Fear Runs Silent

Saw this on Sky Movies a while back and I have to say this is a total mess of a film. Maybe it was because I was tired, but hardly anything in this film made any sense at all, and wasn't one of those "teenagers" the demonology expert from 'Night of the Demons 2'?

There are two plotlines shambolically merged together in this film, both centering around Kerry (Suzanne Davis). In one plot we have a group of teenagers on a field trip being attacked by bigfoot-type creatures, in the other we have Kerry seeing a psychiatrist due to depression and nightmares (one assumes that Kerry is seeing the psychiatrist after the events of the field trip). A story about Kerry's childhood eventually unfolds but it would be quite easy to lose track, especially with the completely nonsensical ending.

It's almost impossible to fully understand what is going on due to the directors decision to flash back and forth constantly between the two storylines, and also showing images and visions that appear to have no place in the film at all. Even some of the characters seemed to have no place in the film like a Native American who, as far as I remember, says and does next to nothing. The acting was also atrocious, even from more accomplished actors like Billy Dee Williams and Stacey Keach. Why they got involved in this disaster-piece I will never know.

The direction and screenplay are pitiful, full of pointless "filler" such as snowball fights and some half-assed attempt at a love story. I suppose, as far as the main stories go, the director was trying to make a film that required thought to fully immerse yourself in the world he created, unfortunately he failed. There is nothing, in my opinion, that redeems this film. To me this ranks alongside disasterous films like 'Killjoy' and 'Camp Blood'.

I'd avoid this movie, it's not worth the 90 mins of your life. I actually switched it off at one point, but realising there were only 15 minutes left I thought I may as well watch the rest, I'd got that far after all. If you do watch it, expect nothing.

2/10

For a start I'm not interested in adding nothing new in this review."Fear Runs Silent" has a good premise,but this premise is completely wasted.Director Serge Rodnunsky doesn't create almost any atmosphere(apart from the beginning,which is pretty creepy),instead he fills this trash with so many annoying flashbacks.The ending is totally awful:after all these grisly events it all turns into dream!!!Yeah right,what a load of s***!!Three stars:one for a funny performance by Stacy Keach as a biologist,one for beautiful photography,and finally one for the beginning.Avoid this mess like the plague.

(* out of *****) I should have learned by now that most straight-to-video horror movies are going to be pretty lousy. This pile of junk is no exception. I guess the director wanted it to be complex and ambiguous, but it doesn't work. He throws in a ton of flashbacks and flashforwards and unnecessary cuts and jerky edits that are supposed to juxtapose the main story (a buncha dumb high school kids and their science teacher go into the woods and get attacked by cannibalistic mountain men) with the framework story of a young girl undergoing psychiatric evaluation because of possible molestation by her father in the past. If this had been handled by a competent writer and director, it might have been passably entertaining, but, instead, it's a tedious and confusing mess. In spite of the supposedly complex plot, much of the movie is padded with MTV-style video scenes of snowball fights and people running back and forth to fill out its 90-minute length. If the makers had cut out all of the pretentious (and stupid) background psychological stuff and stuck with the short, simple story of kids getting attacked by mountain men, then this might have been something (still derivative and silly, yes, but at least something). Stacey Keach plays the teacher and Billy Dee Williams plays a sheriff. If they really needed the money, I'd have had more respect for them if they'd gotten a job at Burger King. Avoid this, kids. I'm thinking of suing the makers for stealing ninety minutes of my life.

Lowlight: Stranded on top of a sinking car (or rock or something -- I can't remember), heroine Kerry (Suzanne Davis) swings across the river to safety by taking off her pants and tying them to a tree branch hanging above her, a ridiculously contrived excuse to have her spend the rest of the movie in her underwear. Honestly, the bank was maybe five feet away, she could have gained more ground by simply jumping. Really dumb.

Avoid at all cost!

After seeing this movie I understand why there is not a single positive comment listed here: it's because this movie does not deserve any!

The director is either completely unskilled, or he tried to go beyond what did lay within his capacities. This movie is a confusing mixture of a dime-a-dozen teenage horror flick and a story told through flashbacks/flash forwards which end up confusing everyone as to what is going on. Every time the 'regular' action gets remotely interesting, there is a cut to another scene in which the main character has some stupid therapy session. How boring!

Seriously, I cannot believe this drivel was released. What amazes me even more is that the director has since directed many more movies - you'd expect the studios to never want him on a set again.

The only thing remotely redeeming about this movie is the short scene in which the main character strips her pants off. And that's pretty sad.

The effects are horrible (men in suits, fake fangs and with yellow contacts... ooh scary...), there is no plot to speak of (if you find it, let met know) and there is nothing exciting or fun about it.

The short story told by the Native American, as a prologue to this movie's plot, is the best part of the film. It is hard to believe that the same creative minds responsible for the opening short story could screw the rest of the movie up so badly.