Man Bites Dog (1992)

Behaviorists take note; casual viewers be forewarned

By: JWBM

This is a loose combination of satire and comedy that's as dark as they come. Going in, one's skin should be impenetrable to the point of being armor plated. The main character candidly jokes about thievery and murder—kids, elderly, midgets—then goes out to celebrate after over a round of drinks. It's cold, it's savage, it's everything the 99% of the population doesn't want to grow up to be, though one can't pull their eyes and ears away for what mayhem and devastation happens next. I mean, take the title: the phrase was coined over a hundred years ago and still persists to this day as to what's favored on the local news. Death and destruction gives rise, it creates fear, it establishes an odd sensation that can become obsessive and replayed in loops. It begs the question: Is that what we want to see? It's what sells, right? I'm here writing about it and you're here reading about it. Consider this round on me.

"Man Bites Dog" comes as a cross between a mockumentary and reality TV episode before the popularity sunk in. Instead of listening to a pretty and practiced newsperson reporting the heinous crimes after the fact, you get to experience them one ugly moment at a time and with motivations to boot. A crew of three follows around a charming Belgium, French-speaking gentleman, who has a lovable mother and grandparents, but also happens to be a professional thief and remorseless serial killer. Benoit, or Ben, as his friends call him, is an anomaly: a sort of likable jerk that's looking for some relatability in acts that are ultimately unrelatable.

Benoit is openly caring and giving to those held closely to his dark heart, but also ruthless and blindly hateful to anyone else convenient enough to shoot or strangle. He's always dressed to perfection. This allows him to go undetected—going as far as taking out a postman in broad day light, and a lonely elderly women at your everyday apartment building. He's full of a strange wit, grab-your-attention anecdotes, and a certain code to it all. But like a spider who carefully places his web to the wind, he tends to control the situation and express bullying demands once someone gets snared.

A portion of "Man Bites Dog" feels structured, while the rest feels loosely improvised. The main actor—Benoit, who uses his real name like the rest of the actors—gives nuance to the character and truly pulls off the many moods of this dominating personality that envelopes those around him into a whirlwind of his unorthodox lifestyle. The rest of the cast, let's just say, are typically thrown in front of the camera and have their ups and downs. Like any candid feature, you get it all: whether it's being shocking or entertaining one moment, light-hearted the next, or just "is." To help solidify the mood of a documentary, it has this unrefined black and white quality, not to mention a share of the shots seem to be predominately real locations.

Once the lights are turned on you won't believe it happened, but with its strengths and imperfections combined, it has a certain swaying power while it pans out. It goes beyond just a simple gimmick to sell another video tape; it has a developed nature to it, and tends to innovate within itself. This is a truly unique venture that came and went with its black magic, but managed to leave a memorable mark behind still being transcribed to this day. It's depraved, it's eye-opening, it's hilarious, it's everything you shouldn't be admitting to being captivated by. But here we are basking in its dark aura. Another round, please. This one is on you.



Rating: 9/10

Director: Remy Belvaux, Andre Bonzel, Benoit Poelvoorde
Actors: Benoit Poelvoorde, Remy Belvaux, Jacqueline Poelvoorde-Pappaert
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link

The Exorcist III (1990)

I believe in pain, death, injustice, and inhumanity

By: JWBM

Some come into this world with the intention of making a comfortable place or establishing a name for themselves. Others come into this world with the intention of destroying those same hopes and dreams. Some civilized folk form a fragile life for themselves of family, bond, and love. This thing of the shadows shatters all sense of security and spits on anything resembling value or sensibility. We're dealing with an entity void of emotion, compassion, forgiveness, or any shred of what's conceived as "good." It's the antithesis of holy, and filled with a raging fire to make every action come with a personal brand of hate and loathing. It might take someone who's numb and cynical to it all: someone who hasn't gone weak in the stomach, or isn't shy about seeing the world for what it really is to have a chance to fight back.

A lieutenant, William Kinderman, is investigating a series of meticulous murders that make even the most notorious serial killer look like a sloppy amateur. The crime scenes radiate with an ice cold cruelty; as if there's a higher predatory intellect toying with them. This is a story that's the equivalent of staring evil in the face and having it stare back with tormented, unflinching eyes. If you've ever stayed up late pondering what lurks out there waiting for your guard to be down, you will find it here crawling on the ceiling or standing behind you with razor sharp shears. This is evil of the purist kind. Unabashedly profane and blasphemous in every sense: there is no balance to this kind of wretchedness. It's at the far end of the spectrum where your surroundings are pitch black except for glowing red eyes and a dangerous means to expunge any morals in the world. Grab your cross tightly and don't let go, because this is the stuff people question their faith over, not to mention what the most hellish of nightmares are written about.

This could be looked at as a story of black versus white. Though traditional holy tactics don't always work here, nor do all of the staples that unholy means fall back on. It gives it more dynamic than a you're-only-on-the-left-side, and you're-only-on-the-right-side kind of story. Some of us often wonder what the battle of heaven and hell would look like. Visually it's been occasionally depicted as organized chaos. A busy scene of art that is as glorious as it is eye-opening. Each sword finds its mark and each person knows their place and purpose. One aspect these depictions sometimes lack is that real aspect of fear, grit, and cold-blooded savagery that weighs on the back of someone going to war. This film is entertaining first and foremost, though it's also capable of making you look over your shoulder and clench your teeth from a side never before seen or imagined. It's also chillingly relatable: some may recognize the streets here, the familiar language and mannerisms, or even just everyday mundane aspects now looked at as a little jaded. This is your home town. Where else would the battle of battles take place? But to the familiar places we experience.

"The Exorcist III" found itself in a unique position. It's a sequel for one, that came out after a poor excuse for a second movie at that. The first film was groundbreaking in every sense. The second was a pitiful cash grab that failed in more than one way. The author, William Peter Blatty, however, decided to take back control of his creative work and write a sequel to his 1971 book. "The Exorcist III" is based on the novel "Legion" from 1983, and is the true sequel to the first. Admittedly, when I caught this film after the fact in the 2000s I wasn't sure what to expect, but was then blown away at how effective of a horror experience this was. Especially coming out a good 17 years after the first. I've read both books. The first book is on par with the film. Though, with the second book, I feel the movie ended up being more powerful for its sense of putting you in the moment instead of the constant ramblings from Kinderman that were ultimately distracting. In the film they seem to be more balanced out.

There are certain conveniences here to piece together some scenes. That might be the innocence of author-turned-director William Peter Blatty. Though there are so many scenes that lead up to something memorable, not to mention how effective the overall mood is, that I often overlook them. While the film is no doubt littered with atmosphere and symbolism, there is a certain type of dry humor sprinkled in to lighten up the dark portions. Guess it's to make it so your nightmares are a little more cheery than all-out harsh. Kinderman has a thick skin and a sense of sarcasm from being unshielded to the ugliness of the world on a daily basis. If not for his ability to compartmentalize, it makes you wonder how or why he decided to establish a family in this world.

