Welcome to the darker side of AICN! Mark L. Miller aka Ambush Bug here with another AICN HORROR: ZOMBIES & SHARKS column. Apologies for taking a week off. I needed to refuel my jets and get some necessary comic book writing done. Now that I’m finished (and I’ll let you know when it’ll be released), I’m back to checking out the latest, greatest, and of course, some of the not so greatest in horror!
AICN HORROR has a new sponsor: Things From Another World—also known as TFAW!
TFAW carries everything from comics to toys and any kind of collectible in between. Show your support for AICN HORROR and TFAW and click the pic above. You just might find something you can’t live without such as Cullen Bunn’s excellent Southern Gothic Horror Tale from Dark Horse Comics!
On with the horror reviews!
(Click title to go directly to the feature)
ATROZ (2015)
THE EVIL GENE (2016)
THE NEON DEAD (2015)
DARK EXORCISM (2015)
THE PURGING HOUR (2015)
THE DARKNESS (2016)
THE DEAD ROOM (2015)
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEB (2015)
DER BUNKER (2015)
Advance Review: BLOOD HUNTERS (2016)
And finally…Matthew Forte’s SIN REAPERS: CIARA Part 4!
New this week on BluRay/DVD Special Edition from Unearthed Films!ATROZ (2015)
aka ATROCIOUSDirected by Lex Ortega
Written by Lex Ortega, Sergio Tello
Starring David Aboussafy, Laurette Flores, Aleyda Gallardo, Dana Karvelas, Patricia Leih, Orlando Moguel, Miguel Angel Nava, Lex Ortega, Carlos Padilla, Julio Rivera, Florencia Ríos, Carlos Valencia
Find out more about this film on Facebook here
Reviewed by Mark L. Miller aka Ambush Bug
While I understand American trends occasionally take their time to get to other countries, this mixture of found footage and torture porn prove why these two trends in horror are way past the realm of interesting.
I understand there’s a place for extreme horror such as a film like ATROZ, it’s just that I can’t recommend it to anyone but those who simply need to see it all. ATROZ takes place in Mexico, where the opening blurb reads that 98% of the murders are never solved. When a pair of scoundrels drunkenly run down a young girl and are caught by the cops, they find a series of video tapes that shows how inhuman these scumbags really are. Using the investigation as bookends for each “found” video, the film features all of these horrific tales that are linked together by a thread of violence and hate.
If I never see another person tied to a chair and tortured for kicks it’d still be too soon. Stories one and two are similar in that in the first, a group of scumbags kidnap a prostitute and torture her to death. Story two follows the cop who takes them in as they torture the scumbags who are also bound to chairs. Story three mixes it up with some bloody S&M and story four tosses out all rhyme and reason simply to fall deeper into the well of the perverse. At least in the first and second segment, there is an excuse for taping what is going on, even though they are perverse ones. The fourth, where a son is found with gay porn and then tortured and tormented by his parents to be straight, there is no rhyme or reason why these events are being taped.ATROZ translates to “Atrocious” in English and this film truly is. Sorry, but this one was just too intense for me. I guess the filmmakers can wear that as a crowning achievement, but I just can’t recommend this to anyone. Torture, rape, castration, abuse, murder, incest, necrophilia; its all here for those who want it. There’s a camera attached to a fist and another attached to a barb wired dildo in an attempt to be innovative and creative, but this film exists only to highlighting the bottom of the barrel in ways inhuman people can do inhuman things to one another. I guess, congrats is in order to ATROZ, for scraping that low a level, but there is no one I know or I want to know who will enjoy this film.
ATROZ is presented with a tri-fold Special Edition with a Bluray, DVD, and inexplicably, a soundtrack—which no found footage film should have unless a composer and an orchestra are somewhere hiding off camera.
