Bludgeon (2013)

I have a huge amount of respect for anyone that goes out of the way to do something they really love to do. There is something about indie horror that I really like. Whether it’s the gritty raw feeling, or the amount of effort that goes into making them I will never know. But it’s always nice to see people actually trying. I will commend and praise that until the day I die.

Concept Media’s Bludgeon is about a serial killer that plagues a small Ohio town for more than 30 years. Girls around the town begin disappearing and as the killers M.O. changes, so does the complexity of the killings. Personally I didn’t care for the film, but I’m not in the business of trashing a film just because I didn’t enjoy it. There are good qualities and there are bad. My goal is to offer up these criticisms as a building tool from someone who appreciates everything about horror.

Bludgeon’s story is great, and based off of true events at that. Written, Directed, and Edited by Shawn Burkett, I really like the inspiration of the film as well as the way the film twists. Starting in the 80’s and eventually working its way into present time was a great way to get the back story. I feel like a lot of films really miss the mark on hitting back stories, this film did it very well.

The acting in the film was so-so, I felt a lot of the actors and actresses did not have a lot of experience, thus a lot of stiffness can be seen early on in the film. The scene involving kids at a pizza place was really hard to watch because of it. However, the shining star of the film is Haley Madison (Quinn). She gave a great performance as Quinn the Pizza Girl. There are some rather intense scenes that she really nailed.

Some of the scenes in the film were very excruciating in length, and I felt this took away from film quite a bit. Bludgeon barely hit the 60 minuet mark and after finishing the film I got the impression that these scenes were long to help drag out the time of the movie. That is not a good feeling to have after watching a film. The trunk, wallet, and photo album scenes are the best examples of this. I think the film could have been better served as a short rather than a full length feature.

I thought the sound editing in the film was great, and the music in the film was good too, however I thought the use of music under dialog was a bad idea, at times Quinn is on the phone and the music interrupts the dialog. A lot of this can be attributed to the parts of the songs not being just instrumental, and the vocals muddying the dialog. The non-musical score was good too. The shriek violin/cello string scraps were a very nice touch.

The blood is ok, at times it did look like face paint though. There is not a tremendous amount of gore in the film. The viewer gets some smashed heads and crushed knee. It looks like there was a mixture of CGI and Practical effects; however the most important kill in the film looked real rough. The viewers also get a naked chick in the beginning of the film as well.

All in all the film is not groundbreaking, but it has its own charm. I think Bludgeon is just a step for Shawn Burkett and Concept Media, I look forward to seeing them improve and keep developing their craft. GLP gives Bludgeon 2 out of 5 stabs. While not the most exciting film it was still worth the watch.  Go get your hands on a copy and watch it for yourself. As I said before I am not in the business in tearing down films, I am just offering my honest opinion, and offering criticisms in hopes they will not fall on deaf ears. Go support indie film making and this film by visiting Concept Media’s Website and Facebook, as well as Bludgeon’s Facebook and Website. Bludgeon is currently available on Blu-Ray & DVD through Concept Media’s online store. Check out the teaser below!

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Mask Maker (2010)

Having a Netflix account can be a blessing and a total let down for horror fan. If your looking for horror films It can be a rather troublesome affair. With so many unknown and turkey titles its great to find the nice diamonds in the rough. Mask Maker is no exception.

Mask Maker is about a young couple who buy an old farm house in hopes of flipping the proporty to make some money and finally get married. The more time they spend in the house, the more they find out about the homes tumultuous past. This film surprised me, I went into the film with low expectations and came out of it a believer.

The acting in this film was pretty good. Nikki Deloach does a great job with the leading lady role, she carries with film and really brought a genuine feel to the character. The rest of the cast does a good job as well. Every character seemed legit, and we all pretty likable. Veteran's Michael Berryman, Treat Williams, and Terry Kiser make appearances in the film and do great as usual.

The downfall of the film is the killer. Nothing special to talk about here, which is a rather big bummer. The films killer is like a cross between Jason and Leatherface, and his motives are about as generic as they come. I feel like with the story the film created the killer could have been a lot cooler. The only gripe have with this film is the killer, although he is slightly redeemed in the end. All in all too generic for me.

