Blackout

So Barbara Crampton must have owed Fesenden a favor. I can't imagine any other reason for her miniscule, pointless role in this movie. I do not mind Larry Fessenden in film, but I do not think that he makes good films. They always feel convaluted, and heavy handed on the corny elements. And a Fessenden movie wouldn't be complete without some kind of tired, politically correct, racial overtones. Which are yawn inducing in this movie. Not to mention that the makeup and effects are comical. I'm honestly not sure if that was on purpose, or not. I did sucessfully get through the whole thing, but I am very happy I didn't have to pay to see this.:-/

One of the- many- great ideas of An American Werewolf in London is how sad and pitiful David finds himself as a werewolf. He's aware of what's inside him and what can come out and he's powerless to stop it. The scene where he attempts to slit his wrists in the phone box is one of the saddest moments in cinema; not just horror.

This new horror from cult writer/director Larry Fessenden explores this idea into a feature length horror, with mixed results.

Its extremely talky and slow that would test the patience of most horror junkies. The film never picks up momentum; even when law enforcement officials go after the' beast' there's a lull in the pacing where an ex girlfriend is making dinner and drinking wine with her new boyfriend. Alex Hurt sadly doesn't have the sympathy that David Naughton displayed in the classic aforementioned 1981 horror but he's solid (as was his late father William Hurt).

The effects and make up are well done despite its low budget.

It's an interesting venture that could have been better developed.

To clarify... No, not really that great of a movie. Sorry Larry... I really like your early work, even back as far as your very first film, 'WENDIGO' I think.

I think what the deal here is, is that it's not a bad idea and some of the 'parts' are done well. But, overall, I'm afraid the story and the way it is presented (pacing, writing maybe...) is just simply not that compelling. Maybe the odd way the lead character comes across is a big part of it, at least for me it seemed that way. But, the story just didn't seem to 'flow' very well and the conflicts he was having with his Dad's partner and his girlfriend and even the still amazing Barbara Crampton, just didn't come across as realistic or natural at all.

So, if you don't find the characters very relatable, then many times no matter how good the story or idea may be, it just simply does not involve the audience to a significant degree.

I would say that MAYBE if you're expectations are very low, MAYBE this might be a passable time waster, but in my lowly and wretched opinion, even that is really stretching it. Feeling particularly generous, I have it a '5'

Not really recommended. Again, sorry Larry...

Dear sir: You have put out in the unwelcoming harshness of commercialization a movie that combines psychosocial realism with fantasy. Your main support has been a lore of werewolf movies that goes back to Henry Hull in London and the by now easily recognizable frame of Sundance independence from Hollywood. The outcome? A stark drama about a young fellow who reassesses his life as a misfit. Here and there, werewolf attacks. A sort of chocolate chip cookie, BLACKOUT with the wandering structures of so many pictures in the same genre creates a drama with horrific elements that could have been a good horror movie; e.g. The wolfman causes a massacre . Next scene: a lengthy talk between his love interest and her boyfriend in her kitchen. Tension and suspense mysteriously vanished.

On the plus side: technically speaking, Fessenden directs better than in his previous works.

Cast: The absolute protagonist of BLACKOUT is Alex Hurt, son of the great William Hurt and his spitting image. The role is demanding and he lives up to it. The supporting team includes veterans like Barbara Crampton, Marshall Bell and James LeGros, whom fans of the eighities' fantasy/horror will enjoy spotting and naming.

Not a greatly original addition to the lycanthropic subgenre ("The Cursed" for one is better) but a pretty watchable movie.

Lots and lots of hate on here for this movie. I'm assuming it's from people that either aren't familiar with Larry Fessenden's work or don't appreciate it for what it is. As a fan of Fessendon's earlier works, I loves this. It is indie horror at its basic best. No new subgenres - so no, it's not "meta" - just indie slow burn horror with a solid dose of black comedy. Larry's last feature explored the Frankenstien mythos and was far less successful than he is with this - an exploration of werewolf mythology. The main reason is that this film is edited much more frugally, Fessenden had always struggled with that, and this film is his first in years that reigns him in.