Reviews

Trying to get her career going, an aspiring novelist tasked with trying to find a suitable topic for her next book wants to try a ritual attempted by others which resulted in them summoning a genie, and when her friends start to act weird following the incident comes to believe they've done the same.

This was a decent enough follow-up if a bit lower than the original. One of the better features here is the solid starting point that brings about a fun way of connecting the two films by going through a similar setup. As both films deal with the idea of trying to find a means of enhancing their life experience while looking for story ideas and stumbling upon the concept at play with the genie conjuring being the way to go about that, this serves well enough at getting the group established and set about with their issues before the ritual takes place. That comes off nicely as a means of getting a sped-up version of the scenario at the very beginning so that the being can start its tricks following up the eventual reveal as the fast-tempo and cruelty in those tricks keep this one moving along. There are a few issues here that bring this one down. Among its biggest drawbacks is a factor gathered from the setup where it feels like a retread of the original with minimal changes to the story. It's pretty much the same setup about a person looking for a bit of life experience and coming upon the genie as a way to do that only to then get in over their heads over what's been summoned. The main difference with this one is that it is far quicker to bring the genie about and unleash it upon the group as there's very little research into the ritual, what it's all about, or even explaining how she came about the proper procedure to do so which makes everything feel rushed and underdeveloped as a result. That leads into the second issue here where she comes off as such an unlikable and unbelievable lead that it's hard to care what happens. As the central setup is rushed through to the point that it never really makes sense why they're doing it, the main girl comes off as so unbelievably rude to her friends who've been given a fair bit of build-up beforehand making it seem like a rather strained friend group. With her fame being unlikely to be a first-time writer and having the success she claims to have from the very start, a constant series of fiery confrontations about their relationships with each other making her selfishly ungrateful, and no one doing much to change this perception, the fact that nothing is interesting happening despite tons of plot reveals is a big drawback to be had. The other big problem with this one is the wholly misguided and underwhelming main genie who's entirely laughable as a main threat. The same issues with the immobile mask carry true here as the wide-open mouth dangling about as it tries to talk to others is just the wrong kind of cheesy for this one while the voice changes to what sounds like the genuine actor's natural voice kills any fear in him. This is not a threatening being in the slightest and he takes away a lot of the suspense that's supposed to be generated with this one. Given that hardly any of the tricks involved cruel twists to their fates until the last half also causes this to lose a lot of steam as hardly anything creepy or chilling happens, all of which come together and result in lowering this one overall.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

Trying to get past her traumatic past, a student heartbroken over her father's death is tasked with preparing a paper on urban legends to help cope with the situation, but when a group of friends decide to summon a mystical being for her studies, they find the creature twisting their wishes to kill them.

For the most part, this was a fairly enjoyable genre effort. One of the better elements present is the unusually strong setup at play that provides a far more immersive start for things to unfold. The build-up here involving her struggling to come to terms with the death of her father and struggling through life as well as school serves this one quite a strong setup for her as a whole. Knowing that the paper is a way to get herself caught up on studies due to missing everything for truly valid reasons and that there's a lot of turmoil within her friend group trying to get her back into the good graces of the college or the personal squabbles with her mother helps to make for a solid background on things which helps the later scenes involving the creatures' appearance have a bit of emotional resonance. That becomes even more exposed once the wish comes true and there's a highly impressive emotional connection to what's going on at play here based on the wish which helps to carry this along somewhat nicely. While that setup works quite nicely, those scenes involving the creature coming for the friend group and delivering the typically demonic form of wish-twisting that's in play here come off incredibly well. With the opening sequence showing a previous victim getting that kind of treatment where the Djinn's powers are observed forcing her to off herself following the wish gone wrong, the later scenes targeting the friend group after the summoning ritual carry a rather creepy and unnerving tone to it. The implications of the Djinn forcing itself into the victim's world and trying to force them into making the wish so that it can twist everything around in grand fashion which features some great effects to pull off on top of the solid chases and confrontations to get everything accomplished and giving this a lot to like. This one does have some big issues involved with it. The main drawback at the center of the film is the rather sluggish tempo that keeps this one struggling to maintain a great sense of pace or energy for a lot of the middle sections. Focusing on storylines that aren't that interesting or just sloughing through a never-ending series of scenes about the group dealing with the aftereffects of the Djinn's powers take up a large part of the film and very little of it makes for an exciting time trying to get to the creature's attempts at tricking them. As well, there's also the disappointingly cheesy and obvious face of the creature which never moves and just flops around hilariously, undermining a lot of the attempts at terror and making this a lot more comical than expected which are enough to bring this down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

After her sister goes missing, a woman gathers some friends and a team of explorers who can lead them through the underground cave system she disappeared in, but when the team finds that a swarm of crocodiles have attacked the first group and turned to them must find a way to get out alive.

This was a perfectly serviceable cheesy creature feature. Among its better features here is the strong overall setup that provides the film with the type of serious approach to a typically cheesy scenario. The whole idea of the group arriving in the caves to find the missing party that had disappeared during the proposed engagement trip but coming across the same group of crocodiles living inside the system trapping them inside and hunted down like the first group is a great way to get this one going. Providing the motivation and reasoning to get the group down there to encounter the creatures while being melodramatic enough to contain a sense of urgency to get them out of the closed-off system makes the setup here rather fun. Featuring the perfect setting for this type of action to take place as well with the overall layout and presentation of the caves as a mysterious labyrinth that continually hides the creatures who can pop out of nowhere with the darkness and confusing maze-like structure giving everything the kind of impressive presentation needed. On top of the fine setup, the slew of cheesy creature feature action when the crocs are given a chance to roam free in the system. The early scenes with the creatures stalking the first party are quite fun as the surprise appearance of them living there and knocking off the group in several fun moments makes for some fun including the first attack on the group while on the sandy outcrop, a brutal scene showing the creature devouring one of the group in front of others who can't alert it to its presence, or swimming after a victim trying to escape in a boat left behind. These scenes are matched nicely by the later encounters where the creatures are shown stalking the new rescue group as the series of chases and confrontations here featuring the fantastic scene at their nesting lair or the final battle using the left-over mining equipment to try to stop them, mixing serious action with goofy CGI or practical effects gives everything the perfect touch and provides a lot to like here. There isn't much to dislike here but it's got a few minor factors here. The main issue with it is the expectedly cheesy and goofy special effects that run rampant in a film like this. Since it's expected to see the hallmarks of the genre come out in full force including size and dimension changes depending on the scene being featured, clunky animation for normal activities, or being forced to perform unnatural motions or behavior to suit the sequence, none of these are truly detrimental but still stick out overall here. The other issue with this one is the generally stiff tempo that goes alongside this type of goofy presentation but causes things to feel somewhat off-kilter, where the special effects have a cheesy action to it while the seriousness of the search to find everyone keeps it far too stiff and plodding for what's going on. This is an odd touch and sticks out here as these are the main factors holding it back.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.

