The School (2018)

Starring: Megan Drury, Will McDonald, Jack Ruwald, & Texas Watterston

Director: Storm Ashwood - Rating: NR - Score: 3 1/2 Stars

Lord of The Flies meets The House On Haunted Hill in the Australian psychological horror thriller, The School. Dr. Amy Wintercraig (Megan Drury) works in a hospital, on the spot where a hundred years ago a school once stood. The school however was burnt down by a trouble child and a lot of people died. As she cares for her comatose son, Dr. Wintercraig dreams of the school and the dead that walk it's decaying hallways, but is she dreaming or is she traveling through purgatory itself? This is one of those indie horror flicks that I felt could have gone either way. The beginning was kind of confusing and the hospital scenes were painfully slow. Things really don't get going until you meet Zac (Will McDonald), who literally makes this movie! McDonald is devilishly good as the charismatic lead of the "bad" kids and really puts on an unbelievable performance. Once Zac and his minions go after the adult intruder, the film becomes a chase through one scary area of the school after another, with surprises and secrets around every corner. A lot of writers would have settled for the secrets of this mysterious haunted school or for the warring groups of children, but the culmination of the two make for a unique paradigm, that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The School definitely takes a while to get going, but once it does, it is one thoroughly enjoyable ride.

Excision (2012)

Starring: AnnaLynn McCord, Jeremy Sumpter, Matthew Gray Gubler, & Traci Lords

Director: Richard Bates Jr. - Rating: NR - Score: 2 1/2 Stars

I have seen some strange movies in my time, but Excision has got to be near the top. This is the story of Pauline (AnnaLynn McCord), a dark outcast who likes dead things. She likes to play with them and dissect them. Her naive parents think that she's going to be a doctor, but the truth is she's closer to a psychopath than anyone realizes. The dark humor in the film was pretty great, as was Jeremy Sumpter, who has always been a favorite of mine, but that's about it. Excision is a film that's supposed to be disturbing, but the truth is it's just disgusting. Straight blood and guts for the sake of blood and guts. There is no rhyme or reason to the story and that's the most disturbing part. We just see a lot of Pauline, by herself, with her thoughts, doing the things she does that make her "that weird girl." Aside from being dark and disturbing, the filmmakers really push a shocking ending, but again, be ready for disappointment. The bottom line, these are the kind of films that turn people off to horror and just how great some of the films can be. If you wanna see some good looking people, some off color humor, and a lot of road kill, this might be the film for you, but my advice would be to take a pass on this one.

The Loved Ones

Starring: Xavier Samuel, Robin McLeavy, John Brumpton, & Jessica McNamee

Director: Sean Byrne - Rating: R - Score: 2 Stars

I love Independent films, especially in the genre of horror. A good independent horror film is better than anything you will ever see in theaters. Unfortunately, in order to find the good ones, you need to weed through a lot of strange and terrible movies first. The Loved Ones is an Australian film that had an interesting premise. Lola (Robin McLeavy) is far from the popular girl in school, and she knows that he crush on the most popular kid in school, Brent (Xavier Samuel), likely won't go anywhere. With prom coming up, Lola only has eyes for Brent, who is planning to attend with his girlfriend, but before that happens, Lola and her father kidnap Brent and bring him to their homemade version of the prom. I loved how twisted this film was, from the corny jokes to the extreme gore, but The Loved Ones was extremely predictable and really doesn't go far beyond the description. The film moves at a snails pace and is an absolute cliche. There is a formula that you always find in horror film like this one, they include, a lack of character development, insanely good looking people who manage to find their way out of their cloths, and a lot of blood. This film has all that and it's a good story, but about twenty minutes in, Brent is kidnapped and the film just stalls. I had high hopes for this film, but ultimately it's just another boring film that tries to use shock and sex in order to sell itself.

