World of the Dead: Zombie Diaries 2 (2011)

Starring: Philip Brodie
Director: Michael Bartlett, Kevin Gates


Premise:
After a virus has turned most of the population to zombies, a group of soldiers and civilians try to make it a boat that will lead them to safety.

My Take:
A very nihilistic movie where the humans are the worst monsters. In fact, there is very little zombie action in this one.
I felt the same way about the first one in the series, it's rather average without much new to say. But on the other hand there are worse movies to watch.

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 Dark Hour (2006)

AKA: La Hora Frio

Director: Elio Quiroga

Premise:
A group of survivors attempt to stay alive in their hideout while human infected with a fatal disease and another entity attack them.

My Take:
The movie kept me entertained. The tone is very dark as many in the group are running out of hope. All the characters are fleshed out well and the film keeps good pace. Lots of drama and a little action and a touch gore.
The final scene was a one I never saw coming.

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.

Schramm: Into the Mind of a Serial Killer (1994)

Director: Jörg Buttgereit


Premise:
A serial killer falls off a ladder and while he slowly slips to death he recalls past events in his life.

My Take:
Not a fan of the director's Nekromantic movies but gave this one a shot. It contains some of the some gruesome graphic imagery. The entire dreamy state of the movie becomes almost hypnotic.
In the end, well let's just say it's not my kind of flick.

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.

Giallo (2009)

Starring: Adrian Brody, Elsa Pataky, Emmanuelle Seigner
Director: Dario Argento


Synopsis:
A taxi driver abducts a model. Her sister enlists the help of an FBI Agent to find her. He just happens to be working a serial killer case with similar characteristics.

My Take:
A far cry from Argento's best works. There are gaps in the logic and really not terribly suspenseful. About a third of the way in I just decided to take it for what it was going to be and tried to enjoy.

Rating: In the middle (with a dash 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.

Dead Cert (2010)

Starring: Jayson Flemming, Billy Murray,
Director: Steven Lawson


Synopsis:
A man runs a strip club which also underground fighting. He loses it to a gangster who happens to be a vampire.

My Take:
Another movie with a solid British cast that goes nowhere. I found the movie very boring without much to add to the subject. The first half was long, drawn out gangster set up with the second half being boring vampire slaughter.

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.

Slugs (1987)

AKA- Slugs: The Movie


Starring: Michael Garfield
Director: Juan Piquer Simón


Synopsis:
A town gets over ran with large, carnivorous slugs.

My Take:
The movie was slightly better than I imagined it would be. Which isn't saying much. Just know what you're getting into before watching... lots of plot holes and bad acting.

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.

Wise Blood (1979)

Starring: Brad Dourif, Harry Dean Stanton, Ned Beatty
Director: John Huston


Synopsis:
A man returns from the Army trying to find his way in the world. After several encounters with liars and cheats he decides to start his own church.

My Take:
While this movie is a stretch for horror, the source material delves a little deeper into the genre, there is no doubt the main character is a sociopath. He hates everything and everyone. This is a cruel movie as self suffering plays a huge part.
A fine movie with great actors being lead by one of the best directors.

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.

Dexter, Season 6

Starring: Michael C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter


Premise:
Season 6 has the Miami homicide division dealing with a pair of killers who are using the Book of Revelations as a guideline to their kills. Dexter contemplates the possibility of religion himself with the help on an ex-con who has turned his life around. And Deb gets a new promotion and discovers new feelings for an unsuspected person.

My Take:
I felt the show needed a rebound a from the big letdown of season five and it really did not achieved it. This season had a decent villains but the series threw so much extra, and unnecessary, things in the story that the show didn't really take off until episode 9, where we get a nice twist and shit really hitting the fan. But even then it was not up to par. And as for the cliffhanger, it's about damn time.
I'm really losing interest in this series. Nothing has been the same since the awesomeness of Season 4 and the characters seem to be just repeating themselves. Hopefully with the announced two remaining seasons and the cliffhanger the show can go out with a bang.

Favorite Episode: "Get Gellar", episode 9
Like I said earlier this where the season finally started to get interesting. Things aren't as they appeared and Dexter must rectify his error.

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.

Skew (2011)

Starring: Rob Scattergood, Amber Lewis
Director: Sevé Schelenz


Synopsis:
Three friends take a cross country trip. One of them has a new video camera. Along the way he starts to see strange things in the lens, ghosts and skewed faces. The trio must figure out what is happening before they all go crazy.


My Take:
A very predictable movie that takes about thirty minutes to get going. Throw in a mildly likeable cast and it's a recipe for mediocrity.

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.

Apartment 1303 (2007)

Director: Ataru Oikawa


Synopsis:
An apartment has a history of suicides. After her sister becomes a victim, one girl decides to find out why and uncovers the the cause... a ghost of mother and daughter.

