User reviews

"Compound Fracture" is one of those movies that has a promising and intriguing storyline. A man is summoned by his stepmother and returns home with his girlfriend and nephew. He finds his estranged father obsessed by surveillance systems and mystic symbols and devices and believes he is deranged. But is he? However, the messy screenplay and the poor character development and performances spoil any potential of this film. My Vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Um Passado Negro" ("A Dark Past")

Movie review:Nice to see Tyler Mane in a role other than his typecast fare. You know him (sorta) as Sabretooth, or Michael Myers, but here Tyler shows he can act, along with write and produce. Michael receives a frantic call from his estranged father to come to his home (a fortress really full of paranoid fears of the supernatural) Here is where Michael (Mane) and his family must confront a spirit(Michaels brother) that took his sisters life. When Michael stumbles onto the murder, he then shoots his brother which leads to a short trip into the afterlife of the angry soul. The movie itself delves into the occult type transition into the afterlife which the family had a knowledge of for generations. Not all go on happy, some stay on a ruthless rampage. The gore is minimal which worked for the film since the characters did a fairly good job acting out a well written screenplay to keep your attention. Far from a classic movie, but will definitely make a fan of horror movies satisfied with a nice story, good images, kills when needed, and all the bells and whistles to bring you back to an age of horror movies that don't need gore and cheap scares to drive the movie. Kudos for the casting director for bringing icons of the horror genre together into this movie (Derrick Mears and Muse Watson, along with Tyler Mane) are very memorable faces from movies and TV I am sure you have seen (kept calling Watson "Franks" LOL ) Overall a great first effort from this team and I look forward to what Mane and Geerlings can bring to the table in the future. Enjoy 5.2/10, IMDb 4.4

Compound Fracture feels like a first outing, and it is. Tyler Mane's new company offers us a passable thriller that ultimately never truly thrills.

The story works. It offers characters with interesting drama and characterization, and a villain with a purpose. There are a few forced moments, where the emotion just shows up instead of being earned organically, but that could be in part to the directing and editing, which I will get to later. The story definitely had potential for thrills, and each character is memorable in their own way, and that is something you don't often find in indie horrors/thrillers, especially first timers like Geerlings.

The acting was weak. Muse Watson, the patriarch with dementia, often felt way over the top as he went in and out of lucidity. Sometimes it felt like dementia, sometimes if felt like he was tired and ready to go home. Tyler Mane will always feel like a giant to me, and it was hard, but not impossible, to see him as a family man. I think his strengths come from playing more fringe characters, less 'everyman'. Alex Saxon was a point of awkwardness for me. He fear noises really drew me out of the moment.

I think, even with the acting, there is potential in the film, but it all fell flat due to the direction/editing. I'm going to group those since they were done by the same guy, Anthony J. Rickert-Epstein. First, a look at his page reveals he is a cinematographer (he was also DP on this film, that's a lot of hats for a feature). And it shows. There were some technical shots going on but usually at the cost of performance and story telling. The film plays slow, and not "slow burn", just slow. The action scenes feel forced. I felt like I was supposed to be scared or thrilled but everything was moving so slow I was usually left just watching, unengaged. There were moments that didn't fit the rest of the film. I can't say it enough: everything felt forced. It felt like they wanted us to be scared, but didn't know how to pull it off, so they just copied a lot of techniques with sound and editing and tried to make it work. And for me, it didn't.

I think it was a good first effort. Hopefully they learn from the mistakes, mostly of letting one man head three departments, and can produce more films.

Compound Fracture isn't a great movie, but it shows that this team has potential, and I look forward to seeing what they come up with next.

After returning to his family home, a man finds the fractured nature of their past has come back to haunt them when a thought-dead ghost returns to seek vengeance against them and must find a way of dealing with the wrathful being.