New this week On Demand and DVD from Uncork’d Entertainment!THE EVIL GENE (2015)
Directed by Kathryn F. TaylorWritten by Kathryn F. Taylor
Starring Richard Speight Jr., Cameron Richardson, Lindsey Ginter, Anthony L. Fernandez, Gene Gabriel, Ted Heyck, Lindsay Ayliffe, Jon-Paul Vertuccio, James Crosby, Ned Liebl, Kervens Joseph, Kruiz Mauga, Jeffrey Henderson, Don Hartman
Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here
Reviewed by Mark L. Miller aka Ambush Bug
Strong acting manages to save the low budget psychological/exorcism/prison horror film THE EVIL GENE from total convolution.
Richard Speight Jr. (SUPERNATURAL/OPEN WATER 2) stars as FBI Agent Griff Krenshaw, called in to investigate the death of the head doctor at an asylum. Upon arrival, Krenshaw is taken through the facility for a tour and given carte blanche in his investigation. After meeting the overburdened, yet still undeniably sexy Dr. Dana Erhardt (OPEN WATER 2’s Cameron Richardson), Krenshaw finds out about the doctor’s research which was an investigation into the genetic traits of evil. Some patients were given treatment, while others were given a placebo and the results were to get to the bottom of what evil is. The problem is that everyone in this film is pretty crazy themselves, including Krenshaw who suffers from hallucinations and flashbacks that has his questioning everything he sees and thinks he is seeing at the asylum.This film is a narrative mess that doesn’t seem to have a firm hold on what it wants to be about. Does it want to be a possession film? A film about madness? A ghost story? In not really deciding on what it wants to be, it really gives the actors and therefore the viewer very little to establish a contact with and hold on to. So the story just becomes a series of hallucinations connected by scientific gobbity-talk trying to make the things happening make sense.
The actors involved, while not stellar, did have me invested in this story until the end. Speight is not exactly the first person one would think of in terms of a leading man, but it is because of this fact that I liked him as this unconventional lead. Richardson, as well, does a good job here and though he is gorgeous, she exudes the smarts and posture to make me believe her in the role. The rest of the cast aren’t as good; either cartoonish, sadistic guards, cardboard innocents to be killed, or foam-mouthed inmates snarling at the camera. The low budget doesn’t help either as this is trying to convince the viewer that all of this action is taking place in a huge facility, but only one hallway and a handful of guards and inmates are ever shown.
In the end, while the leads do a decent job of trying to communicate the vague story, the whole point of THE EVIL GENE really is ethereal and not worth trying to figure out.
New this week on DVD and HD Digital from Wild Eye Cinema!THE NEON DEAD (2015)
aka INVASION OF THE UNDEADDirected by Torey Haas
Written by Torey Haas
Starring Marie Barker, Greg Garrison, D. Dylan Schettina, Nathan DeRussy, Josie Levy, John Reed, Mark Ashworth, Emma Greene, Bonnie Harris, Sean Haley, Candace Mabry, Andrew Puckett, Levi VanHoozer, Alan J. Sanders, Eric Davis
Find out more about this film on its website here and on Facebook here
Reviewed by Mark L. Miller aka Ambush Bug
This low budgeter is not going to scare anyone, but THE NEON DEAD might just charm you a little bit.
Marie Barker plays Allison, a recent college grad in search of a marketing job, but dammit if a pesky demon entity doesn’t decide to invade our reality the day she has an interview with a big firm. After getting some advice from a girl scout, she calls Desmond (Greg Garrison), a self proclaimed Monster Buster who is more interested in hitting on Allison than taking care of the demons. Soon, Allison and Desmond find themselves as the only defense against the a demonic world takeover.The good of this film comes from its undeniable likability. The tone is definitely more akin to old school GOOSEBUMPS episodes—family friendly terror that isn’t going to offend and will incite for laughs that chills. I also loved the way the whole latter half of this film is filmed with black-lighting and everything is lit up in neon. It’s a fun way of making everything feel otherworldly and surreal (it’s also a cheap way). These aspects again highlight the do it yourself scares one might find in a cheap haunted house. The puppeteering and rudimentary effects in the last act also have an appeal that I can’t categorize as anything other than adorable.