Working together at a traveling carnival, a murderous family tries to get by in life by doing whatever devious activity will allow them to remain together, and when this alerts a dangerous hunter to their whereabouts seeks revenge on the family and must rely on those tactics to stay together.

This was enjoyable enough for what it was. One of the better aspects of this one is the somewhat cliched setup that manages to still provide enough to know about the group going on. The first half spends quite a lot of time going through the various members of the group and their different relationships, with the controlling father trying to keep his family together, the ventriloquist son stuck in his head about the supposedly-alive puppet insulting him, the clown son dealing with the trauma of his condition, the youngest son being a constant screw-up that needs reprimanding all the time, and the daughter living the golden life as the perfect child. Knowing who they are and what they're about lets this part come together so that their murderous antics come off with the sense of disgust due to the humanizing efforts done to get them there beforehand. Those scenes involving their murderous antics come off incredibly well here which has some solid aspects at play. Knowing the daily are insane psychopaths who will resort to murder the first chance they get whenever someone wrongs them which they get away with due to the roving nature of the carnival, this sets up their freewheeling ability to strike out against the ruthless talent agent, the disgraceful boyfriend, and the woman he was dating that feature some better-than-expected moments as it ties into established storylines quite well. The second half, turning into a solid enough version of a retribution feature that allows for the hunter to come upon the family leading to some brutal moments offering some additional gore and brutality in what's going on as everything leads to some likable features here. There isn't much to hold it down but there are some slight factors present. The main drawback featured here is the sluggish and slow-going pace that takes things way too slow for this kind of feature. The whole family-based setup that takes an in-depth look at how the group operates is filled with cliches about the nature of what's going on between everyone which makes it all feel quite repetitive from every psychotic carnival family in the genre so even if this section has a lot to like with setting up their behavior there's not a lot here that provides much in the way of interest. The sluggish quality of what's going on here takes a while to sort out and get something happening to bump up the excitement, which might not be a factor for all out there who want a faster-moving genre effort. As well, the low budget being on display does serve as a factor to get over which is quite prominent and could be a factor here which are all enough to bring it down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

Taking a job at an insane asylum, a young woman working the cleaning shift at the facility begins to feel uneasy about working there when a series of bizarre sightings have her convinced something isn't right with the facility, and the longer she stays there finds the truth darker than she expected.

This was a decent enough if somewhat problematic genre effort. Among its better aspects here comes from the solid enough setup that provides some worthwhile motivations for what's eventually going on. With the mundane work done at the beginning involving how the early stages of the work go with her arriving at the facility and meeting up with her co-worker which puts them through the paces of what goes on there, the fact that it goes as well as it does with the various sightings and misgivings about being there works this rather nicely by giving off the idea of her inexperience providing the cause for all the disruptions caused while working there. That allows for the film to work towards a solid enough series of encounters suggesting the paranormal operating within the sanitarium. Again starting nicely with the first stages being simply strange whispers or hallucinations that point to something unusual happening around the building which no one believes, it sets up the type of environment necessary here where the later encounters and visions that signal the occult work being done by the one patient in the facility. The series of reveals here that come about from this, including the connection to the titular location and the culprits responsible for the gruesome visions she had, turn this into a more frantic section than expected with some solid gore to generate a bit more to like than expected. There are some issues present that hold this one down. The main aspect against it is the low-key and sluggish pacing that spends far too much of the running time on building up the idea of what's going on through more talking scenes than anything else. Whether it be her talking with the co-worker about the qualms of the job, the other staff at the facility about the potential hauntings at the site, or the best friend about the history of the location, this tends to favor a more lethargic route than some will like which provides the sluggish mentality that won't win most others. There are just a few bits of action in the final few minutes so the rest of this one tends to slowly work its way there at a slow-going tempo. It also leads into the last big issue here but it's also quite obvious low-budget origins do shine through quite heavily. The lack of action here means this one works without any kind of all-out gore or bloodshed until the end, while the other special effects featured here are so flimsy it can potentially distract from what's going on here so it never has much of a chance to get going here with these limitations and then when they occur it's all handled so underwhelmingly with obviously fake CGI or some silly practical effects that are fine in concept but somewhat silly in execution. Combined with a weird digitized presentation that makes everything look darker than it should even though they're already in an asylum at night, there are some issues present that hold it down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.

Running an exclusive nightclub, a London promoter preparing to open his new club finds that he's been cheated out of the location by a gang of vampires looking to use the property for their own means and forces him to get a gang together to reclaim what was his before the vampires spread into the city.

This was a pretty decent and enjoyable vampire effort. Among the more enjoyable factors here is the films' strong mixture of gangster crime thriller alongside more traditional genre elements. Managing to work rather nicely as a series of early exploits focusing on how he conducts business by showing the extras doing hits or backstage at the club's day-to-day duties sets this one up really nicely in that universe to get an idea of what's going on as a setup for the later takeover of the club that turns this around into more traditional genre fare at that point. That brings about how the gradual discovery of their vampire background turns this into that kind of genre effort. The valiant yet futile march to reclaim the club that turns into a trap with the full reveal and battle with the vampires that shows them getting hollow victories before the change but then getting systematically and obviously overwhelmed and swarmed resulting in some brutal beatdowns with plenty of fun gore involved in the aftermath. Not only is the fighting hard-hitting and brutal, but the sight of the battles occurring while the dancers snack on disfigured body parts is quite an impressive sight. That also gives the finale a lot to like as the survivors take the fight to the remaining vampires one last time. Wisely sidestepping two cliches in that there's no wait to regroup and reform a day later but charging back later that same day as well as taking out the traitor before he turns them, that they're forced to use some creativity and ingenuity in order to stop them is a far better way to go about this one. Getting some solid action here with the various battles between each other which puts those to good use and featuring some surprising outcomes as well as even more fine gore, there's quite a lot to like here. This one doesn't have much to hold it back. The main problem here is the rather confusing and baffling manner in which the vampires carry themselves here. Rather than press the advantage over the demoralized crew, they try and belittle them to the point of drawing attention to themselves for how they're acting, which is even worse in the finale where they go about taunting and speechifying their superiority rather than going on. The other weird issue with the finale is several excessive scenes that aren't really needed as it's focused on getting celebrity cameos that aren't necessary. Otherwise, there's not a lot to hold it down.

Rated Unrated/R: Extreme Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.

