Antarctica Journal (2005)

AKA: Namgeuk-ilgi

Starring: Kang-ho Song
Director: Pil-Sim Yung


Premise:
A group of explorers from South Korea attempt to reach Antarctic Point of Inaccessibility, a place only conquered one other time in 1958 by Russia. Along the journey the team finds a a journal from a British exploring team from the 1920's. Then things get strange as the team battles the elements, each other, and their own sanity in order to reach the destination.

My Take:
The movie has many good qualities working for it. A strong cast, the over all story of fear and determination under adverse conditions, the isolated atmosphere created, and the cinematography are included in these qualities. However I was a bit dissatisfied with the ending. Guess I wanted more or at least a different resolution. And for me that's what hinders the flick from being extremely good.


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.

Werewolf: A Beast Amoung Us (2012)

Starring: Stephen Rhea, Ed Quinn, Steven Bauer, Nina Peeples
Director: Louis Morneau


Premise:
A group of werewolf hunters travel to town to take out a beast.

My Take:
This just isn't really a good movie. There seems to be chunks of the movie edited out that advance what little the plot. It's fairly simply to figure out who is the werewolf, despite all the red herrings. Plus throw in a stupid (and unnecessary) twist in the final act.


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.

V/H/S (2012)

Starring: Calvin Reeder, Joe Swanberg, Hannah Fierman, Simon Barrett, Helen Rogers, Jas Sams
Director: Ti West, David Bruckner, Joe Swanberg, Glenn McQuaid, Radio Silence, Adam Wingard


Premise:
A group of small time criminals are hired to steal a rare VHS tape from an old man's home. Once they get the tape, they find some strange videos on it.

My Take:
An anthology series where most of the stories are solid. Yes, there are a couple of logic gaps in a couple of the tales but over all this is a strong outing.

"Amateur Night" - Three guys want to film themselves having a one night stand with a girl who ends up being a demon.
-- This was my favorite story.

"Second Honeymoon" - A couple travel through the Southeast on a second honeymoon and find a person is stalking them.
-- Some decent tension but nothing special

"10/31/98" - A group of friends go to a Halloween party and end up in a haunted house.
-- Cool special effects and just the over all chaos makes this segment enjoyable.

"The Sick Thing That Happened To Emily When She Was Younger" - A women thinks her apartment is haunted and asks her boyfriend to watch her via internet chat.
-- A strong tale with a twist ending that leads me to wanting to know more

"Tuesday the 17th" - A group of college friends head to a secluded lake for the weekend. They find out one of them escaped a killer from here years earlier and she is using them as bait to draw out the killer.
-- Kind of a unique story that had lots of gore

"Tape 56" - The wrap around story described above.
--An average segment with no redeeming characters but it does its job.


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.

Murders In the Zoo (1933)

Starring: Randolph Scott, Lionell Atwill
Director: A. Edward Sutherland


Premise:
A jealous husband murders the lover of his unfaithful wife during a dinner party held at a zoo.

My Take:
Not much of mystery nor is there anything too horrific, unless you fear snakes. But for the time period it's not terrible. Sometimes it can refreshing to watch an old timey movie just to see how much society has changed.

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 Knight Rises (2012)

Starring: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard
Director: Christopher Nolan


Premise:
Eight years have passed since Batman exiled himself to save Gotham City. A masked terrorist named Bane enters and takes over the city favoring anarchy over the wealthy and powerful. It's time for Batman to resurface to save Gotham once again.

My Take:
The latest Dark Knight trilogy has always had some horror undertones running through it. This one is no exception. There is the chaos of a mob mentality inflicted on the innocent once a madman gets control leading to the fear of falling in line or dying.
Batman has always been my favorite superhero. Probably because there is nothing super about him. He's simply a wealthy man with a lot of expensive toys who has trained himself in fighting and those chose to take out the criminal element.
While not my favorite of the trilogy, this is a dark and brooding movie which sets up an interesting follow up... should the movie studio choose to ever make it.

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.

Ebola Syndrome (1996)

AKA:  Yi Boh Lai Beng Duk

Starring: Anthony Wong Chau-Sang
Director: Herman Yau


Premise:
A man commits murder then flees to South Africa to avoid the law. Ten years later he rapes a local tribes woman and contracts the Ebola Virus. After starting an outbreak there, and being wanted by the authorities, he returns to Hong Kong only to start the same.

My Take:
At the core of this very over the top and gory movie is a realistic showing of how easy an epidemic can spread. Which is frightening. Combine that with some truly disgusting scenes and a very unlikable villain in the lead and make this an entertaining movie 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.

Piranha 3DD (2012)

Starring: Danielle Panabaker, David Koechner, Katrina Bowden, Christopher Lloyd, Ving Rhames, David Hasselhoff, Gary Busey
Director: John Gulager


Premise:
A spawn of prehistoric piranha make their way to an unsuspecting town via underground rivers and land on the opening of a strip club/water park.

My Take:
The movie doesn't take anything too seriously. Unfortunately, that includes the script which is full of nonsense and cardboard cut-out characters. It's too bad because of the good cast.
The best scenes are David Hasselhoff making fun of himself. There's also plenty of gore and nudity (if that's what you're looking for).

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.

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970)

AKA: Valerie a Ttýden Divu

Director: Jaromil Jires


Premise:
Young Valerie has started to enter womanhood as a mysterious band of travelers arrive to the town she lives in and fills it with sexuality and fear.

My Take:
Though the movie is filled with horror elements such as vampires, the dead, and religious fear there and a lot of horror imagery, the is more odd fairy tale about a young girl becoming a woman (she has her first period and suddenly finds herself the object of sexual desire while still retaining her youthful innocence).
It's rather unique tale that is rather hard to describe and has a place in cinema history.

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.