That said, the acting is amateur (though Barker is gorgeous and definitely the strongest performer of the bunch) and the whole thing is not going to impress most who steer more towards higher budget fare. THE NEON DEAD is cute and cuddly horror—it’s a safe gateway drug of a horror film for those who don’t usually venture into terror territories, but it’s definitely going to fail to impress hardcore horror fans.
New this week on DVD and On Demand from Breaking Glass Pictures!DARK EXORCISM (2015)
aka …IN THE DARKDirected by David Spaltro
Written by David Spaltro
Starring Grace Folsom, Lynn Justinger, Fiona Horrigan, Catherine Cobb Ryan, Aaron Mathias, Jesse R. Tendler, Nikki Scheidt, Hayden Wall, Kayla Leasure, William Maloney
Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here
Reviewed by Ambush Bug
Right from the opening scene that will chill you to your core, DARK EXORCISM is a deft use of suspense and darkness that takes full advantage of being small scare and uses its lighter budget to make the viewer rely on their own horrific imaginations.Young Bethany (Grace Folsom) is an aspiring art student, but lately she has been experiencing bizarre phenomenon in her basement studio. When these occurrences become more frequent, Bethany’s terrified mother (Catherine Cobb Ryan) contacts Lois Kearne (Fiona Horrigan), a respected paranormal investigator to get to the bottom of the problem. Accompanied by skeptic researcher Veronica (Lynn Justinger), Lois finds that Bethany has not been tormented by ghosts, but by a demon hungering for her soul.
The possession story is one that has often been used in horror, but rarely does it work. Too many times, comparisons to THE EXORCIST bogs down any attempt at compelling the demons with the power of Christ and everything pales in comparison to that iconic film. So DARK EXORCISM smartly doesn’t even try. Instead, it focuses on the X-FILES motif by having a believer and a skeptic investigate this case. In doing so, it successfully dissolves any comparisons to THE EXORCIST and becomes something original. Paired with some potently terrifying scenes of hauntings and pitch darkness, DARK EXORCISM comes across as something we haven’t seen before (a feat very few exorcism flicks have accomplished).On the critical side, when things do happen in the light, the budgetary limits become apparent, but this occurs late in the film and by that time, I was too engrossed in the fates of the characters to care about such things. With compelling performances and a story that really hooks, DARK EXORCISM is not your typical exorcism movie and worth a look see.
New this week on DVD from MVD Visual!THE PURGING HOUR (2015)
aka HOME VIDEODirected by Emmanuel Giorgio Sandoval
Written by Zaidal Obagi, Emmanuel Giorgio Sandoval, Robert A. Trezza
Starring Alana Chester, Paul Cross, Tomas Decurgez, Sherry Driggs, Steve Jacques, Sophia Louisa, Jim Marshall, Tom McLaren, David Mendoza, Cara O'Brien, Phil Pierce, Art Roberts, Dean Testerman, Jovita Trujillo
Find out more about this film on its website here
Reviewed by Mark L. Miller aka Ambush Bug
THE PURGING HOUR wants to come off as an ominous and unsettling film. It brings in psychologists, witnesses, and all kinds of experts to attest that the events on this found footage that is interspersed into a shock-documentary format is the creepiest and most horrific of footages ever found. Unfortunately, once we get to the footage, it fails to live up to the hype.
When a family moves into a new home in the woods, of course, they decide to film it all. But what starts as an innocent family home movie turns into a massacre captured in real time. THE PURGING HOUR is made up of this footage leading up to the family’s murder as well as testimony from doctors, investigators, and friends of the family trying to piece together how, why, and what murdered the family.THE PURGING HOUR works overtime to suggest something ominous and terrible happens on the tape that plays out in between the interviews with the experts. The problem is that the footage found isn’t very compelling. It actually is quite boring, as we follow a family arguing about banal things, preparing for dinner, washing dishes, and settling down for their first night in their new home. So despite the fact that the people cutting in are prepping us for something horrible, it takes forever to get to the part they are talking about. Once the bad stuff starts happening, the events are so vague, so shaky, and so undefined that it simply lacks any kind of impact once the terror ball starts rolling in the last twenty or so minutes.
