Blackout

First of all, I am not putting the blame on the editor but whoever made them edit the movie the way they did. This could have been a sold werewolf movie with atleast 7/10 or even 8/10 score. But for whatever reason, they shot & edited the movie to make it as boring as they possibly could. There were many scary & exciting scenes that could have been the foundation of this film but those scenes were edited so badly that some of them became confusing and others became too short to have any effect or impact on the viewer. For example, scenes of werewolf stalking its prey, the tension, the terror on the victims faces, were all cut down to sometimes mere seconds and sometimes such a scene would just cut away almost abruptly to something boring. Where as the scenes showing random stuff like character washing his face, character reading a newspaper while walking to the trash can and properly stuffing trash bags in the trash can, were given all the runtime with extended single shots. This was the biggest problem with the movie. In addition to that, the look of the werewolves was also very lacking & cheap looking at times.

Despite all of this, it is not the worst werewolf movie out there. Its still watchable and to some extent, even enjoyable. At least this movie can be used as an example of how not to shot & cut a werewolf/monster movie if you want to make it interesting. Acting was okay. Story was all over the place but not too bad. Characters often did very stupid things, but that has become a staple of horror genre. There is some blood & gore but for a movie of this genre it was quite tame. Scare factor of the movie was completely ruined due to the above mentioned reasons, so despite being a horror movie its not scary, except maybe the opening scene, which again, was ruined due to bad decisions of the film maker.

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.:-/

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.

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.