Mona finishes her plans for him.

I really enjoyed this film. It was well written and it didn’t have the same stereotypical characters. I’ve honestly gotten tired of seeing The Breakfast Club style character setups in films. In this film Daniel, Abby, and Kevin felt like they were long time friends rather than a bunch of pretty faces that would never be seen dead together lumped together. Also this film had atmosphere. You felt a sense of being closed in and trapped in Daniel’s home. Also I loved how the filmmakers treated the spirit of Mona. When she was seen she wasn’t overdone, like most of these modern horror filmmakers do. I get tired of seeing ghosts that look like they came from the cast of Hellraiser. Mona was made pale looking and the only gory thing about her was the hole in the top of her head. Also, the plot twist at the end caught me by complete surprise, which is a rare thing.

So, people if you want a well written ghost story, with well developed characters, not over done, with a kick assed plot twist, this is the film for you. I highly recommend it…

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Review: The Channel

By William Pattison, aka Eric Morse

For Horror Bob's Blog

I just finished watching director, writer, editor Tom Lewis' new film The Channel. This is a film about a girl named Cassie who survives an auto accident and ends up being pursued by a negative entity. She also starts seeing spirits, including her friend who died in the car accident. We follow her as she deals with her doctors and psychiatrist who figure she has a mental condition and her parish priest and his young associate who start to suspect something demonic is threatening Cassie's life.

Director Tom Lewis uses his modest budget very well, depending on creative camera work and the use of colored lighting and shadow to create a creepy mood. He also uses digital and practical FX sparingly and to the greatest affect. This is truly a well made horror film and I hope to see a lot more from this wonderful director.

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Review: # Horror

Review: # Horror

By William Pattison

For Horror Bob's Blog

First off I would like to thank my Youtube buddy Cauwel3 for making me aware of this film.

#Horror is supposed to be a morality tale about the inhumanity that modern parents are imparting into their children. In the case of the six rich spoiled ego case girls director/writer Tara Subkoff takes this to the extreme. So extreme that there is not one character that the viewing audience can relate to much less sympathize with, one of the big no nos in horror. Another failure of the director is the setting. This huge window (literally the exterior is completely made of windows…) house with garish artwork on the few walls, including a way large painting of an open hard boiled egg that for some reason the director uses special FX to make it pulse like a heart on occasion.

In the story six very nasty, spoiled, girls come together at one of the girl’s garish window house. This is, of course, after the girls father and his mistress get killed in his car on a road in the woods not far from the house. The girl’s mother takes off leaving the girls to do as they choose. For the majority of the film you see the girls being bitches, constantly doing selfies, and putting on a female pissing contest with each others They even do this very disturbing dance while wearing creepy masks. And, I literally mean this is what happens through ninety-eight percent of the film. The fun ends when one girl calls the fat girl in the group fat. The main girl, the girl whose house they are in, tells her to leave. The girl is ejected out into the snow and the cold. She calls her daddy (played over the top by Timothy Hutton) comes to the house, bullies the girls, and goes out looking for his daughter. That is finally murders start happening, in the last fifteen minutes of the film.

To put it simply this film is one that puts image over substance, stereotypes over actual building of actual three dimensional characters, endless fluff over solid dramatization. This film promises gore at the beginning and ends up boring the audience. And, of course when the payoff is given it is not even worth it. Even the opening credits are barely readable because the filmmaker shows them in bursts of flashy imogies, which is perfect for a film that is all flash and nothing else.

As a lover of horror I cannot recommend this film. I hope this filmmaker learns from this film and does a horror film next time with better characterization, tension, and real scares.

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Review: Plan 9

Review: Plan 9

By William Pattison, aka Eric Morse

 For Horror Bob's Blog

Well, after three failed attempts I have finally got to see the film I’ve waited to see for four years, that being John Johnson’s Plan 9.

            This film is the epically expanded remake of Ed Wood’s cult classic Plan 9 From Outer Space, the film dubbed the worst film ever made.

            In this film Brian Krause (Charmed) stars as plane pilot Jeff Trent who is thrust into a plan to destroy humanity by aliens who are reanimating the dead as an unstoppable army. Who does Trent get to help him? Well, one of the town’s deputies, played wonderfully by director John Johnson, and fake psychic and irritating actor Criswell, played by former San Francisco Bay Area Horror Host Mr. Lobo. Can Trent and his band of heroes save the world from the alien and zombie threat? Well, you are going to have to get a copy of this new cult classic and find out for yourself.

            John Johnson takes Ed Wood’s tacky and whacked out B movie and turns it into an epic cult film that I can honestly say rivals Dawn of the Dead when it comes to zombie films. Zombie film lovers will love what Johnson delivers. He even has shots the homage George Romero’s cult classic, Night of the Living Dead. This film is full of cameos by cult horror icons. Carmille Keaton (I Spit on Your Grave) plays the part Vampira played in the original. Also, the original Plan 9 From Outer Space alumni Conrad Brooks makes an appearance along with Hari Krishna zombie from Dawn of the Dead, Mike Christopher.

            This film, which took John Johnson seven long years to finish, is a love letter to the horror genre. Truly it is a piece of art that was carefully crafted with the love of a true filmmaker. It shows in every shot and edit. Something you rarely see in the horror community these days with all the lack luster and slapped together crap that seems to be considered genius these days. This is true genius and I can’t strong enough recommend this film.

