The Houses October Built – Go Behind the Scenes

Runtime: 91 minutes
Release Date: October 10, 2014
Rating: UR
Director: Bobby Roe


Zack, Jeff, Brandy, Bobby, and Mikey are a group of friends who decide to make a documentary about what really happens behind the scenes of haunted houses and other attractions. Armed with a motorhome and a camera, they hit the road to film some of the top haunted houses and talk with the people who work in those houses.


Despite getting some good footage, they can't help noticing that they keep coming across the same places. It seems like every spot they hit has the same scares and even the same type of people working there. Though Jeff keeps promising them that they'll find something better at the next stop, the creepiest thing they see is a little girl in a porcelain mask with no hair who seems to show up at every stop.


That leads to one of the creepiest and weirdest scenes in the movie, where that same costumed character follows them back to the motorhome. Despite asking her if she needs help and trying to talk to her, she just sits down and starts making strange noises before eventually screaming and running away.


At one of their later stops, Jeff comes across two guys who claim they know how to get to the Blue Skeleton, one of the hottest and scariest attractions in the country. Often considered an urban legend, the location changes every year and visitation is by invite only. After finding the first clue to its location, they discover that someone or something is stalking them. They find a bloody heart in their refrigerator, footage of them sleeping on their camera, and blue skull masks left on the front of the RV that reveals a group spent hours watching them the night before. Even before they find the last clue, they realize that finding the Blue Skeleton might not be all they thought.


The Houses October Built actually comes across like two different films, and both are pretty damn good. The first is a documentary of what happens behind the scenes at haunted attractions. We see interviews with costumed workers and hear some stories about people who actually died in those attractions. The second film is a found footage documentary about what happened to a group of friends who went down the rabbit hole. Mixing the documentary footage with the character footage was a smart choice. We get a little break from those characters and learn more about what might motivate them to go on a hunt like this.


As many of the actors have little to no experience, I went in not expecting a whole lot and was pretty surprised. Zack Andres as Zack and Jeff Larson as Jeff were the two real standouts. All of the actors though did a great job of making me believe they were actually friends and that they really would take a random road trip together.


And can I just say that the porcelain doll character was just plain creepy? Since she kept randomly popping up, you never really knew when she might appear next. It got to the point where anytime the characters went down a dark street or opened a door, I expected her to be standing there staring at them. Add to that a scene with two rednecks accosting Brandy in the bathroom of a grungy bar, and I was all in.


Though it got some poor/bad reviews, I enjoyed The Houses October built. It's currently on Netflix for those who want to give it a try.

Sanatorium – Same Old, Same Old

Runtime: ?
Release Date: December 23, 2014
Rating: R
Director: Brant Sersen


I remember a time in the not so distant past when After Dark had a history of picking really good movies for its festival. Then After Dark decided to produce and distribute its own films, which left us with options like Sanatorium.


Sanatorium is one of those films where the characters are so dull and stereotypical that I didn't even bother learning their names. They're a group of annoying people who somehow host and produce their own ghost hunters show. There's the hot blond who is secretly pregnant and not yet ready to tell her slightly geeky boyfriend, the guy who acts like a jock/douche bag right out of high school, another hot girl, you get the drift.


The group heads to an abandoned TB sanatorium for a new investigation on New Year's Eve. Legend says that a patient when crazy from the disease, found his way to the children's ward, and killed three kids.


They arrive the day before the investigation starts to meet with the caretaker. We get several minutes of filler where he keeps telling them that they can look around but they can't go in until the next day. There's even a moment where he catches them trying to get in and says something about how if they go in early, he'll lose his job and chases them away.


Once they finally do get inside the sanatorium, it turns into one of those typically haunted hospital flicks. Instead of staying together, they go off in small groups of two or three to look for signs of paranormal things. Naturally, they start disappearing one by one and no one seems to notice. It's all pretty much the same thing you would expect for a movie like this...except for one scene.


The pretty girl is wandering through the children's ward when she sees a ball roll across the floor. It was right at that moment when I rolled my eyes about how this is something that pops up in all movies like this. Before I could open my mouth though, the douche bag character jumps out from behind a door and starts laughing at her for falling for something so lame. Not only did I get a little jump from his jump, but it made me laugh knowing that the director was in on the joke. If there were more scenes like that in the movie, I would probably give it a glowing review. Instead, the director seemed to forget about bringing something new to the table.


