So I just watched this movie. It wasn't particularly great, but I guess the short time Tony Todd is in the movie makes it worth it. Basically these high school kids get stuck on a Saturday morning field trip to make up for a writing assignment that they didn't do. None of them are particularly happy about it, but they don't want to repeat the grade. We're treated to quick introductions as to these "troubled" kids and their plights(Which on the by and by are never really used in the film, or even brought up later). Anyway, the kids end up going to this railroad museum which is where we get a small dose of Tony Todd and his wonderful creepiness, but alas it does not last. After leaving the museum the kid's bus crashes and they are suddenly alone the broken down bus in the middle of nowhere, when they see a carnival. Of course madness follows. The film is pretty predictable, has average to crappy acting, and all the effect budget pretty much goes into one thing(You'll know it when you see it). I have to admit the idea was good, but the lack of budget and poor execution brought the thing as a whole down. If you have nothing else to watch, or just watch pretty much any horror movie that comes out(I'm guilty of this) it may be an all right way to kill some time. Otherwise you may want to skip this one.
23 Reviews
Teen murder elimination derby; better than some, worse than most.
suite922 February 2014
Warning: Spoilers
'Charon High School:' now there is a great start, Charon being the oarsman on the boat that crosses the rivers Styx and Acheron separating the living world from the underworld. The film is a murder elimination derby, so nice telegraphing.
Twenty-something actors playing teen characters in high school gather for a field trip. Heather is pregnant by a not ready for fatherhood boy. Jesse's being treated badly by her father. Various bullying pairs are present. One of the girls is deaf.
All the idiots on the bus have not completed a paper about the Industrial Revolution for one of their classes. The teacher makes everything clear: do the field trip without nonsense, then pass the class. Otherwise, fail.
Mr. Steele gives the first lecture at a location filled with memorabilia from the 19th century part of the Industrial Revolution. He emphasizes the dangers of the iron horse.
One of the kids sees a figure by the road on the way there. Mr. Steele later identifies him as Railroad Jack, who is a reaper of sorts. If one has seen him, then he has eyes on you, and so on.
On the way back, the trouble starts. The bus crashes. The f word is issued liberally. The cell phone coverage fails. The teacher is gone. The bus driver is gone.
Then the kids see the 'carnival.' Sure. The kid who warns about the man she kept seeing on the way is laughed down. They find no one, they find no telephone that works. Are these clues? They get a number of the attractions to operate, and have fun for a while, but then the fun ends.
Will any of these deserving teens survive?
-----Scores------
Cinematography: 4/10 Camera shake, washed out appearance. Seems to be only VHS quality in sunlight as well.
Sound: 7/10 I could make out the spoken words. The incidental music was not the best.
Acting: 4/10 All the actors portraying teens gave poor performances. Why not hire absolute amateurs of the correct age and get better performances? Tony Todd was great as usual; that's what the +4 is for.
Screenplay: 4/10 Teen murder elimination derby; better than some, worse than most.
SFX: 0/10 Horrible.
Twenty-something actors playing teen characters in high school gather for a field trip. Heather is pregnant by a not ready for fatherhood boy. Jesse's being treated badly by her father. Various bullying pairs are present. One of the girls is deaf.
All the idiots on the bus have not completed a paper about the Industrial Revolution for one of their classes. The teacher makes everything clear: do the field trip without nonsense, then pass the class. Otherwise, fail.
Mr. Steele gives the first lecture at a location filled with memorabilia from the 19th century part of the Industrial Revolution. He emphasizes the dangers of the iron horse.
One of the kids sees a figure by the road on the way there. Mr. Steele later identifies him as Railroad Jack, who is a reaper of sorts. If one has seen him, then he has eyes on you, and so on.
On the way back, the trouble starts. The bus crashes. The f word is issued liberally. The cell phone coverage fails. The teacher is gone. The bus driver is gone.
Then the kids see the 'carnival.' Sure. The kid who warns about the man she kept seeing on the way is laughed down. They find no one, they find no telephone that works. Are these clues? They get a number of the attractions to operate, and have fun for a while, but then the fun ends.
Will any of these deserving teens survive?
-----Scores------
Cinematography: 4/10 Camera shake, washed out appearance. Seems to be only VHS quality in sunlight as well.
Sound: 7/10 I could make out the spoken words. The incidental music was not the best.
Acting: 4/10 All the actors portraying teens gave poor performances. Why not hire absolute amateurs of the correct age and get better performances? Tony Todd was great as usual; that's what the +4 is for.
Screenplay: 4/10 Teen murder elimination derby; better than some, worse than most.
SFX: 0/10 Horrible.
