Exam (2009)

Starring: Pollyanna McIntosh, Luke Mably, Jimi Mistry
Director: Stuart Hazeldine


Premise:
Eight job applicants are locked in a room and given simple instructions. They have 73 minutes to complete the unusual exam. At what lengths will the applicants go to prove they deserve this coveted job.

My Take:
There's not a lot variety in this types on movies. All you can really hope for is good characters to make the story interesting and suspense to move it along. This movie partly does the job.

Rating: In the middle





Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Frankenstein Unbound (1990)

Starring: John Hurt, Raul Julia
Director: Roger Corman


Synopsis:
A time riff is caused by a scientist's experiment, which causing the man to time travel back to Switzerland 1817 and in the middle of the Frankenstein story.

My Take:
I always have problems with time travel stories. If I let go of the fact a man in driving around in a car with a super computer during the early 1800's and he would inevitable change the course of history by all of his irrational decisions, there is a decent story entwining the real authors with the legendary characters of Frankenstein.

Rating: Warning





Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Amer (2010)

Directors: Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani


Synopsis:
Three segments of girl's life. One as a child when she shows curiosity towards her grandfather's death, as a teen where she discovers her innocent sexuality, and as an adult when she returns to her family home and is stalked by a mysterious figure.

My Take:
It's kind of a horror-art house-giallo combo. The film is very stylish in its filming & editing, sometimes too much. But if the viewer is patience the final act explodes into a great scene of visceral madness.

Rating: So Good






Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

The Magician (1958)

AKA: Ansiktet


Director: Ingmar Bergman
Starring: Max Von Sydow


Synopsis:
A group of traveling magicians have a rumor of supernatural involvement come into a village where the powers that be demand they see their act before the public.

My Take:
Bergman rides the line between an artist's sacrifice to their craft and every day people's paranoia in what they dont understand. Lots of slight of hand in this movie, just like a magic show.
Love the scene where the troupe trick the police chief and corner into thinking one of them has been murdered.

Rating: So Good

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Dont Be Afraid of the Dark (1973)

Starring: Kim Darby, William Demarest
Director: John Newland


Synopsis:
A couple move in to an old family house where they discover a boarded up fireplace hiding a demonic creature who want the wife for themselves.

My Take:
The networks made pretty good horror movies for the television audience back in the 70's and this is no exception.
A generally creepy atmosphere from beginning to end. A little dated and the creatures are little hokey, but dont let those little buggers ruin the flick for you.

Rating: So Good




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

The Baby Shower (2011)

Director: Pablo Illanes


Synopsis:
A pregnant woman invites a group of gal pals out to her new country estate for a weekend. There she secrets are revealed including a the strange villagers and the fact one of the friends is having an affair with the father of the child.

My Take:
A fairly interesting flick. It reminded me of The Wicker Man crossed with a slasher movie. A couple of gritty kills and lots of tension.

Rating: In the middle




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Guinea Pig (1985)

Synopsis: Six different short films in this series. Each one has a different story. The common theme is gore and torture.

My Take:
While a couple of the stories were intriguing, Mermaid in a Manhole & Devil Doctor Woman, the over the top gore and terrible acting (in most) made it really hard to focus. The first short, Devil's Experiment had controversy surrounding it for being an actual snuff film. I can see why. It is extremely brutal.

Favorite Episode: none

Rating: Steaming Pile

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

YellowBrickRoad (2011)

Starring: Cassidy Freeman, Alex Draper
Director: Jesse Holland, Andy Mitton

Synopsis:
In 1940 the residents of a small New Hampshire walks into the woods. Many were found dead along the trail. Others were never found. Now a group of people want to retrace their steps and find out what happened.

My Take:
The movie starts out with a lot of good story about this mysterious incidence and spends time building the characters until the situation starts to seem a bit off, then finally breaks loose into chaos. The second half is tension filled and Lynchian in feel.
A movie that might take a second viewing to figure out what actually happened. Nothing is clearly spelled out. If you enjoy those types of flicks, then look no further.

Rating: So Good




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Fertile Ground (2011)

Starring: Leisha Hailey, Gale Harold
Director: Adam Gierasch


Premise:
After a miscarriage, a couple moves out rural area in order to get their lives back on track. Once there, they discover the house has a long history of strange deaths. Soon after they experience occurrences of their own.

My Take:
Nothing spectacular which you haven't seen before but it does hold your interest throughout.

Rating: In the middle




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Attack the Block (2011)

Starring: Nick Frost, Jodie Whittaker
Director: Joe Cornish


Synopsis:
A gang of London teens protect their city block from invading aliens.

My Take:
Go watch this film immediately. It kicks serious ass.
The cast is very likeable, the story is simple yet smartly written, there are unique aliens, and has a decent amount of gore.
These little hoodlums are awesome.

Rating: Instant Classic




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Pieces (1982)

Starring: Christopher George
Director: Juan Piquer Simon


Premise:
A killer is taking a chainsaw to females at a local university.