The acting itself isn’t awful and the cast does a decent job of making it feel like what is going on is candid and captured rather than rehearsed, but again, it’s all just boring setup for an ending that comes too quick and too oblique. In the end, I feel you’re going to be more frustrated than entertained that you stuck around THE PURGING HOUR until the end as nothing is really revealed or resolved.
New this week on BluRay/DVD from Lionsgate Home Entertainment!THE DARKNESS (2016)
aka 6 MIRANDA DRIVEDirected by Greg McLean
Written by Shayne Armstrong, Shane Krause, Greg McLean
Starring Kevin Bacon, Radha Mitchell, David Mazouz, Lucy Fry, Matt Walsh, Jennifer Morrison, Parker Mack, Paul Reiser, Ming-Na Wen, Trian Long Smith, Tara Lynne Barr, Krista Marie Yu, Christopher Darga, Judith McConnell, Ilza Rosario, Alma Martinez, Yoshio Be, A.J. Tannen, Sara Mornell
Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here
Reviewed by Mark L. Miller aka Ambush Bug
The latest family under siege by evil spirits flick from BlumHouse is THE DARKNESS, which at least boasts a strong cast, despite its undeniable conventionality.
Kevin Bacon plays Peter, the patriarch of the Taylor family—a family with more problems than they can handle even before the evil spirits arrive. His wife Bronny (SILENT HILL’s Radha Mitchell) is a recovering alcoholic. His son Michael (David Mazouz aka Bruce Wayne on TV’s GOTHAM) is autistic. His daughter Stephanie (Lucy Fry) is bulimic. And he is stuck trying to juggle it all in a high pressure job with a hot intern who wants to do a horizontal FOOTLOOSE dance with him. When Michael stumbles into an ancient Indian burial ground on a trip to the Grand Canyon, he steals some ritualistic stones and ends up dragging a gaggle of evil spirits home with him. Now the family, which is about to buckle with their bag of Dr. Phil episode problems, is pushed past the breaking point when the shadow monsters start showing up.This is a truly bland film. From the way the kid stumbles into the burial site (which is all too reminiscent of Bruce Wayne finding the Bat Cave – cue irony) to the systematic way the house gets gradually taken over by evil shadow creatures, this film plagiarizes straight from the POLTERGEIST playbook. And while the leadup is ominous given the dark handprints that are found all over the place, it really isn’t all that scary given that the biggest threat these evil beings offer is to the dry cleaning bill. Toss in a late in the game visit by a Native American ghost busting squad that has little to no impact or life to inject into the story at all, and you have a really tepid ghost story on your hands.
But the thing is, I had more fun watching the strong performances here as the players seemed to be bringing their A-game despite the fact that the story doesn’t deserve it. Bacon is awesome as always, though he has less to do here than he usually does. Mitchell is strong as is the performance by Mazouz as the autistic child. Plus props to this film for unearthing Paul Reiser as the smarmy boss of Bacon and I always bow to the presence of Ming Na who is always a treat to see on film. The performances almost made me forget how forgetful the story, conflict, plot, and resolution was in THE DARKNESS.So while THE DARKNESS was nothing you’re going to want to bring to light, it is successful in reminding one that these actors are top tier and deserve to be in a better movie. There is nothing about this film that separates it from the million and one other BlumHouse joints about a family attacked by some other worldly evil presence. The production company should learn a different tune as I really am tired of all of these retreads in seemingly new packages they are churning out on a seasonal basis.
New this week on BluRay and DVD from The Shout Factory and IFC Midnight!THE DEAD ROOM (2015)
Directed by Jason StutterWritten by Kevin Stevens, Jason Stutter
Starring Jed Brophy, Jeffrey Thomas, Laura Petersen
Find out more info from the website here and on Facebook here!
Reviewed by Mark L. Miller aka Ambush Bug
There’s not a lot in THE DEAD ROOM we haven’t seen before. In fact, this film feels a lot like a more horror-centric GHOSTBUSTERS without the comedy or the all-star cast. But even though many aspects of this film may seem familiar, it does do these familiar things in an effective and interesting manner.