Sanatorium was a blind rental. The roommate saw the cover and liked it so much that he rented it. Halfway through the movie, he made an excuse and went to bed. Myself and another friend finished it. Having watched a lot of movies like this in the past, we pretty much both felt that it seemed like something we'd seen before. He started playing a game on his phone the last few minutes, and I got stuck flipping through a catalog that came in the mail. I was hoping that this might bring something new to the hold haunted hospital genre, but it was just the same old, same old.

Willow Creek – Jim, are you fucking kidding me?

Runtime: 77 minutes
Release Date: May 2014
Rating: NR
Director: Bobcat Goldthwait


Jim is obsessed with Bigfoot, so much so that he convinces his girlfriend Kelly to take a trip to the site of the infamous Bigfoot video captured in the 1970s. Kelley seems more comfortable shopping or at least in a hotel or spa, but Jim is completely in his element. The two travel to the town associated with the original Bigfoot sighting to film a video that Jim can hopefully use to prove that the creature exists.


The early part of the trip goes off without a hitch. They check out the local statues and museum devoted to the creature, and they even dine on a Bigfoot burger. They also meet some locals who don't really believe in Bigfoot, but even that doesn't deter Jim. Things do get a little serious when Kelly points out that she really needs to move to Los Angeles to get more acting jobs and Jim points out that he'll never live in the city.


After documenting the area, they decide to head to the woods and the actual scene of the original footage. They come across a local who makes it clear that he wants them out. The man snaps at them and eventually yells at them until Kelly convinces him to turn the car around and leave. This leads to them taking a back route and finding their way to the original site. When they find that things really do go bump in the night, they might not make it out alive.


I was so excited to see Willow Creek that I went right to the local video store and grabbed a copy on the day it came out. Now that I've seen it, I'm not sure why I wanted to see it so bad. An online review called this the best Bigfoot movie ever made, and after watching it I had to laugh. There is nothing, absolutely nothing about the actual creature in this movie except for the background and the premise.


Reading the synopsis, you might expect something completely different. I read that it was about a couple in the woods trying to find Bigfoot, and I assumed it was The Blair Witch Project mixed with a Bigfoot story. Instead, I got a movie about a couple on a weekend trip together. Seriously, go back and read the first few paragraphs I gave as a plot description. Would you believe that this is almost the first hour of the film?


I know that directors want to set up a story, but Bobcat took things a little too far with this one. We see Jim and Kelly driving around, talking with locals, eating doing their research, and doing other crap. By the time they actually get to the woods, over half the film is gone. Then we get a few scenes of the two making out in the tent and hearing noises in the woods. I will admit that when something starts attacking the tent and the noises start, the movie gets a little unsettling. Unfortunately, that doesn't last long.


After maybe 5 to 10 minutes of that, it's morning. They then go in the woods and try to find their way back to their car, get lost, and end up back in the exact same spot. We then get another few scary minutes, and boom, the movie's over. It was incredibly disappointing and not at all what I expected. I hope someone takes this same idea and does something better than Willow Creek.

The Fourth Kind Movie Review – In the End, What You Believe is Yours to Decide

Length: 98 minutes

Rating: PG-13

Release Date: November 6, 2009

Director: Olatunde Osunsanmi

Milla Jovovich ("Resident Evil") opens "The Fourth Kind," telling the audience that the film is based on true events that happened in Nome, Alaska. Jovovich plays Dr. Abigail Tyler, a woman left to raise her two children alone after someone murders her husband. Tyler tapes sessions with her patients, and she begins noticing that many of her patients tell her similar stories.

After multiple sessions, she decides to use hypnotherapy. Two of her patients tell her stories about seeing a dark and scary creature enter their homes, and one of the men kills his family after a session. As she digs a little deeper into their stories, she begins experiencing similar things at home, leading up to the disappearance of her daughter.

I cannot believe that I managed to sit through "The Fourth Kind" twice in my life because this film is painful to watch. It was one of the first faux documentary films in the sci-fi genre, but it shows that found footage themes aren't always the best idea. When I watch a movie, I want to get caught up in the story and the characters, which is hard to do with films of this type.

The best found footage films are the ones that show you characters and let you believe that these actors are the real people. With "The Fourth Kind," we see Jovovich playing Tyler, and then we see another actress playing Tyler in the supposedly real footage. It doesn't help that Jovovich introduces the film and says that she's playing the doctor. As soon as you start to believe Jovovich in the role, it shows the "true" footage and takes you right back out of the film. Luckily, I only wasted time watching the movie on Netflix and didn't waste any of my own money.

