Weekly Watches Aug. 1-7

The weekly watches I've had in both genre and non-genre efforts.

Horror Films-
Moloch

This was a pretty disappointing genre effort. Among the few positive points here stem from the actual setup and lore of the community that provides a rather intriguing spin involving the backstory and significance to the area. The flashback that we hear both audibly as well as the recreation done as a child's performance piece set up the events of this one comes off as genuine due to the location of everything on the edge of a peat bog filled with ominous shadows and rolling fog through the night creates an intriguing atmospheric touch to this one. This setup comes about by creating a rather fun sense of action at times when it really mattered, featuring some fine confrontations and brutal resolutions that goes quite nicely with the chilling visuals of the curse coming to life and affecting others. These factors do manage to provide some likable features to the film while there are some flaws to be had with this one. Among the biggest issues here is the rather stilted pacing featured here with the film taking way too long to get started. Far too little happens here with regards to what's stalking the family that it's possible to be quite bored and highlights the rather disjointed and unfocused storyline. Some of it is due to the slow-burn gradual build of the plotline in place but this one also goes around to various subplots without getting much in the way of a genuine build-up to the point of the curse affecting the area. It's all enough to lower this one somewhat from what it could've been.

The Necro Files

This was a wild and hysterically fun shot-on-video effort. That this plays so well within the confines of the genre with so much of this one playing off the expectations and experiences with the wacky and bizarre storyline. This is so over-the-top and gets stranger as it goes along with intersecting storylines and goofy attack scenes that are a part of the shot-on-video charm willingly going for the cheap and cheerful route here including the use of dolls for body parts and a reanimated zombie baby flying around attacking others that offer up the kind of low-budget insanity which is a lot of fun for those that enjoy this style. As well, the sloppily choreographed and shot confrontations that are usually displayed in this kind of film give this one quite a lot to like while those who are turned off by the utterly terrible technical features on display won't really enjoy this one. As hardly anything here comes off in the slightest bit realistic or believable through design or choice which make up its obvious origins and limitations here with the usual elements of these types of films including the underwhelming and obvious special effects, flimsy locations, and guerilla-style sequences which all point to the films' origins and limitations holding it down.

Bloody Muscle Body-Builder in Hell

There's quite a lot to like with this shot-on-video effort. Among the better qualities here come from the enjoyable and overwhelmingly cheesy setup that explains how the house is haunted as well as the reasoning to get him and his friends to the house which are all chilling moments. That gives the film some rather decent and enjoyable shock scenes of the haunted house coming to life as the ghostly limbs are shown behind people unknowingly or manipulated objects offer up some chilling imagery. A later attack by the possessed individual kicks off the frantic final half for a series of brutal, high-energy confrontations seeing cheesy effects work and creative ideas here seeing the way the two battle the disembodied body parts continually attacking them gives everything a great touch and has plenty to like about it. There isn't much to dislike here. These are basically spread to two different areas here ranging from the rather obvious amount of homage and ripoffs this one goes through during the film. The overall setup and approach here are so clearly and plainly taken on from one of the genre's classic entries which carry into some of the other sequences later on. How sequences play out wholesale as well as camera angles and even lines straight from the film come which doesn't hide the influences taken and become somewhat detrimental here. As well, there's also the overall cheap and low-budget look here which comes from the generally obvious effects work that looks cheap and can potentially put some off on the film.

The Andy Baker Tape

Generally speaking, this was a decent enough genre effort. The overall setup here isn't that bad and serves this one quite well, offering up the fine motivation that sets them out on their path looking at the various restaurants while their relationship continues to grow. That his discomfort and inability to adapt to the confines of the show create an intriguing background to the whole journey the longer they go on filming and antagonizing each other unknowingly is a fine way to build tension here into the final half. However, there are some issues to be had here, mainly from the rather confusing nature that starts the relationship together since it's all clearly about their strained dynamic being pushed to the limit. What starts this is one of the easiest fixes in the genre where it all could've been avoided had a simple conversation gone down regarding how the channel operates and what's expected. Granted, the brother is clueless about everything but simply throwing him into the fire of the public eye regarding filming as he expects his brother to join him without doing any kind of preparation or training to show what he wants or needs so it's hard to imagine any kind of sympathy here for the situation. A generally predictable and uninvolving finish doesn't help much either, leaving this decidedly watchable if not much more than that. (4.5/10)