When a pesky ghost scares a family out of their home, a trio of paranormal investigators (a psychic – Laura Peterson, a techie – Jed Prophy, and a wizened, but skeptical expert – Jeffrey Thomas) are called in to assess the property. But the house they are investigating is full of secrets; secrets that become more dangerous as the crew stay longer at the home and the paranormal happenings intensify.Unlike most paranormal investigator films, this one is thankfully filmed cinematically rather than through the tired found footage technique. For that alone, I give this film a recommendation for not going the easy route with the material. Still, this film is filled with all sorts of what makes a good paranormal investigation film and not a lot of what shouldn’t be there. The thing that works with this film is that there’s a real mystery going on with the investigators actually trying to solve it through their own know-how, the empirical data they accumulate, and the gut feelings all of them listen to, question, and follow. More so than most paranormal investigator films, this one actually accentuates the investigation part and I love that about this film, as it makes a pretty standard ghost hunting film into an actual story, which so many ghost hunting films tend to leave out.
Seeing this threesome of investigators do what they do, with each of them carrying their own weight of the work, was truly impressive to see. The film is well acted and Peterson, Prophy, and Thomas do a great job of making this team believable as they all provide something that helps in solving this case. When the psychic link hits a dead end, the tech side picks up the slack. When that fails, experience comes into play. It all evens out with this team and though there are some things about this film that may feel like they are from other films, I can’t remember another film that incorporates it all so fluidly and successfully.Writer/director Jason Stutter and his co-writer Kevin Stevens do a really fantastic job of making a thinking man’s ghost hunting film. THE DEAD ROOM is full of surprises and the effects are subtle, but effective. But what stands out the most if the character stuff and the fact that none of this feels formulaic. It’s a film that has been done so many times, it should feel like something tired and worn out, but the acting, the subtle scares and how they intensify, and most importantly the teamwork at play makes THE DEAD ROOM one of the better films about ghost investigation you’re going to bear witness to.
New this week on DVD from Dark Sky Films!NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEB (2016)
Directed by Kyle RankinWritten by Kyle Rankin, Andy Selsor
Starring Maria Thayer, Michael Cassidy, Ray Wise, Chris Marquette, Syd Wilder, Brian Sacca, Shawn C. Phillips, Julie Brister, Almarie Guerra, Grant Garry
Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here
Reviewed by Mark L. Miller aka Ambush Bug
The newest zom com to attempt to chomp into as well as warm our hearts is NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEB, an undeniably fun and quirky little ditty that’s more com than zom. So while this one may not have enough teeth for hardcore horror fans, those just looking for a darkly funny good time will be pleasantly surprised by this one.
Maria Thayer plays Deb, a quirky girl next door who never gets the guy. But after a few shots and some encouragement from her best friend, she takes a chance and approaches her latest crush Ryan (Michael Cassidy) at a local bar. One drink leads to another and Deb wakes up in Ryan’s bed. After an awkward exchange and admission that the drunken shenanigans should probably be left untalked about, Deb and Ryan part ways not knowing that while they spent the night passed out in their clothes, the zombie apocalypse happened. Now stuck together as the sole survivors, the two try to make their way to their families to see if they are still alive or one of the many turned into the undead.If NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEB had cheeks and I were a septuagenarian, I would want to pinch and squeeze them because this is one cute little film. Much like SHAUN OF THE DEAD, the film pokes fun at how distracted we are about our own drama to be bothered by real world problems like the world coming to an end. This level of social commentary has been done before, but it hasn’t been done with a more lovable star in Maria Thayer. 90% of why this film works is because of this actress who is cute as a truckload of puppies and is more charismatic than most of the blonde beanpoles in Hollywood. You can’t help but root for this spunky redhead to get the guy and escape the zombie apocalypse. Thayer has star written all over her freckled face and I’m hoping she gets a role deserving of her spunky and likable demeanor soon.