Pet Sematary (2019)

Starring: Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, & John Lithgow

Director: Kevin Kolsch & Dennis Widmyer - Rating: R - Score: 4 Stars

For me, one of the hardest things to do is to write a review for a remake, when I've already seen the original film. How is it that you can review it or even watch it, without making immediate comparisons to the original? For those of you unfamiliar with the story, Dr. Louis Creed and his family move to a small town in the woods of Maine. They buy a huge property, which in the back has an old pet cemetery, but beyond that lies something far more sinister, an ancient Indian burial ground, where it is said, those buried there, can return. Pet Sematary was a great film and an even better book, but it's the kind of story where there isn't much you can leave out, and there isn't a whole lot you can change. That being said, the majority of the film is almost a shot for shot remake of the original, begging the question, what's the point? The ending is where they change things up a bit and does it make the story better? That's for you to decide. Personally, I always loved this film and had no problem with it being modernized a bit. The cast wasn't bad, but certainly not as good as the original. The only upgrade in that respect was John Lithgow playing the role of the next door neighbor, Jud, a definite improvement over Fred Gwynne. If you've never seen the original film, go see this one, it's more modern and like it's predecessor, it does an excellent job of bringing book to screen. If you have seen the original, you may or may not think of it as an upgrade. It all comes down to the ending, which I did enjoy, still I can't decide if it's better than what was originally written.

Shadow (2009)

Starring: Jake Muxworthy, Karina Testa, & Nuot Arquint

Director: Frederico Zampaglione - Rating: NR - Score: 3 stars

For years I'd heard how twisted and truly horrific Italian horror films were, but I never saw one. I just can't get into something when I have to sit there reading subtitles for two hours. That's why I was excited when I heard about Shadow, an American movie written and directed by Italian horror filmmakers. The film is centered on David (Jake Muxworthy), a soldier who has just come back from Iraq, who is on a European bike trip. David is looking to clear his mind with his favorite activity, when he comes across a beautiful woman being harassed by hunters. He intervenes, gets the girl, and in the process becomes a target. That is when this film takes a big one-eighty, because during the chase, they enter a creepy area of the woods, run into something far more sinister, and all wind up in the same boat. I've said it time and time again, today's horror films are almost always poorly written gorefests, full of jump scares, that aren't scary anymore. Shadow has the gore, some truly horrific and brutal gore, but aside from that, this film is genuinely creepy and very frightening. I don't know how or where they found Nuot Arquint, but the man put a chill in my bones. Arquint and Muxworthy were terrific on opposite ends of the spectrum, but the rest of the cast left a lot to be desired. This was a debut for the Director and many of the actors, so Shadow wasn't without it's mistakes and weak points, that being said, I just love the fact that it scared me, and for as scary as the film was, it may have been the cleverly written twist in the end that was the most horrifying of all.

Under The Bed (2012)

Starring: Jonny Weston, Gattlin Griffith, & Musetta Vander

Director: Steven C. Miller - Rating: R - Score: 1 1/2 Stars

I watch mostly independent horror films, because when it comes to this genre, Hollywood is just too afraid to try anything different. When you see a horror film in theaters, it seems like all you get is either a slasher film with a ton of blood, a serial killer movie with lots of gore, or a supernatural thriller with nothing but jump scares. Real horror is supposed to be scary and is supposed to be something that sticks with you, but it's rare that a film can do that anymore, and Under The Bed is no exception. I can sum up this film by simply saying it's an hour of goosebumps, ten minutes of ridiculously over the top gore, and a whole five minutes of stranger things, thrown in at the end, for an attempt at originality. Not only was this a horror movie that I would call boring, but the cast was just plain annoying and written to be beyond stupid. If not for the writers love of the F word, combined with the last fifteen minutes of the film, Under The Bed could literally have been a Goosebump. Jonny Weston stars, and the future Project Almanac star, really was the only bright spot. This was one of his first films, but he at least has a clue as to how to live in the moment and build up the intensity. Weston's character had an interesting background and even a couple of funny one-liners, aside from that, this film has absolutely nothing. For those of us who love independent films, we are always taking a risk, knowing that a lot of times we're seeing newcomers. A lot of these films are something different, new, and refreshing, but other times they reek of inexperience and are completely lacking in originality. Under The Bed is yet another example of the latter.