Preparing to film a new documentary, a pair of filmmakers set off into the woods to get their footage shot which is halted by the increasingly-irrational demands of the actor in the role, and when it's all exacerbated by the sense of paranoia they experience while filming must try to get out alive.

This was a rather solid and rather fun fund-footage effort. One of the better features here is the stellar way this one works its cheesy setup that shouldn't work but comes off quite well throughout here. The central concept of the shoot turning into a spoof of mockumentary performances with the whole approach taking on a decidedly comedic approach concerning the increasingly more disastrous presentations that go on the longer they film is an exceptionally accomplished setup here. This slow turn from a series of comical setpieces to showcase their inept nature at making a movie only to realize that there's something wrong with what's going on here delivers a rather solid turn here with the group being tormented with the idea of the method actor's personality conflicting with their carefully scripted setup. This balances quite nicely into the final half where the final attempts at making the movie go so far off the rails it's chilling and suspenseful. With the idea that there's something supernatural happening to the group, especially once the other cast-members arrive to shoot their parts, the dizzying nature of what's going on and the frenetic pacing comes in stark contrast to the other sequences shot earlier where the slow-burn build works to the film's advantage. Some explanations are still left muddled and it does show its budget in places but there's still more than enough to like here that it holds this one up rather well.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Violence.

Looking to score a new weed supply, a group of friends unwillingly get together to visit the supplier stashing his supply in the woods, but when they find the area patrolled by a psychotic killer targeting anyone that enters the woods must find a way to stop his rampage and get out alive.

This was a solid low-budget slasher effort. Among the brightest aspects of this one is the solid build-up that provides all the requirements necessary to get this one going well enough. The need for the group of friends to head out into the wilderness to find their supplier who has a new stash to give them and their need to go get it personally provides well enough reasoning to get them out into the countryside where they encounter the killer running rampant in the area while also getting a reason for the killer to strike them. The other sidestories that go on here with the secondary characters, including the police officer patrolling the area or the other random strangers that appear, provide the kind of fine setup this kind of film requires. As well, the series of indie-style action scenes involving the killers' antics interrupting the trip comes off as quite fun. Relying on that style of shock ambush sequence coming across random, nameless figures in the woods merely there to enhance the body count, there are some decent aspects to be had here with the scenes offering up some fine kills. Taking out the stoner, the hiker, and the bicyclist among others before turning his attention to the main group, there are some generally fun times to be had with these encounters that turn into slightly more involved stalking scenes once the group is aware of the killer's presence and their race to get out of the area alive. Getting some frantic chasing into the woods alongside some decent gore and some funny one-liners, these all allow for some fun with this one. There isn't much holding it back, but some slight factors are here. The main drawback is the obvious and overwhelming low-budget sense overriding this one, which can be a personal preference feature for some. The guerilla production, lack of elaborate special effects, and a weekend-warrior production style about a random group of friends wandering the woods yelling insults at each other provide enough sense that its origins are omnipresent here even if that isn't an issue. That does carry over into the films' bits that are used to beef up the running time when they aren't necessary, with the series of callbacks to the police station or the stay at the cabin telling stories clearly there to eat up the time. Thankfully, they're not overly damaging and do only manage to hold this one back slightly.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.

Concerned with her missing daughter and friends, a woman decides to look into the disappearances by bringing a group of friends with her on a mission to go look for them, but when they discover the area is patrolled by the deadly siblings that killed off the previous group must try to get away alive.

This was a pretty solid and likable genre feature. Among the better features of this one is the series of connections and setups on display that connect this one with the original. The initial attempts at integrating the backstory from the original by featuring the same scenes that focus on bringing about the same characters is a nice touch to carry the continuity, much like the main idea of the mother looking to find out what happened to her missing daughter which sets this up to be a continuation of the previous film. Based on what we know about them, this is a trap leading the new group into the firing line of the killers as they're unaware of what's in store but decide to arrive at the location to look for them as this all provides the motivation and reasoning required for getting them out to the woods it comes off solid enough storyline for what's on display. As well, there's also the usually strong series of stalking and slashing scenes at the forefront of the film. The opening ambush of the group on the car trip in the woods is a strong enough start to get this going, much like the later scenes offering the siblings putting their tried-and-tested striking angle to the test in a solid slew of encounters where they pick off various members of the group who enter the woods. As it carries on with a fine series of encounters inside the woods, a great setup inside their underground hideout, and more frantic chases that take place in their property's surrounding woods, this one provides the kind of fun indie-style encounters while also featuring some great attempts at bonding the siblings together who do appear to be protective and care for each other. This adds a fine dynamic to the finale where the differing sides have their stakes for what they want to see play out but only one can win so there's bound to be a bit of disappointment either way. This is all rather fun and provides some fun factors to make this one quite likable even though there are some drawbacks featured here. The main detriment that comes to hold this down is the somewhat stagnant setup that decides to retread the group going through the woods for their trip which consists of endless footage involving them hanging around the woods. This is fine for what they're going for as it carries off a few remarkably solid pieces to get to know them but there's also way too much time spent on recycling the same type of content about the reason for the trip and what happened to her daughter. This makes the first half struggle to get going with everyone trying to go through the same thing several times over. The other issue here is the rather low-key nature of the kills featured here which manage to be a bit more underwhelming than expected as most of the kills are focused on drawing the characters out-of-focus or just slightly off-screen that it remains hard to tell what's happening so it misses out on the blood and gore usually featured here. Combined with the cheap make-up effects on the characters featured here, these all manage to bring this down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.

Hoping to cope with their life, a group of friends decides to visit a special site in the woods where they can bond and reconnect with their friendship again, but when they stumble upon the legend of a pair of homicidal siblings haunting the grounds killing anyone who enters must fight to stay alive.