Another aspect that deserves an award in itself is the use of sound effects and suggestions. It's so effective that I have false memories of this being more violent and visually disturbing than what was actually shown. The direction is also daring in that it's not afraid to go there. I mean, other horror films typically have a certain truce or a pause that gives balance, while this makes it so recognizably safe havens are now filled with looming shadows and memories of terror. Anywhere from a church confessional, a hospital, to even your own kitchen after a day's hard work.

The performances by both George C. Scott and Brad Dourif where simply amazing. Some horror films out there are held together or lopsided by the direction, cinematography, effects, settings, or the soundtrack. While this does the same to enhance the experience and fill in the gaps, it also finds itself in a unique position of having excellent acting by the two leads. Scott, as Lt. Kinderman, isn't spewing line after line, though he brings a certain presence and command to the role each time he's on screen. As if he could turn towards the viewer and be commanding enough for them to get up off the couch and do it. Dourif—as the Gemini killer—on the other hand, is nothing but lines, but delivers them with unique emphasis on syllables and with the tone of his voice that it seems to bypass making the little hairs stick up, and dig deeper to chill your bones.

This is a horror film that I wish I made. It's a film that some other films wish they could have been. It broke down a barrier from some '80s films that had shameless, on-purpose trends and what-was-happening moments, to usher in a wave of horror that felt genuinely horrifying. Recommended in every sense for a truly frightening, enveloping experience that is sure to stick with you afterwards.

Rating: 9.5/10

Director: William Peter Blatty
Actors: George C. Scott, Brad Dourif
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link

Blood Ties (2009)

Overeager students, shady faculty and a masked killer in the midst

Back in '85, a reporter named Michael Archer and his significant other were heinously killed. He uncovered a scandal that accused a football coach at Hollow's Pointe University named De Luca and a quarterback named Jake "The Snake" for the Red Devils for accepting a bribe from a rival school to throw the game. Eighteen murders and twenty something years later, a group of students decide to write a paper surrounding the subject to four staff member's panic who still work at the school. They're trying to figure out how to silence the students that made the connection when one of the shady staff gets brutally slain after hours at the school. The group of youngsters put their lives at risk to investigate further, as well as the remaining staff try to stop the slayings in order to save face from their past involvement that's resurfacing. Yep, no one here are police advocates, because their egos might just be bigger than the killer's blade.


"Blood Ties" was no doubt made by a couple of diehard, aspiring movie nerds that are probably so wrapped up in celluloid that the brightest light they've seen in years is the stage light shining down on their locked away set. The result is a pure cinema invention so far gone from the real world that it feels about as overly coincidental and far fetched to be a Scooby Doo like story for adults. Depending how easy you are, it still comes with a quicker pacing and, apart from some confusing plot twists, a share is laid out to do the work for you. These amateur students are brighter than detectives that have been at it for twenty years and connect dots in a short amount of time like it was a cakewalk between their rambunctious partying and jokes.

The performers have moments of being over-the-top and exaggerated and it's hard to say if they're just badly acting or it's on purpose--possibly both--to get an instant reaction from a viewer than a gradual one that will grow. Jason Carter is the most believable of the bunch as their British accented professor named Fredericks who taught them the ropes but is now their rival in the ring. The story feels like it combines parts of an episode of a soap opera murder mystery, a generic slasher, a softcore porno and a trendy National Lampoons movie into one. The tone feels all over the place: one moment cartoonishly surreal, raunchy with sexual references and drugs, the next serious with melodrama and danger, or be it sarcastic and tongue-in-cheek. The filmmakers show they have an array of potential for future projects but it feels like they tried to make several movies at the same time without always being tuned in as to how to put them together cohesively so the audience could get some breathing room and move at the same time as it's speeding by them.


This has a lot of personality but it feels like one too many inside jokes that aren't always enough for outsiders to fully enjoy what's so funny, cool or exciting. Maybe on the third time or with a cast member to shed some light from coming on too hard and too fast the first go. Some are obvious, such as "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" rivalries, but still feel too random and misplaced regardless. A frat party where a guy does magic tricks that converts money and makes a girl's top disappear, had to do with what again? Or just little odd comments and banter that seem to come out of nowhere. Their brand of humor feels like a YouTube video with an actual budget that's more for long time friends and family of the participants that would get them more than a newcomer.

I can see where "Blood Ties" was going: to give a little pep before they get to the usual darker elements, but the late transition over doesn't always make this tension filled, shocking or scary, not to mention the audience could really care less when the characters get knocked off because they were just pure and simple entertainment monkeys prior to switching over tones. After going through the filmmakers channel surfing for the first half, it narrows down to a more serious and steadier picture as shown in the trailer--definitely misrepresented before that--where upstarting ambitions, built up reputations, tarnished pasts and the innocent and guilty have their lives hanging in the balance from an omnipresent homicidal maniac with a mask and superhuman strength. Some answers come about with an over-the-top explanation while others are brushed under the rug for brevity's sake. It includes an ambiguous finale that seems more a sacrifice for getting your senses riled in the direct moment rather than lining up 100%.




Rating: 3.5/10

Director: Nathaniel Nose (Talent)
Link: IMDB

In My Sleep (2009)

Sleep kills: trust no one...including yourself

Marcus has a disorder in which he sleep walks and is able to perform different activities--such as getting frisky with different women and dumping them later--but then has no recollection after the fact and usually wakes up naked somewhere else. After regretfully sleeping with Ann--his best friend Justin's wife who is also his boss at the day spa--he sees a doctor who tells him he has a rare condition called parasomnia. The headstrong playboy enrolls in a sex addiction group to calm his pants-open-for-business-24/7 ways but keeps getting distractions from women in the L.A. scene. At his birthday party, with various ladies he can't remember that Justin invited from his address book, he receives an anonymous gift of a knife and a mysterious card. Soon enough he wakes up with bloody hands and that same knife along with the police banging at this door from a 911 hang up call. Justin's wife Ann is dead from stab wounds and all evidence points to him or someone who wants to use or back stab him from screwing them over in the past. And the list is long...

This is more lighter and charismatic than other murder mysterious that travel on the darker side with stern expressions and graver encounters. It's oddly quirky and upbeat with a brand of awkward humor and situations that play it more safe than overly dangerous or gratuitous. It's PG-13, so there's no cursing, nudity and no gore but just blood and suggestion. "In My Sleep" feels like a far-fetched TV pilot with so many various coincidental threads all happening at the same time but the movie has a lot of personality to show for itself in the form of pure entertainment. What helps is there isn't a lot of down time to think if something's exaggerated or not and the gears of the story, editing and direction are usually greased to keep the engine running smoothly.