My Take:
There's a little bit to enjoy (lots of blood & nudity) and a lot that gets under your skin (horrible acting & a silly premise) in this one. Take the movie for what it is... another attempt to cash in on the slasher craze of the 80's.

Dual Ratings: Warning (if alone) / In the Middle (if in a group where you can laugh at it)




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Haunted Changi (2010)

Director: Andrew Lau


Premise:
A group of young filmmakers decide to make a documentary on Old Changi Hospital, said to be one of the most haunted places on Earth. Soon the crew get more than they bargained for.

My Take:
The movie combines nice documentary style facts about this true hospital with a good fiction story. The setting is generally creepy. Many of the scares are subtle, which adds to the tension.
It's a solid outing which doesn't try to reinvent the wheel when it comes to the subgenre.

Rating: In the middle (with some upside)





Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Super Hybrid (2011)

Starring: Oden Fehr
Director: Eric Valette

Synopsis:
A killer car tries to escape from impound and take out any human which gets in its way.

My Take:
Killer car movies are few and far between. There's probably a reason why. Actually this killer car is a alien of sorts. The problem is the viewer doesn't care about any of the carbon characters and nothing really happens. Run from car. Hide from car. Death by car.
You get the idea.

Rating: Warning




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

The Defiled (2010)

Synopsis:
A zombie tries to protect and provide for his family in a post apocalyptic world.

My Take:
Boring. Very little dialog, which is fine if the story is interesting. I found it not to be. Maybe extreme fans of zombies will think differently.


Rating: Warning (extreme warning)




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Scream 4 (2011)

Starring: Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courtney Cox, Mary Shelton, Hayden Panettiere, Alison Brie, Rory Culkin, Andy Anderson
Director: Wes Craven


Synopsis:
Sydney Prescott kicks off her book tour in home town of Woodsboro. Upon her arrival, the Ghostface murders starts up once again.

My Take:
While it's nice to revisit the "Scream" universe and enough time has passed so to make the it worth wild, there is still something missing for this fourth installment. The movie is cleverly written, mostly, as it keeps a lot people as possible suspects until near the end and has a nice commentary on the new style of fame. But you have to endure stupid kids doing stupid things, as in most slasher. For fans of the series, give it a go.

Rating:
So Good (but barely and probably for only nostalgic purposes)



Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Wake Wood (2011)

Starring: Aiden Gillen, Eva Birtistle, Timothy Spall
Director: David Keating


Synopsis:
After the untimely death of their daughter, the parents find a way to have her resurrected for three days so they can properly say goodbye. When the daughter comes back, there appears to be something off about her.

My Take:
A nice, slow burn type of movie where the emotion of grief weighs heavy throughout. The setting of a rural Irish village helps adds to creepy atmosphere. The leads are excellent. If you those things in your horror viewing then look no further.

Rating:
So Good




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Season of the Witch (1972)

AKA: Hungry Wives


Starring: Jan White
Director: George Romero


Premise:
An unhappy housewife takes up witchcraft to pass the days.

My Take:
With its dreamy sequences and non-linear editing, it takes awhile to piece together what is actually happening. The concept is decent but didn't quite come together for me.

Rating: Warning





Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Red State (2011)

Starring: Michael Parks, John Goodman, Melissa Leo,
Director: Kevin Smith


Synopsis:
A group of friends answer an online ad for sex with a stranger. It turns out to be a set up by a group of fanatic religious fundamentalists. Soon the situation esculates and the ATF gets involved in a stand off for human rights.

My Take:
I kept fairly spoiler free on this movie. I thought I knew the basic premise of the movie, but was taken on a completely different and unexpected ride. I've always been a Kevin Smith fan and it's good to see him take on different, darker material.

The story feels like a situation which could actually occur. The cast is top notch, especially Michael Parks. He is down right terrifying as the leader of the religous cult.

This is well executed movie with many underlying themes. And at the end I felt myself wanting a more.

Rating: So Good





Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Torso (1973)

Director: Sergio Martino


Synopsis:
Coeds are being strangled. A group of girls decide to get away until things settle down and stay at her uncle's mansion. Naturally the killer follows the girls.

My Take:
Not the best giallo around but does a some flair and the who done it has you guessing till the reveal.

Rating: In the middle (but close to a warning)





Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Battle Royale II (2003)

Director: Kenta Fukasaku & Kinji Fukasaku


Synopsis:
A group of students are sent to the island to kill Shuya Nanahara, the lone survivor of the failed Battle Royale program who is now considered a terrorist by the government.

My Take:
Much of what made the first one so cool seems to be absent here. The movie fell short of my expectations.

Rating: In the middle

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Psychomania (1973)

AKA: The Death Wheelers


Starring: George Sanders
Director: Don Sharp


Premise:
A gang of bikers made a deal with the devil that by killing themselves, then they will gain eternal life. Of course things dont work out as planned.

My Take:
Definitely an original tale and has some good visuals. Loved the masked bikers, they just awesome. However the movie falls short of being special.

Rating: In the middle




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

The Skeptic (2009)

Starring: Tim Daly, Zoe Saldana, Tom Arnold
Director: Tennyson Baldwell

Premise:
A man moves into his aunt's house after her death. It was also the place he grew up as a child until a horrible accident occurred. The house is said to be haunted and soon after he starts getting pieces of puzzle that leads him to inner discovery.