For the most part this one was just a bland, awfully lame and tired effort that has very little to like about it. The main issue striking this one down is the fact that there's just no horror elements at all within the first hour or so of the film, all taken up with utterly lame drama scenes of the family getting together and showing off the concern for his worsening condition. Not only does that not endear the film to anyone for having to force them to sift through that length of time to get the good parts on-screen but these really make it hard to make us care for what goes on since this one tends to rely on the same old set- up of the father trying to get them aware of something only to make a minor mistake in the facts, either by getting dates or names mixed up, and then have everyone gang up on him like his mental condition is deteriorating and everyone begins yelling at each other. Due to that and the utterly irritating factor of presenting all these scenes as dramas based on his condition there's very little appeal in them anyway before realizing that all they do in the mean-time is drag the pace down to a sluggish, barely-moving crawl that takes forever to get to the point and by then you've lost interest. These are nowhere near interesting or enjoyable since nothing's happening and what's going on anyway doesn't warrant that kind of behavior or reaction possible, and by making all of this reliant on a storyline that is never explained or makes sense compounds matters by keeping us in the dark about the true nature of not only the origins of the curse but also the reasoning behind it. There's a small amount given at the beginning of it being used to tie the family together, but nothing about the true purpose or intent behind it since all it seems to do is allow vengeful ghosts to be able to haunt the area and nothing else. Otherwise, there's not much else here that's worthwhile as the attacks in the house at the end are about all that's good here with the creepiness of his appearance making for a chilling, imposing villain and the action contained to some admittedly impressive supernatural battles involving the use of spells and tomes to completely finish him off. That does bring up some nice gore and kills because of the creepy action, but as this is contained all in the final minutes it's too little too late.

Rated R: Graphic Language, Graphic Violence and supposed scenes of child abuse.

Compound Fracture: written by Renae Geerlings & Tyler Mane, directed by A.J. Rickert-Epstein, and starring Tyler Mane, Muse Watson, Derek Mears, Leslie Easterbrook, Alex Saxon, and Renae Geerlings. Todd Farmer and Daniel Roebuck also make a special appearance (which was pretty awesome).

This supernatural thriller of a horror flick deals with rituals, old family bloodlines, & modern day family drama twisted up with a great story about ghosts. It reminded me of something you'd see on the show Supernatural, but if the Winchesters never showed up. What starts out as a simple visit to Michael's family home to take care of his aging father, quickly turns into a nightmare, visiting old sins of the father back on the whole family.

The most notable thing is the great chemistry between the actors. They all did a phenomenal job, but I have to say my favorites were Renae Geerling and Muse Watson. Derek Mears was extremely intimidating and scary, though his character didn't have much scope. His story was a very integral one being he is the main baddie in this flick. Tyler Mane did a great job achieving a very father figure/head of the house/normal guy yet heroic role. It was almost, but not quite, weird seeing him as the hero when he's sitting on my DVD shelves as a bad guy in everything. Bottom line, everyone did a fantastic job.

The story was really good, mostly because of its originality. It not the same old ghost story and it's got a lot of great details in it about certain lore and history of the supernatural. When you're done watching the movie you can tell two big things... 1. They did a lot of research. 2. They had a blast making this film. Their story translated very well to the audience and at points I was thinking "well played" because they totally got me on several occasions. They are really good at the "show them left, but then they go right" kind of thing. Much of the story is unexpected, including the extremely fun ending.

I'll be honest and say it did take a while to get to the parts I was waiting for. All the scares leading up to the main course was fun, but I was really pushed off my seat for the last third of the flick. Tension is well presented in this movie and builds to palpable levels, so much so that I noticed I was uncomfortable sitting in my seat at one point and even wanted to cover my eyes because of some of the disturbing violence that took place. They don't call it "Compound Fracture" for nothing. That's not all though, every great horror story needs a bit of humor and this has it for sure. It's not comical, but it's got some great moments that will make you laugh.

My hope is that this movie goes on to propel the group at Mane Entertainment to making some even better flicks for us fans to eat up. I mean, simply getting this specific group of people together is an inspiration in itself, but seeing what they did together gives me great hope for the future of horror entertainment. There are still people out there with new stories, new ideas, and the ability to put something together with little money that will still scare your pants off while keeping you entertained the whole time. I want more of that! As a filmmaker myself there was a lot of me thinking "how'd they do that" when it came to so many of their effects. I should know better, "hollywood magic" and all, but still, they left me curious because they did it so well and it was very cool to see.

Director A.J. Epstein was great too. He put together a very fun horror experience with a comprehensive story. Getting to meet the guy was pretty cool too as he can relate to many of the people I used to work with as a filmmaker. He mentioned having made several short films and that this was one of the first he'd be known by. I'm sure it's something he'll be proud to be known for because it's pretty awesome! The entire group who showed up, Tyler, Renae, A.J., they all were very humble and very friendly and it was so much fun to hang out with them and talk with them. They were very welcoming to every individual who came out and did a fun Q&A after the flick. I won't say much about it because I don't want to ruin anything for anyone, but like I said before, you knew they had a blast putting this together.