House of Bodies

Starring: Terrance Howard, Queen Latifah, & Peter Fonda
Director: Alex Merkin - Rating: NR - Score: 1 1/2

First of all how does a movie like this manage to get a cast like this? It boggles the mind that these actors would actually be willing to take part in such a shit show, but they did, and it was an epic disaster. Inside a house once owned by a serial killer, college girls looking for money, live, on camera 24/7, in a place where anything can happen. Ya see, they are actually part of a fetish porn website, where they can become victims at anytime and people pay big money to see this. Unbeknownst to them, the serial killer isn't dead, and one night he returns to the house, where the killings become all too real and are streamed live on the web for the whole world to see. Plain and simple this is a mildly pornographic slasher film and a bad one at that. Some big names have some small roles that are honestly beneath them, and not at all worthy of their time. Not only is the story badly written, but the film is just frustrating to watch, as it keeps switching back between the actual house and the poor quality web feed people around the world are watching. The bottom line here, there is a great cast, a title and even a preview that will attract every horror fan that sees it, but if you get sucked in, you will be highly disappointed.

Bleed (2016)

Starring: Chelsey Crisp, Riley Smith, & Michael Steger

Director: Tripp Rhame - Rating: NR - Score: 2 1/2

With a baby on the way, Sarah (Chelsey Crisp) and Matt (Michael Steger) decide to have some friends over to celebrate their new home and new family. It should have been a quiet day, until Sarah's unique brother Eric (Riley Smith) shows up. Eric is a drifter and a ghost hunter, whose bad behavior and odd ball girlfriend threaten to ruin the whole event. Eventually Eric gets into a discussion about what he does, and wanting to silence the skeptics, suggests a ghost hunt at an abandoned nearby prison, that's supposedly haunted. Well how could a woman who is six months pregnant not agree to hike through the woods to a haunted abandon building in the middle of nowhere? That part was a little ridiculous, but the backstory of the prison and the family dynamic actually wasn't too bad, especially for a B-horror movie without any big names attached to it. However that is what also becomes it's downfall, as once the action begins, the lack of experience and money for special effects comes into play, and this film quickly turns more into what I expected it to be. At 40 years old, Riley Smith seems to have been around forever, with over 75 IMDB credits under his belt. He was a pretty interesting character, why there wasn't more of a focus on Eric in the second half of the film, I don't know. I'm just a critic, but I can tell you from my experience, when you lack funds for better special effects, focus on the story and the experienced cast. The filmmakers didn't do that, and the whole thing just kind of falls apart at the end. Bleed wasn't bad for what it was, the first half half was better than expected, the second half, where all the fun stuff happens, was pretty much a disappointment. 

Dark Summer

Starring: Keir Gilchrist, Grace Phipps, & Peter Stormare 

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

The best actors in Hollywood need to get that big role before their career can take off. No matter how good they are, until they find that role, they won't be a household name and are forced to take whatever roles they can get. Even megastars, like Chris Pratt got his start on a low rated CW drama, and did B-movies for a decade before he was cast as Star Lord, this is the position Keir Gilchrist finds himself in now. Gilchrist is an exceptional young actor, who always gives his best, but without that big role on his resume, he's forced to take jobs like this one. Dark Summer follows Daniel, (Gilchrist) a 17 year old who has recently been sentenced to house arrest for stalking a girl from his school. To make matters worse, his parents are away for the summer and Daniel is all alone. As boredom ware away at him mind, Daniel starts to see things and wonders if he's being punished for his crimes by some supernatural entity, or if he's just going insane from boredom. For much of this movie, the actor is bored, and if the actor is bored, what do you think the audience is feeling? Daniel's days are filled with monotonous discussions with friends, who sneak over, and of course investigations that turn up nothing. As for his nights, they are filled with a lot of jump scares and loud noises that again ultimately turn up nothing, as Dark Summer is just one of those films where nothing happens until the last twenty minutes, and by then, who really cares anymore? The bottom line, even a great actor couldn't save this film, it's your typical supernatural horror film, filled with a lot of jump scares, good looking people, and a whole lot of nothing else until the very end.