"Hitchcock" Movie Review – The Story Behind Psycho

Rating: PG-13

Length: 98 minutes

Release Date: December 14, 2012

Director: Sacha Gervasi

Alfred Hitchcock (Anthony Hopkins, "The Silence of the Lambs") recently released one of this biggest films of all time, but he isn't sure what to do next. After reading a review that claims he should retire, he decides to do something that his fans and those in Hollywood wouldn't expect. He turns down multiple films in the hopes of adapting the book "Psycho."

As the story has a major twist early on, he decides that he doesn't want viewers to know about the twist ahead of time. He buys every copy of the original book that he can find until the films lands in theaters. When the studio denies his request for money and help because it thinks the film will be a failure, he raises the money himself and uses his own film crew. The film then focuses on the making of "Psycho."

A review of "Hitchcock" is probably the last thing that people who check out this blog would expect to read, but the story involves one of the greatest horror movies of all time. Hopkins does an admirable job of playing the infamous director, though the makeup and expressions that he uses are sometimes distracting. The film also introduces some of the controversial elements of his career but shies away from explaining what actually happened.

A good example of this is the relationship between Hitchcock and Vera Miles (Jessica Biel, "The Texas Chainsaw Masacre"). Hitchcock viewed her as one of his top leading ladies and signed her to an exclusive contract, but when she decided to focus on raising a family, he made her live a living hell. The film will sometimes show the animosity between the two, but it never shows the actual hell that he put her through. It also doesn't spend much time on the relationship that he had with Janet Leigh. In real life, Leigh wasn't fond of Hitchcock because he pushed her too far on set, but in this film, she flirts with him and seems to enjoy being around him.

While "Hitchcock" had its moments, this is a film that I'll probably never watch again. There was a nice moment at the end with Hopkins and a raven where he mentions that being another story, but if "Hitchcock" is any indication, I think I'd skip another outing.

Greystone Park Movie Review – Not Even Oliver Stone Could Save This

Runtime: 79 minutes

Release Date: September 6, 2012

Rating: R

Director: Sean Stone

"Greystone Park" is the kind of film that proves that you don't need to follow in the footsteps of your famous parents. Directed by Sean Stone, the son of award-winning director Oliver Stone, the film apparently came about as the result of a conversation that the two shared with one of Sean's friends. The men decided to take a group of friends into an abandoned mental institution to see what happened. That does not mean that this is a documentary because it is filled with the same typical faux screams that you would expect.

There are so many flaws with "Greystone Park" that I literally don't know where to start. You know how some films try to make the footage look older or show disturbances by adding graininess? This film does that so often that there were moments where I literally didn't know what was happening because I couldn't see the action.

The other problem is that there really isn't a lot of action. Whenever something remotely scary starts happening, the film automatically starts showing screwy footage, like the ghosts don't want you to see what they do. For example, two people might be in one room and hear a scream from another room. The moment they run down the hall and enter that room, the film shows rolling footage. When it finally goes back to the action, the characters basically explain what happened.

I usually like to write longer reviews for horror films, but I just want to put this one behind me and move on to the next film.

Amber Alert Movie Review – How Far Would You Go?

Runtime: 80 minutes

Release Date: November 2, 2012

Rating: R

Director: Kerry Bellessa

Nate and Sam are two best friends, who decide to make a tape to document their relationship before auditioning for a reality television show. Sam's younger brother mans the camera, sitting in the backseat of their car and rarely speaking. While driving down the road, they see an amber alert flash over the screen on the highway, warning about a potential child abduction. After a few minutes, a car passes by, and they joke about how it almost matches the amber alert. After a few more minutes, they realize that it actually is the same car.

Sam immediately calls the police, giving them the information, and they promise to follow up on her lead. After the police point out that they received hundreds of tips, Sam encourages Nate to keep following the car. Though they make several more calls to the police, it seems clear that they are the only ones who might have a shot at saving a young girl's life.

If you love shouting at the screen, you will enjoy "Amber Alert." There were so many times that we screamed at the television that I began worrying our neighbors might call the police on us. Sam is by far the most annoying character I have come across in recent films, and she is so annoying that my roommate wondered aloud why her best friend hadn't yet killed her.

The writer of the film clearly wanted a character willing to go to extreme lengths, but this one just takes it a bit too far. Not only does Sam force Nate to follow the car into an abandoned area, but when the man steps out and tries to talk to them, she offers to get into his car. While the man pumps gas, she sneaks up behind him and plants a microphone in his car, just so they can keep track of his movements. She even goes into his freaking house, which sets up the ending of the film.