While the rest of the film is rather formulaic, there are some very funny scenes scattered throughout. This is your typical comedy of errors where two unlikely people who are destined to be with one another have one obstacle after another tossed in their path. Because the cast is so likable (including the ever-awesome Ray Wise), I didn’t mind the conventions being ticked off as the story progressed such as the miscommunication which leads to one of the star crossed lovers to leave only for them to cross paths once again before the end. Usually, I’d roll my eyes at stories like this, but it is the cast that sells this very common and familiar story.Not much by way of gore is going on in NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEB. This is the type of horror you can share with your girlfriend who doesn’t really like horror or with your teen who you’re trying to get addicted into horror and you need a gateway film to do so. Reminiscent of WARM BODIES, this film is superior because of its relatable and likable cast. Again, I’m rooting for big things in Maria Thayer’s future. She certainly shows she has the chops to carry a movie here. If you’re looking for light-hearted horror fun, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEB is just the ticket.
New on BluRay/DVD from Artsploitation Films!DER BUNKER (2015)
Directed by Nikias ChryssosWritten by Nikias Chryssos
Starring Pit Bukowski, Daniel Fripan, Oona von Maydell, David Scheller
Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here
Reviewed by Mark L. Miller aka Ambush Bug
Nikias Chryssos, who directed the rather straight-forward and rock solid actioner TOWER BLOCK (reviewed here), goes into the realm of absurdity with DER BUNKER. This is a film that seems to be riding a wave of oddity and eccentricity along with films like RUBBER, DOGTOOTH, THE TAINT, and the upcoming king of oddball cinema THE GREASY STRANGLER.
When a weary nameless traveler referred to as The Student (Pit Bukowski from last year’s unforgettable DER SAMURAI) shows up at an underground residence in the middle of the woods, the seemingly normal family politely takes him in and gives him a room in order for him to work on his studies. But once he is all set up in the room, he is introduced to Klaus (Daniel Fripan), an simple adult who is treated like a young boy by Mother (Oona von Maydell) and Father (David Scheller). The Student is soon convinced, or more accurately blackmailed into teaching Klaus as Father’s supervised studies do not seem to be working. Klaus is destined to become the President according to his eccentric family, but his remedial marks in school indicate he is not as bright as his parents believe.While Father cleans the house and wears an apron while spouting his qualifications as both a comedian and an award winning scientist and Mother speaks to a spirit in the walls while breastfeeding Klaus before bedtime, The Student is finding it increasingly difficult to get his own work done as he tries to educate Klaus about the world.DER BUNKER is an odd bird of a film, but once you get past the weird peculiarities of the four members of the cast, it becomes a fable of sorts about unrealistic expectations of family, the state of education, the frustrations of the educator, the distinction of the educated bs the uneducated, and sheer perversity of the typical family unit. Sure there are odd moments such as the Student’s method of drawing scribbles and finding the deepest of meanings in them or Father’s joke night where he dons clown makeup and reads a joke to the family, only to explain it in great detail afterwards or Mother’s disgusting open wound on her leg that seems to be the source of the voice she has heard since adolescence, or even Klaus’ bizarre choice in clothing and little hats. But apart from that there is a heartwarming tale of a friendship made between the Student and Klaus, as well as a powerful message about education and everything that is wrong with it. Decorating these themes with weirdness, DER BUNKER is a sort of odd little Christmas tree with all sorts of meaning beyond the strange baubles and gaudy tinsel.
Pit Bukowski is a force to b reckoned with and I can’t wait until he breaks through as an international star. His memorable performance as the titular character in DER SAMURAI showed he has the fortitude to deliver shocks, but here he gives a more reserved performance as the Student that is just as powerful. The entire cast is brilliant. Oona von Maydell is plainly beautiful, yet seductive and menacing all at once. David Scheller’s delivers a complex performance as a man who is basically demasculined by his wife and the appearance of the Student. And the simple oddity that is Daniel Fripan steals every scene he is in as the not so little Klaus. Fripan is a child in a man’s body and while this could have been an opportunity to play this role for laughs, he instead mimics the movements in his hands, posture, and phonetic delivery that makes you forget he is a man and believe he is actually 8 years old as he says.Things get extremely dark by the end of this one and if a grown ass man being treated as a child doesn’t disturb you, the bleak and bloody final moments most likely will. Things get extremely stylish towards the end with fantastic lighting, bizarre twists, and breathtaking beauty to all of that madness unfolding. DER BUNKER is another indie gem that I felt enveloped by while watching.