On the whole, there's quite a lot to enjoy with this one. One of the best qualities on display here is the film's rather strong usage of the central nursery rhyme to provide a launching pad for the story to unfold. The initial backstory of the pair, here given the extra incentive of them being born from a homicidal mental asylum escapee who wandered into the hills and was never seen again despite the horde of missing persons' cases that are reported in the same area, serves as the perfect accompaniment to the group of friends who come along looking for their chance to seek closure. Looking to use the trip as a way to put their unresolved feelings to the test while attempting to carry out a return to past glories, complete with recapturing their former interests and relationships while also looking into a friend who's in the area, generates the kind of solid and workable storyline at the center of the film. As well, there's also quite a lot to like with the group coming into contact with the murderous siblings when they start to become hunted by the duo. The opening scene featuring the reporter coming into contact with them sets up an intriguing and somewhat suspenseful stalking sequence, much like the later ambush they pull on the sisters looking for the missing woman which sets up the later tactic we see they pull off. When they start to target the main group as they wander through the woods, the repeated tactics and suspenseful stalkings go along nicely with their behavioral tics involving the bonding they do with each other or the scenes where it looks like they are keeping them hostage before viciously killing them that enhances the brutality quite nicely. It all leads into the solid finale where the family chasing them through the woods and the nearby structures feature some decent stalking scenes and some vicious kills that provide quite a lot to enjoy with this. There are some drawbacks to be had here. The main factor to be had against it is the somewhat sluggish and slow-burn pace that takes place here. This one goes on way too long with the endless scenes of the group trying to figure out what their purpose for the trip is as it takes a series of turns through the various relationship signs and what's going on there that it takes quite a while before anything horrific starts to happen. That isn't bad to see play out but when there are multiple attempts to get with the proper couple because they're discussing who's supposed to be attracted to whom it takes away from the stalking and ends up stretching out the running time as well. As well, with the misguided finale that tries to build an emotional resonance off of the titular nursery rhyme but instead just rushes through everything without that connection, there are some slight drawbacks employed here.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.

Arriving at a remote mansion in the countryside, a woman hired to be a new maid for a mysterious family begins to witness the psychological unraveling that emerges once they welcome a stranger in the middle of a tense battle of sexual battle of wills within the household setting off a fierce battle to survive.

Overall, this was a standout Gothic-horror-style throwback. That it plays so well with these elements in a great manner offers the majority of the fun with this one where it runs through the style and tropes of the genre in fine fashion. The idea of the outsider arriving at a remote mansion featuring a mysterious family with mounds of secrets within them is the type of glorious setup that plays homage to the greats of the genre as the more things are unraveled and revealed the more it opens up the different elements deeper under the surface. With the secret rooms off-limits to others, a mysterious accident that claimed a life in the not-so-distant past, and a cryptic stranger looking to stir hidden feelings with repressed urges, this one works incredibly well at harboring that slow-burning tempo so crucial to the genre. On top of that, once the secrets start being revealed and the tension within the house gets turned up, the film becomes far more intriguing with how everything gets brought about. The search for the missing father and how that leads to the missing items, the desire to look into the closed-off attic that provides the clues about the ghostly visions within, and the arrival of the stranger who starts to instigate upheaval within the established couples all force this one along into the type of required tropes within the genre that move this along quite smoothly. These all lead together into a gloriously twisted and frantic finale where the devilish actions take place as the various forces here come to take revenge in their own means which provide some macabre moments through it all. The other really impressive aspect of this one comes from the stellar use of the influx of sexual content within here to prove their madness and insanity. As the situation grows darker and more depraved, the idea of how the different scenarios get brought up as the use of tempting each other with the reality of carnal desires strikes a major chord in the middle section here. Despite not being overly graphic about what's going on, the use of being open and frank with the sexuality at play where it deals with intriguing BDSM-type relationships or other types of relationships that take on a different air than expected with how they tackle the setup featured here in the final stages where this plays a major part in the action featured throughout here. All told, these all give the film quite a lot to like as while there isn't much to dislike here there are some drawbacks to be had. The main factor with the film is the excessively long running time that drags this one out far longer than it should be. It's far too long for its own good with several plotlines that really could've been told at a brisker pace, with the siblings trying to convince themselves something's going on or the numerous conversations about the nature of pleasures being the main ones which leave the running time more than it needs to be. It causes the maid to disappear from the middle of the film entirely despite being presented as the main character due to this bizarre treatment, and the series of revelations that come about are oftentimes way too much to take seriously as it all could've been taken down somewhat slightly. These are the few factors that hold it back.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language, Graphic Violence, Nudity, and sexual content.

After moving into a new house, a woman, her daughter, and new girlfriend try to make the most of the situation which is helped along by the discovery of a rag doll left behind by the previous owner, but when they come to find it's corrupting the daughter must try to stop it.

Overall, this was a pretty fun if formulaic genre effort. One of the finer aspects of this one comes from the wholly effective setup that provides a solid means of establishing the family dynamic for the doll to play with. While we're given a derivative series of family squabbles as a divorced family member tries to move on with a new partner against the child's wishes, this one at least plays with it nicely enough with the interactions between everyone as it sets up how the mother wants to keep the daughter happy while her girlfriend tries to keep the peace. This leads to a nice bit of dramatic tension between everyone where the strain of the situation gives the family just enough conflict with each other that it comes together rather well when the doll can come to life and pit everyone against each other further and leave it to its malicious intentions. That allows the series of doll attacks to be immensely enjoyable with some fun to be had involving it preying upon the family and their friends. Generally resorting to fantastic ambush encounters while eerie laughing plays in the background to highlight its presence, this sets up a fine series of scenes here involving the doll taking out the ex-husband in his car, the stalking of a friend while babysitting, or the attack on the girlfriend where she's pushed down the stairs in front of the mother and daughter. With the whole thing set up to frame the daughter for everything as a means of exacerbating the tension at play here, this brings about some intriguing work as it leads to a radically unconventional finale that features this setup rather nicely which combined makes for a fun enough time here. There are some minor issues to be had with this one. The main factor to be had with this one is the rather familiar and somewhat cliched family drama that takes place here turning this into a generally repetitive genre effort. The new family dynamic at play is pretty much the culprit here where it's way too familiar regarding the daughter being upset by the disruption and lashing out verbally with unconventional outbursts and comebacks while the mother and new girlfriend try to make the situation make sense due to how supposedly out of character these events are. It doesn't help that the blank-faced statements and robotic delivery of these encounters offer the kind of enhanced mindset for that storyline where the atrocious performance is a help in believing this setup. Alongside the lack of violence or gore featured, these here are what bring this one down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Violence.

After surviving the previous game, a woman is coerced into coming back for a new game show where she must get through the night with other fellow survivors to get through the night chased by vicious dinosaurs and must navigate tricky alliances with the other contestants to get away alive.

