4 posts tagged “slasher”
So this seems like a surefire hit: Survivor meets slasher film. But it fails pretty remarkably.
So the premise is that a group of former contestants on a show that is basically Survivor but called some made up name are brought back for what they think is some kind of all star sequel and they get killed off one by one. The reason it fails is that there never really is any mystery as to who is killing them because in the first ten minutes they talk about the killer. To make matters worse, what isn't discussed is the specifics of the killer's problem. Some of it is shown but there is references to him doing something else that was much more dramatic but what that is they never explain.
Unlike most good slasher films there really isn't any sense of mystery nor is there a sense of dread. The people are all almost killed off by random traps so we don't get much of the killer chasing people or anything like that. Nor is there ever any question over whether or not one of the main characters is the killer or even in on the killings. No twists. No nothing.
one thumb down
a messed up concept
that is so five years ago
what a silly film
So the premise is that a group of former contestants on a show that is basically Survivor but called some made up name are brought back for what they think is some kind of all star sequel and they get killed off one by one. The reason it fails is that there never really is any mystery as to who is killing them because in the first ten minutes they talk about the killer. To make matters worse, what isn't discussed is the specifics of the killer's problem. Some of it is shown but there is references to him doing something else that was much more dramatic but what that is they never explain.
Unlike most good slasher films there really isn't any sense of mystery nor is there a sense of dread. The people are all almost killed off by random traps so we don't get much of the killer chasing people or anything like that. Nor is there ever any question over whether or not one of the main characters is the killer or even in on the killings. No twists. No nothing.
one thumb down
a messed up concept
that is so five years ago
what a silly film
The first Jeepers Creepers was surprisingly ok. This one, however, is totally forgettable. The end is kind of nice, but that's about it.
In the first Jeepers Creepers we learn that there's a monster, the Creeper, who comes out every 23 years for 23 days. You would think that such a premise would preclude an easy sequel, but they just decided that this sequel takes place during the same 23 days.
So a team of football players and cheerleaders are coming home from a game and the bus breaks down -- because of the Creeper and for with all of the attacking. So already I disliked the people. I get enough of jocks and cheerleaders from flipping past MTV.
The Creeper attacks and there is some crap about a psychic girl for no other reason except that they need to have someone explain what the monster's motivation is. Then there's the people with the giant harpoon gun who are hunting down the Creeper.
After the ok-ness of the first movie, this is pretty darn lame.
two thumbs down.
The Creeper is back
Everyone run for your lives
Avoid the movie!
In the first Jeepers Creepers we learn that there's a monster, the Creeper, who comes out every 23 years for 23 days. You would think that such a premise would preclude an easy sequel, but they just decided that this sequel takes place during the same 23 days.
So a team of football players and cheerleaders are coming home from a game and the bus breaks down -- because of the Creeper and for with all of the attacking. So already I disliked the people. I get enough of jocks and cheerleaders from flipping past MTV.
The Creeper attacks and there is some crap about a psychic girl for no other reason except that they need to have someone explain what the monster's motivation is. Then there's the people with the giant harpoon gun who are hunting down the Creeper.
After the ok-ness of the first movie, this is pretty darn lame.
two thumbs down.
The Creeper is back
Everyone run for your lives
Avoid the movie!
While I love slasher movies, I've never really been a fan of the Halloween series. Give me Jason over Michael Myers any day. Or Sleepaway Camp. Or any number of other films. This Halloween is no exception. While it got a lot of press when it came out, I have to say that this movie was lame. Just because it has Jamie Lee Curtis in it, doesn't make it good.
First off, there are hardly any killings in this. Call me crazy, but when I wash a slasher movie, I want to see some slashing. While the whole deal with Jamie Lee Curtis' character coming to grips with her brother and the fact that he kills when people turn 17 is all interesting, but it doesn't lead anywhere. Sure one cannot help but think of Carol Clover and the final girl when Curtis stabs Myers, but that is about as interesting as it gets.
There is a lot of stupid boring crap with Josh Hartnett in the role of the rebellious son of Curtis' character and his friends, but it really doesn't do anything except set them up as cannon fodder. If they would have been around a lot less, it would have been a lot better, but they had to put in some stupid excuse for a story. See, all the kids are going away for a Halloween weekend campout except for Hartnett's character and his loser friends. So there is all this crap about "whooo! no one else is around, let's have underage sex!" which we don't get to see.
Once Myers gets around to trying to kill Curtis' character, things get a little, but not much, better. There's this nearly ten minute scene where Curtis is crawling around on the floor and hiding under tables. That's some exciting plotting...