The emotions and expressions take it more in stride than stepping over to be a straight drama. So while people are getting mishandled and killed, the performers don't always go full fledged, which keeps the pacing lively and moving forward with more to do or say than getting stuck. The main driving point is its mystery element with a series of clues and characters to meet along the way that are kept interesting as well as potential suspects, such as his overly helpful neighbor and a newly met doctor at the meetings. Then there are those that you don't see that might be working in the shadows, along with a past history with the disorder involving nightmarish visions that keep leading to Marcus' late father and off put mother. There are a few overextended scenes, others that overreached and some of the jokes cross the line into sitcom territory without the laugh track. Though there are enough bread crumbs and red herrings tossed about to keep one hungry till the pay off when it all gets unraveled with a few different threads of deceit coming out in the open.

I found this to be an interesting concept, as it's a film--something in the vicinity of "Memento" with memory loss but not as hard edged--where a person can't trust themselves if they'll use others, never mind those around them who they can't trust that will use them back. The tension isn't always palpable and it's an easy popcorn type fare though to its credit it's largely unpredictable and unmuddled. It's not the tightest character study piece but it still comes with some relating aspects to think about with trust and maintaining relationships of friends, family and romance. Not to mention there are plenty of "what would you do if that happened to you?" kind of scenarios that makes this a diverting experience that's definitely worth at least a watch.

Rating: 7/10

Director: Allen Wolf (Harlem Grace)
Stars: Philip Winchester, Tim Draxl, Lacey Spencer, Abigail Spencer, Kelly Overton
Link: IMDB

She's Crushed (2009)

Like a Venus Fly Trap

This is what "Neighbor" from the same year wanted to be with a pretty, young female doing ugly things with the audience helpless, only to watch in horror. The twisted background, the lunatic motivational factor and the stark conclusion that's a sum of its parts is here instead of just making a straight set up for blood and guts. This isn't as meticulously gory but still definitely violent and gruesome when it wants to be. This isn't a film for everybody due to giving off a horrible feeling with no sympathetic/rooting characters to brace yourself on as a viewer. There's nothing positive here and if there's anything to learn it hits the message out of the park, right to your door step and with a signature of who and where it came.


A man named Ray meets a woman named Tara by chance when giving her a helping hand with a heavy item just outside of his work, only to get in trouble at his job as a result of being late. Tara is back again after work and he decides to have a drink with what looks to be an easy going and inviting woman, but then gets in trouble for other reasons with his actual girlfriend Maddy who's been pressuring him to step it up with her and also his child. He heads over to the bar and gets into a wild altercation where his past wheel-chair bound war buddy goes too far. Tara picks him up outside in a drunken stupor and brings him back to her house for a one night stand. Without remembering a thing, he sheepishly leaves, reconciles with his girlfriend about disagreements and thinks it's all past. Except Tara is not the typical love-me, leave-me type of girl. She's intensely obsessive and doesn't take Ray's snubs and defensive behavior as anything but that he'll come around to see it her way or else his life and anyone who knows him is going to be a living hell.


Natalie Dickinson, who plays Tara, takes on the sadistic, sociopathic and highly destructive role with some notable merit: some of it in the editing room with her best angles, some of it with a longer scene to carry her own. There are a few missteps where she goes from nice--as if she actually wants a relationship--to then crazy--as if she just wants to hurt others--but with the audience getting steered off track of her actual motivation. Where she's effective is one moment she's appealing to the eye, but then in the next you're hating yourself for getting lured in. After establishing Ray, this focuses on Tara and her day to day with some atmosphere in between. There are some darkly humorous lines (her victim pees herself while tied up): "Jesus, Ray, she's not even house trained." There's also some comic relief by the co-worker of Ray, Donnie (real life stand-up comedian Keith Malley), who does the resident pervert guy with a share of charming diversion.


Swedish actor Henrik Norlen has some flubs with an accent and his performance as Ray is more or less carried by the story than sticking out to make it more than it is. The character could have came with a little more conviction when opportunity knocks at his door, only deciding to hide behind the blinds as if it'll all go away by itself. In other words, this wouldn't have happened to your neighborhood "Bubba": the guy who doesn't have a problem giving a woman a lickin' and polishing his hunting rifle any chance he gets. The message seems to lie a little more so on the audience than the male character it's happening to. But that might have been the point, that Tara, who's done this before, picked him as the perfect person to use: a weaker, selfish individual that didn't look like he had the strength to turn around his life, never mind saving the day.


As an independent film without all of the means at its disposal it's not a tight and tidy experience all the way through, although a share of this does work for something that has already been done before anywhere from "Play Misty for Me" to "Audition." It mostly sticks to the basics but leaves a few head-scratching threads too open to interpretation about Tara's past relationship with her parents and a prior traumatic incident. I have to give them credit for having the film build on itself and by being able to keep the audience engaged throughout with a gradual flow. I can only imagine a share of other filmmakers would either go to the hilt too soon or be too tame for what could potentially happen. The film does have some point blank scenes that jump right into it, though it also has some various levels of uncomfortableness and use of anticipation to make the audience just as unsafe as the characters on screen. These last two don't require gore, so it was a nice little balancing trick to keep the viewer busy with other modes. It's a movie that takes a huge risk of losing its audience completely. At first it'll win the viewer over with human drama or be it morbid curiosity, then screw them over, win, then back to kicking them when down again. This turns into one dark and depressing movie as a result that's not for the viewer who's used to leaning on a hero for safety's sake.


The musical cues go from contrasting but complimentary to then conflictingly matched, such as a gruesome scene with some kind of pop number over top. Maybe they were trying to do something similar to "American Psycho" to get a vibe of the times or didn't want to make it too grim, though it can be annoyingly positive sounding. There's relating points for the beginning half that a share of us can nod our head to for hookups and relationships. Then the film turns over to make this more of a cinematic horror experience with a number of exceptional events. As the situations graduate into more extreme levels, it becomes over-the-top and doesn't feel like it could actually happen. But where it replaces a cold, hard reality, the atmosphere still feels somewhat surreal in the way events turn for the worst: like a nightmare that's never woken up from. The scenarios work within its own twisted world despite going well over the message of sleeping around with the wrong person and being an unappreciative, unproductive person in general. If this is pouring salt in the wound, then Ray's character got buried in a suffocating, inescapable tomb of it. "Next time things will be different" isn't a phrase that's uttered here.

