During July there were 5 films I watched which I previously reviewed, of two of them there are always a few at the same time each year, they are The Return of the Living Dead [1985] which in the film starts late on July 3 and then Jaws [1975] which takes place over the holiday. These two films interestingly are separated by just 10-years, but since neither in in anniversary year they will not be noted below, the last film on the list is part of the DOA series that I created on another site, and continued on The Horror Times’ site, it was seen again only because someone was curious if what I wrote was truthful and not done just because the film was bad. They learned…
Pledge (2018)
SUMMARY: A group of college freshmen pledge an exclusive fraternity but soon realize there’s more at stake than they could have ever imagined.
WHEN I SAW IT DATE: February 2019
THE IMDB RATE AT TIME OF REV: 5.5/10
MY RATE THEN: 5.0/10
HAS MY VIEW CHANGE: No, it is still the same, and the IMDb rating only had a minor click downward to 5.4 therefore the mindset is equal, the story starts off with typical lonely guys looking for acceptance into the world of Greek, with a frat, and thoughts of Revenge of the Nerds meets Animal House goes sideways very quickly as it determines who are the real pledges for the frat life. It does use the social dynamic of acceptance as a form of horror, creating a thriller as it becomes a willingness of submission to gain respect in the overall scheme. The third act suffers a bit of a letdown either from writing or budgetary constraints to giving throttled committed conclusion.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6220752/
***** ***** *****
The Demented (2013)
SUMMARY: Six college friends unite for a weekend getaway where they find themselves fighting for their lives after a terrorist attack turns the local residents into rage infused zombies.
WHEN I SAW IT DATE: Originally saw it in October 2014 then rewatched in 2018 and once more this past month.
THE IMDB RATE AT TIME OF REV: 3.9/10
MY RATE THEN: 4.0/10
HAS MY VIEW CHANGE: No, it’s still the same, I mean a film like this shares a few similar qualities with another more famous undead flick released one month later called World War Z in which the zombies stay perfectly still waiting for a sound or other stimulation to react to, an aspect later used in the flick The Gil with All the Gifts [2016]. Another element is for a viewer to decide do you prefer slow or fast zombies, in other words Night of the Living Dead [1968] or Zombie [1979] versus 28 Days Later [2002], this will determine whether or not you will enjoy the flick. It contains the understanding of six friends, turmoil and anguish customary found in a zombie movie and exploits of winnowing to survivors down to tragic outcomes of suffering, what else could one expect of the hungry dead.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2113792/
***** ***** *****
Dead Walkers: Rise of the 4th Reich (2013)
NOTE: This is a film in subgenre of Naziploitation, it in no way accepts or approves of this evil regime or torture and cruelty.
SUMMARY: In 1945 the Second World War came to an end and the Nazis fled. Scientists and military elite escaped across borders and found themselves in new worlds. Some fled to Russia, some the United States and others to South America. But there was another division, a forgotten group. A top secret and powerful team of men and women formed in the womb of the Nazi Occult. Now, decades after the war, their work is nearing completion. The 4th Reich is ready. It’s more powerful and destructive than ever before. An army of hell is coming. Only one man knows the truth. His mission now, is to convince the world. Based on years of occult research and insider knowledge, Dead Walkers is a film packed with spies, soldiers, Nazis and secrets. But also, a very dark and mysterious army raised in the pit of Nazi hell.
WHEN I SAW IT DATE: Some point in 2020
THE IMDB RATE AT TIME OF REV: 1.4/10
MY RATE THEN: 1.3/10
HAS MY VIEW CHANGE: Definitely has not changed, this was a DOA review, the 19th in that series, a dreadful film, from plot to characters to the acting and even cinematography, it is, in a word, dreadful. There’s no gorefest, suggestive scenes, and the imagery of their Third Reich, a strange link to occult, with zombies – the undead to become the loyal perfect soldiers, none of really exists, therefore do yourself a favor avoid it, curious read the review. Speaking of reviews, there are only two external reviews found the IMDb – mine is one of them.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2909482/
***** ***** *****