The one thing I never got to ask (because I thought it'd be a dumb question) was to see if this was at all a commentary about what it would be like for Jason and Michael to throw down. ;) - Mr. Frights

Just the worst movie ever. Bad acting Bad editing Effevts are so bad are cheap very cheesy

This movie was much better than I expected. When I first started watching this movie, I could not get past the bad acting in the beginning and I had to stop. I went back to it today and I actually pushed past the bad script and poor acting. Tyler Mane was decent, but he could have done better. Muse Watson was essentially the only good actor - no surprise. The color of the movie was actually really strange, but I feel that it added to the aura of the movie. It was a nice change from the movies that are so dark you cannot even see what is happening. It has a really interesting story and an ending I did not expect. For the most part, it was very predictable, but it had some things that caught me off guard. The story was choppy at parts and a bit hard to follow, but it all made sense eventually. It was also a little bloodier than I expected, but I liked it all the same. I was expecting a 4/10, but it was better than that. For a low budget film, this was pretty decent; much better than ones I've seen before.

In short, poor acting, OK script, interesting story, good plot, odd coloration (but it works), and it has a few good scares.

Check it out if you're just looking for something to watch that you've never seen before. It's not a MUST SEE, but it's alright.

Actually also be aware of the people who are in this. I have met some of them at conventions. And I almost had to laugh when Derek Mears character was supposed to be menacing "attacking" the "camera" ... luckily I could get rid of that feeling quite fast. And the movie may have it's issues and flaws, but don't forget this is a low budget horror movie.

All those things considered may help you like this or at least enjoy it while watching. Having Tyler Mane in a role that is against the stereotype we have seen him is also a nice touch. A nice horror movie with an interesting story to boost ... also the action towards the end helps make it more exciting. The stunts work quite well ... as well.

Where do I begin with this review? First off I love it, I truly believe that this film Compound Fracture has the ability in the next decade to become a true gem in the movie business! A lot of things go good with this film most notably using Derek as the main antagonist which doesn't surprise me given Derek is an amazing villain and having Tyler as the protagonist which we haven't seen, Tyler also is a great villain (Sabortooth and Michael Myers). Muse Watson is actually a favorite of mine since he played Mike Franks on NCIS and I just love that guy! This film really isn't classified as horror but an action/suspense but many of the scenes near the end with Derek I actually jumped a few times cause the makeup that he had on and the bullet hole in his head made him genuinely creepy no offense Derek. I talked with Renae and asked her if you guys thought if Muse actually went crazy ha. Another thing I loved the fight scenes with Tyler and Derek, the brutal stuff, getting choke slammed on a car, getting thrown into stuff, Renae getting knocked out ext. The action was really intense and the emotional moments with Brandon and Michael was good too having Michael being Brandons uncle and how close Michael and Brandons mom were close like the film hints at (makin Michael a high school diploma being home-schooled). The touching moments Michael has for his family really makes up for the brutal and intense moments. Michael really has a love for his family even though you see hell break lose with Dereks character. Everything fits together perfectly and its a film where I will watch it again and again and again and never get sick of!!

CF gets a 4.5/5 stabs

This was a fantastic movie! I LOVED it and highly recommend it. If you like movies that have demons, witchery, supernatural events then this one is for you. Keeps one on the edge of their seat during the who movie. Tyler Mane has become one of my favorite uprising stars ever since I watched him portray Michael Myers in Rob Zombie's Halloween movies. Tyler mane and Renae did a fabulous job writing this movie and Tyler showed his superb acting skills staring in the movie. I thought it was cool how they brought together several iconic killers (Tyler Mane "Michael Myers", Derek Mears "Jason Vorhees" and Muse Watson "Ben Willis") to star in this movie...it made for a great cast. If you are a horror fan this is one that you don't want to miss!!

While Compound Fracture reaches more into the thriller range than horror, it still manages to create a creepy, isolated environment with a few good scares while weaving a twisted tale around the Wolffsen family. The story was interesting and not the typical rehash of stories already told one thousand times. It does well to not lead you directly to the ending and keeps you guessing. Most of the characters have depth and their personal struggles are shown juxtapose to the real threat lurking around them.

I found Compound Fracture to be a very good film, that was even better the second time around. The writer included little intricacies and allusions that I had not picked up or even noticed the first time watching. If you are tired of seeing the same old thriller/horror movie with one dimensional characters and story and are looking for something unique to refresh the genre, Compound Fracture is one movie you do not want to miss.