My Take:
Maybe I'm just getting burned out on long, hair female ghosts but this movie did nothing for me. I found it slightly interesting and rather easy to figure out.
There are far better movies in this category.

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.

Madhouse (1974)

Starring: Vincent Price, Peter Cushing
Director: Jim Clark

Premise:
At the height of his career, a horror movie star suffers a mental breakdown when his fiancee is murdered. Years later he is talked back into the role and murders start up again.

My Take:
I like just about any movie with Vincent Price. This flick has a good story and top acting from some of the genre's best. Plus iconic makeup.

Rating: In the middle (but in a very good way)





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.

Death Valley, Season 1 (2011)

Starring: Bryan Callen, Tania Raymonde,


Premise:
One day zombies, vampires, and werewolves make themselves known to the world. The Undead Task Force (UTF) job is to keep the streets clear of these supernatural beings. A camera crew follows around these officers to document the battle.

My Take:
The show is basically a spoof on Cops with a horror-comedy element and plenty of gore. The cast is likeable. And the writing is decent with plenty of jokes and gags.
I found myself enjoying this series far more than I anticipated.

Favorite Episode: "Hottest Day of the Year" - I can sum the greatness of the episode in one phrase 'Bowling for Zombies'. Hilarious.

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.

We Are the Night (2010)

AKA: Wir sind die Nacht


Director: Dennis Gansel


Synopsis:
A clan of female vampires induct the new member while a police officer is determined to find her.

My Take:
The movie started out interesting but went no where quick. Girl reminds vampire of daughter. Cop falls for girl. Basically a lot of cop chases vampire action which I found rather mundane.
Perhaps you'll enjoy it more than 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.

Apollo 18 (2011)

Starring: Ryan Robbins, Warren Christie, Llyod Owen
Director: Gonzalo López-Gallego


Synopsis:
In the late 60's, the US Government launches a secret mission to the moon. Through the old NASA footage we see the story of the three astronauts and why no country has been to the moon since.

My Take:
I dig found footage movies. Even though this one does has some faults, I was very entertained.
Love the look of the movie as the videos are replicated to match the era.

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.

Bag of Bones (2011)

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Melissa George, Anabeth Gish
Director: Mick Garris


Premise:
After his wife dies, a writer spends some time at their lake house. While there he discovers he can communicate with his dead wife...and another spirit who curse a group of town folk long ago and is still seeking revenge.

My Take:
Not anywhere close to being as good as the source material, but then again it rarely ever is a movie based on Stephen King's work.
This was a miniseries that moved very slow until final thirty minutes. Brosnan was fantastic though and helped keep the story moving.

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 Shrine (2010)

Starring: Aaron Ashmore, Cindy Sampson
Director: Jon Knautz

Premise:
A group of journalists travel to Poland to find a missing person but instead stumble upon a cult out to protect a shrine in the middle of the forest.

My Take:
The flick had a nice twist towards the end. Everything else was rather average.

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.

Locke & Key: Welcome To Lovecraft (volume 1)

Author: Joe Hill
Artwork: Gabriel Rodriguez

Synopsis:
After their father is brutally murdered by a gang of teens, a family's lives are uprooted. The mother takes her three children to their father's hometown and the house he grew up in to try in an attempt to piece their lives back together. A house which holds many secrets and mysteries.

My Take:
A good beginning to is obviously a much bigger tale. A lot of ground work is laid. I liked the villains and felt loss for the family with their tragedy. With that said, I wanted a bit more. Looks like I'll have to tackle volume two at some point to see if I want to continue with the series.

Rating: In the middle (with plenty of potential)





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 8 (2011)

Starring: Kyle Chandler, Ron Elrad, Elle Fanning
Director: J.J. Abrams

Premise:
A group of young kids are making a movie when they film a horrible train accident. The Air Force immediately comes in for the clean up which coincides with many strange happenings in the town.

My Take:
The movie was not was I expected as I kept spoiler free. It resonated with the kid in me, since I would've have been close to the same age as the group of friends during the same period of time and had a found love of movies and monsters as in my youth.
The movie resonated with me on every level. A movie not to be missed.

Rating: So Good (very, very 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.

I Was A Teenage Zombie (1987)

Starring: Michael Rubin
Director: John Elias Michalakis


Synopsis:
A group of friends kill a drug dealer, then hide the body in toxic waste. The dealer returns as a zombie.

My Take:
Was this movie really released in 1987? It had to be filmed in the early 70's.
Anyways, it tries to be funny, but often fails. Not much gore either.
This one is really not interesting at all.

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.

The Slit Mouthed Woman (2005)

AKA: Kannô byôtô: nureta akai kuchibiru


Director: Takaaki Hashiguchi


Synopsis:
A ghost starts killing off people who are having sex.