Rating: 6.5/10

Director: Patrick Johnson (SideFX)
Stars: Natalie Dickinson, Henrik Norlen, Caitlin Wehrle, Keith Malley, Robert Paschall Jr.
Link: IMDB

Smash Cut (2009)

Homage to Herschell

Opening with a quote and a short speech from the godfather of gore Herschell Gordon Lewis himself and you should be able to guess what you're in store for: something most likely sleazy, over-the-top and thoroughly campy. Yep, yep and yep--all except nudity despite having a former porn star actress in a main role. This does have gore with purposely cheap effects to give it that seminal look (no pun intended) before some techniques were readily available. This Canadian feature is a movie-within-a-movie that delivers gags on the behind the scenes of making low budget pictures--how it's a love/hate relationship or how it can attract an artistic/sensational mind set--along with some audience/critic reactions to them. It's a heavily inspired throwback to the lower budget features in the'60s/'70s when some films were getting eccentrically experimental and then others more and more trashy by the year for new rules upstarting filmmakers could break. This isn't going to be a trailblazer by any means but more at having an unchallenged time, though possibly a little too much of an easy time to make it completely work.



I remember having a laugh with and at the director's "Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter" where the bearded, sandaled holy man in the modern day uses kung fu to take out evil, though "Smash Cut" is never so fun, humorous or ironic to be above what it's throwing jabs at. It tries hard--too hard--to be weird, random and a personality of its own, all the while letting you know that they know you know. Maybe in this case it was a little too close to the subject matter. Neither is it other qualities that would make it more entertaining such as mysterious or coming with elements of surprise or suspense. It's a reclusive film that leaves little room open for interpretation. The main mode it concentrates on is a brand of situational comedy with odd events thrown in surrounding its main character. It purposely tries to be a "it's so bad, it's good" movie yet doesn't fully overcome its bad points to cross back over. A lot of respect is given for the effort than the same tired thing but it feels like a failed science experiment in the end that has bits and pieces of merit but without enough charm to salvage and compensate for its total remains.

The story was most likely inspired by Lewis's "Color Me Blood Red." More modern audiences will also notice similarities to "The Last Horror Film" mixed with one of the better "Tales from the Crypt" episodes called "Easel Kill Ya." A hack director named Able Whitman (David Hess) makes terrible movies that even the scummiest of cinema goers despise. "Sooo fake!" they say. An answer literally falls into his lap when he drives a stripper home in a drunken state, only to crash and kill her. Not wanting to pass up the chance, he films her dead body and gets the respect he craves for how realistic the "props" look. As these type of pictures typically turn out, the crazed character in question can't get enough and has to do it over and over again till someone can put a stop to their increasingly diabolical ways. What was once tried and true turns over to writing the current edition of 'How to Go Through the Motions Like the Transitions Don't Matter' by just jumping into it like making toast without actually toasting for added crunch. April (Sasha Grey), the sister of the dead stripper, hires an eccentric private investigator--yep, "The Gore Gore Girls" is right--named Issac Beaumonde (Jesse Buck) and goes about questioning those who've had contact until not surprisingly they end up at Able's office to go undercover to get the evidence they need.


What starts out as somewhat intriguing with this inventive world that builds up some atmosphere and sets up its premise, starts to feel like a mishmash of thrown together scenes that lose focus and charging power as it goes on. This doesn't feel as steady or captivating as they wanted it to. I'd imagine about 50 people in the world would find this thoroughly amusing and they'd all happen to have worked on the film: fun doing it, not fun watching it. The tone of the movie goes from being elusive and strange to lowbrow and point blank with its abstract styles and overly self-aware moments. Some scenes are measured out while others attempt to get lucky by reaching. Some of the characters remain consistent with a few functions and are easier to follow and get behind, though the character development of the main star Able is whatever they wanted him to be at any given time. He's unpredictable but feels like a plot accelerator than an actual underlying personality. Hess (R.I.P. - October 7th, 2011) did the commanding jerk so well in "The Last House on the Left" and "House on the Edge of the Park." He got a chance for some more range here, just his character's motivational stages don't feel cohesive from the scene before it. Michael Berryman gets a momentary chuckle for putting on a noticeably bad wig but seems to be out of his element and playing catch up with his role. The music is the best "character" or personality in the film. It gives this another dimension with its various harmonies and odd noises that have the ability to spice up what would have been an otherwise bland scene with some memorably scored sequences.

Rating: 2/10

From Black to Red recommends instead: "Blood Feast 2": No need to see the first with this purposely campy horror film that keeps events amusing and steady with recurring food jokes and black humor dealing with the macabre.

Director: Lee Demarbre (Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter)
Stars: David Hess, Sasha Grey, Jesse Buck, Michael Berryman
Link: IMDB

Neighbor (2009)

What are neighbors for?

This is a low budget film with a paper thin story about a woman who goes around torturing and killing people without the slightest hint of remorse, her background, who she is, why she's doing it or if she'll ever get caught. The recent "Open House" went for something similar by showing full close ups of the characters but still keeping the audience in the dark for a loss of control, though this is going to be less subtle at times and much more bloody and direct than the mentioned. I'm sure they did it that way to make someone uncomfortable from the fact that she could anyone or anywhere because she'd easily fit into a crowd. However, the film is to the point of being vague enough to make it look too random and unconnective due to never stepping out of the silhouette of a movie character instead of the real deal.


Without even beating around the bush, an attractive woman is shown in another person's home doing ugly things by torturing two tied up victims for her own sadistic pleasure. Meanwhile a man named Don is shown with some unimportant banter between his friends that go about their typical twenty-something lives with drinking, women and music on their minds. Meanwhile the cruel woman is getting closer and closer to their final meet-up: call that destiny or just plain bad luck. Soon enough just knowing Don is a death sentence when his friends and potential girlfriends enter his house at their own risk when they're lured in. And that's essentially it, with some distractions, such as different ways people go about finding relationships and getting a final mix of one of their band's albums.


"Neighbor" tries to be both disturbing and have a kind of tongue-in-cheek humor with puns and stabs at other films to keep the audience busy, though both tones don't always go smoothly together here. The dialogue and performances aren't charismatic or affecting enough to want to wait in a bank line next to them, never mind knowing the character's general lives. If you watched the death scenes and fast forwarded the rest you wouldn't have missed much of anything important or significant. The score plays more on if this was a mystery with odd melodies that appear to be building up to something despite what's being shown as point blank.


There's zero message, nothing to read between the lines or to learn or advance from this. The relating fear only carries it so far. Hey, I go to bars, I like pretty women, I own a house, I know a Don...maybe I'm next? She looks and does everything the opposite you'd imagine a psychotic serial killer would do with the exception of the murder part, of course. She's overly charming, does various modes of violence with a smile and talks about sadistic deeds as if it's a day of shopping at the mall at her favorite store. There's no hidden sides that come out to show a dual personality except with an attempt at a half-hearted accusatory scene between her and a tied up Don. The only refreshing part about not making her an archetype would be that she's easier on the eyes than staring at a pencil thin guy who can barely hold up the specs on his face. That or an out of shape weirdo who's got three unguessable stains on his shirt, all of which are probably from breakfast, lunch and dinner.


