Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Review: Spring (2014)

Quite good and different. I didn't know what to expect, but I liked it a lot. A unique love story to say the least. The acting is extremely believable and natural. Plus, the Italian location is insanely beautiful like the lead actress. There is a tiny touch of CGI, but I think it's handled rather well. All the effects and transformations are pretty cool. It could've used a little more horror I guess since it's light on scares and more of a romantic drama; however, I don't think all horror films need to be the same. That is actually one of the best parts of the horror genre: its flexibility. You can really tell whatever kind of story you want. I really love the opening of Spring. It quickly gets you on the side of the main character and makes him sympathetic. Even when he gets into a fight, he does it to save his friend. That is smart storytelling. This kind of character could've easily gotten annoying via "woe is me" all the time, but they wisely sidestep that dilemma. I'm always a fan of Lovecraftian twists, and this one definitely doesn't disappoint especially for an indie.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Review: A Horrible Way to Die (2010)

Not bad but pretty long and the constant fading to black then starting a scene out-of-focus only to go out-of-focus again at the end isn't bad by itself but when the film does it over and over again, it was a bit annoying. The score is creepy though and establishes a great sense of unease. The first scene gets things off to a nice dark start, and I like the lead actor (AJ Bowen from You're Next, The Signal, The House of the Devil, etc.). I think the writing is quite good too, and the twist at the end was well done although some seem to hate it, but I disagree... I didn't see it coming at all. I wouldn't say it's up there with Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, but it's an indie made for $96,000 (can't believe it cost that much actually) so you can't expect The Silence of the Lambs. It's absolutely the best low-budget independent film on a serial killer I've ever seen. True, I haven't seen many of those, but the movie is pretty good, and it's clear both the writer and the director are talented (we did get You're Next from them after all and The Guest!).