Someone put this movie out of it's misery
alejog14 September 2016
You know you're in for a cinematic marvel when the intro scene displaying the production company literally has a man crapping on the floor. That's how you know you're in for a treat! This movie is a mess of clichés and foreshadowing, all leading up to a twist ending that anyone could see coming from a mile away. We see all these bland characters introduce themselves and allude to their personal lives (which ultimately leads to nothing, so having these scenes is completely worthless) before getting on a bus and going to a railroad station. The bus crashes, and the students find themselves just outside of a carnival--how convenient.
For a long while after the cast finds themselves in this abandoned carnival, nothing happens except dickheads being dickheads. The only thing remotely suspenseful was the first "death" that literally happens off screen, and it's only at around the 50 minute mark when the killer finally shows up, and it turns into a murder spree that leaves very little time between deaths to even build suspense. Either that, or you just don't care much at that point.
I won't even bother spoiling the twist, as it can be inferred as soon as you piece what little you can together, and the ending leaves much to be desired and many questions that need to be answered.
The only thing I can praise is Tony Todd, the same guy who played Candyman and the mortician from the Final Destination franchise. He delivers a decent performance, but he only has about 5 minutes of screen time, so you may as well flip to another movie as soon as his scene ends.
For a long while after the cast finds themselves in this abandoned carnival, nothing happens except dickheads being dickheads. The only thing remotely suspenseful was the first "death" that literally happens off screen, and it's only at around the 50 minute mark when the killer finally shows up, and it turns into a murder spree that leaves very little time between deaths to even build suspense. Either that, or you just don't care much at that point.
I won't even bother spoiling the twist, as it can be inferred as soon as you piece what little you can together, and the ending leaves much to be desired and many questions that need to be answered.
The only thing I can praise is Tony Todd, the same guy who played Candyman and the mortician from the Final Destination franchise. He delivers a decent performance, but he only has about 5 minutes of screen time, so you may as well flip to another movie as soon as his scene ends.
Terrible B-list Movie With Tony Todd
DiCaprio746 July 2014
Why would you make a film where nothing occurs within the first 60 minutes? I can see that the directors are trying to show the character development, but in a horror film, it should never take this long to show a characters development. It's a slasher script! Get to the slashing!
The entire 90 minutes was crucial! You could spot the twisted ending from a mile away! The plot was also unrealistic. What group of teenage kids go to a museum what seems to be in the middle of nowhere to study the industrial revolution? Then on the way home the bus breaks down and they encounter a maniac with an pick axe? .. Kill me now!
It sounds like a regular teen slasher but is really hard to stick with until the idiotic ending. It's like the whole cast was only in it for exchange of Bitcoins... There is no gore or nudity. The only type of blood in this is the blood splattered on the camera, which was clearly from visual effects. It never shows the reaper actually killing anyone and tries to take the slow walking, I'm chasing you scenes from Friday the 13th.
This is definitely a B-list movie that shouldn't have ever made it to HBO. It should've been on Sy-Fy or Chiller. Do not waste your time watching this. Life is too short to spend watching crap movies such as this one.
The entire 90 minutes was crucial! You could spot the twisted ending from a mile away! The plot was also unrealistic. What group of teenage kids go to a museum what seems to be in the middle of nowhere to study the industrial revolution? Then on the way home the bus breaks down and they encounter a maniac with an pick axe? .. Kill me now!
It sounds like a regular teen slasher but is really hard to stick with until the idiotic ending. It's like the whole cast was only in it for exchange of Bitcoins... There is no gore or nudity. The only type of blood in this is the blood splattered on the camera, which was clearly from visual effects. It never shows the reaper actually killing anyone and tries to take the slow walking, I'm chasing you scenes from Friday the 13th.
This is definitely a B-list movie that shouldn't have ever made it to HBO. It should've been on Sy-Fy or Chiller. Do not waste your time watching this. Life is too short to spend watching crap movies such as this one.
!^&#*&^@&^#%^&@
One_slice_of_pizza19 October 2013
This film was produced by mad crapper productions (seriously, why would you name a production company, mad crapper anyway?) which does not surprise me why this film is totally crap.
What kind of a genius would write a slasher script where NOTHING happens for the first 60 MINUTES???? Yes, almost 60 minutes! Not 3-5-10 or even 20. I understand the character development but boy, you could develop the frigging citizen kane in 60 minutes, leave aside a slasher movie character.
You can maybe now understand how bad this movie is. From start to finish it's a painful 80 something minutes and even if you can bear till the end, you will see that you were right about guessing the stupid twist coming from 60 miles away.