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Review: John Johnson's The Jester

Review: John Johnson's The Jester

By William Pattison

For Horror Bob’s Blog

This time I have the pleasure of reviewing a film by one of my favorite indie filmmakers, that being Mr. John Johnson. The film in question is John Johnson’s The Jester.

            There is a legend about a jester who fell in love with the daughter of a king and impregnated her. The King in his rage had the Jester tied to a tree and forced him to watch as he cut the child from his daughter’s stomach. Then the king burned down the forest to destroy the jester, baby, and his daughter’s body. While the Jester burned he cursed the king and the world saying that he would come back and claim a child to replace that which the king took from him, then the world would suffer his wrath.

            Centuries later a young female author finds a necklace and a book in an old book shop. She buys the book and after she starts to read from it the Jester appears to her. He tells her he has come to get what she owes him, a child, and if she rejects him three times blood will be spilt. She refuses him and he reminds her that if she does it two more times blood will be spilt. Then he wipes her memory.

            Soon after a bunch of her friends come to spend the weekend with her. The jester comes to her again and she rejects him two more times. The Jester tells her that she has made a grave mistake. From that point on blood is indeed spilt and the young author must choose either to concede to the demonic Jester’s request or watch her friends die one by one.

            The Jester is a low budget horror film done in the classic style of the 80s. Unlike most films that try to capture the feel of the 80s gorefests, Johnson manages this feat with ease yet does not turn this film into a cookie cutter 80s horror homage. This is not a homage it is an after affect of the fact that like those 80s filmmakers before him Johnson uses his limited resources to their full advantage and effect rather than trying to pretend he is making a Hollywood film. The result is good honest filmmaking that takes practical FX and character work, and tight script writing and uses these to create a quality piece of work. Jester reminds me of some of the great classic low budget horror films created by the master filmmakers of Empire Pictures and Full Moon. It is an entertaining horror film that doesn’t take itself too serious yet gives the horror fan the bang for their bucks. I highly recommend this film. You can find this and other wonderful films by John Johnson at http://www.darkstone-ent.com/films.html

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Review: Model Hunger

Review: Model Hunger

By William Pattison, aka Eric Morse

For Horror Bob's Blog

Well, this time I get to review the first directorial by my dear friend and the queen of all scream queens, Debbie Rochon. The film is titled Model Hunger and it is a quirky horror film that takes on the subject of the prejudice in the modeling and entertainment industry in general about female age and body size.

Model Hunger tells the story of Ginny (played to perfection by veteran actress Lynn Lowry), an elderly former model and actress who was cast aside as a young woman due to her body type. Ginny is now a broken woman who has over the years garnered a hatred and need for revenge on the thin young women who cost her her career. So, now when she encounters young pretty women she lures them into her house, kills them, and eats them. Now, come on the scene Ginny’s new neighbor Debbie (played by scream queen Tiffany Shepis). Debbie is a disturbed woman who starts to wonder about her neighbor’s activities. Debbie’s husband Sal, disregards her suspicions and ends up losing his life over it when Ginny sends over a little drugged treat for Debbie and Sal ends up eating it. After that things build to a final confrontation that pits Ginny and Debbie in a life and death battle.

I have to say this film sold me. It takes place in a twisted world that only a former Tromet could come up with. Mainly the stage of this twisted morality play takes place in three houses, Ginny’s, Debbie’s, and the neighbor on the other side of Ginny who is basically an old man with two hobbies, collecting windmills and peeping on the neighborhood. Then the film goes that much further for psychological affect by going into both women’s minds through voiceovers and creepy flashbacks.

But Rochon isn’t done there. After all she mentored with the great Lloyd Kauffman. Rochon hits the viewer with a blatant display of what the moral push of this story is through the vehicle of an infomercial show that plays through the story called Suzie’s Secret. Suzie’s Secret is a show hosted by Suzie (played in a fat suite by actress Suzi Lorraine) for “regular sized” women in order to sell them sexy clothes to make them feel empowered. The main clothes model in this freak show is none other than drag actor and Troma alumni Babette Bombshell. Babette thrills and shocks the viewer by modeling skanky outfits while rubbing food over his/her body. Scary indeed.

And, don’t worry, gore hounds, Debbie Rochon doesn’t forget you either. This film features some wonderful gore scenes as Ginny takes out cheerleaders, an aspiring actress, a mechanic, and even a Jehovah’s witness (because after all we can’t let those skinny Jehovah’s witness girls get away). And the best thing of all is not one CGI gore scene in the lot. Debbie Rochon goes for the best, and that is what has always worked, practical FX.

The last few years we’ve seen a lot of scream queens try the director’s chair. For the most part their efforts have been lack luster, and in many cases down right embarrassing. Not so in this case. I look forward to Debbie Rochon’s next directoral…

So, if you love twisted, gory, psychological, horror that is done with the love and respect of the craft, Model Hunger is the film for you.

Currently, this film is doing the film festival run, but it should be coming to DVD and Blueray sometime in 2016. I highly recommend you check it out if you get the chance. This will be one you will want to add to your collection in the future.

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