This was a solid and fairly serviceable follow-up with a lot to like about it. One of the better features here is the ability to bring about a new way to get the setup for the game show to get underway which follows up nicely from the original. With the new showrunners trying to drive up ratings again by bringing back former winners to play a new season and compete against each other, the fact that her refusal due to those circumstances only to get dragged into doing so with the way it happens here comes off quite nicely. Not only does this setup play off what she went through before and how she's handled herself since, but it explains how the other contestants are brought back as well as the different personality she displays compared to the others which is all enough to provide a strong starting point for a sequel like this. That all provides a solid baseline for the series of encounters here which are fewer in number but still have a cheesy attitude about them. With the creatures shown to be far more vicious and omnipresent from the beginning when we get the clips of them fighting with the other contestants on their proposed installments of the show, it all comes across well enough to get the dinosaurs in focus here. The encounters with the creatures at the beginning of the games that signal the start of the new game include several rather fun showcases with the raptors chasing them around the compound where this takes place has the kind of cheesy and exciting battles with the contestants has some fine work here. The later scenes where the creatures are bigger threats to the group winning since they're trying to kill each other rather than the creatures and give this enough silly, cheesy encounters to have a lot to like with this one. There are some slight flaws to be had here that bring it down. One of the biggest drawbacks is a similar issue as the original in that it has way too much going on for its own good. This one tries to make it seem way too dramatic where one of the contestants turns out to be a massive scumbag out for themselves and leaving characters to die simply because he's trying to be the one to leave the games alive that he's inserted as a human protagonist instead of the dinosaurs. The mindset is completely valid, but it's just not needed to have scenes where he tricks them or captures the group and tortures them for fun as this all takes the focus away from the more natural drama of the creatures trying to kill them that this forgets about from time to time to deal with these factors. As well as the expected silliness and cheesy CGI for the creatures, these are what bring this one down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

Agreeing to partake in a special reality show, a young mother joins other women at a remote hotel where she's subjected to a series of challenges to try to win money for her kids, but when they find themselves forced to survive the night against vicious dinosaurs must complete the game.

This was a rather fun and generally likable genre effort. Among its better features is the strong setup that provides quite a strong excuse and motivation for what's going on. Using the idea of the reality show format to understand how the women are brought together, forced to survive in the scenario, and come upon the location's dark secret being live dinosaurs that are trying to eat them one by one while they try to work together to survive the situation. The setup itself is somewhat cliched but manages to include enough about how the science works to create the creatures and place them there but also to include the series of tactics to keep them within the confines of the location while everything takes place around them is quite a fine way of keeping this one going along as they discover the stakes of the game. This allows for a fantastic series of interactions and confrontations that take place in and around the house. With the usual suspects here in raptors, pterosaurs, and a Rex for good measure allowed to stomp through the place quite freely, there's plenty of fun with the women struggling to accept they're real and coming upon the truth in grisly fashion as we see the raptors stalking them inside the hallways and throughout the various interiors here resulting in encounters in the dining room and living room standing out quite nicely. As these allow the use of stalking scenes with the women and eventually the children trying to sneak away from the human-sized creatures, these are usually tense and somewhat chilling. At the same time, the massive Rex is kept as more of a shock ambush to prevent the final escape attempts from taking place as it's used to take out those outside leaving some solid kill scenes along the way. Combined with its cheesy atmosphere and effects, these are enough to hold this one up. The film does have some issues that hold it back. One of the main factors against it is the use of several unnecessary and overly complicated twists that don't need to be there. This one worked incredibly well as a straightforward case of a group of women duped into being on a game show where they have to survive against vicious dinosaurs, but to include several unnecessary twists here for no reason involving one of the contestants being involved in the conspiracy with the bad guy controlling the games out of nowhere or to keep going around in circles about who's playing the game or not. The decision to make one of the women involved makes no sense as it feels out of nowhere where she disappears from the film for a while to then appear in cahoots with the owner of the hotel as well which makes no sense, and the inability to keep the rules of the game in check makes for a disappointing enough time here overall. Alongside the expected and exceptionally cheesy effects of the goofy actions of the dinosaurs, these all manage to bring the film down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

Taking a special trip together, a group of friends head on a special scenic river barge trip through the countryside so they can spend some time together, but when they encroach the territory of a group of fish-people creatures must band together to fight off the ravenous creatures and get away alive.

This was a fairly fun low-budget creature feature. Among the brighter aspects of this one is the rather impressive starting half where the general build-up to the creatures comes off quite well. Using the early exploits of the barge trip to do the requisite character-building and personal dynamics within the group so we get a sense of the various characters and personalities featured within, this starts the film rather nicely with the different motivations for going on the trip and the different styles they all operate on while keeping just enough hints that there's something in the woods along the way. As the group continues on and their experiences take them deeper into the woods as a result, the way they come off here with the varied encounters that take place sets up everything incredibly well. That serves the film incredibly well when the creatures finally appear and start going after the group. While the initial encounters in the woods are presented as solid ambush scenarios where they appear on unsuspecting loners, the main attack on the barge here is an exceptionally accomplished sequence that comes off phenomenally. With the group of intruders also involved when the fish creatures arrive, there's plenty of carnage on display as the brawling, weaponry being used to defend themselves, high-quality gore, and some surprising death orders with how they get knocked off, this frenetic series of action sets this in motion incredibly well as a standout sequence leading into the strong finale. The final battles with the creatures are incredibly fun and manage to get quite a lot to like in the brutality and choreography as they come together with the stellar creature designs for some generally exciting times here giving the film quite a lot to enjoy about it. There aren't too many flaws to be had with this one. The biggest issue here is the somewhat overlong finale that has several distinct possible endings but doesn't know which one to actually use. This one tacks on several endings involving the capture of the lone survivor and her treatment during the finale where it takes on her continued chances at escape only to keep getting interfered with so it takes a while to get everything sorted out perfectly. Taking out one or two of these features and settling on one of the finishes would've served this one so well in how it finished as it keeps trying for twist after twist and falling short due to including so many unnecessary tactics. As well, the other slight drawback here comes from the behavior of the local couple the group meets up with as it's unnaturally petty and realistic for them to continue on the way they are targeting the group simply to add more bodies to the mix which isn't thankfully detrimental but does crop up here.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

Trying to prepare for his next film, a sketchy producer who's taken over a film studio but can't find the necessary ingredients necessary for them to perform a special spell that will allow them to control a ravenous demon that was summoned by accident and are in the process of trying to control.

This was a fun if somewhat problematic genre effort. One of the better elements here is the lighthearted tone and atmosphere that makes the goofy setup feel intriguing. The initial back-and-forth conversations that take place come together quite nicely to make this intriguing enough to stay on board with where the vagueness of their antics starts to signal the direction of the film heading. With a lot of the questions being answered by the flashback to the disastrous film shoot that reveals the predicament they're in and how they're handling it with the current conversations that lead into the fun finale where they finally confront the creature, this is all quite likable. That said, there are some issues with this one being really obvious. That's the overall dreadfully dull and lifeless pace that takes place during all these conversations as the back-and-forth sniping that occurs isn't all that interesting. While the film makes for a great showcase of the chemistry they all have with each other since the snappy dialog and one-liners do bring up some comedic value at points, this is all done at the expense of action with the low-budget roots being exposed rather obviously. Seeing the couple arguing over anything from food preparations to their lack of success with the film shoot and the general downward spiral of their life makes for a dull time that makes this hard to get into. As well, there's also the convoluted and twisting story that never really makes sense. With the whole point of the demonic summoning getting revealed nearly an hour into and far too much time spent trying to play up this light-hearted atmosphere with the put-upon director, his headstrong wife, and the sane niece trying to be secretive about the creature's presence in their midst and how to stop it, it never generates a strong ability to care about it with these issues all preventing that connection. The low-budget charm that runs through this does manage to overcome a few of these factors but not enough to make this one somewhat of a disappointment.

