In Their Skin
Directed by: Jeremy Power Regimbal
Starring: Selma Blair, Joshua Close, James D'Arcy, Rachel Miner
Struggling to cope with the death of their young daughter, Blair and Close head off to a remote home in the Pacific Northwest, attempting to save their marriage. There they meet neighbors D'Arcy and Miner who they invite to dinner. Unable to deal with their guests odd behavior, Blair and Close kick them out, only for them to return with guns and invade the couple's home.
D'Arcy played the role of Anthony Hopkins in the recent 'Hitchcock' biopic and his resemblance to the 'Psycho' star adds an extra element of creepiness to his role here. Sadly, he's really the only standout in an otherwise dull and cliched affair. The dinner scene is quite tense but the movie's second half does nothing new with its home invasion plot. The film is shot in ugly grey tones which are no doubt intended to reflect its somber mood but it makes for grim viewing in all the wrong ways.
3/10
Hollow
Directed by: Michael Axelgaard
Starring: Emily Plumtree, Sam Stockman, Matt Stokoe, Jessica Ellerby
Two young couples head off to the English countryside where one (Plumtree) has inherited the home of her deceased Grandfather, once the local priest. Plumtree is spooked out by the appearance of a tree which terrified her as a child. The subject of local legends, the tree seems to be a malevolent force intent on destroying anyone who comes into contact with it.
By this point, the found footage genre has well and truly shot its load. Recent sequels to found footage hits have opted to shun the technique in favor of traditional film-making, a sign that its been done to death. 'Hollow' is one of the worst examples of the sub-genre, most of its running time consisting of unwatchable, badly framed shots. The final twenty minutes are particularly tedious, taking place inside a broken down car. There's only so long you can look at an out-of-focus car seat.
Please, put this fad to sleep.
1/10
Bad Kids Go to Hell
Directed by: Matthew Spradlin
Starring: Judd Nelson, Ben Browder, Amanda Alch
In this horror take on 'The Breakfast Club' (featuring an appearance by Judd Nelson), six high school kids are forced to spend their Saturday in detention. One by one they die from what seem like freak accidents. Could the spirit of an Indian chief, cheated out of his land by the school's founder, be responsible?
Combining the eighties' teen staple with a spam-in-a-cabin plot-line should make for a fun little horror romp but this turkey, adapted from director Spradlin's own comic book, is more concerned with plot twists than low-budget thrills. Most of the film consists of the kids, none of which are remotely likeable, screaming at each other. A flashback structure attempts to inject some humor but falls flat.
Perhaps unruly high-schoolers could be forced to watch this bore rather than sit detention?
The Movie Waffler