Mother's Day (2010)

Starring: Rebecca De Mornay, Patrick Flueger, & Warren Kole

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

From the Director of Saw 2, 3, & 4 comes an even scarier film, a story that is not only brutal, but also entirely possible. Three recently released prisoners are back to their old tricks, as they have just robbed a bank and escaped a shoot out with the police. With no where else to go, they flee to a familiar place, their mother's house, only while they were away, she lost that house to the bank and it had been re-sold. The trio stumbles right into the new owners house warming party and quickly take them as hostages. These boys are brutal, but they aren't very smart, not knowing what the next step is, they do they only thing they can think of and call their dear old mother for advice. Mother's Day is your typical film about hostages held at bay, trying to escape the brutal hold of their captors, with one exception, Rebecca De Mornay, a veteran actress of these types of films. De Mornay's is the one who raised these monsters, but she's also the voice of reason, with a cool calm demeanor, that will send a chill down your spine. Her performance in this film is what takes a simple hostage film and turns it into something deeper, darker, and more sinister. Of course a film like this isn't without it's flaws, as it is extremely predictable. They throw in all the things you would expect to see in a film about a hostage situation, and outside of the named actors you recognize, the rest of the cast, wasn't very good. That being said, I really enjoyed the triple dynamic between mother, psychopathic children, and the hostages, aside from that, this film was pretty much forgettable.

Sinister (2012)

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, & James Ransone

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Original ideas in horror are hard to come by given the nature of the genre. The fans all want to be scared, some want blood and gore, and do we ever really want to see a happy ending? The idea behind Sinster was simple, lets give fans a little bit of everything and see how they react. Seeking peace and solitude, real crime writer, Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke), moves his family to the country, unaware that the house he's living in has a checkered past. That is until he finds an old movie projector with 8mm films, that will horrify the man to his core. Having children as the perpetrators of these crimes was my favorite part of the film, I love it when horror movies do that, because what could be scarier than an evil child. You take the most innocent thing in the world, turn it evil, and once that happens what can you do about it? Would you be able to shoot a kid? So how do you stop them? The idea is bone chilling. I also liked the fact that they touch on every aspect of the genre they could from ghosts to possession, from gore to jump scares, they really did include a lot. The problem however is that the film focuses on Ethan Hawke, who tries to shield his family from what's happening, while investigating the events on his own, and this makes the time in between events move at a snails pace. With so much going for it, this is a movie that should have a lot going on, not long periods of nothingness. Personally I'd like to see the story focus on a child and watch as he/she transforms into one of the kids in the 8mm films, that would be cool. For what it's worth, this wasn't a bad film, the cast was pretty good, and they did a lot with what they had, but ultimately Sinister just moved a little too slowly for me.

Fangs (2002)

Starring: Tracy Nelson, Whip Hubley, & Corbin Bernsen

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

When it comes to horror, either you get it or you don't. Those who don't, think it's all about blood, monsters, and scaring people, but in fact there are actually five distinct forms of horror. Films like Fangs are bad, and they are that way on purpose. There are franchises and even entire production companies that are dedicated to making films like this, where the story is insane, the effects are terrible, the acting is ridiculous, and it's all done on purpose, because it's supposed to make laugh just as much, if not more than it's supposed to make you cringe, that's the point! Fangs is somewhat different in two ways, first it was produced by a major film company and second the film wasn't all that bad. Basically some bats at a university escape in the lab and get into some chemicals they shouldn't have. As a result, they become super aggressive and wreak havoc on a small town. From there, the story follows a local veterinarian and the town sheriff, who try to track the bats and put an end to their reign of terror before more innocent lives are lost. As with many similar films, the dialogue is quite comical and there are lots of cheesy jokes and obnoxious characters you just can't wait to see get attacked, but for what it was, the effects weren't all that bad and the science behind it seemed somewhat plausible. This isn't the kind of film that makes you run to amazon to buy it. Fangs isn't going to win any awards, it doesn't feature any outstanding performances, and it probably isn't even the kind of film you'd want to see twice. However, if you're in one of those moods, where you just want to see something simple and stupid, that's going to make you laugh a few times, then Fangs is absolutely perfect for that. 

