Horrorfest

[blindside8zao]

Horror is my favorite genre and the only thing that's left of it in the United States is remakes and the Saw series, none of which are possible to sit through without using the fast forward button. I saw this being advertised and wondered if these would be worth checking out.

Has anyone heard of/seen any of these?

Unrest
Penny Dreadful
The Gravedancers
The Hamiltons
Reincarnation
Dark Ride
The Abandoned

[Cosmic Bus]

The Abandoned got my attention a while back, as the pairing of Richard Stanley with Nacho Cerda is rather intriguing. The trailer doesn't really appear to be pushing genre boundaries, but since this mini-festival isn't coming anywhere near me, I'm anticipating the eventual DVD release.

[toiletduck!]

I am as hopelessly optimistic about contemporary horror as the next guy, but, lord, for the most part, this looks like some grade-A straight-to-video poop (if I may be so bold).

-Toilet Dcuk

[colinr0380]

Reincarnation, from the director of The Grudge films Takashi Shimizu, has just been released by Tartan Video in the UK. I'm not certain what films are in this 'J-Horror' series (according to the back cover on the Tartan they are "6 new films produced by Takashige Ichise (Ring, The Grudge, Dark Water) under the J-Horror banner"), but another is Norio Tsurata's (the director of Ring 0: Birthday) film Premonition.

EDIT: Tartan has since released a third in the J-Horror series, Infection (which is also out in Region 1 on a Lionsgate DVD).

[toiletduck!]

Trailer.

At first glance it seems like it might be ok for a couple of scares -- then the realization sinks in that it took eight films to make that trailer.

-Toilet Dcuk

[Brian Oblivious]

I saw the Hamiltons at a horror film festival earlier this year. Some kind of attempt to bring a reality TV/ home video aethetic and a modern "twist" to a classic horror subject. I found it ineffective as horror or as social commentary though.

[blindside8zao]

I thought I'd pop this back up given the DVDs are out. Thinking about renting one of them.

[Michael B. Scrutchin]

I thought I'd pop this back up given the DVDs are out. Thinking about renting one of them.

I'll give you my take on the Eight Films to Die For, but keep in mind that opinions seem to be all over the map as to which films are the best in the series. It's also been awhile since I've seen them, and most are so forgettable that it's tough to find anything worthwhile to say.

In preferential order:

Good
The Abandoned
Reincarnation

OK
Unrest
The Gravedancers
The Hamiltons

Bad
Wicked Little Things
Dark Ride
Penny Dreadful

The Abandoned may be light on narrative and character, but the genuinely creepy atmosphere and expertly calibrated scares elevate Nacho Cerda's metaphysical ghost story slightly above most films of its ilk. I liked it a lot. And although I never really cared for Takashi Shimizu's Ju-On/Grudge movies, I liked Reincarnation and suspect that it will be the favorite for many, but I can't say that it ever really got under my skin. Of course, your mileage may vary.

Unrest, The Gravedancers, and The Hamiltons are slightly above-average direct-to-video horror fare, each with their own share of guilty pleasures that are sure to be forgotten shortly after viewing. I watch a lot more direct-to-video horror than most, so I might be overly forgiving when it comes to films like this.

Wicked Little Things probably doesn't deserve to be lumped into the "bad" pile with trash like Dark Ride and Penny Dreadful. Wicked Little Things is actually the most polished of the eight films, but its narrative is filled with cookie-cutter ghost-story clichés and the execution is professional but toothless. Not too bad, just boring. Dark Ride, on the other hand, is a pretty lousy slasher film with all the kills (and the only reason for watching) confined to the last 30 minutes. But my personal pick for the worst of the eight films is without a doubt Penny Dreadful. And I thought 90 minutes stuck in a car with Rachel Miner would be fun.

[blindside8zao]

Well, I rented the abandoned and just felt like someone wasted their time making the movie. I didn't find the atmosphere effective at all and found myself tapping my fingers during the "suspenseful" moments.

Thanks so much for the ranking, though. I rented abandoned before you gave those reviews so now I know I probably won't much like the others, either. I must still see Gravedancers because a friend of mine from highschool apparently has a minor role.

[Michael B. Scrutchin]

Well, I rented the abandoned and just felt like someone wasted their time making the movie. I didn't find the atmosphere effective at all and found myself tapping my fingers during the "suspenseful" moments.

It worked for me, but I can certainly understand your reaction. If a horror film that relies almost exclusively on atmosphere and mood doesn't have you grooving on its wavelength, under its spell, it can be a real bore. I watched The Abandoned under the perfect conditions -- all alone in a dark house -- so that certainly affected my reaction to it.

Thanks so much for the ranking, though. I rented abandoned before you gave those reviews so now I know I probably won't much like the others, either. I must still see Gravedancers because a friend of mine from highschool apparently has a minor role.

You might enjoy that one. It's silly but fun -- if there's a "crowd-pleaser" among the Horrorfest films, it's The Gravedancers.

[blindside8zao]

I'm more postive about a horror movie that focuses more on fun horror than on serious atmosphere, as I think the latter is harder to do (like comedy and tragedy). I don't think it's realistic to hope for a new Exorcist but I think it's well within the means of todays filmmakers to entertain (a la Grindhouse).