Dismal (2009)

So, lately the horror world has been inundated with torture/slasher style hybrids (by lately, I mean the last decade and by the styles I mean those damned French flicks that seem to be getting so many high ranks). I could go on a rant, but I’m here to review Dismal. Now, most fans of the genre have checked out the, very solid, flick Wrong Turn (and, some have even ventured into the cheestastic sequel). Why do I bring up Wrong Turn? Well, Dismal plays to many of the same ideas (minus the seemingly invincible mutants) and does it pretty well. I’m not going to say that Dismal is a perfect horror film, because it’s not. What it is, is a fun way to kill some time and not feel like you want to stab a child because it sucked so bad (too many of those to list).

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Wrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007)

Wrong Turn 2: Dead End is the sequel to the hit horror flick, Wrong Turn. Where Wrong Turn tried (and sometimes succeeded) at creating tension and a strong sense of dread as a group of people making their way through the backwoods of West Virginia are hunted by cannibal inbreeds, Wrong Turn 2 takes the idea in a more campy direction. The moments of tension replaced with scenes of over-the-top gore, trump the original with ease.

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Motel Hell (1980)

Texas Chainsaw Massacre meets Psycho would be the best way I could describe Motel Hell. This little gem of an exploitation film is quite a quirky little piece. What I thought would play out as a simple “There’s something in the basement film” or a “welcome to the mysterious motel where you check in but never check out film” was actually a much more sinister ride. The characters are generic, as are the motivations, but how they get there, well…that’s a different story completely.

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Mountain of the Cannibal God (1978)

Mountain of the Cannibal God is one of the many films churned out in the cannibal sub-genre during the 70’s and 80’s. I don’t know if I’d put the film in the top tier with Cannibal Holocaust or Doctor Butcher M.D., but it would definitely fall in the higher end of the middle of the pack. The film comes jam-packed with all of the necessary ingredients for a classic cannibal film; gore, nudity, a tropical REAL animal slaughter, island, sinister people and, of course, cannibalism. Mountain went so far as to throw in an extra scene of interest to certain people, that I’ll touch upon later.

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Insanitarium (2008)

As a newcomer to the world of horror, I suppose you couldn’t ask for more than what Jeff Buhler is getting in 2008. He wrote the screenplay for Clive Barker’s Midnight Meat Train, which if the early reviews are any indication, has turned out pretty damn good. He’s also directed his first film, which he also wrote, titled Insanitarium which will be hitting DVD in the very near future. Don’t let that fact fool you, however. This one doesn’t suck, and it may very well be a good indication that Jeff Buhler is one to keep your eye on.

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Frontiere(s) (2007)

Much like the J-horror boom a few years back, it seems like France is the new hotspot for kick-ass horror films. Films such as Haute Tension, Them, and Inside take extreme, harrowing horror to a whole new level, and I personally loved all of them (Them to a lesser extent than the other two though). So it was with much anticipation that I awaited the release of Xavier Gens Frontiere(s), and that anticipation only grew larger when After Dark Films postponed the films October release due to not being able to garner an R rating from the MPAA. This baby couldn’t be compromised, and they wanted to release it in its full, uncut glory. Clearly, this must mean it’s just as effective and in-your-face as its French horror brethren, right? Well, just like we found out with J-horror, they unfortunately can’t all be winners.

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