Stormhouse

Starring: Grahame Fox, Martin Delaney, Grant Masters

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

I don't know what in the hell possessed me to rent this film, and why I thought there was even a possibility that it would be even close to good with such a stupid plot, but I went there, and I'm sorry I did. Apparently, the British military has nothing better to do then to build a big chamber underground, at one of it's secret military bases, for the purpose of summoning and imprisoning a ghost. Once they do, they can't possibly understand why the ghost is so angry and is killing people, so they bring in a psychic from The United States, because I guess there aren't any in the UK? She does her talking and tries to make a connection, when inevitably the ghost escapes and runs a muck on the base. This is the kind of poorly written ridiculous story that gives horror movies a bad name. If this were the only kind of horror I'd ever been subjected to, I'd think horror movies sucked too. The cast acts like a bunch of complete idiots, the writing is a complete joke, and I'm left asking myself what's the point? Let me ask you a question, if a ghost is attacking and you shoot a gun at it, and it doesn't work, would you continue to shoot at it for the next hour? This movie is literally that stupid. I don't know how things like this get made, they are not only demeaning to the people who star in them, but they are insulting to the people who have to watch them, avoid this film like the plague.

Awaken (2014)

Starring: Natalie Burn, Vinnie Jones, & Darryl Hannah

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

For a small, independent, real-life horror film, Awaken has a lot of pieces to it's story, there really is a lot going on, in what initially seemed like a cut and dry story. If this film had been done a bit differently, and if it's impressive cast had been used for more than simple cameos, this may have been a much better film. The story begins with Billie (Natalie Burn) waking up on an island, being chased by strangers, and rescued by another group of strangers. She comes to learn that everyone in her group of rescuers woke up as she did, and appear to be hunted for sport. Billie wants to escape to one of the nearby cluster of islands, but learns that attempts have been made, and no one has ever come back, but Billie is a military brat and refuses to accept that. The story here is very well written, especially for this type of film, but everything is so anti-climatic. Just about every scene turns into a fight scene or a shoot out and there is nothing original about that. Honestly, what is the point of having this great story idea if ever scene is going to end up the same way? There is also the fact that the casting is a complete mystery. This film managed to get Darryl Hannah, Edward Furlong, David Keith, and Robert Davi and they simply make cameo appearances in ancillary roles? If that's the case, why even waste the money to bring them in? Awaken had the story, it had the cast, it had the looks, it even had a premium location, but poor dialogue, predictable outcomes, a misused cast, and a painfully horrendous ending absolutely destroyed what could have otherwise been a rather entertaining film.

Dead Souls (2012)