Recently played at Horror Channel Frightfest London!BLOOD HUNTERS (2016)
Directed by Tricia LeeWritten by Corey Brown
Starring Lara Gilchrist, Benjamin Arthur, Torri Higginson, Mark Taylor, Julian Richings, Samuel Faraci, Peter Blankenstein, Tony Ning, Briar Nolet, Breeanna Booth
Find out more about this film here and on Facebook here
Reviewed by Mark L. Miller aka Ambush Bug
While simple and often schmaltzy, BLOOD HUNTERS is a single location, locked room mystery monster mash-up that had me by the throat for most of the film.
Elllie (Lara Gilchrist) wakes up on a gurney in a hospital and doesn’t know how she got there. Worse yet, she wakes up about nine months pregnant without knowledge of who the baby-daddy is either. She soon runs into Henry (Benjamin Arthur) a good guy who seems to have a lot of self esteem issues and some scars on his wrists to indicate he has had suicidal tendencies in the past. The two lost souls find themselves in the middle of an abandoned hospital, empty of doctors to help the pregnant Ellie, yet filled with hairless monsters who don’t like light. As Ellie and Henry make their way through the corridors, they run into a scientist (Torri Higginson), a doctor’s intern (Mark Taylor), and a priest (the always altogether ooky Julian Richings) who help them in piecing together where they are and why they are there. Meanwhile, the hospital is running out of power and the monsters are getting closer.For the most part, BLOOD HUNTERS is a strong little mystery thriller that kept me guessing for the entire time. The monsters are formidably terrifying and the actors are good enough to make me care about them avoiding the creepy beasts. I liked the way this film unwrapped itself, shedding light on one question while presenting a new mystery to keep the thrills and chills going. From a storytelling standpoint, the film kept things low scale, but succeeded in keeping my interest with one challenge presented after the next that was equally entertaining.
That said, BLOOD HUNTERS is extremely formulaic. While the formula is formidable, it really follows a blueprint of “present the group with one problem, have them achieve their goal only to present the group with another problem.” The story unfolds as a series of challenges and while that can be said for many films, the skeletal structure of this film was evident, making the film feel more like a paint by numbers problem and solution game. The fact that the actors are going for a universal Oscar award in the final act and the film allows them to schmaltzily chew up the runtime for so long doing so is distracting and will definitely lose folks by the end. But the rollercoaster ride to the end is fun and boppy and the acting is less painful that most films of this level. Rank this one in the upper tier of ScyFy flicks one might see on any given weekend and you will probably not leave BLOOD HUNTERS disappointed.
And finally…a few weeks back I posted the three short chapters leading up to this final installment of SIN REAPERS: CIARA. This is the epic conclusion which has Ciara and the Reapers finally confronting those who took her life. You can find the first episode here, the second episode here, and the third episode here, just in case you missed Matthew Forte’s tale of vengeance. Enjoy!
See ya next week, folks!
Ambush Bug is Mark L. Miller, original @$$Hole/wordslinger/writer of wrongs/reviewer/interviewer/editor of AICN COMICS for over 15 years & AICN HORROR for 5. Follow Mark on the Twitters @Mark_L_Miller and on his new website collecting posts for AICN HORROR as well as all of the most recent updates on his various comic book projects on MLMillerWrites.com.
AICN HORROR has a brand new sponsor: Things From Another World—also known as TFAW!
Please support AICN HORROR by clicking the Things From Another World banner and checking out all of their amazing collectibles! TFAW carries everything from comics to toys and any kind of collectible in between. You just might find something you can’t live without!
And if you like what you read below in the reviews, click on the link at the bottom of each review to pick up a copy of the book from TFAW!
Look for our bi-weekly rambling about random horror films on Poptards and Ain’t It Cool on AICN HORROR’s CANNIBAL HORRORCAST Podcast every other Thursday!
