The horror at the film’s heart is a fusion of possible Yeti attacks, wormholes, teleportation, fanged creatures, extraterrestrial mythology, and enough ancillary ideas to power an entire season of “The X-Files.” ... The first person perspective in the fast paced finale creates the look and feel of being on a Universal Studios dark ride, complete with creature effects straight out of “The Mummy.”
ENTITY (2012)
“Entity” asks the question, what if a “found footage” paranormal investigation story was presented as more of a traditional film narrative instead of strictly as “found footage?” The answer is, it would still be two acts worth of people walking around an abandoned building followed by a predictable finale...
WORLD WAR Z (2013)
There also happens to be a Hero Zero. He is the only man out of six billion on the planet capable of saving the human race. That man: Brad Pitt.
THE JEFFREY DAHMER FILES (2012)
... The title is almost misleading as to what “The Jeffrey Dahmer Files” truly offers. The audience will not walk away with bullet point factoids or increased knowledge about the killer, but they will walk away with perspective on the Everyman personalities affected by the aftermath of his crimes.
ANTIVIRAL (2012)
Those who are fascinated by fresh concepts and unique ideas will have numerous occasions to stare in wonderment.
616: PARANORMAL INCIDENT (2013)
Anyone who needs a reason to start a fight with someone should watch “616: Paranormal Incident” in a double feature with the first “Paranormal Incident.” They can then make their own entertainment by arguing over which of the two movies is worse.
NO TELL MOTEL (2012)
The film may be technically competent in places, but the uninteresting characters with their absurdly convenient dark secrets and the puzzling presentation make the movie forgettable.
BLOOD RUNS COLD (2011)
Looking for a mindless 80 minutes of formulaic hack and slash? ... “Blood Runs Cold” has that covered. But seen too many 1980’s slasher retreads that lack creativity or entertainment value beyond a few gory kills? Move along. There is definitely nothing to see here.
THE HAUNTING OF HELENA (2012)
“The Haunting of Helena” is an average ghost story that is heavy on atmosphere, but light on resonating chills. High production values serve up platefuls of style, except the entrees are reheated leftovers of tropes and scares culled from footprints of the haunt-loaded horrors that came before it.
V/H/S/2 (2013)
“V/H/S/2” is a rare film in that the sum of its parts supersedes the average portions of the individual segments. The final verdict is that the total package provides 90 minutes of horror entertainment.
THE MANSON FAMILY (2003)
“The Manson Family” movie is as erratic, disturbing, uninhibited, and fueled by as much hallucinogenic imagery as the actual Manson Family itself.
THE PURGE (2013)
Once the premise is accepted for what it is, the film finds a way to make its mark as both class separation commentary and as a home invasion thriller.
PRANK (2013)
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.
There’s enough to warrant sticking it out to the end, while those with different tastes might be more eager to follow Zach Cregger’s example.