Starring: Jesse James, Magda Apanowicz, & Bill Mosely

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Dead Souls is every adopted childs biggest fantasy and worst nightmare roled into one. On his 18th birthday, Johnny Petrie (Jesse James) finds out that he's adopted and there is an inheritance waiting for him. Despite being told not to go back to his home town, Johnny does any way, and learns another secret about his past, one that will put a target on his back. Dead Souls is another film produced for the little known NBC owned cable horror network, Chiller. Because these films are made for TV, they have to be somewhat toned down, something that is always going to hinder a good horror film. For this reason, Chiller films usually come down to two things; the cast and realism. The filmmakers can't use the gore and violence associated with most modern horror films, so it comes right down to how believable or frighting is the story? That brings us to Dead Souls, which has a fairly creepy backstory, that starts out believable, but really stretches near the end. What is enjoyable about this film is that instead of focusing on what it can't do, it works extra hard to be the best at what it can do, meaning get ready to jump, scream, and be on the edge of that seat. As for the cast, Jesse James makes it happen, and no I don't mean that Jesse James. I am referring to the blond haired, blue eyed, twenty-eight year old, who started his career in horror at the age of 9, and like a fine wine, he has only gotten better with age. James has been in some huge Horror films, worked with all the big names, and he was more than over due to star in his own film. Even when this movie starts to fall apart towards the end, Jesse James and his unique style of the cute country boy with the fire inside, is what keeps you watching all the way through to the end. Dead Souls isn't a great film, but it's not a bad one either, and when you compare it to some of the other originals Chiller has put out there, it's a big step in the right direction.

Stir of Echoes

Starring: Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Erbe, & Zachary Cope

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

In recent years, supernatural horror has become about gore and jump scares, these movies aren't scary anymore! Paranormal Activity, The Grudge, The Ring, are you kidding me?! Those movies were terrible! They don't make movies like Stir of Echoes anymore, this is a supernatural thriller, that was truly unsettling and creepy, the kind of film that defines what supernatural horror should be. Tom & Maggie are celebrating moving into a new house, and as the party is winding down, Maggie's sister claims to know something about the supernatural. Tom (Kevin Bacon) is a complete skeptic, so she offers to hypnotize him and see what happens. Reluctantly Tom agrees and after seeing some strange flashes, Tom wakes up unsettled but still a non-believer. Over the next few weeks, Tom continues to see strange images of a girl asking for his help and believes his sister in-law messed with his mind somehow. Once convinced that she had nothing to do with it, Tom decides to investigate and try to find out, who this girl is and why she's asking for help. This movie is truly scary because depending on what you believe in, this could be 100% real. Kevin Bacon is one of those actors who when he is in the right role is better than anyone, and this role is perfect for him. Bacon had me on the edge of my seat and it seemed as thou this movie just flew by. I wanted to know who this girl was and what happened to her just as much as he did. As for the paranormal stuff, it wasn't bloody, gory, and out of nowhere but it was just as creepy. This is the kind of film that left you jittery and uneasy for hours afterwards, the definitive horror movie. Bad reviews had me skeptical, but I am a skeptic no longer, Stir of Echoes will most definitely be included in my next Halloween movie marathon!

The Hole (2009)

Starring: Chris Massoglia, Nathan Gamble, & Haley Bennett

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Kids get a bad rap in films. It is assumed because of their age and lack of experience, that they are less talented than adult actors. While in many cases this is true, it is not the rule. Some people I spoke to, immediately had no interest in The Hole, because of it's young cast. Right away they were saying this is going to be a rip off of Goosebumps and didn't even give it a chance. The film may not have been the scariest film I've ever seen, but it had a great backstory, a lot of suspense, and some very talented young actors. Those kids play Dane and Lucas, who are forced to move from the city to the country, to hide from an abusive father. The boys are miserable and decide to explore the old house the family has rented. What they find is a giant hole in the basement, with seemingly no bottom. As they continue to be fascinated by the hole, things in this small town, and especially in this old house just continue to get stranger and stranger, leading to a tremendous ending that will teach the boys, that sometimes the only thing you can do is face your fears. The star of this film is Nathan Gamble, who has done a lot for someone so young. I've seen him in a bunch of things and weather he's playing Commissioner Gordon's son in The Dark Knight, or the young activist in Dolphin's Tale, Gamble just has this way of always pulling at the audiences heart strings. Once again he's this cute, innocent kid, who's been traumatized by years of abuse, yet he still manages to face his fears, unleashed by the hole. I've seen plenty of films where kids in this situation just run away and hide, but that's not his style, and that's part of why this movie isn't a Goosebumps story. The bottom line, I think The Hole will appeal to Science Fiction fans more than Horror fans, despite the fact that it's labelled as Horror. The young cast is refreshingly energetic, curious, and eager, all things that will become contagious, and make the Hole, a much better film than you think it's going to be.

