The weekly watches I've had in both genre and non-genre efforts.
Horror Films-
Dead Girl in Apartment 03
Overall, this was a rather fun if slightly flawed effort. Among the better aspects to be had here are the impressive atmospheric touches that come about due to the ghostly encounters. The initial setup of stumbling across the body and trying to come to terms with the incident gets this going nicely which provides the launching point for the slight series of encounters throughout here as the ghost comes up at unexpected moments standing around behind her unknowingly or just walking quickly in the background behind her makes for a creepy time at points. That sets up the big finale where this one comes across rather nicely with a bit more action than expected while the chilling revelations provide this one with a strong series of storylines that serve to introduce a fine occult angle into the proceedings which gets this going quite nicely into the big reveal. These factors manage to give the film some fun enough elements to make it enjoyable while there are some minor drawbacks to be had here. One of the biggest issues here stems from the decidedly unusual police investigation that goes on here which is somewhat clumsily handled. The idea of the detectives trying to get through the case as quickly as possible without doing any kind of investigative detective work seems immensely off-putting and unrealistic that they spend more time on the phone reacting to her bringing new clues to their attention rather than doing it themselves also shows a distressing amount of lacking in this area. As well, the tempered and slow-building pace that doesn't do much in the way of generating action for long stretches of time is quite dull for stretches at a time until it gets to that finale, and coupled with the few instances of the low-budget shining through, these are the few drawbacks holding it down.
Zombie Island
This is a challenging film to get a handle on. The biggest detriment here is a jarring, confusing narrative that gives this no setup. Rather than properly get to know each of the characters, we're thrust into the middle of the events as though an opening setup explaining everything is cut out of the film and the viewer is suddenly twenty minutes into a traditional story with no build-up so that basic questions about the storyline are ignored in favor of just throwing the random characters into the zombie chaos leave this somewhat confusing in several aspects. As well, this lack of build-up hurts this one in the middle section where the expected breakdown of the survivors has a bare minimum of impact. It's nearly impossible to care about anyone or barely catch any of the characters' names since the underperforming writing doesn't tell us anything interesting. On top of that, the infighting and battling for control hold off the zombie encounters as they're basically nonexistent until the last half of the film which is what strike down the film as a whole. There are some positive elements though. Among this one's better features are the scenes of zombie carnage that are quite effective so that the threat is believable and feasible much like the later encounters in the second half when they finally overrun the hotel where characters we do want to see survive get swarmed or bitten, the action comes across rather well with some fine special effects and gore. There's a lot to like that holds it up over the flaws.
Of the Devil
This wasn’t too bad of a genre effort. One of the better features here comes from the rather tragic and heartbreaking setup that comes across as quite heartbreaking and relatable for some families involving the young kid being given such a debilitating prognosis and condition that stresses her to her decision to fight for her child’s life in the face of such horrific conditions. Given that kind of intriguing setup, the lead-in to the possession that occurs as a means to try out the experimental treatment to save him has a solid setup that also involves the demonic cult and the bizarre behavior exhibited by the cult once he unknowingly shows up at their compound to engage in the procedure. That allows the supernatural action here to come off quite well even within a series of cliched antics. The scenes following the surgery featuring the series of enhanced encounters within the house involving his newfound torturous behavior toward animals or the disassociative attitude towards his parents provide the perfect building blocks for later showcase setpieces to set up a big finale that revolves around the exorcism attempt to finally free the son from the conflict between them. These factors are what hold this one up overall. There are some problematic aspects that show up here. Among the biggest issues here is the somewhat cliched and unoriginal setup that provides for a series of familiar sequences and plotlines that would’ve been more than enough to set people in motion to find help. It’s so late into the film that this all occurs as well that there’s little time to build up to any kind of impressive setup for the exorcism to take place which is the film’s lowest point.
Pink Rabbit
Overall, this was a decent enough genre effort. Among the more enjoyable factors here come from the generally bizarre and off-kilter atmosphere present involving the accident coming home. Initiating a series of revelations and twists with a slew of surprisingly bizarre antics involving the action being undertaken, the rules of the whole scenario and the off-kilter characters all give the film markedly different energy and feel of what's to come later on. As this one builds an episodic setup rather well, a fantastic twist in the third act which turns the entire proceeding film around into a dark psychological turn from the whimsical fairy tale it had been until then, this all comes together into a highly enjoyable feature with a lot to like even though this one does have some minor drawbacks. The biggest factor here comes from the setup being somewhat too difficult to understand what's going on by dropping us into this story without any context or setup. While it all becomes obvious later on, it can feel incredibly disjointed and directionless due to that lack of explanation, and with the few limitations and detriments to come about due to the low budget here, from the presentation of the effects to the overdubbed dialogue which are generally more of a personal preference than a true flaw to be had with this one.
Only Fans: Allowed
Overall, this was a fun if somewhat flawed feature. When this one works best is the general setup to the chaos that goes on which has a lot to like. The setup involving the series of crackpot political and social theories designed to instigate rebellion and confrontational measures amongst her followers against the authority requiring a psychotic be unleashed upon her is quite intricate and well-laid-out involving several layers and rants to make the point known. That this turns the film into a solid slasher effort involving the deformed killer chasing her down through the house and surrounding woods is quite effective and generally fun with several nice cat-and-mouse stalking scenes and brutal gore. They all manage to generate quite a lot to like here as there's not much holding it back but it does have some problems. The biggest factors here stem from the confrontational political rants that are at the center of the film which might be too much for some to handle. The controversial opinions spouted here, especially without any kind of reprisal from others on the opposite side of the spectrum, can easily be off-putting for those with polarizing opinions on the subject since the politics are so one-sided. This is necessary to get the film rolling but their general presence, as well as the brevity of this one with the amount of time to bring this issue out, mean that there's little about who the killer is and get more of a genre feel to things that can hold this one back.
Non-Horror Films-
One of the worst, most frustrating psychological thrillers that I've ever seen, with nothing that's interesting, thrilling, or enjoyable. With an infuriating lead character that does the wrong thing every time possible, a mystery that grows increasingly problematic the more she opens her mouth to expose momentum-draining monologues about their relationship which makes everything feel less intriguing as it goes along, and a payoff that's not worth sitting through, this is so full and lifeless that there's hardly any reason trying to connect the dots to piece together the plot-holes left behind by the story which makes look even more infuriating than her actions make her hateable. It's not a horror film in the slightest, and that throws this one down the irredeemable drain that its immaculate technical qualities can't save.
Sampo
Overall, this was quite an enjoyable effort. The overall setup that takes place here with the Adventure-style setup involving the exploits of the hero to recover his stolen crush from the dastardly witch in the area which was done to help her associate to create the magical device that will create the contents for her to conquer the world which allows for this one to work a rather impressive if simplistic storyline around these events. While the storyline work doesn't really do much, the series of encounters that take place here with this providing the kind of fun to set up the later scenes between them that offer far more of a visually-appealing spectacle that displays far more of the film's intentions. The series of dynamic and visually arresting images shown here, in addition to the generally fun effects that take place here, all combine to make for a lot to like with this one while it does have a few minor flaws to bring it down. The major factor here is the dragging pacing that comes about in the mid-section where this delves into fantasy and morality ploys rather than the more traditional genre fare that it sets up to be. It's not bad but does bring it down slightly.
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