Joshua

I loved this film,OK. its made by fangoria but don't let this put you off. I believe the budget for the film wasn't very much but you would not think so. The acting and direction are all above standard, and the camera work is cleverly done. The gore factor although not prolific is well done and impressive. The story at first is a little slow and could be a little confusing at times, but that all changes as this movies then turns into a roller-coaster ride, with enough twists, shocks and turns to keep you glued to your seat. If your looking for a horror film thats different and were you actually want your brain to work for a change and think, then this could be the film for you, check it out, you won't be disappointed.

Kelby Unger (Ward Roberts) is a young man from a dysfunctional family that lives with his girlfriend Amelia Gates (Christy Jackson) and has sleeping problems with dreadful nightmares. When he proposes Amelia, he coincidently receives a phone call from the warden of the prison of his hometown telling that his father had just died from heart attack. He decides to return to Bisbee for the funeral and Amelia goes with him. Kelby and Amelia lodge at his mother's house and he meets his slut sister Trish (Alexa Havins), his former friends James Lilly (Aaron Gaffey) and the policeman Wally (Jeremiah Jordan) and his unknown uncle Tom (John Coffman). When Wally has a nervous breakdown with the name of Joshua, Kelby is haunted by the evil past in Bisbee.

Yesterday I saw "Joshua" and I am still impressed with this disturbing and sick movie. The director and writer Travis Betz has been well-succeeded in capturing the essence of evil and horror, creating a very original low-budget movie that confronts the innocence of a baby with the twisted and mean minds of three very bad boys. I dare to compare the importance and originality "Joshua" in the horror genre to George A. Romero's "Night of the Living Dead", Sam Raimi's "The Evil Dead" or Tobe Hooper's "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", just to mention a few of movies that became the basis for many rip-offs. Further, with an appropriate distribution and marketing, I believe "Joshua" has potential to be a future classic in the genre. The story is very simple but credible, with a fantastic camera that explores unusual angles, great acting of unknown actors and actresses and I must confess that I had trouble to sleep after watching "Joshua". My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Joshua"

"Joshua" is a break from the formulaic hog-wash major studios have put out in the genre of horror. This piece has the added bonus of being an original, something that is recently on short supply in the age of remake the remake. The sets and direction are beautiful in their simplicity. This story is based in OurTown, USA, surely identifiable to anyone. I was particularly pleased with the acting and casting. Characters are consistent as much as the story allows and at times, creepy as hell. This story deals with both current and past events, leaving little down time between the audience learning where the characters are and how they arrived in their place. A real breath of fresh air. With blood.

Writer-Director Travis Best's "Joshua" is a skillful low-budget horror movie with more than its share of gore and frightening scenes. Although the plot is a bit muddled in the beginning and the motivation of the main character isn't made all that clear, it doesn't stop the movie from being what it is: a well-done horror film made on the cheap. Of special note is Ward Roberts (Kelby) who does a fine job as one really screwed-up fellow. Christy Jackson, the movie's love interest, provides a fine rational balance to Roberts' over-the-top behavior. She's an excellent professional actress who will go places if given the right opportunity. All in all, "Joshua" is worth the money for the rental as long as the popcorn's for free.

This is one of the most psychologically disturbing movie I've seen. If you're only into FX like sbarshow whose mental faculty does not allow an iota of imagination and cannot comprehend even a slightly complicated plot line, sure, then forget watching this movie. However, if you want to explore the dark side of your own psyche and meet the demons in the far recesses of your own mind, I highly recommend it.

It's a travesty that IMDb's first-come-first-served policy will deter many people from watching this movie because of an inbred degenerate like sbarshow claimed his/her "rightful" place through the sheer luck of being the first one to post his/her comment. I usually don't do ad hominem attacks but this time it's appropriate.