Seconds Apart

Starring: Edmund Entin, Gary Entin, & Orlando Jones

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

After Dark Originals are known for being extreme horror films for the true horror aficionado. Most of these films have been as advertised, but no one has a hundred percent success rate. Seconds Apart follows Seth and Jonah, two nerdy twins, with extreme twin powers, mainly telepathy. They have fun pulling pranks and using it against the people they perceive to have wronged them, leaving them in a world all their own, but that all changes when a girl gets in the middle of things. The inherit problem with this film, is that these twins aren't creepy at all. Casting decided to go with looks over horror and these two look like they should be on magazines, like they would never have problems with bullies or girls, and as for psychotic killers with superpowers go, these two are so mild-mannered, that it made the story completely unbelievable. When you add to that the fact that Orlando Jones is the investigating detective at this upscale religious school, cracking jokes that no one gets, the film itself becomes the horror show. The story itself wasn't terrible, but the problem here is one we see all too often, the casting. These twins may be good for the Disney channel, but they aren't cut out to be psychopaths. I just found the whole film to be full of cliche's and very poorly done.

Sorority Row

Starring: Briana Evigan, Rumer Willis, Julian Morris, & Carrie Fisher

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

The daughters of Bruce Willis and Greg Evigan team up in Sorority Row, a remake of the 1983 Horror classic, The House on Sorority Row. The remake is of course modernized and takes the classic independent horror film to the next level, with terrific effects, increased levels of fright and gore, and of course a ton of beautiful people. Where is this college and how soon can I apply?! Every guy and girl featured in the film, with the exception of Carrie Fisher, could be models, despite being well passed the age of most college students. The story starts out much like the original film does, with a Sorority prank that goes horribly wrong. The girls decide to cover up the incident and put it behind them, but at a large cost to their sisterhood. A year later, at the same party, someone knows what happened last year, and have decided to make the whole Sorority pay for their crimes. This film is a classic 'who done it' mashed together with a slasher film, and the results are pure excitement. The truth is that most of these film don't have much in the way of a story line and the killer is obvious to everyone, but not this time. This film is very reminiscent of Scream, and it really had me on the edge of my seat. A good Horror film is hard enough to find, but one with all that suspense and a compelling story to follow, that's worth it's weight in gold! Sorority Row is a perfect choice for those who want to spend Halloween, in front of the TV watching a scary movie!

Don't Blink

Starring: Brian Austin Green, Mena Suvari, & Joanne Kelly

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Independent Horror films are always hit or miss, there is no in-between. They are either better than any Hollywood movie or as awful as a film can be, Don't Blink is part of the latter. Ten friends in four cars go away on vacation, to a small resort village in the middle of nowhere. When the group arrives they are shocked to find, the town is abandoned, so why don't they just leave? All four cars are low on gas and of course the pumps at the only gas station in town don't work, for that matter neither do any of their cell phones, what are the odds? I don't know about you, but if I was in the situation, I'd run away as fast as I could, but these geniuses decide to huddle up in the main cabin and hope for the best. As they try to keep calm, members of their party start to vanish, one by one, in the blink of an eye, and soon, the group descends into madness. The whole premise of this film is ridiculous and the budget is so small, that most of the film is shot in the same location. As far as what's happening to them, don't think you'll ever find out, because that is supposedly the scariest part of the whole thing. Don't Blink, sounds like it would be fast paced and exciting, but it's as slow as can be, with a lot of talking, by a lot of stupid people, who are in a situation that would never happen. The dialogue is amateurish, the bad acting is the only real joke in the film, and the ending makes the whole thing just a complete waste of time. Even though I see movies like this from time to time, I'm still amazed that someone thought that something like this deserved to made into a feature film, and I continue to wonder if anyone reads these scripts before producing the film.