Rated Unrated/R: Violence and Language.

Several months after his wife's murder, a special agent arrives in a small British town to follow up on leads involving his daughter's kidnapping at the same time, eventually leading into the small-town human trafficking ring at the center of everything and forcing him to fight vampires to save her.

This was a rather solid if troubling genre effort. When this one works best is mostly around the intriguing setup involving the rather mysterious backstory that sets everything in motion. The opening home invasion and eventual abduction provide a fine motivation to get him involved in the hunt to track them down as the scenes featuring the abductors toying with his daughter or trying to steer him clear of their activities highlight the kind of setup at play here. The series of double-crosses, as the multitude of individuals armed with their own agendas and stakes in the situation getting involved in what's going on as well as the series of reveals about their real identities creates an intriguing enough setup focusing on this spy-style introduction to a traditional vampire effort. The other really likable factor here is the vampire action which emerges strictly in the final half. With the only real vampire action here being a surprise reveal on an unsuspecting victim, the next time something vampire-based comes into play is the attack on those holding him hostage and trying to question him before they kill him. As this leads nicely into the series of quick action scenes showing the gang getting killed off by the creature around the village, this has some cheesy fun to be had here as it leads into the finale where the big confrontation occurs t the big house where the final battles with the remaining henchmen take place as well as the big reveal of their identity that all gives this a lot to like. There are some issues to be had with this one. Among the biggest problems here is that this one is so convoluted with so many side characters and subplots it's incredibly confusing at times. Since everyone here is deep in the espionage game, the cryptic threats and pleasantries exchanged by everyone make it easy to forget character relationships and points to take place here. As well, the need to focus on that aspect of the film quite prominently, the film's pacing is incredibly sluggish as very little happens for a long time other than these vague threats and double-meaning conversations as everyone implying others know more than they're letting on also adds to the confusion here. Combined with the somewhat obvious and flimsy-looking gore that's messy in concept but stumbles in execution, these are the film's drawbacks.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Violence.

Preparing for a special party, a woman and her friend decide to use the opportunity to covertly conduct a seance with Jack the Ripper through a knife of his acquired from the destroyed Amityville house, but when the actual killer crashes the party forces them to stop the deadly killer.

This was a fairly fun and enjoyable genre effort. One of the better aspects here is the decent enough setup that allows for a fun way to bring everything together with a solid series of storylines. The main setup about the party taking place and how everyone is clearly on opposite ends of everything, with the brother trying to find a person to hook up with, the cheerleader being way too enthusiastic about getting everything put together, and the goth girl trying to find the chance to get together with her friend and do their thing while the others are off doing their thing is a fun way to go about this kind of setup. With the way the fabled knife gets involved and the eventual release of the killer during the party, this is all worthwhile enough to tie together the various connections here which is what provides this one with a solid enough setup. The aftermath of the setup here is the main rampage where the combination of cheesy comedy and indie stalking offers some fun scenes. The sense of comedy here is rather fun, offering up a decent mixture of quips showing off their stupidity while also going for a stellar type of fourth-wall-breaking commentary that also includes input from the production team to help things along. As well, the stalking and slashing here is quite fun with the release of the killer in the middle of the party making everything into a solid series of ambushes with random partygoers which has the usual formula of approaching an unnamed extra and graphically killing them off in a silly enough sequence. Full of silly scenarios with some silly gore along the way, there are some rather fun positives to help this one along. There isn't much to dislike here but it does have some issues. The main drawback is the heavy use of dialogue present in the first half where it's far talkier than it needs to be for something of this length. Rather than go for the kind of expected premise involving the party taking place at the beginning of the film and featuring the killer going through the guests during the night, this takes quite a while before that point with the different storylines spelled out that there's the need to get the rampage off the way it does because it's wasted the time it did on these other factors. The other issue here is the obvious low-budget origins featured here, with the commentary on its budget not being the only factor here but the lack of action and overall presentation also giving off that particular impression which can all be enough to bring this one down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language, Graphic Violence, and Brief Nudity.

Following centuries of torment, a group of nuns present several stories about nun-centered horrors

The Good Stor(ies): Talk to the Deaf-Tasked with trying to investigate his missing son, a priest heads to a brothel reputed to be home to a coven of vampires luring victims to their deaths and must stop the deadly creatures. This was a rather solid outing that has a lot to like about it. The main setup of the priest being sent to the strange brothel to stop a potential series of vampire-related disappearances in the area serves to merely introduce a solid bout of sleaze and depravity involving the nuns feasting on their targets in the brothel or feeding on their unsuspecting victims which provides some cheesy indie gore. That extends to the final battle between them which is rushed and appropriately silly enough for what it is, leaving this to be a solid opener that features just enough flaws to be let down by its low-budget origins.

Intinction-Heading out into the woods for a special party, a group of friends hang out in a remote cabin that was the site for a strange series of deaths to a group of nuns years ago and find themselves caught in a horrifying scenario. This was a rather fun and enjoyable segment with a lot to like. The initial setup involving the massacre of the nuns and resulting cannibalism as a result of their original trapped status, starts everything incredibly well with a worthwhile starting point to set the myth and haunted location. The later scenes discussing the series of cursed activities that took place there bring about some gruesome fun in the final half when the new rampage starts in its cheesy glory, again leaving the film's lower-budget origins as the main drawback.

Dead Nun Walking-After meeting a deranged nun, a woman is forced to flee for her life when she realizes the nun's deranged state is hiding a more sinister purpose and that she needs equally sinister help to combat it. This bizarre segment, which comes about mainly because it takes way too long to realize it's a segment without the proper build-up or introduction from the nun like the previous entries, hides a lot to like. The fine setup before the turn with their cryptic conversation and veiled threats before the demonic turn and the eventual outcome comes about through a solid series of chases throughout the city where the back-and-forth advantage adds a nice bit of guerilla action here. The unusual finale is a choice and there are some instances where the budget shines through, but it's still got a lot to like.