The next Halloween movie, Halloween: Resurrection was universally panned, but for my money it was a lot more entertaining because it wasn't so full of itself. At least is had more kills in it.
one thumb up
Michael Myers blows.
Just get on with the killing
Mommy issues bore.
First off, there are hardly any killings in this. Call me crazy, but when I wash a slasher movie, I want to see some slashing. While the whole deal with Jamie Lee Curtis' character coming to grips with her brother and the fact that he kills when people turn 17 is all interesting, but it doesn't lead anywhere. Sure one cannot help but think of Carol Clover and the final girl when Curtis stabs Myers, but that is about as interesting as it gets.
There is a lot of stupid boring crap with Josh Hartnett in the role of the rebellious son of Curtis' character and his friends, but it really doesn't do anything except set them up as cannon fodder. If they would have been around a lot less, it would have been a lot better, but they had to put in some stupid excuse for a story. See, all the kids are going away for a Halloween weekend campout except for Hartnett's character and his loser friends. So there is all this crap about "whooo! no one else is around, let's have underage sex!" which we don't get to see.
Once Myers gets around to trying to kill Curtis' character, things get a little, but not much, better. There's this nearly ten minute scene where Curtis is crawling around on the floor and hiding under tables. That's some exciting plotting...
The next Halloween movie, Halloween: Resurrection was universally panned, but for my money it was a lot more entertaining because it wasn't so full of itself. At least is had more kills in it.
one thumb up
Michael Myers blows.
Just get on with the killing
Mommy issues bore.
Another pawn shop special. Like the last one, The Breed, Serial Slayer is imminently forgettable. The premise is pretty good, but it just isn't executed very well.
There is a serial killer in town (seemingly California, but I don't think it ever says). Unlike other serial killers, this killer uses a crossbow. The whole city is in a panic and meanwhile three women have decided to have a slumber party. I'm sure you can guess the rest.
The first thing you'll notice if you see this is the picture quality. It is super ultra sharp video. Distractingly sharp. According to post left on IMDB by the director: "We had shot digitally on PAL and used PAL-to-NTSC conversion software for the premiere, which gave it a nice "film look." But when I created the digibeta master, the lab used a different conversion technique that unfortunately maintained the "shot on video" look. If I could turn back time, I'd change this. It's not how I want my film to be seen."
That fact made me want to like the film. I've got a soft spot for the low budget diy filmmakers. However, the film just doesn't have much suspense to it. While watching the film, I kept wanting to hope there was a twist and that things weren't as straight forward as they seemed. Like perhaps one of them women was actually the killer. Or the footsteps of the killer on the roof were faked somehow, or the killer actually was two people working together. None of those things came to pass. It is pretty much a killer is outside and trying to kill the three women. The End.
Having recently re-read part of Carol Clover's Men, Women, and Chainsaws, I was interested in the fact that the killer used a crossbow -- a projectile weapon -- rather than something like a knife which is more in keeping with the standard of slasher killers. However, there wasn't anything interesting made of it. The end is kind of interesting, but only in terms of the possible message that the film is trying to send -- which I must admit is unclear -- and not in terms of the plot or murders.
no thumbs.
Shot on digital
It was shot so directly
Just like an arrow.
There is a serial killer in town (seemingly California, but I don't think it ever says). Unlike other serial killers, this killer uses a crossbow. The whole city is in a panic and meanwhile three women have decided to have a slumber party. I'm sure you can guess the rest.
The first thing you'll notice if you see this is the picture quality. It is super ultra sharp video. Distractingly sharp. According to post left on IMDB by the director: "We had shot digitally on PAL and used PAL-to-NTSC conversion software for the premiere, which gave it a nice "film look." But when I created the digibeta master, the lab used a different conversion technique that unfortunately maintained the "shot on video" look. If I could turn back time, I'd change this. It's not how I want my film to be seen."
That fact made me want to like the film. I've got a soft spot for the low budget diy filmmakers. However, the film just doesn't have much suspense to it. While watching the film, I kept wanting to hope there was a twist and that things weren't as straight forward as they seemed. Like perhaps one of them women was actually the killer. Or the footsteps of the killer on the roof were faked somehow, or the killer actually was two people working together. None of those things came to pass. It is pretty much a killer is outside and trying to kill the three women. The End.
Having recently re-read part of Carol Clover's Men, Women, and Chainsaws, I was interested in the fact that the killer used a crossbow -- a projectile weapon -- rather than something like a knife which is more in keeping with the standard of slasher killers. However, there wasn't anything interesting made of it. The end is kind of interesting, but only in terms of the possible message that the film is trying to send -- which I must admit is unclear -- and not in terms of the plot or murders.
no thumbs.
Shot on digital
It was shot so directly
Just like an arrow.