The films special effects are the strongest part of the film. The gore, and kills are impressive. I am not a fan of cg effects but it seemed the film used them in a moderate manner, and also mixed in great practical effects as well. The gorehounds will be happy with this modern slasher. We get stabbings, decapitations, skinnings, and a pretty sweet meat hooking...sort of.  The fans of T&A are surprisingly rewarded with some very nice booties, and a couple beautiful pairs too.

All in all the film was a pleasant surprise. Mask Maker serves up a rather by the numbers slasher flick with good acting. The biggest down fall of the film is unfortunately its killer but the gore and nudity make up for the lack of creativity. I would suggest watching this film on Netflix if your looking to kill about an hour and a half. GLP gives this mediocre slasher a solid 3 out of 5 stabs for good story, acting, and gore. Check out this film on Netflix, OnDemand, and DVD. Also stop by the films Facebook page. View the trailer below.

 

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The Cemetery (2013)

The thing I love most about writing reviews on Gory Little Pieces, is the friends I have made in the process. It’s such a personal honor to be able to write an honest review, have it read by horror fans alike, and in the process make new like-minded friends. I met director Adam Ahlbrandt at Indianapolis Horror Hound Weekend about six months ago, since that time I had the privilege of reviewing his last film Cross Bearer (review here), and becoming good friends with him in the process. On Wednesday I was delighted to see the Adam’s newest film The Cemetery was in the Gory Little Pieces P.O. Box.

Adversary Films The Cemetery centers around a small paranormal TV show crew as they enter the woods of Philadelphia in search of a small unmarked grave site, and demonic spirits that are said to haunt the area. The group’s presence there has awoken something evil, and all hell is set to break loose. At times it had a strong Evil Dead feel which was fucking dope. I was really impressed with the story and the development of the characters.

The film is very good, I love that I can see the progression of Adam’s direction from Cross Bearer to now. Adam’s shooting style is more unique and defiantly coming into its own. I was very impressed by the action scenes and the overall tension of the more gritty parts drama filled areas. The flash back scenes add the back story and were shot great as well.

Acting wise the films acting is good. Some stiffness in areas but I felt it really added to the film. Natalie Jean (Andrea) and Adam Huss (Tim) were the stand outs of the film for me. The gorgeous Natalie Jean has greatly improved her acting chops since Cross Bearer and is the most entertaining of the group, She holds her own and delivers a very convincing performance. Not to mention the development of her character is fantastic. Huss plays Tim, the resident dick of the group, but out of the guys was my personal favorite and most likeable. His performance was both entertaining and hilarious. The rest of the cast did a good job. J.D. Brown, Tim Cronin, and Tabetha Ray all held their own but their characters left something to be desired. I could not wait to see Tim (Mike) and Tabetha’s (Sandra) characters die! Both character were very annoying and very unlikable.

Fans of gore will love The Cemetery. The red stuff flows throughout the film. The audience is treated to decapitation, disembowelment, limb removal, hacks, slashes, and stabbings. In other words, it’s fucking awesome! The fans of nudity are also treated to hardcore chick topless and in her undies, a bigger girl’s breasts while eating a sandwich. Natalie running around in a bikini top covered in blood for most of the film too, which is an added bonus, and you get a stand in tit shot for her as well.

The Cemetery is a great film. The story is solid, the acting is good, and the gore is over the top. To me that’s what makes horror fun. I am excited to see what the future holds for Adversary Films. I’m sure, whatever it is, it’s going to be great. GLP give this goreriffic effort a solid 4 out of 5 stabs for story and gore. This film is currently unavailable to the public but if you follow the film on Facebook, or through Adversary Films website you can find out when you can get a chance to see it for yourself. As of now there is no release date but I’m sure details will be forthcoming. Check out the trailer below. Special thanks to Adam for giving me the opportunity to review yet another on of his awesome films!

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The Pact (2012)

A new wave of horror is starting to peak its head out of the proverbial coffin, and no it’s not found footage films. It’s a throwback to 70’s and 80’s horror that some have appropriately coined “Slow Burn” films. Why would you want to watch a movie coined a Slow Burner? It’s simple really. Slow Burn films take out the stereotypical, and rely on fear and imagination to do the dirty work. Haunting images, eerie settings, exceptional camera work, and intriguing stories are what follow.