My Take:
This "pink" film from Japan has a great creep factor and lots of sex.
The ghost kills one of two people having sex, then during the surviving person's next sexual encounter kills them, then goes after that partner, and so. And a reporter starts a story about the slit-mouth murder cases.
If you can stand the extremely long sex scenes, there is a decent story there.

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.

Kidnapped (2010)

AKA:Secuestrados

Director: Miguel Ángel Vivas


Premise:
On a family's first night in their new home, three criminals break in and hold them hostage until their banking accounts are emptied.

My Take:
A very intense movie, especially the final fifteen minutes. However there are way too many lags where nothing really happens but screaming by the victims. These long takes dont fit well with the pace and other editing. And a few things just do not make sense. Not good in a movie where logical maneuver are needed.
Take a chance as it not terrible. Perhaps you will like it better than I did.

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.

Forget Me Not (2009)

Starring: Carly Schroeder
Director: Tyler Oliver


Premise:
A vengeful spirit starts killing the friends of a girl who long ago wronged her.

My Take:
Predictable story. Annoying characters. Not a very interesting movie.

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.

Death Weekend (1976)

AKA: House By the Lake


Starring: Brenda Vaccaro, Don Stroud
Director: William Fruet


Synopsis:
A rich dentist and a model go to his country house for the weekend. They get piss off some local guys in a drag racing contest. The gang follows them and torment begins.

My Take:
The movie rather boring compared to modern standards in the home invasion sub-genre. A lot of bullying by the over the top villains.

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.

House of the Fallen (2008)

Starring: C. Thomas Howell, Corbin Bersen
Director: Robert Stephens


Premise:
A group of people decided to go to war with fallen angels who have taken the shape of humans and live among us.

My Take:

Rating:




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.

Monster Dog (1984)

Starring: Alice Cooper
Director: Clyde Anderson


Synopsis:
A rock star returns to his hometown, where a string of murders are taking place, to shoot his latest music video.

My Take:
The movie was made in Italy and has a Euro vibe to it. Plus all voices dubbed over, even The Coop's. Reminded me a little of Deliverance wrapped in a werewolf tale. Which surprisingly wasn't terrible as I didn't expect much.

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.

Sumpa (2009)

Director: Melvin Bitto


Premise:
After breaking up with his girlfriend, a man takes a vacation at a resort. There he meets a woman who is wrapped up in a curse.

My Take:
The movie good have been trimmed by 30 minutes and it would've been much more effective. Instead you must sit through long, meaningless scenes that do nothing but frustrate. Too bad, it's a decent ghost story even if it's a bit muddled.

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.

Chillerama (2011)

Starring: Richard Riehle, Ray Wise, Joel David Moore, Lin Shaye
Directors: Tim Sullivan, Adam Green, Joe Lynch,


Synopsis:
On the last remaining drive in theater's final night a business four lost movies are shown.

My Take:
A pretty good anthology collection. All the movies are very tongue in cheek and filled with humor and over the top gags. With titles like "Wadzilla", "I Was a Teenage Werebear", "The Diary of Anne Frankenstein", and "Zom-B-Movie" what else would one expect.
Nothing I'd watch again but a great way to kill a couple of hours.

Rating: In the middle (but a helluva of lot of fun to watch)






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 Nude Vampire (1970)

Director: Jean Rollin


Premise:
A man discovers a secret society which deals in sexual perversion and vampires.

My Take:
One of the more straight forward tales by the master of horror erotica still deals much more with the stylish aspect of film than the story. The director's trademark long shots of basically nothing but nude females tend to a tad get boring.

Rating: Warning (unless your a fan of the director)






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 Maid (2005)

Director: Kelvin Tong


Premise:
A foreign girl takes a job in Singapore as a maid for a Chinese Opera House. She is thrown in the middle of Chinese beliefs for the dead in the seventh lunar month, where the dead walk among the living. Soon she offends the spirits which leads to questions of what happened to the last maid.

My Take:
Not a bad a mystery wrapped up in the traditional Chinese belief. It moves rather slow and I could do without the voice over. Worth a watch.

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.

Midnight Movie (2008)

Starring: Rebekah Brandes
Director: Jack Messitt


Premise:
A midnight showing of an infamous cult movie from the 70's causes it maker to drop in on the audience. Too bad he escaped from a mental institution three years earlier.

My Take:
It's got all the things which makes a fine slasher movie: a memorable villain and buckets of gore. And it has a nice twist with the victims becoming part of the movie, even if there is no attempt to explain why.
The movie is good to watch, but not great.

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.

Not Forgotten (2009)

Starring: Simon Baker, Paz Vega, Chloë Grace Moretz,
Director: Dror Soref


Synopsis:
A man's daughter is kidnapped from the border town which they live. As the police search for the girl, they find out this upstanding citizen might be hiding a few secrets.

My Take:
Not so much horror but there are moments of satanic worship and some killing. What the movie ends up being is a decent mystery of a man searching for his missing daughter throw the seedy side of Mexico.

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.