-This is a disclaimer acknowledging that every Friday from here on out I will provide to you a weeks worth of Horror movies on the rental and VOD circuit. Some of these movies are so bad they will never see the light of day on the main screen but some are hidden gems unknown to the general mainstream moviegoers. I feel it its my duty to make sure you don’t miss out on any future cult classics so I bring to you my weekly installment of Horror Movies Uncut. The thoughts and opinions on these reviews are clearly my own and should be shared by many!
BEST PICK OF THE WEEK
CITADEL-
Suspense is so overlooked these days that many films feel if you aren't jumping enough you aren't being scared. True horror fans know this is not true as suspense always leads to a better scare. Citadel is a film that was on my top list of 2012 and its available to rent now. It involves a young man trying to survive with his new born baby as he is being tormented by a group of hooded juveniles that killed his wife. It’s kind of hard to follow due to the strong accents but once this film gets going it never eases up. Once the mysterious is unraveled at the end it leads to a less than dramatic finale but other than that Citadel is a must watch and must have for any horror film collector.
THE REST OF THE FILMS
CHERRY TREE LANE-
Home invasions are becoming common now and not since The Strangers have we really seen one hit the mainstream screens. Well across the pond they are all too familiar with home invasion films as well and it’s proven with the intense thriller Cherry Tree Lane. This film is not one to watch with the family as a young group of thugs attack, torture and rape a couple as they wait on their son. Its never really said what the sons does and when you see the age of not just the kids doing the invasion but the age of the boy in question you will be astounded. The acting of the main assailant is by far the best performance in the film but Tree Lane does lose a little momentum with way too much dialogue at times. One of the better endings for a home invasion film I have seen if you have the stomach for it make sure to check out this joyride of terror.
THE AWAKENING-
I’m thrilled that supernatural movies are making a comeback stronger than ever. I have always stated ghost tales were the hardest to do because the Asians set the bar so high. The Awakening is film out this week that does a fair job of telling a great story and providing enough chills to keep you interested. Fans of movies like The Others and The Orphanage will fall in like with The Awakening. The story involves a young woman who has made a career of exposes so called ghost activities as fraud. She is asked to come to a boarding school for boys that is being haunted by a young child. One of the boys has been killed and the woman suspects foul play. She comes to find out there is more to this story then believed and the key to it all lies with her. Most paranormal movies provide a cheap looking specter as they are lazy with the CGI. It was good to see the creators of The Awakening not overuse this technique. It helped provide a chilling atmosphere and a must watch for any ghost film fan. The Awakening is a very slow paced tale and could drop about 20 minutes out of the film but not so much to make it unwatchable.
ALL SUPERHEROES MUST DIE-
At first I was not going to add this to the list but after viewing All Superheroes I felt it was fitting due to the tone of the film. Picture a combination of Justice League meets the SAW movies as noted by girlfriend. I agree with her totally but what i was not aware of was how dark this film actually is. It’s hard to place a category on this film because it walks a fine line between drama, dark comedy and action. There are a few B -listers in Must Die so the acting is not really up to par. It was hard to take my eyes away from the screen as I wondered what else could go terribly wrong for the heroes. The plot revolves around a team of heroes who must save a bunch of civilians from death traps. The problem is these are also traps for the heroes that takes them out one by one. Not a must have by any means but for sure a different take on a superhero tale. As a fan of comics the trend these days is to make them darker and more compelling than before and All Superheroes Must Die takes that notion and runs with it.
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 4 -
Read my full review PA4 here. This installment of Paranormal Activity was a let down for me as I saw tons of promise in the third. If you are a fan of the franchise then i’m sure you have already seen it. If you have never seen any of the films this isn't a bad place to start as it kinda gives glimpses of all that going on. Don’t forget while he is alive the boyfriend steals the movie!
Well there you have it the first installment of Horror Movies Uncut. Make sure to head out to your local video store or Redbox and look for these titles! Have a great weekend!
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