Author: dlepikcom

“Purgatory Station” (* out of four) was a horrid horror melodrama about a crooked lawyer (Angus Benfield) who wakes up in a large container and soon learns he has 8 hours to scuttle a deal for a corporate land grab with a greedy millionaire (Bob Gunton who can play this role in his sleep by now) or see everyone die in gruesome fashion. Part elements of “Saw”, part supernatural elements from “The Sixth Sense” but an all-around mess and painfully overlong at nearly 2 hours. It’s always great to see Gunton on screen but judging from this effort (and others recently) his career seems to be in purgatory.

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“Nosferatu” (** out of four) was a grim remake of the 1922 silent film classic which was inspired by Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” about a young woman (Lily-Rose Depp) and a vampire (Bill Skarsgard) who become gradually obsessed with one another leading to horror and ensuing complications for all around them. Exquisitely shot and designed but drably done and sluggishly paced for most of its length. Performances are fairly one-note also and don’t give film much life or pizzazz. Not likely to satisfy horror fans or devoted fans of the original.

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“Winter Island” (** out of four) was an obtuse psychological drama about a young girl who is found dead on a small island; her teenage brother (Elijah Carnazzo) then starts to have postmortem visions that make him realize that her death was connected to a sinister and evil presence within their own family. Moody but muted story never really comes alive although it remains watchable and holds you at times in its eerie grip. This won some horror festival awards at Bleedingham and Crypticon over the past year.

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“Cold Road” (*** out of four) was a solidly well-done melodrama set in the remote Canadian North as a woman (Roseanne Supernault) is driving along with her dog to visit her dying mother when she realizes she is slowly being stalked and driven crazy by a stranger in a semi-truck. Ultimately never quite transcends the shadows of Steven Spielberg’s “Duel” which it was obviously inspired by but it maintains its grip from start to finish, thanks to Supernault’s strong performance, beautiful Canadian locations, and stark cinematography from Daniel Everitt-Lock. Bonus- the dog is great!

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“Wolf Hollow” (**1/2 out of four) was a mildly amusing horror comedy about a group of young filmmakers (Felissa Rose, Hannah Fierman, Lynn Lowry, and others) who venture out on a horror-film shoot in rural Pennsylvania and stumble onto a pack of werewolves who slaughter them one by one. Better-than-average for this type of thing, with some funny and tongue-in-cheek writing and style, although fairly conventional in its overall outline. Horror-film siren Rose is solid as usual even if this is no “Sleepaway Camp.”

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“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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