This does deliver in the violence department. Though getting a true feeling or emotion out of this falls short and is reduced to just a momentary shock. For a low budget film this does have some effective looking gore effects come up, which would make for a nice compilation if you could cut out all of the filler in between because it doesn't serve much of a purpose anyway. As a slasher film, it's the equivalent of a porno with a half attempt at a script: I'd imagine for people who don't want a complicated story but only the goods. But why even try? Just make a short--a nasty, unrelenting short--and you've got my vote because there would be no clutter.


The movie feels so far fetched from the opening scene that it just keeps on piling on the hokiness then after to get conflicting as to which direction the audience is supposed to lean: to take it seriously or not or somewhere in between? The torture scenes don't always jump across the screen as they should in a fearful horror sense--even the behind the scenes shots show the crew with big grins and nervous or humorous laughter--since they're treated in a desensitized way from the starting point. Some are nasty, I'll give it that with various household supplies that you could easily find laying about yours. You can count on what's going to happen: woman hangs around someone, they're going to be tricked, get tortured and die. She's unstoppable, so it's a one-way street of carnage that only lets up when she's thinking of new ways to go about it. Believing that there's a person out there like this wouldn't be too from thinking Big Foot roams about.

Rating: 3/10

From Black to Red recommends instead: "Grotesque." This is another torture film with a paper thin story line--even more so--but is capable of steadily bringing the experience to new heights as it moves along.

Director: Robert A. Masciantonio (Cold Hearts)
Stars: America Olivo, Christian Campbell
Link: IMDB

Hidden (2009)

Deeply wound in mood and mystery

This is a mystery tale from Norway--even with the title, which could be any number of things--that also includes some elements of a horror/thriller that revolves around a man who returns back to an area that brings back flooding memories and a new set of circumstances while at it. Is it the house or the woods or just the out of reach town that keeps perpetuating more terrible events? A boy is off urinating in the outskirts of a wooded area while his ride is parked in the road. Another boy, who appears to have been buried just prior, runs into the road and a semi-truck dodges him but hits and kills the passengers in the parked car.

Nineteen years later and Kai Koss' mom has passed away who he ran from all those years ago with some resentment towards her abusive ways. He's inherited her utilitarian house that seems to re-open old wounds when he steps inside and has some flashing haunts of her presence as if she's still there in the flesh to torment him. He goes to burn the whole house, just as he requested of her body to get rid of the reminder once and for all, but is stopped by the local cop, Sara, who takes his gas canisters yet gives an ear to listen to him if need be. Though he wanders about with little words and encounters the small town's folk who act somewhat coy, as if they have something to hide or a secret that is best not said aloud. He's trying to figure out why he's returned himself when there's a mysterious disappearance of a young couple that were last seen in his inherited house. The manhunt is on in the local wooded area to catch who it was or find some evidence, though it keeps pointing back to who else but the newcomer Kai. Throughout the ordeal he gets flashes of that night that happened many years ago and where the other boy, Peter, ended up, who went missing after the crash and reportedly was last seen near a waterfall with only shoes to show for it. Though Kai thinks differently.


This is a somewhat simple film that mainly concentrates on producing a steady mood and elements of mystery with not much else to get in the way. I have to say, it's refreshing to see a film that does what it does well despite being basic in execution. There are no explosions, unnecessary sex scenes, love triangles, excessive violence, just what was mentioned before. You can count on it since it knows what it wants and sticks its guns to it. Some portions do get a little confusing and trail off in whether it's relevant or not--most likely to throw you off scent--though the film unfolds gradually and has a certain balance and consistency to its framework. "Hidden" has an almost dream like quality, in that nothing is what it seems and can't be trusted that it's reality or illusion. Or is it a memory or present time at points? The enclosed wooded area makes those sentiments come to life in that the outside world doesn't exist but just this place and those characters and that dilemma that must be solved right now.



Like a reclusive celebrity, the movie is highly elusive about what amount of information it lets out at a time. Even the trailer is highly puzzling and seems to be edited to lure you in with the abstract rather than the concrete. There are McGuffins thrown left and right, mysterious phone calls and old photographs that can make your mind wander closer to the truth or farther away, it's hard to say exactly. It's an experience that may or may not be figured out by the viewer but it still manages to tap into different, unexplored sensations in the meantime. It's an enigma within an enigma that works that way all the way down to the wire when the credits roll and you're left with a puzzle to solve and a side to choose. That gives the film replay value to want to see if you're able to catch different clues on the next time around.



Rating: 7.5/10

Director: Pal Oie (Dark Woods)
Stars: Kristoffer Joner, Cecilie A. Mosli
Link: IMDB

Dread (2009)

Keep your fears to yourself

This Clive Barker adaptation plays out at first as a psychological drama that deals with questions of dread, terror, complexes and fear, though through the eyes of everyday students, as opposed to a clinical study with ethics, morals and stricter procedures in place. "Dread" is about a man's search--even if it means pushing someone to the limits--for what people are hiding deep down and how they come to terms with their secrets as he's still figuring out how to come to terms with his own biggest fear that he lugs around and consumes him inside. Though this doesn't appear to be a film about resolve as it only uses the premise to eventually unfold into a kind of twisted horror story to potentially get dread out of the audience instead of answering the questions it originally posed in a roundabout way. So to call this wholly a psychological film or to say that it will leave you intellectually stimulated by its close would be stretching it.

While smoking in an alley, a man named Quaid meets another student named Stephen who's taking a philosophy course to fill one of his requirements despite being a film major. Quaid goes on about theory, that attention should be focused on the things we don't understand and fear. "If you don't go out and find the beast, sooner or later the beast will come and find you." On the surface Quaid lives life by the fullest and Stephen, despite not admitting it at first, lived somewhat safe beforehand without risk, therefore avoiding his own fears without realizing it. Stephen had a sibling die in teenage years and he lets on about a fear regarding it. They join a partnership to do a project that goes to the roots of what someone dreads, though they leave the conclusion open ended on whether it's going to be generally helpful and therapeutic, for personal reasons or just for information's sake, which causes the film to roam about in areas and go off and on track. The interviews only produce minor material at first, until their editor, Cheryl, steps in front of the camera and explains about a childhood trauma. It's Quaid's turn and he backs away when the camera gets pointed at himself. Though he empties out his medication cabinet to let go of himself, only to wake up from a nightmare and a story about abruptly losing his parents as a boy.

