Ilsa, The Wicked Warden (1979)

Starring: Dyanne Thorne, Jesus Franco, Lina Romay
Director: Jess Franco


Premise:
Having escaped her past sins, Ilsa runs a secluded mental hospital. A girl gets intentionally committed so she find out what happened to her sister.

My Take:
Probably one of the worst movies in the Isla series even if it's filled with the familiar over the top gory scenes, naked women, and torture. 

Rating:Warning

 




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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Dredd (2012)

Starring: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headley
Director: Peter Travis


Premise:
In the future,  cops roam the crime field streets as police, judge, jury, and executioner. Dredd is assigned the task to wipe out a new drug and its distributor while evaluating a new rookie.

My Take:
About halfway through I found myself disinterested in the outcome of the movie. Cops gets trapped in a high rise of a drug dealer and must shoot their way out to survive. Definite carnage and blood shed ensues. Along with some predictability. However Headley performance as the crazed Ma-Ma does shine until the end

Rating: In the middle (with a slight warning to non fans of the character)


Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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Hemlock Groove (2013)

Starring: Famke Janssen, Lili Taylor, Bill Skarsgård, Landon Liboiron, Dougray Scott,  Penelope Mitchell, Kandyse McClure, Freya Tingley, Aaron Douglass


Premise:
A girl is mutilated in a small town where speculation turns to the gypsy kid and his mother who only just arrived with rumors of being a werewolf. He makes friends with the son of the wealthiest family in town, who can control people's mind, to track down the killer.

My Take:
I still dont really know what to make of this series. It is engaging and interesting and frustrating and confusing. Each episode hooked me enough to get to the next but at the conclusion I was rather bewildered at how it wrapped up and where it may go if there is a season two. There's a girl who thinks an angel got her pregnant, secrets surrounding the wealthy family, crazy experiments done by their company's head doctor, a werewolf hunter arriving in town, a deformed and monstrous girl (who is the daughter of the wealthy family) and plenty of other side stories to keep one intertested...or baffled.


Rating: In the middle



Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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Sweatshop (2011)

Starring: Ashely Kay, Peyton Wetzel, Julin
Director: Stacy Davidson


Premise:
A group of youngster break into an abandoned warehouse to throw a party. They are unaware the warehouse is the home of hammer swinging maniac.

My Take:
Not much to this one. Bad characters, bad story, and a bad villian fills the screen. There is lots of splatter, which does look pretty good and is about the only saving grace of the flick.

Rating: Warning

 




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
An affiliate of http://seankimmel.com/

Mama (2013)

Starring: Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Director: Andrés Muschietti


Premise:
Two young girls are found in the woods five years after their father killed their mother and took them their. The girls say that "Mama" kept them safe while there. The girls go to live with their uncle and his girlfriend trying to adjust to their new life but "Mama" keeps making appearances.

My Take:
There's a lot to like with the movie as it's not really a typical vengenful ghost story. It's skillfully directed with a lot happening in the background and looks amazing. Plus the kid actors are great as they are transformed from wild creature like state back to some what normal. It's even a little heartbreaking at the end.

Rating: So Good


 




Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
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Paranormal Xperience (2011)

Director: Sergi Vizcaino


Premise:
A group of students go to an abandoned mining town said to be haunted in search of proof in the after life.

My Take:
While the film looks great there isn't much as far as substance goes. I found it to be very bland and boring.

Rating: Steaming Pile





Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
An affiliate of http://seankimmel.com/

Hollow (2012)

Starring: Emily Plumtree, Matt Stokoe, Sam Stockman, Jessica Ellerby
Director: Michael Axelgaard


Premise:
Two couples head to a remote village to explore a myth surrounding a twisted tree and the spirit inhabiting it which makes young couples commit suicide.

My Take:
The movie goes down the same roads as The Blair Witch with first person, camcorder shots and not revealing the evilness until right at the end (and even then it's a little murky). It does a good job of creating tension between the characters and the environment. While there is definitely a few scares, it seems I've similar scenes too often before.

Rating: In the middle






Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
An affiliate of http://seankimmel.com/

Dark Tower: The Long Road Home [Vol. 2]

Author: Robin Furth
Artist: Jae Lee


Premise:
The three gunslingers try to ride to safety as The Big Coffin Hunters are hot on their trail. To make matters worse, Roland gets sucked into Maerlyn's Grapefruit where he must battle demons of his own.

My Take:
An great entry into the series as the relationship between Roland and The Crimson King is revealed.

Rating: So Good





Fringes of Horror by Sean Kimmel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
An affiliate of http://seankimmel.com/