Sam is the type of character who is such a shrew that you won't want her to make it out alive. She starts out as a sweet girl, who understands that Nate likes her as more than a friend, and she turns into this shrieking shrew that nearly ruined the movie for me. I don't care how much I love someone, I wouldn't go through what Nate does in this film. To make things even worse, it's her little brother in the backseat! She is willing to do absolutely anything to save the life of a little girl who she never met, even if it means putting her brother and best friend in danger. Who can root for someone like that?

That's not to say that I didn't enjoy "Amber Alert" because I did. It starts out with a basic premise, which is scary enough on its own. What would you do if you saw an amber alert posted on the highway and discovered the same car driving by you? Would you follow it, or would you just sit back and let someone else deal with it? Most of the film takes place inside the car with each character expressing something different. Nate wants to help, but he only wants to help to a certain point, while Sam is never willing to stop.

The problem is that the film jumps from one plot to another. Our main characters eventually come face-to-face with the possible abductor. He swears that it's his daughter and that he's taking her back to his ex-wife. Nate believes his story, but Sam is so sure that he's lying that she wants to keep following him for hours. Even after they lose him on the road, she makes Nate drive around for at least two hours in the hopes that they might see him again.

The other issue is how the film depicts police officers. While chasing the car, they get pulled over by a police car. The officer hears their story and makes it clear that he never got their report, despite being the only cop in the area. He even makes them leave their car while he calls into the station, leaving the man plenty of time to escape. And don't get me started on the other depictions of police officers either. Sam calls the cops six, seven, eight times, and no one does a damn thing. The last amber alert that we had was solved within two hours because the cops busted their asses. "Amber Alert" wants you to believe that the police are incompetent because it keeps the plot moving forward.

I was really excited to see "Amber Alert." I first heard about it a few months ago and kept waiting for it to come out. Now that I've seen it, I'm still on the fence. Nate is such a warm and likeable character that I hate finding fault with it, but that Sam is such a harpy that her character literally tainted the whole film.

388 Arletta Avenue

Runtime: 87 minutes
Rating: NR
Release Date: May 18, 2012
Director: Randall Cole

James (Nick Stahl, Mirrors 2) and his wife Amy (Mia Kirshner, 30 Days of Night: Dark Days) lead a seemingly idyllic life. The only downside is that someone keeps filming them, and they have no idea about the stalker tracking their every movements. The man seems content to follow them from the street, filming the couple as they come and go from their house. One day, he sees them tuck the spare key in a hidden spot, and he uses the key to gain access and plant cameras around the house.

Nothing seems amiss until James climbs into his car and the music starts blaring. He pulls out a mixed CD from the dash, and realizes that it contains music he never heard before. He confronts his wife, thinking that she made it, but she completely denies it. Amy then convinces him that he probably made it years ago and forgot about it. She even shows him his music library, which contains the same songs. James thinks something is odd because he doesn’t even remember downloading those songs.

Despite his hinky feelings, James continues on with his life. When he comes home from work one night, he discovers a note left by Amy saying that she’s taking a break. He doesn’t think it’s her handwriting and calls her friends, but no one will listen to him, not even the police. Now that the stalker has complete access to his home, he starts playing a deadly game with the man.

I’m a little surprised by the horrid reviews that 388 Arletta Avenue got because this really isn’t a bad movie. The entire film lands on the shoulders of Stahl who proves that he can handle the movie. It does require a large suspension of belief though. Would you really have no idea that someone was sneaking into your house and filming you? I work from home, and I hear every noise in this house, including the neighbors hammering things in the wall. I can’t imagine someone walking around in my basement without anyone noticing.

On top of that, you have to believe that (a) he never notices a single camera in his house and (b) that the cops have no interest in his claims. The stalker hides a camera in his bedroom, giving it the perfect angle of his bed and yet he never notices it. Other cameras are scattered around the house, and he somehow never sees a thing. The cops meanwhile, aren’t even willing to take a missing person’s report on his wife, despite the fact that none of her friends or family have heard from her. In today’s world of Laci Peterson and the like, it seems pretty unbelievable.

When James finally takes matters into his own hand, you can actually believe that he would do something like that. He tracks down Bill (Devon Sawa, Final Destination), a man from his past who he thinks might have something to do with his wife’s disappearance. Unfortunately, he takes things a little too far in the end without any evidence or real reason to believe that the man has anything to do with what happened.

Granted 388 Arletta Avenue has some slow moments, especially in the middle, but I’m surprised it didn’t get a wider release. Maybe the off-screen antics of Stahl have something to do with it, or maybe it’s just the fact that American audiences in particular don’t seem to have much love for the horror or quasai-horror genre anymore.