Relationships go from building up to being torn apart in some melodramatic scenes. The characters get pressed about what their fears are and Quaid seems to take it more seriously than his counterparts due to still holding onto fear and the others reasonably letting go. He slowly starts to lose it but in short bursts, such as with violence or putting someone else's life on the line. Actually having a fear is something to be fearful in itself as it can catch you at the worst of times when you try and avoid it. Even as far fetched as that premise sounds, I'm sure it could have clenched that idea, though it doesn't always make that believably happen. For something of that sort, you'd have to completely lock a viewer in and this doesn't always do that. For instance, I might have an irrational fear of, say, heights but not an irrational fear of consuming meat whatsoever, and would have to relate more to the experience to gain a new perspective. Except the film doesn't always concentrate on one for long and occasionally goes off into some other areas about their personal lives that might not always have to do with the main agenda. The flow of the film is gradual to show its many transitions, though it still feel somewhat "bookish" in some areas, like you have significant chapters or scenarios that feel somewhat penned in around surrounding filler material in an attempt to connect it together.

Quaid's character seems somewhat manipulated to push the narrative a certain way. He doesn't always fit in, even in the uncertain terms of a disturbed trauma. He seems to hallucinate when it's convenient, backlash when it fits the scene, and then he's with it when it comes time to understanding his condition for a rational person. Though part of the character goes to show how far one human can punish another if they feel they are justified. But this doesn't always portray that, and goes for an unpredictable approach to get a rise out of a viewer, which kind of takes away from its staying power beyond the first look since that doesn't always come with refinement within itself. If there could be a relating point to the antagonist it's that he meant well but then crossed the line too far over an ethical boundary. Instead of observation he took it into his own hands on a personal level. That might have been a solid setup but that outlook was never fully capitalized on though and this doesn't go the sympathy route either--at least in an authentic sense--but instead keeps him as a slowly unveiled monster that might never be understood by himself or others. This makes it look at first like a gradual descent into madness or a childhood case that he couldn't help to prevent, but he seems more like a true sociopath or someone with an antisocial personality disorder even beforehand since it comes out as if it was second nature.

In the meantime, this shows a share of sex and some drinking. It's hard to say if the sex was a means to push the story with something to say or for entertainment purposes to keep your attention titillated--possibly both. I mean, it's a state of vulnerability and when you're most open, and it does show their personalities through action such as going into it for lust, validation and potential love. "Dread" began on good footing. This posed some contemplative questions about the title sake and the pacing moves along naturally with a sense for human drama to show fear in the flesh instead of on paper. Quaid's house has a grimy feel to it whenever someone steps in but don't at first notice the sense of degradation and unwelcome nature it radiates about himself. Jackson Rathbone does an excellent job as Stephen by effectively transitioning to a range of emotions when it calls for it. The character of Abby was a solid touch that she can't hide her fear but has to carry it wherever she goes. The editing in the film effectively moved the film along at first by splicing together two scenes at once to pull you into the story.

"Dread" attempts to build on itself by giving the audience a set of problems and to see what it all means, but then instead changes direction by stepping over the mark to turn over to one man's sociopathic tendencies and obsessions without always showing or giving enough to fill in the blanks of where he's coming from. From his perspective, he uses people and favors sadism at the expense of others. This is a film to showcase the making of a villain but it never makes him the cool type of antihero we cinema goers have come to love, but instead he's the deplorable guy that you know all about and are stuck with, which is going to cause some to squirm in their seats nonetheless, partly due to the other characters not always doing anything significant or heroic enough to stop his reign of terror. The ending brought this film down by closing like a share of the "Saw" films to possibly dodge where you'll think it'll go, whereas in the beginning it went out of its way to go a different route than a torture film, as well as by setting up some characters with different angles to their personalities than being mere objects to rid of. "Saw" at least had a highly-devised morbid game angle with rules and methods that you can count on, but, on the other hand, "Dread" tries to move into different transitions, which is fine, but ends up feeling like a cop out with nothing but a caught-you-by-surprise shock value to show for the experience.

Rating: 6/10

Director: Anthony DiBlasi
Stars: Shaun Evans, Jackson Rathbone, Hanne Steen, Laura Donnelly
Link: IMDB

Butterfly Effect 3 (2009)

Time traveling isn't for winners

A man looks on as an observer in the distance as a woman is savagely murdered near a playground area that she took her boy to. He's transported back to present time in an icy bathtub with the help of his sister Jenna. Currently Sam is commissioned by the police department as a resident "psychic" that gives them accurate information that catches their guy to give the family closure. Everything is going fine until the sister of a woman named Rebecca Brown, the first girl he fell for, came by Sam with evidence in a diary that a man the sister was cheating on Sam with named Lonnie, who went to prison for her murder and has an upcoming execution, didn't actually kill her. Sounds simple: go back in time, stop the killer or just observe and get the charges lifted. Except there are consequential rules in place: never alter your own past or go unsupervised. One small misstep happens and he's already changed the past and created a murderer called the Pontiac Killer that he has to stop but keeps getting knocked back by random circumstance, not to mention the police who are now looking at him as a suspect the more he gets closer. He attempts to go to his sister and physics friend Goldburg for advice but they don't want him to get hurt or alter what already is despite his good intentions. Sam goes on his own through a series of trial and error that leads to frustration and confusion from overlapping events. He's digging a hole that keeps getting deeper and deeper and it becomes uncertain if he can ever can totally fix things and get out.

The story unfolds like a choose-a-new-path tale. The non-linear story mode keeps things intriguing and interesting to where it will go next. This causes some of the performers to change around their demeanor for their new time line. There are some built up dramatic moments, though with the pacing, this keeps itself on the move; luckily to its benefit since there are a few areas that if slowed down would have made the tumblers in your head start to work and question some of the inconsistencies and transitions from point A to B. The movie is somewhat shallow at points with drug use, pointless sex and over-the-top murders that you could care less about the victim at hand, though it's still steadily amusing nonetheless in a low-brow type of way. It's not a smart time travel film that goes on about analytical theory but as a thriller it goes into a number of different directions so as to keep your attention for what new twist of fate will occur. The big twist is somewhat obvious from being given too many clues too early on. The film plays on sensations, so the tone can be both grisly and then light in humor at other times to still keep it fun and not totally lurk in the horror realm. This deals with regret, sacrifice as well as letting go to give it a nice wrap up that probably won't stick with you. Although, the experience in the meantime goes by so succinctly that it's a simple and painless but still entertaining movie on the fly for those nothing-to-do, do-the-thinking-for-me days.

