Shockingly the reviews the month of September brought seven films to revisit and which again I selected because of the anniversary collection of their initial release, the eldest on the list celebrates its 35th-anniversary while five others were from the year 2013 in other words 10-year anniversaries. Once again it’s always interesting to look back at these older reviews, seeing if my viewpoint changed as I matured in cinema experiences and knowledge of the genre expands further. In addition, if curious why so many, I consider September to be the pre-season for the horror/Halloween month of October, as the stores layout merchandise and the films releasing starts ramping up faster.
All Cheerleaders Die [2013]
SUMMARY: A rebel girl signs up a group of cheerleaders to help her take down the captain of their high school football team, but a supernatural turn of events thrusts the girls into a different battle.
WHEN I SAW IT DATE: Originally seen in June 2014.
THE IMDB RATE AT TIME OF REV: 5.1/10
MY RATE THEN: 5.0/10
HAS MY VIEW CHANGE: No, I recall this movie from when I first saw it and when I saw again, the story was a fine setup and clean production, even though this would originate from my first official year of penning the did then and still now misses the 80s throwback mark, yet does creature so positive references to pop culture and satire within its own mythos.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2527186/
***** ***** *****
The Green Inferno [2013]
SUMMARY: A group of student activists travels to the Amazon to save the rain forest and soon discover that they are not alone, and that no good deed goes unpunished.
WHEN I SAW IT DATE: Originally saw the film on September 27, 2015 – the reason I am sure of the date is because at the time a friend was a manager of the theater and friends accompanied me to see it on Sunday morning, someone made a sick reference to religious services occurring at the same time. Cannibal cinema-lovers are smirking right now!
THE IMDB RATE AT TIME OF REV: 5.3/10
MY RATE THEN: 5.0/10
HAS MY VIEW CHANGE: No, it is still an average rated flick, never achieving those memorable levels of cannibal cinema found in the 70s/80s it does give homage to Cannibal Holocaust [1980] and plenty of practical effects are used, and one clearly sees the awful digital leading to boredom frames for the viewer to endure. Nevertheless, it still makes one long for a NR or NC-17 cannibal movie, but likely not anytime soon as it is commercial suicide though with the streaming avenues now in effect one can only hope for some explicit disembowelment and ghastly gore.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2403021/
***** ***** *****
Bunni [2013]
SUMMARY: Following a Halloween party, an attractive girl and her friends must fight to escape the nightmarish dwelling of a twisted killer with a dark secret.
WHEN I SAW IT DATE: August 2016, then again in January 2021 and finally here again once more.
THE IMDB RATE AT TIME OF REV: 3.1/10
MY RATE THEN: 3.0/10
HAS MY VIEW CHANGE: No, while the movie presents a tinge of eroticism namely the killer’s outfit still clearly has the low-budget scattered throughout it. In addition, the film’s story while told in the straightest line clearly contains some extra padding to fill out a completed feature running time, which takes away from the slasher main focal points in the tale.
***** ***** *****
Extremity [2018]
SUMMARY: Allison, a young woman with a severely troubled past who signs up for an extreme haunt called Perdition. She believes that putting herself through Perdition’s nightmarish trials will help her exorcise her internal traumas but has no way of knowing just how shocking her ordeal will be-or what dark secrets buried in her psyche will emerge.
WHEN I SAW IT DATE: Originally seen in January of 2019
THE IMDB RATE AT TIME OF REV: 4.4/10
MY RATE THEN: 4.0/10
HAS MY VIEW CHANGE: No, this a great film that knows its limitations and adheres to them, but does prepare one for the upcoming haunt visiting, more and more ‘brave’ individuals seek new scares, and the movie does try to accomplish, yet that nagging lack of haunters backstories is still bothersome.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6664700/
***** ***** *****
Dead Woman’s Hollow [2013]
SUMMARY: Based on a true crime that took place along the Appalachian Trail. Two female students who set off for a camping trip in the Pennsylvania woods and are hunted, shot and left for dead by a mountain man after he discovers they are lovers.
