Sometimes shocking simplicity is all you really need to give audiences a good scare here and there. With a noticeable low budget, director Joe Begos doesn’t aspire to deliver anything more than a gruesome alien horror film while also sticking to the basics of what makes a good horror movie work. “Almost Human” is a very well made horror science fiction movie in the vein of “The Thing” and “Xtro.” It works within a limited budget and still delivers a pretty eerie and tense, albeit flawed, horror entry. If you can forgive the obvious nods and winks to films like “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” and “The Terminator,” you’re in for a good time.
Tag Archives: Indie Film
Emilie Black at the Horrible Imaginings Film Festival San Diego
October 11th-13th 2014
For the last 5 years, San Diego has had the luck of getting a great horror film festival for 3 days every fall. This year’s was not exception. Horrible Imaginings is brought to San Diego by a madman and a movie lover known as Miguel Rodriguez. His passion for film is clear in every introduction he makes for the festival, every film or piece being given it’s proper attention and the public getting a class in cinema and cool nerdiness from the man. For those who go to Fantasia or are familiar with its own madman of movies, Miguel reminds one of Mitch Davis in passion and how they present movies with the utmost excitement. You can feel their love for the medium and for their chosen favorite genres.
Grave Encounters (2011)
I admit that The Vicious Brothers don’t exactly tap in to a part of the found footage genre that hasn’t been done before. Even before found footage became a popular filming format, the premise of con men looking for something supernatural that get more than they bargained for has been done. In fact one of the best “Tales from the Crypt” episodes tapped this premise. That said, while I did recognize the proceedings, “Grave Encounters” is still a lot of fun, if only for the haunted house spooks and bleak ending that ensue. One of the more amusing pop culture devices has been the satire of ghost hunting shows, and “Grave Encounters” brings it in spades.
Mimesis (2011)
“Mimesis” is set in a world where horror fans gather for a party and have no idea what “Night of the Living Dead” is. At one point a character is explaining “Night of the Living Dead” prompting confused gleams from everyone. Horror buffs really have no idea what “Night of the Living Dead” is? It’s not even a remotely rare film. “Mimesis” is part “Night of the Living Dead” and part “My Little Eye.” Two friends are invited by an acquaintance to attend a party with other horror buffs at a house to meet stars and talk movies. When party goer Duane passes out while drinking, he awakens to find himself in a waking nightmare where he and fellow party goer Judith find themselves fighting off what seem like zombies.
Wither (2012)
Director Sonny Laguna, and Tommy Wiklund’s “Wither” is about as close as you’re going to get to a foreign remake of “Evil Dead.” The one aspect that redeems the film is that “Wither” has such admirable technical prowess, excellent direction, and top notch acting behind it, you forgive it being an obvious ode to Sam Raimi’s original cabin in the woods horror film. “Wither” has that indie gloss, while also being a very well orchestrated horror splatter film about demons, and one man’s sheer demented quest to survive through the night.
Blood Widow (2014)
What’s interesting about “Blood Widow” is that first time director Jeremiah Buckhalt really is on to something with the character of Blood Widow. She’s a beautifully designed and vicious slasher villain with an incredible blood lust. The mask she dons is spooky, and she really looks like she can take anyone on, be it a damsel in distress, or a four hundred pound trucker. It’s just a shame that she’s given almost nothing to do in her first slasher outing. Jeremiah Buckhalt’s movie clocks in at eighty minutes, and most of that time is spent on a group of characters that aren’t very interesting or smart.
Murderdrome (2013) (DVD)
I love the idea of a horror movie centering on heroines that also happen to be brawling roller derby babes. And I love the idea of a slasher film centered on the whole roller derby motif, but it seems that director Daniel Armstrong has a nugget of an idea for a horror movie centering on roller derby, and then really has nowhere to go with it. The DVD case describes “MurderDrome” as equal parts action, romance comedy, and slasher, and yet all three of those elements are never balanced out. Everything about “MurderDrome” feels painfully uneven, to where fans of either sub-genre will be anxious to see director Armstrong deliver. Truthfully the characters were so fun I wouldn’t have minded a romance comedy about roller derby squads, but “MurderDrome” desperately wants to be a horror movie. Even if the horror feels awkwardly tacked on.