Rating: 6/10

Director: Seth Grossman (The Elephant King)
Stars: Chris Carmack, Rachel Miner, Kevin Yon
Link: IMDB

Kill Theory (2009)

Human beings used as pieces on a madman's board game

A man is in a mental institution serving out a sentence from cutting his own three friends off a rope to save himself when climbing. After time served a doctor puts him on a temporary release program to see how he adapts back into society. Yep, he's ready...he immediately turns over what happened to him onto a group of others to see if they would make a similar decision. Meanwhile eight friends about to graduate college are celebrating in a remote cabin with drinks and a carefree time. After the party wagon winds down and everyone goes to bed, one of the women is forced on camera by an assailant to point a gun at her sleeping boyfriend and shoot or else she dies. The object of the game is to make a decision to take someone else's life to save your own. If 6 AM comes around and one person is alive, then they go free. If not, they all die. They soon find out that the maniac hiding outside holds their lives in the palm of his hand and attempts to pit them against each other. They show distrust, cave-in on themselves from mounting pressure and indecision, and also form alliances all the while finding out who was really their friend or loved one due to the diabolical set of circumstances they suddenly found themselves in. They probably weren't the most prime examples of a set of normal people who have it in them to commit violence as opposed to blood related siblings or a family with wife and children, but then again this is a lunatic who probably went to great lengths to prove his theory after all with a warped sense of reality.

"Kill Theory" is essentially a board game for the audience, except where there would normally be inanimate pieces, the playing field is comprised of living, breathing people. This doesn't hide the fact that it's formulaic but there is still something about moving people around like chess pieces that gets our morbid fascination of suffering fixated. This isn't exactly a cat and mouse game where the little guy gets a fighting chance, since the ways to get out are frequently blocked with obstacles. The quicker the characters realize that the quicker they can be the strongest to survive. This is the TV show "Survivor" in a literal sense. The movie frequently amps up the carnage without always showing thoroughly valid reasons for the characters to take out one another, and there is a share of down time with showing the villain in action. This moves like a thriller so some of the faults and inconsistencies move by quicker than if they slowed this down or if you had time to think about it later. They represent the yous and mes, the regular folk not accustomed to murder, so some extra triggers would need to be in place than a few obstacles and some prior, albeit minor, relationship issues in the way.

The performances aren't always award winning but they do partly help in that they cry and plead their hearts out with no one to help, audience included; yet after their selfish ways come out, I'd like to think you were meant to be detached to them with any shred of empathy. It's a game where people die when they lose, and that game was made by someone who has no care for the players involved. In that sense, the film translates that cold distance than finding relating points. It turns the tone into a kind of rubber necking that happens at an accident scene as you curiously drive by in your car, wondering the morbid circumstances. There are some viciously gory scenes at times when inner emotional turmoil bursts out all at once by taking their rage on the closest body part, as if they're disgusted with themselves or want to get it over with as quickly as possible.

"Kill Theory" is a cinema invention. You'd be kidding yourself or would be heavily disappointed if you went into this otherwise. I mean, cross relating this to real life is so slim to not be believable even if read in bold print in the newspaper. Though what holds it together is it's often treated somewhat simplistically. Some movies need a few more layers to spice them up. But this is a film that sticks to its guns by doing what it does well enough and not going out on a limb with a temptation of getting overly ambitious. It would have undermined it by including too many twists to make it even more far-fetched. The characters are basic archetypes, which makes it easier to discern but it still has some go a different course than expected. As a viewer, you know what you're going to get but, of course, with a few surprises to where you'll anticipate where it'll end up.

Rating: 6/10

Director: Chris Moore (producer of "Feast" series)
Link: IMDB

Slaughter (2009)

Two young women finding themselves on a farm--not what you think

This somewhat misleading title of a movie--that should have been called something like "The Back Room" or "Scarred Life" or anything else--was marketed with the other After Dark Fest features that are typically horror films. However, this is a more tame feature that plays out more as a simple drama at first with the everyday problems of family, friendship and relationships, turns over to a possible crime story, then for the last third it steps up with more suspense and thrills than it lets on to be with a nicely timed twist where the tables get turned.

"Slaughter" starts out with a bound woman being dragged to a dock, only to be pushed into the water and a cinder block to make sure she stays down. In Atlanta, a woman named Faith is running away from boyfriend trouble when she by chance meets the loose and lively woman named Lola in a night club. They connect right away and Faith decides to move to Lola's family's pig farm for work as her controlling ex-boyfriend Jimmy is getting closer and closer to finding her. Lola and Faith return to the clubs at night and usually Lola comes home with a new man who's along the lines of a sugar daddy. The older brother is somewhat cruel and the all-blinds, no-words father is put off by the daughter with distasteful looks, not to mention they don't seem to like their new guest hanging about. Faith looks out for her friend and suspects something is going on in the slaughterhouse that's closed off to her when the men disappear by the morning time.

The mystery element is partly obvious from the title and opening scene, though the reason why and full scope is eluded to. The clues in the meantime aren't exactly Sherlock Holmes type material with some filler bread crumbs with a wrist watch here and a set of keys there. Faith's character also seems to be generally suspicious without the script always giving her a really solid reason to be so. She often heads in the right direction as if she has some kind of hidden instinct that we don't know about. There aren't always enough clues given out to nail you to the seat of what's going on behind the scenes, though the story isn't always sensationalized with excessive blood and there's no nudity. The finale is somewhat manipulative when the tables keep getting turned, though it's also somewhat depressing and sad that its cold conclusion was inevitable. This doesn't always wander into the exaggerated, over-the-top cinematic experience with loud and overly stylish filmmaking mechanics, as this attempts to go for some realism with its scenarios and character motivations--even if some are far-fetched it makes it easier to accept them. I originally thought this was going one way, helped by the "Texas Chainsaw" homages--camera flash sound effect and all--and it ended up being more a red herring in a way to something else. It's building up to something unexpected that involves all characters shown and has a story to unravel and finalize than going for shock value alone.

The performances seem to come into themselves, by at first coming across as a little stale, probably more so at what they have to work with in the drama department, but as it progresses the two leading women reveal a little more depth about themselves. The supporting cast comes across more for script development and to pad this with more bodies; like a game of chess with only two pieces doing the main work but the rest filling out the board. The boyfriend Jimmy seemed the pawn of the roles with less authentic power. The youngest brother had a form of charisma and represented some innocence amongst the darker aspects. In case you're thinking it, the premise might at first glance seem like something out of a softcore film with two highly attractive women at an isolated farm finding out who they are in life with some experimenting going on. Settle down, settle down. It dodges eroticism with a cold dash, but still plays on moralless sex and violence as if they're implicitly linked. Should you be able to freely let yourself indulge without problems from family, friends or even yourself? Even on a personal level emotions usually follow and some people either move on before that happens and while the enjoyment lasts, or possibly get their feelings hurt in the meantime, while others are at it for different reasons than the mentioned

Rating: 6/10

Director: Steward Hopewell (Going to Pieces - second unit director)
Stars: Amy Shiels, Lucy Holt
Link: IMDB

Roadkill (1994)

Not even a pittance of hope here

I first caught snippets of this one through a Necrophagia music video and didn't realize I had already seen another by director Jim Van Bebber just prior, which made me search out "Dead Beat at Dawn" and think the guy should have done more with the down, dirty and depraved talent he's got. This is along the lines of a really seedy version of "Eraserhead." The picture quality of "Roadkill: The Last Days of John Martin" makes it seem much older than the '90s, though it still adds a certain washed out grime and includes an atmosphere that feels surreal with strange and abstract music. This 14 minute film is nothing short of a nightmare as there's no resolve, just pain and a kind of dehumanization that comes with chills and sweats when the credits roll.