Rave

Overall, this was a solid if somewhat underwhelming effort. When this one works best is with the lead-up to the fun and generally brutal body meltdowns that take place here which serve this one quite well. The suddenness of the situation and the shock of it happening to those around them is a fine touch as the repeated symptoms recurring through the patrons add a nice touch of suspense to the graphic encounters to follow as the disregard for the situation results in even more tension. That lets the meltdowns take centerstage as the bloody sores and graphic bloodshed manage to provide some sickening moments as they’re all well-handed and provide plenty of goopy make-up work that’s immensely effective. All told, these give this a lot to like while there isn’t much to hold this one back but it does have a few minor issues. One of the biggest drawbacks is the inherent lack of information regarding what’s happening and how the meltdowns are occurring as that is jettisoned in favor of utterly banal character-building moments between the group. Most of the friends are typically shallow and hollow partygoers being interested in which drug will enable the best high or getting the squeamish friend to loosen up a little bit. Hardly any of this comes off as original at the complete expense of knowing just what the mysterious drug that caused all the problems is doing to the bodies or what the overall goal is without much filling in the blanks of what’s going on. Beyond that, it’s not all that bad.

Non-Horror Films:
Dawn (22)

There's very little point to this one which was a rather dull and lifeless affair. The only thing that really works here is the threat imposed by the driver as she takes charge of the situation which is immensely topical in how the frequent use of such apps and programs to get people into the situation that's quite easy to see transpire in today's society. As well, the few kills here provide a few bloody moments that are decent enough which at least makes this more competent than expected. However, the whole thing is just contrived from the start with so many lackluster setups and scenarios designed to provide a bizarre hero-worship of the girl holding them hostage which comes at the expense of reality or common sense with so many scenes set up to show off her ruthlessness for no real purpose. That she's in charge makes no sense with the games she plays with them being underwhelming and utterly predictable with the need for exposing secrets or torturing each other that comes about through no demonstration of power to force the issue so it all comes off as needless during this period. Likewise, the means through which this keeps her in power are generally lackluster and reliant on stupidity than anything else which makes this more frustrating than tense, and with a finale that's even more brain-numbing than anything before it really ends this on a moronic series of events.

Cause of Death: Unknown

An Iranian murder mystery/drama about passengers on a trip through the desert who find one of their own fall over dead mysteriously and must decide what to do with the body which is stuck in restrictive red tape while squabbling over the money in his possession at the time of death. Too dull to be of much use for people who would find the situation thrilling or enjoyable but serves itself quite nicely in the end with a decent setup and a fine finale. Again, the dodgy pacing and contrived situations prevent this one from getting on further than it does.

Solar Anus Cinema

Not really much to go on here, it's an anthology compilation of a series of shorts shot over multiple years filled with transgressive imagery and concepts but not much else. It's one thing to watch what goes on here and be shocked by the imagery and concepts at play, helped along nicely by the DIY-style filmmaking that adds a nice shock value to everything. However, the fact that there's no obvious throughline here considering the nature of this acting as a means of collecting previously-shot material makes it feels random and chaotic overall.

Bring Him Back Dead

Overall, there's not much to be had with this one. That there's a decent enough storyline here involving the gang of criminals who get double-crossed and forced to track down their traitorous worker to reclaim their stolen property is a serviceable-at-best setup that's so inherently cliched and reused it's not that original in the first place. On top of that, the small gang means that there's not much in the way of action or fighting going down as the few brief encounters don't have the kind of legs to stand up to the past exploits of the main cast which is what sells this one. That keeps the first half bogged down in disappointing retreads of thieves trying to figure out who double-crossed them and what they're going to do with the money once everything is over so that the finale is awash in a series of last-minute revelations that are so rapid-fire it's hard to take them all in. It's not immensely terrible by any means with some fine stalking in the woods that's noticeably devoid of stunts or spectacle that a film like this usually features but keeps the energy up enough to not be bored. This is fine as is but could've used a bit more to help this out a bit more.

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