Even with several bullet points in the “Pros” column, it is a shame that the “Cons” of “Prank” end up on a longer list.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: RESURRECTION (2012)
Twenty minutes into the film, “Resurrection” takes a jolting turn that puts the audience on notice and warns to expect the unexpected ... From that point on, the plot spirals into a ho-hum rehash of tropes risen from the graves of far better zombie films.
COOL AIR (2006)
Devoid of a compelling mystery and lacking any visceral horror, “Cool Air” has no chance of being anything other than a dull and plodding exercise to see if an audience can sit still and remain awake for more than an hour.
THE BATTERY (2012)
While the Woodbury militia storms prison walls and while Tom Savini’s biker gang lays siege to Monroeville Mall, this is how the Average Joes occupy their days during an undead apocalypse.
THE UNBROKEN (2012)
When it comes time to make a list of creepy children from scary films, that roster will include resurrected Gage Creed, the entire Village of the Damned, and the Japanese boy from “The Grudge.” Nowhere on that list will be the overall-clad kid from “The Unbroken.”
9 DAYS (2013)
For horror fans, “9 Days: Whipped, Chained, and Tortured by a Psychopath” packs as much punch as an episode of “My Little Pony.”
AFTERSHOCK (2012)
While “Aftershock” is not quite as catastrophic as its natural disaster namesake, viewers might be in need of humanitarian aid after trudging through a story that crumbles like the concrete walls of a Chilean nightclub during an earthquake. A less colorful way to put it would be to say that there is as much to like in “Aftershock” as there is to dislike.
BLACK ROCK (2012)
“Black Rock” is not entirely fresh, but it knows how to draw out empathy for its characters. And with that comes the tension and the chills.
THE BIG BAD (2011)
“The Big Bad” made me cry. Not from any emotion or drama depicted onscreen, but from the blown out and blurry cinematography that may as well have lit a match and set fire to my eyes.
A HAUNTING AT SILVER FALLS (2013)
There is a pair of creepy ghosts, but aside from a near drowning in a bathtub that may or may not have been a hallucination, nothing truly sinister ever takes place.
NAILBITER (2013)
Far from living up to its title, “Nailbiter” is what a horror movie would be like if Lifetime stopped doing Meredith Baxter domestic violence dramas and dipped its toes into genre cinema.
HAYRIDE (2012)
Do not let the tagline fool you. Leatherface would have something to say about comparing “Hayride” to “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” And he would say it with far more brutality than “Pitchfork” could ever manage.
ALL THE BOYS LOVE MANDY LANE (2006)
“Mandy Lane” can be entertaining for a spell, even if it is derivative. Watch it after a “Friday the 13th” marathon however, and one is liable to grow bored very quickly.
DARK CIRCLES (2013)
Neither remarkable nor deplorable, “Dark Circles” is simply a mildly entertaining thriller that makes for an 87 minute diversion unlikely to be regretted, but equally unlikely to be remembered.
OOGA BOOGA (2013)
If you do watch “Ooga Booga” and end up hating it, who do you have to blame, really? Charles Band and Full Moon Features for making it, or yourself for expecting something better from a film about a foot high bushman doll with a bone through its nose and a blunt in its mouth?
GERM Z (GERM) (2013)
Pointless really is the simplest term to describe “Germ Z.” It is a lot of aimless running around and nothing about the outbreak itself sustains any interest.
THE WICKED (2013)
“The Wicked” would be an easy thumbs up if it were retooled for a younger demographic ... But since it wants to appeal to adult audiences instead, ... the TV look, teenaged tone, and terribly tame terror make this an easy thumbs down.
TOWER BLOCK (2012)
“Tower Block” adds itself to this apparently burgeoning sub-genre of highrise-centric thrillers and materializes as the most suspenseful, and possibly even the best overall.
IT'S IN THE BLOOD (2012)
“It’s in the Blood” is a must-see for Lance Henriksen fans. And really, shouldn’t that be just about everybody?
SIGHTSEERS (2012)
At its heart, and “Sightseers” definitely has one, the film is a romance. It may be a demented romance, but it is a love story before it is anything else.
Stop yourself before you’re tempted to watch “The Ritual,” an interminably stiff and entirely derivative bore.