There’s not much to say about “Square Pegs” other than it’s probably one of the most surreal, and yet most powerful short films I’ve ever seen. Not only does the imagery spark a head trip of pure acidic proportions, but it’s such a fantastic statement about faith, and the ongoing war of good and evil and the religious belief of the human soul being wrestled with even after we die. Though I’m not sure I agree with the overall statement Ben Hicks makes about the atheists role in the “war” that ensues for our state of being after our death, “Square Pegs” is nonetheless a powerful little film that makes the best of its low resources.
Tag Archives: Thriller
Amateur Porn Star Killer (2005) (DVD)
This is our third consecutive review of Alter Ego Cinema’s “Amateur Porn Star Killer,” and by now with our record number of reviews for one film, it’s obvious that we pretty much support this film and Alter Ego Cinema’s methods of filmmaking. No, they’re not paying us to shill for them. Long ago, “Amateur Porn Star Killer” arrived at my doorstep and I viewed the press materials, viewed the packaged films and pretty much procrastinated reviewing it, writing it off as a home video that was filled with gore in an attempt to shock indie audiences. Trust me, I’ve come across too many movies like that. But upon viewing this film finally, Shane Ryan just blew me away and he convinced me to never prejudge a film however unusual it may be.
30 Days of Night (2007)
Vampires. I’ve suffered for many years of sheer abysmal vampire sub-genre crap thanks to the likes of different “twists” that was dead in the water. From suffering through the frilly angst ridden vamps thanks to Anne Rice that bred a thousand MySpace emo teens, to the Matrix carbon copy leather clad models a la Len Wiseman, it’s nice to see vampires be horrifying creatures (on film) once again. Thanks to David Slade, and Steve Niles, “30 Days of Night” makes a great transition from the page to the screen. David Slade who made his debut with the masterpiece “Hard Candy” shifts tones and completely amps his energy with what is one of the better horror movies to come around in years.
Urban Legends: Bloody Mary (2005)
Kate Mara is a surefire saving grace for “Bloody Mary” as she turns a potentially annoying and whiny heroine into a sympathetic and highly entertaining central character. She has an innocence and genuine charisma to her that makes this film rise above a typical horror sequel, and I cared about her journey. All the clues and hints to the potential unveiling of Mary’s next targets always worked for me, and Mara really had me right there with her, wondering what surprises were next.
5ive Girls (2006)
You just have to appreciate a horror movie that asks you to take it seriously, all the while having an opening theme song of techno pop set to Ron Perlman’s voice quoting bible passages. That’s new. “5ive Girls” is another religious themed supernatural low budget fest that really attempts to think of itself as a sequel of “The Craft.” And trust me if you’ve seen the aforementioned title, then you really have no obligation to see this. Alex just moved into town with her father, and is forced to attend a local reformatory that takes in wayward girls. Alex, of course, possesses telekinesis, and is really disobedient and sure enough, she finds friends in the individuals reform school girls who all discover they serve a higher purpose. They are apparently the Supernatural friends, five girls who possess unique abilities, including Alex who is pretty much Carrie White but hotter. Fans of “Charmed” and the Fairuza Balk vehicle will definitely find interest in this thriller, as it basically really takes a great premise and does nothing really exciting with it.
Sonoda’s “5ive Girls” isn’t an awful movie by any standards, but the attempts at murk and atmosphere pretty much sap every bit of energy and pacing from the story and performances. There are your usual clichés including a sympathetic priest, a monstrous head mistress, lesbian subtext, the usual arguments between the female students, and the constant flashing of the pentagram. “5ive Girls” is such a run of the mill supernatural film that the concept never really garnered any interest my way. The characters are all so interchangeable and forgettable. One can walk through walls, one can heal through touch and yet I really couldn’t point out which girl had which power if you asked me to. The sad fact is that the film really sells itself as a hip Gothic parade of black magic and evil and yet has the lagging pace of “Whispering Corridors.”
Sonoda’s direction really doesn’t add much to the lagging proceedings in the end, and in spite of all the attempts to spin the formula, this story has been done and much better. In a reform school of apparently only five girls, they do nothing but yap back and forth with no real substance or interesting exchanges, and the visions continue just to remind us that we’re watching a horror film. We already know who the demonic entity challenging them is, and we’re well aware that the girl power message will strive to defeat the demon in the end; “5ive Girls” holds no surprises, and is just flat out dull. Sonoda’s supernatural horror flick would be a lot of fun if it wasn’t so boring, rehashed, and cliché. “5ive Girls” has a great concept to it, with some good names behind it, but it just fails to muster anything memorable or entertaining from the groundwork it lays down before us.
Headless Horseman (2007)
I didn’t expect “Headless Horseman” to live up to these standards, because it’s clearly a low budget horror effort, but hell, when you spin on the Sleepy Hollow tale, you have some responsibility to entertain. And if you fail, you’re going to fall hard. “Headless Horseman” is that exact movie that takes a classic tale and turns it into much more clichés. There’s a bunch of white bread actors playing college students who are on the road traveling to a party. I think. Their van breaks down, and they end up in an old Southern town where old characters mutter chestnuts like “Y’all just passing through, huh?” Director Ferrante really twists the story for the sake of avoiding anachronisms and error in facts, especially insisting that the character of the headless horseman really didn’t strike in New England, but the Southern town they happen upon.
Abominable (2006)
Schifrin’s horror thriller is set up with so much obligatory plot devices, and potential victims of our vicious abominable snowman, and yet, I really liked it a lot in the end. “Abominable” has that same old “Rear Window” device borrowing heavily from the formula as Matt McCoy plays Preston, a crippled man healing from a horrible accident who returns to his mountain home to grieve over his wife. Things have changed around his neck of the woods, as a vicious monster is roaming the wilderness killing animals, and Preston really can’t do much of anything in a wheelchair.