WHEN I SAW IT DATE: May 2014
THE IMDB RATE AT TIME OF REV: 5.0/10
MY RATE THEN: 5.0/10
HAS MY VIEW CHANGE: Yes, this might have been the first film I ever reviewed for the now defunct site Rogue Cinema, the incredible memory lane of then to now, alas the fond memory did translate equally for the film, since the review was published there are only two other reviews. The director Libby McDermott created this film and would revisit the topic of the production, seven years later in Darkness Waits [2020], but rewatching the film, and now fully understanding more about the horror cinema I can determine that acting is stale with the emotional impact falling flat, and the transitional shots don’t evenly flow, it more haphazardly done, it more of b-movie but without the blood and more of T&A, yet still lacking in other areas.
The movie is available for free on Tubi:
https://tubitv.com/movies/596518/dead-woman-s-hollow
***** ***** *****
Realm of Souls [2013]
SUMMARY: Last year, a group of filmmakers set out to investigate 13 of the most haunted locations in Georgia in order to gather footage of the supernatural for use in their next horror film. They would never return… What they unleashed was the evil that lies deep within an ancient site of unholy terror ever-looking for a way to escape. Led by Chase, their director and owner of the Production Company they all have worked so closely with, this group of eight actors, filmmakers, and crew have become much more of a family. Together they and others have combined to investigate many haunted locations without incident – that is until they venture deep into the dark and dense Georgia woods to the infamous area known as The Devil’s Tramping Grounds. After 3 days without contact, the last remaining group working with Spirit World Productions on the upcoming horror film, assemble with the intention of finding their friends and bringing them back…However, once they too enter The Devil’s Tramping Grounds they quickly find there is no escape. Led by Paul, Chase’s brother, they must decipher the footage their friends have left behind and use it as a guide to unravel the horrifying mystery of what happened if they have a prayer to get everyone out safely, with their souls intact. Realm of Souls blends found footage with a cinematic feast for the eyes as no film has attempted before. The intricate story and authentic performances combine with the blending of every genre of horror in such a way that Realm of Souls is destined to become the most exciting and terrifying original horror thrill ride movie goers have seen in recent memory. This film is the ‘Opus’ of horror movies for all horror fans! Enjoy the ride and grab hold of your Soul…!
WHEN I SAW IT DATE: February 2015
THE IMDB RATE AT TIME OF REV: 4.3/10
MY RATE THEN: 4.5/10
HAS MY VIEW CHANGE: Yes, the review for this movie was originally done in February of 2015, which was at the very early stage of writing horror film reviews, for a now defunct site called Rogue Cinema. Hence my viewpoint was not that clear, as I noticed the writing for it has dramatically changed too. In addition, back in 2015 the IMDb rating was 4.3 and steadily dropped since then to 2.7, and there are only two reviews of what one likely deemed a bad movie. A side note the summary for the film is written by the director Chase Smith and sounds more of rah-rah piece amping up the film than plot summary which recommended at 2 to 3 sentences. It has a poor story format, that barely convinces anyone of the intention to create horror with the found footage presentation. My rating adjustment would now be 2.5, oh one more thing recalling another tidbit on this film when I started I would be sent films from Brain Damage Films, who was the distributor for this production.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2568074/
***** ***** *****
Elvira: Mistress of the Dark [1988]
SUMMARY: Upon arriving in a small town where she has inherited a rundown mansion, a famous horror hostess battles an evil uncle, and townspeople who want her burned at the stake.
WHEN I SAW IT DATE: February 2020
THE IMDB RATE AT TIME OF REV: 6.5/10
MY RATE THEN: 6.0/10
HAS MY VIEW CHANGE: No, I still find it an adequate movie, with Elvira performing at her best for the fans, while the IMDb rating has bumped up to a 6.6 I still found the humor to be so-so, however I found more personal administration for Elvira especially meeting her in person, when she signed my Elvira’s Haunted Hills poster and listened to a Q&A session.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095088/
***** ***** *****