Gone (2012)

Starring: Amanda Seyfried
Director: Heitor Dhalia

Premise:
Nearly a year after her abduction, where the culprit was never caught and the police couldn't find much evidence, a girl's sister goes missing and she suspects the abductor has returned.

My Take:
I feel like this movie is full of too many holes in the script and head scratching "why?" moments. I found myself wondering how it got made.
It's full of great character actors showing up for a scene or two then disappear. Amanada Seyfried is outstanding as the lead.
Maybe if I shut off all logic the film would have been more enjoyable.

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.

Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971)

Starring: Ralph Bates, Martine Beswick
Director: Roy Ward Baker


Premise:
A doctor searches for the way to prolong life through an elixer made from female hormones. The side effect turns the doctor into an evil female who battles for the doctor's soul.

My Take:
The movie is an interesting mesh on Jekyll & Hyde with Jack the Ripper. The way the transformation was filmed comes off as very effective with minimal special effects.
It's a likeable flick to watch from Hammer Studios but nothing really pushes it to the upper echelon. 

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.

Apartment 143 (2012)

AKA: Emergo

Starring: Michael O'Keefe, Rick Guzman, Fiona Glascott, Kai Lennox
Director: Carles Torrens

Premise:
A single father suspects his apartment is haunted. He calls in paranormal experts to investigate.

My Take:
The movie is shot through the paranormal team's cameras. It gives the movie the "found footage" feel without really being in the subgenre. 
I enjoyed a rather unique take on the approach of the investigating team. They ingest the entire situation and get to the secrets behind the family before coming to a conclusion as to why these events are occurring. 
However, the last 15 seconds really turned me off and discredited much of every thing seen before it. And for me prevented the movie from set apart from many of its counterparts.

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 Tall Man (2012)

Starring: Jessica Biel, Jodell Ferland, Stephanie McHattie
Director: Pascal Laugier

Premise:
In a poverty stricken town, several children have gone missing over the years. The locals say a entity called "The Tall Man" is responsible. A widowed nurse searches for answers after her child is taken.

My Take:
The above premise only takes up about a third of the movie. To talk about any more would give away the surprises. Lets just say the movie turns into something much different by the end.
Go into this without knowing what lies ahead and you might be surprised.

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.

God Bless America (2011)

Starring: Joel Murray, Tara Lynn Barr
Director: Bobcat Goldthwait

Premise:
A terminally ill man who is sick of so-called celebrities with no talent goes on a killing spree to wipe them out. Along the way he picks up a teenage girl who shares his value.

My Take:
Goldthwait as a writer and director makes some extremely dark comedies. No exception here. A great social commentary on the "new" fifteen minutes of fame and how reality television is shaping the country.
Great dialog, though at times a bit preachy, in this smart script with solid performances. A tad bit of gore adds to the fun.

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 Loved Ones (2009)

Starring: Robin McLeavy, Xavier Samuel
Director: Sean Byrne

Premise:
A high school senior, grieving over his father's death and emotional distant mother, plans on going to the prom with his girlfriend. However a secret admirer has other plans from him.

My Take:
This movie sure takes you on a wild ride and it has one of the most notorious villains in recent memory.
The characters are fleshed out nicely with emotional reasons behind their actions. There is also sort of a story within a story going on with the lead character's best friend prom experience which connects to the main story.
Humorous at times, very violent, and disturbing.

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 Nesting (1981)

Starring: Robin Groves,
Director: Armand Weston

Premise:
A writer with agoraphobia moves into an old house which my be haunted.

My Take:
The movie has some stylish moment and a decent premise but many of the scenes last way to long. In the end, there just isn't enough substance here.

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.

Shadows (2007)

AKA: Senki

Director: Milcho Manchevski


Premise:
A young man gets into a horrible car accident and attempts to put his life back together in the shadow of his successful, dominating mother and his marriage on the verge of failure.

My Take:
What makes this basic plot very interesting is the way it is presented. The story is disjointed and edited so a mystery is created concerning the elements in this man life: an old woman with a eerie message, a young woman he may be falling in love with, his wife who is having an affair, and his rehabilitation. It all pays off in the end to a very likeable flick.

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.