The 8th Plague:
With a low budget and an amateur cast, an artist can pull off some amazing things when given half a decent chance. We’ve seen these stories a dozen times before, but The 8th Plague manages to do it well enough that it shouldn’t be dismissed half as easily as the couple dozen or so Direct to DVD releases from amateur horror enthusiasts. A young woman goes looking for her sister in an abandoned prison rumored to be haunted, accompanied by her friends, an officer, and a former Prison employee. An ancient evil lies in wait, possessing the people and turning them into bloodthirsty “Near-Zombies”… kind of a nod to “Prince of Darkness” more so than “Night of the Living Dead” or movies along those lines. The film really excels at pushing the boundaries of gore, though… splashing plenty of blood to satisfy most while also capturing the atmosphere of a Lovecraftian exploration of the Unknown and Unknowable. The pacing is excellent, the framing for several shots seem a little shocking with the technology they worked with, and the whole experience was enjoyable despite some really terrible acting.
3.5 out of 5.
What else I’ve watched this weekend:
Hatchet For the Honeymoon: Mario Bava film that I’ve seen the trailer for nearly a hundred times on other DVD’s and trailer compilations.
The Producers: The Musical remake with Matthew Broderick, a funny film but not nearly as riotously funny as the original film.
Plasterhead: A low-budget slasher film that tried neither to make sense nor be very good, and succeeded at both endeavors.
So, here's a question: When a horror movie uses the same plot/story/dialogue as about a bazillion other low-budget hack-n-slash jobs, it's ok. But when someone with a huge budget does it, it's not? You, sir, are a study in self-contradiction sometimes.
ReplyDeleteActually, you just wear your bias against big-budget movies on your sleeve. Perhaps not the best way to go about becoming a professional film-critic. Unless you focus on niche films.