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Reviews
Bereft (2004)
rip-off at it's worst
I saw this film premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2004 and was mortified to see that it was a blatant rip-off of the much smarter, more compelling, and superior film WAKING THE DEAD (based on the novel by Scott Spencer). Someone in the Q&A with the cast & crew afterward even addressed this issue stating that the film was very much like WAKING THE DEAD and asked the screenwriter if he was influenced by the film... I think that this threw him, never expecting to get caught red handed and confronted in a room of his peers - he stumbled and said "yes, it was an influence" - HE ADMITTED IT IN FRONT OF 500 PEOPLE!!! Aside from it's contrived tangentential subplot featuring Tim Blake Nelson, the only attempt made to hide the main storyline's plagiarism is by changing the gender of the main character and telling the story through the eyes of a woman. In the retelling, the lecherous screenwriter even rips-off (almost verbatim) one of the climactic character arc monologues. The movie (dare I even call it that) is an appalling example of contempt and disrespect for what is original in the world. Those responsibe (and you know who you are) should be ashamed! My sympathies go out to all those who spent their time and energy making this film, blind of the truth.
Blood Relic (2005)
Formulaic, yet entertaining.
Director Ingvordsen's third foray into the horror genre proves to be his best attempt yet. Not a masterpiece by any means, but also devoid of any pretense claiming itself to be... his movies never try to be anything more than they are - a stab (no pun intended) at some good old fashion scary fun. Although the story has a couple of clever gags, beyond the smoke and mirrors the script is rather formulaic, and thus somewhat predictable. The actors are a bit of a mixed lot with Park, Grant, & Steccato a step above the rest. Ironically, the film's only actor of mainstream notoriety, Billy Drago gives a tremendously "over the top" effort and the worst performance in the film. Scream Queen Debbie Rochon does her job well and provides a nice mammary cameo... but other than that she is rather forgettable. The locations used are pretty cool and definitely up the production value. Although Ingvodsen has begun to introduce more flesh and gore with this movie -- he hasn't learned that although Sam Raimi was from the bootleg special effect school, he at least did it well. Note to the director - get a real special effects artist next time, there is only so much disbelief to be suspended. In writing a critique, I am being critical... with my pet peeves aside, the movie was worth a watch. It held a good pacing, was well shot and edited, and has some great moments. If it's a low-budget slasher flick you want, then you've found it.
Fort Doom (2004)
"The Old West" with a scare
This is John Wayne meets Jason Vorhees. You've never seen the Old West with quite a sinister eye before. Well, lemme slow down a bit - that might be setting the bar a little high. Like all lower-budget films, it's got it's problems... but I thought it was a creative hybrid of two genres that we don't often get to see cross paths. Some funny stuff thrown in there too. I dug the train scene at the start of the film, the shootouts, and the original score upped the production value quite a bit. The title is a little on the cheese side for me. They coulda went with something a little more mysterious, I dunno. Overall, It's worth checking out. C'mon, any movie with a brothel, gunfights, and a skinny dipping scene is time well spent.
The Bog Creatures (2003)
BOGgie Nights
I checked out this flick knowing nothing about it in advance, so I kind of went in with no expectations... and I gotta say it turned out to be quite a little gem. I can only speak for my own personal taste about horror scene, but I thought it was a real throwback to the monster movies of old. And that may have to do with the lack of a hollywood budget to CGI the hell out of the "bog creatures" and everything else. The attractive cast does a good job of adding a unique flavor into what could've otherwise been yet another portrayal of the staple characters that we see time and again. Although there isn't an extreme amount of gore that really defines most other movies of this genre... cult status is a definite possibility.