All Hallows' Eve

Never heard of this flick until I watched Terrifier (2016). And seeing this cover I immediately picked it up because this was the original flick with the scary clown. It isn't as good or say, gory as Terrifier but still worth watching.

The story you will have seen a thousand times. People watching an old VHS to see some story on it, and by the end they are on the VHS. So it starts off rather on a low base of scares and horror and effects are one the cheesy side but it's until the last story that this low budget turns intoa gory flick. Naturally Terrifier is based on the last part and killings and slaughtering are the same. Nevertheless, it's worth to see how a flick can evolve in 3 years time.

So a flick that starts way below mediocre but the further it moves the better it gets, recommend it for horror geeks, gorehounds better skip it and move towards Terrifier.

Gore 2/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 2/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

If you're going to close your mind off to the fact that this is supposed to be a cheesy, low-budget creepfest with some silliness mixed in, then you aren't going to enjoy it.

However, if you want something twisted, demonic, and just flat out sick at times - I say you'll enjoy it. Do yourself a favor, unlike others, don't go into this thing with high expectations. It is supposed to make you cringe, be creeped out, and laugh all at the same time. It is not supposed to be taken seriously.

For an independent low-budget horror film, it did a solid job. Did I roll my eyes? Absolutely. Did the Carpenteresque score, isolated atmosphere, and one helluva creepy character balances this out? Yes. Give it a shot, especially around All Hallows' Eve. 7/10 on entertainment value alone.

OK before you go all on me, saying that this movie is horrible. I know. It is don't worry. But you know it has the right amount of goofyness to make it decent. Is it scary you ask, well somewhat yea there are a few great scares that I won't forget and guess what there are barely any jump scares! This film relies mostly on atmosphere and outfits to scare you and it works well besides the really fake looking alien. But that's fine it's an indie flick. The acting actually isn't too bad, it has horrible moments but it's pretty solid. It was directed really well for a first timer. And that's another reason for the high score. If this was a higher budget film I woul give it a 5 or 6. But it's really fun so you know I'll cut slack. But I did have my few gripes 1: it was very slow and repeating at times mostly during the 2nd tape. And the last one isn't really a gripe but an opinion, not enough Art the clown!!!

I sat down to watch this movie, expecting the absolute worst, based on the 4.6 rating. What I found instead was actually a pretty decent movie, with a creepy atmosphere, an even creepier clown, and entertainment worth more than such a low rating.

I admit, along with everyone else who liked it, that the acting was somewhat stiff and awkward at times and some scenes seemed to drag on way too long, but the fun cheesiness of the movie far outweighed a little bad acting.

If you can enjoy a campy, low budget movie and/or are terrified of clowns, you shouldn't overlook this one. Just don't sit down with high expectations or you'll probably be disappointed.

Given the overwhelming popularity of shockfests like Martyrs and the Saw series, the nearly universal disapproval of this film is itself shocking. It's strange how some films can make their mark for the very things that cause others to be rebuked. All Hallows' Eve is low budget and has its mistakes, but overall is a wonderful, very scary exploitation horror film with a memorable villain and surprisingly good production values.

All Hallows' Eve is an anthology film. Like most horror anthologies such as Tales From the Darkside: The Movie, Twilight Zone: The Movie, and Trick R' Treat, All Hallows' Eve has three main stories plus a wraparound story that ties them together. Director Damien Leone chose this format to showcase his pre-existing short films ("The 9th Circle" and "Terrifier"), so only the second story and the wraparound are totally new. The film opens with a woman babysitting two children on Halloween night and the discovery that someone has sneaked a VHS tape into one of the children's trick-or-treat bags. Reluctantly the babysitter plays the tape and the first of three stories begins.

With regard to reputation, there seem to be three primary complaints about the movie: 1) The director used previously created material, 2) The film is excessively gory, and 3) The acting is bad. Each of these is easily negated. First, most people have not seen the two short films, so the director seized his chance to have them viewed by a large audience. Completely understandable. Second, yes the film is graphic, but certainly no more than a hundred others released in the past decade, many of which were very popular. Third, the acting is actually pretty good. It's definitely strong enough to let the audience suspend their disbelief, which is after all the name of the game.

If there's one thing I've learned from reading reviews and posts on IMDb and elsewhere, it's that people will complain about anything. The truth is that All Hallows' Eve is a tense, entertaining horror film alive with creativity, realistic effects, and inspired direction. Its rating on IMDb (as of this writing) is unfortunate and unfair. If you want a polished horror film that's long on plot and every shot perfectly framed, see something else. If you want to have a good time and be scared, see this.