My Take:
Good acting and a decent mystery. But there's nothing much that stands out in this movie which covers some familiar territory.

Rating: In the Middle




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Haunted Universities (2010)

AKA: Mahalai Sayongkwan

Directors: Bunjong Sinthanamongkolkul & Sutthiporn Tubtim


Synopsis:
An anthology movie where students at a university experience supernatural happenings.

My Take:
Decent tales that have a familiar themes seen in many Asian horror movies before. The movie is well done but none of the segments stands out above the norm.

Rating: In the middle

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Black Rainbow (1989)

Starring: Rosanna Arquette, Jason Robards, Tom Hulce
Director: Mike Hodges

Premise:
A medium puts on shows where connects with the other side. She starts getting messages from people who aren't dead yet and describing how they will die. When the premonitions come true some people aren't pleased and plan to take out the medium.

My Take:
A very interesting and unique tale with strong performances by the leads. A good mystery too. While I enjoyed the movie, doubt if I ever watch it again. If haven't seen it yet, you should.

Rating: In the middle (with thumbs up)

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Les Demons (1973)

AKA: She Demons


Director: Jess Franco


Synopsis:
During the Inquisition, a Witchfinder burns nuns for being possessed. One nun goes on the run after being falsely accused while another reeks havoc because she is possessed.

My Take:
One of Jess Franco's more straight forward stories. There still a couple dream-like sequences along with plenty of nudity and lesbianis

Rating: In the middle (with a side bowl of warning)

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Trash Humpers (2010)

Director: Harmony Korine


Premise:
A group of elderly sociopaths videotape how they spend their days.

My Take:
I don't really know what to make of this movie. It's odd and annoying and captivating. At the end I found myself asking "what did I just watch?" and maybe that's the point of it.

Rating: Warning





Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Cold Fish (2010)

Director: Shion Sono


Premise:
An owner of a small fish store sends his daughter to work for a owner of a larger tropical fish store after he offers to help bail her out of a jam. Soon the one man and his wife start manipulating the other into his world of serial killing.

My Take:
A wildly bizarre movie jammed pack with gore and mayhem. In the middle of all the chaos and seeing how far a person can be pushed is a social commentary on marriage and entering adulthood. A unique flick.

Rating: So Good




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

True Blood, Season 4 (2011)

Starring: Anna Paquin, Steven Moyer, Alexander Skarsgard, Sam Trammell, Ryan Kwanten


Synopsis:
Season Four main storyline has witches trying to put an end to the vampire reign where the focus of the new King, Bill. It also has Sookie finding out her true nature, Eric losing his memory and turning soft, Sam finding love with another shifter which ultimately causes him problems with the werewolves, Lafayette finding out he's a medium, Jason getting attack by the were-panther clan he's been protecting, and Tara getting in the middle of just about everything.

My Take:
This season had a lot going on. There seemed to more focus on many of the secondary characters, which I like as the whole Sookie-Bill-Eric love triangle gets rather boring. Over all, it's on par with the other seasons.

And this show does season ending cliff hangers like no other. Damn.

Favorite Episode: "Spellbound" (Episode 8)
For me this was the pivotal episode of the season. Everything heats up and character's action leads to the outcome of things for the season.

Rating: So Good

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Lisa and the Devil (1974)

Starring: Elke Sommer, Telly Savalas
Director: Mario Bava


Premise:
Lisa gets lost as she tours an old European city. She finds shelter in a mansion and gets help from the family living there. Soon she suspects not all is at it appears.

My Take:
A dreamy and moody piece of film from director Bava. Top notch acting from the cast headed by the creepy Telly Savalas and the Elke Sommer. It also has a ending which caught me a off guard. Definitely fun to watch but not something I could see every watching again.

Rating: In the Middle (very positive)

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Devil's Playground (2010)

Director: Mark McQueen
Starring: Danny Dyer, Jaime Murray, MyAnna Burning


Synopsis:
A government agency accidentally creates a virus that causes humans to turn into zombie like creatures which hunger for blood. London is in chaos as the survivors try to escape the city.

My Take:
This movie is proof that a strong cast cant save a crappy, over cliched script.

Rating: Warning

Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.

Bereavement (2011)

Director: Steven Mena
Starring: Michael Biehn, Brett Rickaby, Alexandra Daddario


Premise:
A prequel to above average serial killer flick Malevolence. Starts with Allison moving to the country to live with her uncle's family after her mother and father died. He lives down the road from the infamous slaughterhouse. She sees a young boy in the abandoned building and gets curious. The young boy is Martin, who was kidnapped by a serial killer and is forced to watch him torture and kill people.

My Take:
I left with the same feeling as the first movie. I enjoyed it, but some minor, logical flaws kept me from thinking it was really awesome. Still the movie asks some good questions and is better than most. If you liked Malevolence, watch this one.

Rating: In the Middle (with a lot of positives)




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.seankimmel.com.