Nundead Love-Living together in a convent, a pair of nuns in a secret love affair with each other are forced into extraneous circumstances to keep their affair a secret from others around them. This was a pretty solid way to end this one. The setup is more of an indie drama with the relationship that sets them up from the very beginning and the different interactions they have which provides a fine setup for its religious connotations in the final half which is where this one gets fun and cheesy enough. That this is quite hard to call a genuine genre effort with how it all plays out as it's bizarre but doesn't do much beyond that in its short running time so it's a fine entry in something like this but not much else.

The Bad Stor(ies): Chopper Bros vs. Zombie Nuns-Taking a woman hostage, a group of thugs head out to their hideout to partake in drugs and other vices which brings them into contact with a group of monstrous, demonic nun creatures who don't take kindly to the intruders. This was a bit of a misstep which does have some likable factors to it. What works well here is the series of interactions between the demonic nun-like creatures and the victims in the hideout which includes numerous fun scenes of cheesy gore and great make-up effects that bring about the fun massacre scenes. The rest of this one is a bit disappointing with no real point to things, a rather flimsy reason for why the nuns are there, and just no identifiable characters to immerse into this story which causes it to be a bit disappointing.

Beseiret Kirke-Finding a cursed relic, a holy order of nuns race to utilize its powers before a rival group of nuns can bring its dark powers for themselves This was a confusing entry to put together in this type of story. The story involving the interaction of the church and the surrounding intentions of the church in their fight against the other church which sets up the fight against the secondary cult group looking to bring about the second set of figures who are using the dark arts to bring everything together. With intriguing visuals and a bizarre structure, this has a lot to like while also highlighting the issue here with the presentation being given more of a trailer approach that feels more suited to a pitch video that could be expanded out into a feature-length film rather than being saved as an anthology short.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language, Violence and Nudity.

Looking for a special present, a man decides to help get over his lot in life by caring for an exotic spider to go along with the rest of the animals in his collection, but when it becomes apparent that the spider has escaped and begun reproducing more voracious creatures like it must get away alive.

This was a disappointing and somewhat underwhelming genre effort. The main part that works for this one is the highly intriguing and at times outright terrifying work of the spider being let loose in the community. With a fantastic opening giving the kind of stellar example of the ferocity and deadliness of the species, there's quite a lot to like with the gradual reveal of something loose in the building as their lives are interrupted by the discovery of dead residents, strange animal attacks, or the presence of strange webs found all over the building. The series of scenes here involving the swarm of ravenous creatures appearing out of the cracks of the building and attacking in basements, kitchens, bathrooms, or just about anywhere else throughout here while also given enough storyline context about surviving past the extermination techniques due to their rapidly-procreation style or invulnerability to any tactics employed against them. With the stellar pace present that keeps them far more intent in the second half so these terrifying scenes can come about at a frantic clip, these are what manage to provide its best moments. What holds it back is, unfortunately, everything else that transpires here. Most of that is the extremely sluggish and generally uninteresting first half that spends far too much time on the residents of the apartment and the go-nowhere lives they lead. Featuring a highly original series of urban stereotypes involving drug pushers, counterfeiters, sexual miscreants, or other forms of deviance that takes place in this kind of hoodlum environment, these all create a simple enough setup that provides all the necessary build-up to get to know the group but it's all cliches and uninteresting as a result. Very little of this makes the group stand out from any other community of down-on-their-luck individuals in a low-rent squalor and fearing for their lives due to the company they keep, stuck in a situation that only gets worse with the inclusion of the spiders here. That causes this to be a rather sluggish affair without offering any kind of genre work or interest during this point so it takes far longer than it needs to get to the spider action and thus the running time is inordinately longer than it needs to be, bringing this down overall.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Violence.

After a horrific disappearance, the release of footage from the affected family designed to help find out what happened to the missing daughter shows their typical family life which soon grows darker and more ominous forcing them to figure out what's going on to save themselves.

This was a fairly solid and intriguing found-footage effort. Among the brighter aspects to be had with this one is the great build-up that provides the kind of intriguing setup for how this one plays out. The first half here, spending as much time as it does detailing the family strife and their interactions with each other that does show them to be a fairly normal loving family that does have a dark secret hiding amongst them due to the glances and cryptic conversations that are shown to take place on the fringes of their relationship just barely captured by the camera. Since so much of the focus comes on her and her antics that are usually featured alongside her brother, the fact that the these subtle hints are dropped nicely alongside the footage taken from the security cameras that tries to suggest something else happening to the family, this one does a fairly solid job portraying the build-up of the family. As this one goes along and it starts to spell out the truth about the situation in a series of increasingly more ominous sequences, there's a dramatically more chilling tone and atmosphere that hangs over the film as the kids gradually find the behavior and outbursts to be far more concerning as they notice her increasingly crazed behavior. From ranting and raving in the middle of the night to bizarre crying fits in the oddest places around the house to seemingly harmless children's games that turn into psychologically terrifying experiences that highlight something not right in the whole ordeal, there's quite a chilling finale here that sets everything up quite nicely. This does take a while to get going as there's a rather low-key nature of what's going on takes the more reserved nature of the storyline into the main focus which keeps things at a measured but potentially sluggish tempo for some that might not be thrilled with the lack of action or overt explanations for what's going on.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language, children-in-jeopardy, and Violence.

Desperate to uncover a burning mystery, an aspiring filmmaker returns to his hometown with his sister and friend to find proof of the existence of a legendary creature rumored to haunt the outskirts of the area, but when they find there's more going on in the swamp try to get away alive.

This was a rather enjoyable found-footage creature feature. Among the main factors to be featured here is the rather fun setup that provides the impetus for the guy to go back and try to capture proof of the creature's existence. The initial video that was taken back when he was a kid showed the potential sighting of the fabled beast and the resulting folklore established about its presence in the community since the footage is a fine way to show off the lackluster world he's been thrust into since. With the failing prospects everywhere around him and finding himself on his last legs to make something of himself using the fame from the footage to try to find it, this sets up the desire to go back out with his crew and get the conclusive proof he can to find it. That allows for the fun to be had when they arrive at the particular point in the woods where the creature is set to be hiding. These scenes are provide far more intriguing and impactful sequences where the folklore established earlier plays off incredibly well, with the eerie sounds in the distance, physical secretions being left behind, or the one team member arriving at a spot in the woods seemingly possessed or under its influence simply like the stories relayed to them. That sets up the big final half where the revelation is given not only about it's presence in a genuinely terrifying ambush sequence perfectly playing up it's found-footage origins but a nice reveal about the origins and connection it has to the locals which are quite shocking leading to a fine series of scenes that end this on a high note for quite a lot to like about it. There are some factors here that hold it down. One of the main issues is the rather sluggish first half that manages to include some unnecessary elements here that don't need to be included in a film in this particular style. Working at this already abbreviated running time, the exaggerated recruitment scenes show how he grabs the cameraman and his sister into the trip, much less the scenes of the group goofing around at the clothing store or reminiscing in the car along the way. Thankfully, none of these are too long individually and don't impact this one too much, but the fact that it all comes together to keep the group from getting into the woods to find the fabled creature until later in the running time is the main issue. As well, there's also some expected issues involving the found-footage format as well as the low budget on display, these few factors are what hold this one down.

