Interview with "In Memorium" Director Amanda Gusack

Many filmmakers send Cinema Crazed horror films, and working at Film Threat, I get to review many independent horror films that are either mediocre, or pure garbage, but most recently we were given the chance to view “In Memorium”, and we were optimistic that there are still directors out there who know how to get it right. “In Memorium” (Review) is one of the newest productions from director Amanda Gusack, an artist who seeks to grab audiences through story and psychological terror.

Gusask’s film is utterly simplistic, but so terrifying by relying on shadows and darkness to do the tricks that computers can not accomplish, “In Memorium” is a testament to how horror can still be accomplished without any computers of gimmicks, and we asked Ms. Gusack for an interview to shed some insight on her project, her history in and love for horror, and how a low budget resulted in one hell of a horror film.

If “In Memorium” (Trailer) is any indicator, Ms. Gusack has much more scares to share for us, and we’ll be waiting on edge for it. Warning though, there are some spoilers to the film’s surprise twist, so be cautious:

Continue reading

The Depression of Detective Downs (2005)

detectivedownsDepression is no laughing matter. It can make you feel sick, ruin your day, put a big stall in your daily activities and worst of all ruin your train of thought. For Detective Downs, his worst enemy is not the kidnapper who just took a small child, or a job that is paying him very little, but a huge amount of depression that’s ruining how he thinks on the case. This is the most important case of his career, and this depression is ruining his chances in solving it.

Continue reading

Tomb Hackers (2003)

tombhackersDirector Anthony Thurman’s film “Tomb Hackers” is a fun short animated film about the misadventures of two explorers who find themselves getting deeper and deeper in trouble as they venture in search of a fortune. The gags in Thurman’s film are mostly hit and miss with some gags that don’t really hit the mark, but when the gags hit they’re very funny.

Continue reading

Accepted (2006)

I’ll say I had zero expectations in regards to “Accepted”, mainly because it looked so ridiculous, and vapid. And it is, but I enjoyed it, because it provides a very entertaining ninety minutes that starts out as a typical college comedy and transforms into a somewhat interesting social commentary. And it’s funny as hell. I like Justin Long a lot, I’ve liked him since “Jeepers Creepers” and in “Accepted”, he’s funny as a quasi-Ferris Bueller named Bartleby Gaines who has slacked off through high school, and to prevent breaking it to his family that he can’t get into any schools, he instead invents a school which then snowballs into a grand hoax.

Continue reading

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

talladeganights_magic_manBobby is a boy who dreams of becoming a racer, and when he finally gets the chance, he becomes one of the most popular racers in the industry. That is until he has a break down after a crash and now must rebuild what was taken away from him. Ferrell’s foray into adult comedy once again is a weak and mediocre one, and for every one hilarious joke that “Talladega Nights” hits with audiences, there are about four or five that really fail to be as funny as it could be. McKay’s film is too aware of itself, and instead of playing it deadpan while delivering the gags and jokes, it desperately tries to gauge laughs from the audience, including every such nuance and quirk it can just to assure itself that we’ll laugh.

Continue reading

Horrors of War (2006)

Directors Peter John Ross and John Whitney have a grasp on what horror is, and that’s a plus when you’re watching “Horrors of War”, a pretty intense piece of independent horror that will surely get your goat. If the bad-ass cover doesn’t sell you, I don’t know what will. The directors begin “Horrors of War” very much like “Saving Private Ryan” with a massive shoot-out between the Americans and Nazi soldiers, and then suddenly the American troop is attacked by a near invincible zombie. At that moment I found that “Horrors of War” wasn’t simply any horror film, and that’s why it won me over.

Continue reading

Not Until You Dance (2005)

nuydBeing a best man is hard enough, but having to subdue to the duties required of you be they tedious or ridiculous is the part of the job that really makes it an unappealing aspect. Bored by his best friends wedding, a young dog is told he can’t leave the wedding until he can dance.

Continue reading