Looking for that next horror film to play with your mind and emotions? Compound Fracture is that thrill ride from beginning to end. From the minute I sat down to watch I was either on the edge of my seat or jumping back in shock. This is not like your typical horror film, however it will exceed your expectations. You will be shocked and amazed. It's not every day you get three iconic horror actors in one film. Tyler Mane, Muse Watson and Derek Mears give amazing performances. Two thumbs up to Renae Geerlings on a well written screenplay. With this star filled cast, amazing plot twists and a old school horror feel, Compound Fracture will have you and your friends talking about it. I for one can't wait to see it again. A definite must see horror film for 2013. If you have the chance to see this film, make it a top priority for this year.

Great Job Mane Entertainment!! Great Movie! Would recommend this movie to everyone to see. Great Actors/Actresses also. Was happy to see the actors that played in it, and had to have it right away!! Tyler Mane is the Man!! Liked the plot, and how it ended. Had us on the edge of our seats... Have already purchased this movie and will be watching this movie again and again. Will be sharing and watching it with friends, and family members. Thanks for making this movie, I am sure all of the involved worked very hard to make the movie what it is... Cant wait to see what follows.... We love scary, and revenge movies... Keep it up, and keep them coming!

I was not able to go see this film during its limited run at select theaters as I think many of the other reviewers did so this is a review of the DVD. I was happily surprised by this flick. For a new small company I was not expecting it to look like a big-budget Hollywood film, yet it did. Loved the story, much more thriller then the horror I was expecting, a happy surprise. Some great actors, always been a fan of Muse and he gives another great performance here along with the rest of the cast. A fun and entertaining film, and u hope to see more of this quality from this company. If they can keep this quality up I will keep buying the DVDs!

Admittedly, I am not a fan of the horror genre, but I attended a local premier of this movie with a friend, and despite the blood and gore, it was pretty good. It was good guys vs. bad/dead guys. Special effects were great. I especially liked the flashback sequences from puritan times showing the origin of the curse. The guy who played the judge/murderer in the flashback scene looked particularly menacing with cold, dead eyes.

The setting (I am guessing if was filmed in California)was also spooky-looking. It almost looked as if it was filmed with a slight sepia tint, which might elicit an unsettling feeling to the viewer. The point of the movie was to keep the viewer on his or her toes, wondering what was coming around the corner. I would say that this is a must-see film for folks who are fans of Tyler Mane, and folks who like suspense and horror. Also, Tyler Mane is not bad looking!

This was such an incredible movie. It was more leaned towards a Thriller based movie and it was a Great one. A movie that leaves you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. In those moments your mind is running a mile a minute of what could take place. There are those movies that you can predict what will happen next because it has been done a thousand times before. Compound Fracture was not one of the movies. There was something new at every corner. The focus was more on the characters as a family unit that came together in a way you would never see before. Tyler Mane and Renae Geerlings co wrote this movie and they did a fantastic job. People always assume that "independent" means a bad movie. When in reality it is far from the truth. This movie shows the passion of doing a great movie to show people what Mane Productions is capable of producing. This movie in my opinion sets the tone for great movies to come out of Mane Productions. On top of the movie Tyler and Renae did a Meet and Greet in the beginning of the movie and a Q&A at the end. That shows me how much they value their fans. I highly recommend this movie to everyone and the movie tour is still going on now. I can promise you this isn't a movie that will leave you going "Wow I saw that coming." Instead you will leave going "Wow I never saw that coming." Go see it and I can promise you won't be disappointed.

Compound Fracture is a throwback of a good horror/suspense movie but with a modern twist. This movie will have you interested from beginning to end and make you realize there is fear during the day. You thought that horror only is in the dark, think again. Go find this movie and watch the story unfold. Compound Fracture makes independent movies a fun time to go to the theatre and see something different that is quite enjoyable. this movie made me enjoy horror again.

One of the best suspense movies I've seen in a long time! Made me want a sequel not allot of movies let me do that!!! Can't wait to see more from Mane entertainment!! The movie has some twist and turns You would not expect! Leaves you hanging on the edge of your seat, Makes you want more, Has you jumping and gasping! Very well thought out plot and great acting! I can't not wait to get my copy of compound fracture!! Also as a added bonus they bring three horror movie actors together in the same movie and let's just say heads roll and blood splatters in this movie but its all in good taste no nudity so its not so bad for those who want to see a horror suspense without the cheezy sex stuff!