Rate Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Mild Violence.

Living in a small community, a discovery involving a strange glowing orb in the area brings a group of residents into the woods to look for it, but when a band of bank-robbers use the area for a hideout find that the meteorite has spawned a vicious beast to hunt and kill those in the area.

This was a pretty fun if somewhat flawed indie creature feature. One of the bright spots here is the strong setup that provides this type of feature with the kind of worthwhile starting points possible. The early work involving the family living on the edges of the swamp and the different residents who are caught up in the concurrent robbery that was also featured at the same time as the meteorite landing gives this a solid starting point to bring the personalities together at a single location. With that also providing the needed build-up to understand who the family members, the residents, and the chasing agents who are looking for the robbers before bringing them into the area with the creature, the setup here is decent enough for this type of genre effort. This allows the film ample opportunity to have plenty of cheesy genre action usually found in this type of feature. Mainly focused around the chase for the robbers, this provides some exciting and quite fun shootouts here as they not only take hostages but battle the agents chasing after them which is silly enough for what this type of film is. Other scenes focus on the creature running wild in the woods to take out the various robbers and others it stumbles upon which have a typically fun series of cheesy, low-budget indie-style kills to showcase the appropriately silly effects featured here alongside the equally-silly costume for the creature which blends an intriguing design with the surroundings rather well to give this one an enjoyable series of positives. There isn't much to dislike here as this pretty much has just the one lone issue with it. This one is pretty much let down only by that one factor involving the obviously apparent low budget throughout here which never shies away from its roots the entire time here. From the constant mentions of CGI for the gunplay, the weekend-warrior nature of the setting and the overall production value of the whole thing that's quite cheap and goofy to the point of not being able to get past it for some out there. The type of digital filter running throughout here might also be another big issue for some here which is where the other big detriment will come from as the look of this one could throw people off before anything else that occurs here which are the main detriments to this one.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

Trying to hold a dare night, a couple of friends decide to sneakily hold a date at a bowling alley where her dad works where they find the festivities interrupted by a gang of ravenous cultists looking to fulfill a special prophecy and force them to rely on their survivalist skills to stay alive and stop them.

This was a fairly fun slasher with a lot to like here. Among the better features here is the solid and likable setup that puts everything into place with enough elements to have a solid starting point. The initial start here with the group arriving at the closing facility to try to have the chance to hook up with each other since the couples are secretly in love with the other against their knowledge but she can't let them know the truth about her dad being a worker there sets this one up rather well. It's enough to enjoy the human drama of the situation as the couples try to make their moves on each other in the date which makes everything with the intruding cult looking to use the inhabitants to fulfill a prophecy in their order and begin to slaughter everyone for that purpose that all propels the film along nicely. That allows the film to feature a wide variety of encounters with the cult trying to take over the facility killing off the various guests. The initial ambush when they emerge from the bowling lanes in unison and take out the guests in gruesome, brutal encounters all throughout the central lanes as the surprise of the whole scenario allows them to take advantage to great effect. The later scenes, where the group are able to fight back against the cult with their survivalist tactics or the cult trying to overwhelm the group with their superior numbers as they try to complete their mission statement behind the slaughter, not only generate several solid gags based on the location for it's kills but has enough to like with the light-hearted atmosphere to keep things moving along to a fantastic pace, providing a lot to really like about it. There's not much that holds this one down. The main issue with this one is the seemingly underwhelming structure about the cult itself who are pretty much left to the barest of threads to figure out what they're all about. Given just a glimmer of their purpose in the cold open that never really answers anything about them or what they're all about, the entirety of their assault at the bowling alley is glossed over as well and is pretty much given a barely there explanation about needing bodies to finish this special event in their lore but that is never spelled out. This makes everything feel quite confusing and rather underwhelming about who they are and what they're doing, and it highlights what happens in the finale which is quite confusing to see plat out with no context as it serves to conveniently get everything sorted out without doing anything so there's just a few issues here to being it down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

After a series of strange attacks, residents of a small town on the verge of a heated mayoral election are thrust into a deadly race to stop the maniac responsible for the actions as the sides of the debate turn into a sideshow trying to be the main culprit to follow through the whole affair.

There's very little to this one that's worthwhile. Among the few positives to be had here is the potential setup to be had with the relationships between the culprits in the middle of the election. The idea of the various characters enjoying a clandestine romance and trying to follow through with their plans to be together while the figure goes around knocking people off trying to incite a slew of high-intensity clashes between the two different factors in the political sphere that keep growing throughout the film. This is enhanced by the various attack scenes where an impressive mask and costume to hide their identity springs into action with a nice collection of ambushes involving a brutal death manner for its scenes that are pretty much the only positives to be had here. There are plenty of issues to be had here that are massive detriments to this one. The main factor is the utterly asinine storyline that tries to take the political leanings of its setup but is grossly mishandled. Trying to set up the warring factors of the debate as caricatures of the political spectrum who are more concerned with their standings in the days leading up to their election makes everyone out to be immensely unsympathetic due to the unrealistic nature of this behavior. It comes off as incredibly forced trying to make sure that they're grandstanding is seen as the key to their election rather than trying to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding them as it leads to several ill-timed points trying to keep this going. As well, there are plenty of issues to be had with the inability to properly work as a slasher film. The majority of the kills here are immensely brutal and gruesome in concept but the execution is grossly lacking, being shot so haphazardly that it's impossible to tell what's going on or just taking place off-screen to the point that it's impossible not to get any enjoyment out of these scenes. Since the kills are done with an impressive weapon and design, the inability to focus on this factor makes for a disappointing time here since the lack of focus on the kills is a factor that could've saved this one but due to the general lack of focus, it makes for a highly uninvolved time. The other factor here, which also ties into the lack of slashing, is the wholly disjointed and petty reasoning for the motivation behind everything. Due to the revelations made at this point, the idea of instigating the rampage as a way of getting revenge on the unscrupulous ex to get back at them for cheating on them is a backward plan much like the idea of killing off the friend for trying to better their lives without them. The means do not justify the results here, offering up tons of plot holes throughout this plan that get revealed along the way to put such a plot into motion, and with the whole affair being wrapped up in an ugly production scale, unlikable characters that we're supposed to follow, and way too long a running time there's a lot to bring this down.

Rated R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.