IFC’s The Pact is a well-crafted slow burn film reminiscent of late 70’s ghost films such as Burnt Offerings. The Pact is about two sisters dealing with the fall out of their mother’s death; the sisters have a strained relationship with their mother as well as each other. Reluctantly Anne makes the trip down and discovers that something is amiss in her once childhood home.

Written by Nicholas McCarthy, The Pact seems like a rather straight forward ghost story, however as the story develops the genre is flipped on its head in a rather spectacular way and the viewers are left with a sense of dread, despair, and overall excitement. The genre bending story works and because the execution it cements itself as a heavy contender in this new wave of independent horror.

The acting in the film is done quite well. Caity Lotz plays the younger sister Anne. Caity carries the film as the lead actress and delivers a great performance. Anne is a believable character and you can’t help but to connect with her on some level. Agnes Bruckner place Nichole, Anne’s older sister and previous drug user. Agnes really did a great job with this role. Also on the cast is Casper Van Dien, this dude is like a go to guy for independent film makers, he doesn’t do bad, but let’s face it Casper will always be Johnny Rico.  He plays detective Bill Creek and gives a solid performance.

While the story is the utmost best thing about this film, there is a rather gruesome scene that caught even me by surprise. The film doesn’t rely on blood and guts to get the point across but the views are treated to a rather nasty knife in the throat. A subtle side note, what the eyes. That’s all I will say about that. The view also gets a rather grim image of a beheading but it’s merely a still picture and great part of the story arch.

The Pact surprised me, and I left the film very happy I gave it a chance. I was slightly worried about the film when seeing the poster artwork, and how unrealistic it looked, but there’s that old saying never judge a book by it cover, I guess the same thing can be said about film. The Pact gets a hefty 4 out of 5 stabs for great story, and atmosphere. I am very excited to see what comes of this; apparently there is a sequel in the works as I type. To find out more about The Pact visit the films Official Facebook Page. The film is currently available OnDemand, DVD, Blu-Ray, and currently on Netflix. View the trailer below.

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Resolution (2012)

What would you do if you saw how you were going to die? Would you face the situation head on, or would you avoid it? This is a question I have never been asked, and I have never actually thought about it. It’s very rarely that horror movies make me think, not just normal thinking, but deep physiological thinking. The kind of thoughts that you only have when your super stoned talking to close friends having what most people would call a “moment”. Tribeca Film’s Resolution is a great example of horror done right & horror that incites emotion.

Resolution is a film about two lifelong friends Mike & Chris. Mike (Peter Cilella) receives a video of Chris (Vinny Curran) stung out on meth, talking to himself, and acting erratic and directions to find him. Mike finds Chris still strung out, living in an abandoned house. Mike acts out his own intervention of sorts and things start getting very weird when strange messages start appearing around the house.

Written & Directed Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, Resolution takes traditional horror and flips it on its head. Resolution relies on dialog and atmosphere to accomplish its tension and mood. In addition to that the film makes you really think. I was constantly relating to the film saying things like “I would have done that.”  The films is damn near a masterpiece.

Acting-wise the film it actually top notch. Peter Cilella and Vinny Curran carry this film on their backs. It’s basically these two dudes the entire movie with a couple of supporting characters here and there. Peter & Vinny’s interaction with each other is extremely believable. The viewer gets the feeling that they have been lifelong friends. These two are relative unknowns but I can see them both making names for themselves in the industry.

I think one of the things that I like the most about this film is that there is like not blood or gore. Usually I am the gorehound and really crave that shit, But this film does such a good job with creating a creepy atmosphere with the score, and odd camera angles that it doesn’t need to rely on gross out moment to give out the chills. The delivery of the "stories" is amazing as well.

I have nothing bad to say about Resolution. This film really exemplifies what great indie horror is. It sets such a high standard of film making that I feel has been lost in Big Studio Projects. We are ushering in a new age of horror films and I feel that are better than ever. Original ideas DO still exist! GLP gives this Indie Creepfest a bloody 5 out of 5 stabs for originality, acting, atmosphere, setting, and story. To find out more about Resolution visit their Offical Website, Facebook, and Twitter. The film is now available in the U.S. through most OnDemand providers. View the official U.S. trailer below. If you like the film, go support it buy renting or buying it. Thats the only way films like this can continue to be made.

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