Enter a dwelling that any "flip this house" money maker would save the investment and move on as it looks like one of the nastiest hellholes imaginable. Never mind how someone could feel so at home there. A homeless man in a third world country would even be put off with the trash, rats, nonsensical writing, blood and even human skin masks on the walls. If they could make a special smelling device for the cinematic experience, then I'm sure it would implode in on itself with this one. Though he miraculously has a shower and a razor to keep up a regular front on the outside. This is like a roller coaster, you anticipate the risk beforehand, live the danger when riding by building to a culmination, and then finally the experience ends but with a plethora of sensations rather than a narrative story to tell afterwards.

John Martin is a loner, a cemetery stroller, a raw animal muncher, a binge drinker, an excessive TV watcher and who could forget a maniacal cackler. The beginning setup shows you just how crazy and unlikable he is until he steps out of his depressive dwelling and puts on the nice guy act when he meets two unsuspecting people who need a lift after their car conks out in the middle of nowhere. It creates an unpreventable trap with predator and prey to account for, but not a hero in sight. Not to mention the audience has no way to stop it and is given no way out, so you look on just to witness how far he takes the depravity that includes some gore and unsensual nudity. Even in the survival-of-the-fittest animal kingdom certain species will have competition among themselves, though they'll still form pacts to hunt outside species. This, on the other hand, has one antisocial human using cunning manipulation on desperate human beings for a sadistic gain. It shows that you can't let your guard down for anyone, because people aren't always who they seem, and with some much more worse than others. Just as you'd see a lion interact and go out on a hunt in a documentary, this is essentially the before and after of how a psycopath named John Martin stalks. Except in a way that's as filthy and disgusting as you can imagine to get that insider's look without holding back.

What makes this effective as a short is it gets right to it, no prancing around, no letting up with the oppressive feeling, no explanations so as to keep up the mystery and morbid curiosity, just a candid look at the sadistic and detestable. The experience is essentially more about those sometimes unexplainable emotions, rather than a constructive story to follow. So as a longer piece it most likely wouldn't have worked as it might have desensitized or lost the focus of viewers, but as is it packs a severe punch to the lower gut.

Rating: 8/10

Director: Jim Van Bebber
Stars: Mark Gillespie, Marc Pitman, Maureen Allise
Link: IMDB

Ebola Syndrome (1996)

Makes "Outbreak" look like monkey business

Hong Kong, 1986: Kai (Anthony Wong) is sleeping with the boss's wife while her little girl stands out front. The boss suddenly comes home and catches them. He beats Kai, forces his wife to pee on him and then attempts to castrate the adulterer--Jerry Springer would be proud. Kai suddenly reverses the blade and kills the boss, wife and employee, while leaving the traumatized little girl soaking in gasoline when someone comes in just in the nick of time.

Johannesburg, South Africa, 1996: Kai is now working in a restaurant after fleeing China. The new boss's wife thinks he's no good but the boss says it's hard to find cheap labor, so they put up with him. Though she might just be right as he spits and ejaculates in food, as well as treats customers like they're doing him the favor of eating there. Kai carries a terrible smell around with him and can't get laid by white women nor Asian, even with cash in hand. The boss and him visit an out of reach African tribe called Zulu to secure some pigs at a cheap price and on the way back Kai decides to take advantage of a woman who just looks at first drunk. Yet, when she convulses and spits in his face he comes down with something that would play out quicker than AIDS. Kai contracts the organ-melting Ebola virus, yet with the exception of a high fever doesn't have the other symptoms as it turns out he's an incredibly rare carrier type. Soon enough things go for the sleaziest with rape, murder and then serving up the chopped up meat to patrons at the restaurant in the form of "African Buns" that look like hamburgers. After an outbreak of the Ebola virus at Kai's unsanitary hand, he heads back to Hong Kong with cash taken from the dead boss and a fresher smell. The sleaze continues when he picks up prostitutes and they contract the virus. With an outbreak on the rise, HK detectives--with the help of the little girl now grown up--start to back-track to find the man responsible for now bringing havoc to China.

There have been rapists and murderers in other films aplenty, though not many movies include the mentioned and then also have the guy feed human meat to unsuspecting humans, and then none that I know of that includes a real known virus--zombie films don't count--to spread his destructive behavior even further. It's an all time low for the human species, but an all time high for ways to single handedly reap devastation. The film has some shocks but one thing it lacks is suspense, as the camera focuses too much on Kai's character for his every move and even the element where the good guys attempt to stop him is delayed to see more carnage. Essentially what the audience gets is more of the bloody disgusting and less heroics that other films are dominant with when it comes to amoral subjects. The experience sails over the top due to the score card for the villain being nearly a shut out for the good guys.

If you're looking for sharp acting and crisp dialogue you won't find that here. The full uncut version I'm reviewing is for a Dutch DVD that includes terrible English subtitles that sometimes don't even make sense as some appear to be translated as is. Though the story isn't likely to get confusing. This has an extremely odd sense of humor at times, that ranges from somewhat light to pitch black. Wong makes some of the most ridiculous faces while doing his deplorable deeds. The events unfold more straightforward than "Untold Story." Wong plays a degenerate in both films, though he's more of just a perverted slacker than the goal-oriented, manipulative sociopath he was in "Untold Story." In both cases still a scumbag by any stretch. Though his performance in that film held more mysteriousness for what he'll do next and was more effectively creepy as such. What "Ebola Syndrome" did do better is it included a more consistent tone where the humor isn't entirely goofy to the point of distracting. This again plays on how much trust we give to people handling and serving our food to the point of making you give a few more glances at who's prepping your meal next time out. Not to mention it takes it further by making public places a hazard, where viruses and diseases are rampant and just a sneeze away from being infected and meeting a violent end.

Rating: 7/10

Director: Herman Yau (Taxi Hunter, The Untold Story)
Stars: Anthony Wong
Links: IMDB