Author: dlepikcom

“Spithood” (** out of four) was a meager horror melodrama set in a mental institution in which a dangerous patient escapes and goes on a murderous rampage as various members of the hospital (Thibul Nettle, Claudia Bonifazio, and others) try to re-capture him and survive the night. Awful title is nowhere near as bad as you may think and is directed with some style but won’t exactly qualify for preservation in the Library Of Congress either. At least you can’t accuse it of being overlong at 58 minutes.

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“Ouija Castle” (* out of four) was a moribund horror thriller about a princess (Mya Brown) whose life falls into shambles after her father’s death; then a vindictive queen (Charlotte Jackson Coleman) casts her into a never-ending sleep in order to take over the kingdom but this leads to a plethora of consequences. Ridiculous story is played solemnly and not for high-camp fun and the result is an overdone (and overlong) snooze. It’s about time horror filmmakers retired “ouija” themed horror titles.

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“Phil Collins: Drummer First” (*1/2 out of four) was a surprisingly dull documentary about the legendary musician who started out as a drummer and gradually transitioned to being one of the most popular and commercially successful singers of all time but always considered himself a drummer at heart. A one-note and monotonous look at a musical legend with perfunctory interviews that are hardly revelatory or revealing. For a much richer and more entertaining look at Collins, watch VH1’s Behind The Music on Genesis instead.

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“Carry On” (*** out of four) was a nail-biting suspense melodrama set during Christmas Eve in a crowded L.A. airport in which a dedicated TSA agent (Taron Egerton) is contacted by a mysterious traveler (Jason Bateman) and told that unless he lets a mysterious passenger and package through to board a plane both him and his pregnant partner (Sofia Carson) will be killed! Tense and suspenseful from the word-go; starts to get a little implausible and excessive in the final third but always maintains its fervent grip. Egerton is first-rate in the lead!

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“The Lurking Fear” (* out of four) was a thuddingly inept horror thriller about a reality-television crew and various law enforcement (Robert Davi, Michael Madsen, Elisabette Fantone, and others) who congregate at an abandoned mental institution but find they are not alone and (yawn) there are a series of demons there who want them killed no matter what. Terrible script is matched by lackluster production and lifeless direction; both Davi and Madsen look hungover and bored. Let’s hope both have something better “lurking” in the near future.

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“Outbreak” (** out of four) was a run-of-the-mill horror thriller about a state park ranger (Billy Burke) and his wife (Jessica Frances Dukes) who are struggling in dealing with their missing teenage son (Taylor Handley) and soon find themselves in the midst of a zombie epidemic that threatens all of them. Relatively well-made and well-acted but yet another derivation of “28 Days Later”/”World War Z”/ “The Walking Dead” without any surprises. No relation to the underrated 1995 Dustin Hoffman thriller of the same name.

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“Mountain Shark” (** out of four) was a passable horror thriller about a group of military hunters (Ema Ekaete, Emily Felicia Moore, Julia Quayle, and others) who are sent out into the dark mountains on a covert mission but soon discover the deadly title creature that is out to kill them one by one. Yes, it’s one more killer-shark movie that the world didn’t exactly need but it’s better than most others, thanks to moody direction from Greg AK and vivid visual effects and shark attacks. This actually won some awards at various international horror festivals.

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“Fog City” (** out of four) was a passable horror thriller about a mysterious fog that encompasses a small town and the various friends (Victoria Konefal, Connor Wells, and others) who congregate together in a house but find it might already be too late and they don’t know who to trust. Obviously inspired by (i.e. rips off) John Carpenter’s “The Fog” and script is relatively weak but good filmmaking and eye-candy cinematography from Michael Sollidum helps to keep it watchable.

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“Run” (*1/2 out of four) was a senseless horror shocker about a married couple (Vjosa Halili and Jeremy Miller) renewing their wedding vows in a deserted desert town who become targeted by a sicko (Jeremy Green) who entwines them in a deadly game of love and vengeance where they have to (you guessed it) run to stay alive. More style than substance and film’s style is pretty hard-edged and ugly anyway. No relation to the 1991 Patrick Dempsey clunker of the same name; viewers would be best to “run” far away from both of them.

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“Fog City” (** out of four) was a passable horror thriller about a mysterious fog that encompasses a small town and the various friends (Victoria Konefal, Connor Wells, and others) who congregate together in a house but find it might already be too late and they don’t know who to trust. Obviously inspired by (i.e. rips off) John Carpenter’s “The Fog” and script is relatively weak but good filmmaking and eye-candy cinematography from Michael Sollidum helps to keep it watchable.

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