The story is about a bunch of high school students who are on a school trip to study the industry revolution and on the way, they encounter with a maniac who starts offing them one by one with a pick axe.
Although the story sounds like a regular teen slasher, the script and directing is so bad that it makes it almost impossible to watch it till the end. The characters are extremely annoying and very unattractive for a screen cast, makes you wonder if they all accepted to play for free, in exchange of an IMDb credit.
I don't know you, but I love slashers mainly because of the high tension, original killings, hot chicks and surprise twists. I can assure you that this movie has NONE of them. All the killings are off screen, a little bit of blood is spattered on the camera, that's all the visual effects you get from this flick. There's no nudity or gore or any actress whom you may think she is a cliché hot slasher chick.
Now I'm not saying that heads should explode, guts should be torn or the students should go for an orgy, but why the hell are you bothering to shoot a slasher movie, if you are not going to show any of the killings??? This is like shooting an action movie where the camera never shows an actor actually firing a weapon!
All in all, please do not let the fake rave reviews written by the cast and/or their families trick you. You are really better watching your turd float in the toilet ,rather than watching this one. Just forget about it and watch something else instead.
Unbelievably awful acting, directing and script!
1/10
What kind of a genius would write a slasher script where NOTHING happens for the first 60 MINUTES???? Yes, almost 60 minutes! Not 3-5-10 or even 20. I understand the character development but boy, you could develop the frigging citizen kane in 60 minutes, leave aside a slasher movie character.
You can maybe now understand how bad this movie is. From start to finish it's a painful 80 something minutes and even if you can bear till the end, you will see that you were right about guessing the stupid twist coming from 60 miles away.
The story is about a bunch of high school students who are on a school trip to study the industry revolution and on the way, they encounter with a maniac who starts offing them one by one with a pick axe.
Although the story sounds like a regular teen slasher, the script and directing is so bad that it makes it almost impossible to watch it till the end. The characters are extremely annoying and very unattractive for a screen cast, makes you wonder if they all accepted to play for free, in exchange of an IMDb credit.
I don't know you, but I love slashers mainly because of the high tension, original killings, hot chicks and surprise twists. I can assure you that this movie has NONE of them. All the killings are off screen, a little bit of blood is spattered on the camera, that's all the visual effects you get from this flick. There's no nudity or gore or any actress whom you may think she is a cliché hot slasher chick.
Now I'm not saying that heads should explode, guts should be torn or the students should go for an orgy, but why the hell are you bothering to shoot a slasher movie, if you are not going to show any of the killings??? This is like shooting an action movie where the camera never shows an actor actually firing a weapon!
All in all, please do not let the fake rave reviews written by the cast and/or their families trick you. You are really better watching your turd float in the toilet ,rather than watching this one. Just forget about it and watch something else instead.
Unbelievably awful acting, directing and script!
1/10
Off-beat enough to be interesting
lazarillo25 March 2013
It's interesting that this movie has such generally low numerical ratings here, but also several rave reviews. OK, given what a little-seen, low-budget effort it is, the rave reviews COULD have come from friends and family of the production itself (which was my initial suspicion), but having seen the movie, this phenomenon makes a little more sense now.
There is indeed nothing particularly new here. I won't give the "surprise" ending away, but it's one horror-movie fans have seen A LOT of, from ever since a certain low-budget film was made in Kansas in the early 1960's. The story involves a group of disparate students who have to go on a bus tour of a railroad town with their teacher after they failed to turn in a paper (OK. . .). The students are the usual types--the obnoxious jock, the black best friend, the outcast, the slutty girl, the homely girl, the overweight kid--but right away there are some off-beat elements. The fat kid has a hilariously profane grandmother (a cameo by Sally Kirkland, who also produced the film), who tells him to take no sh*t from the popular kids as she drops him off. The homely girls seems to have a strange, perhaps incestuous, relationship with her father. The girlfriend of one of the jocks tells him she's pregnant right before he leaves. The slutty girl rather than being the stereotypical "high-school slut" is actually kind of a sweet, troubled girl who has been taken advantage of by the jocks at her school (maybe some shades of reality there). There are also TWO black guys, and, rounding out their numbers, a deaf girl.
They stop at a visitor's center and meet curator Tony Todd who does his usual thing in an extended cameo and warns them of the legend of "Railroad Jack". Soon after they're involved in a bus crash and their teacher disappears. They take refuge in this this strange deserted carnival sideshow that is out in the middle of the desert for some reason where they are stalked by the creepy, eyeless "Railroad Jack". This is the other strength of the movie (besides the more interesting than usual teen characters),the deserted carnival is genuinely creepy. This is the rare modern-day horror film that actually relies on ATMOSPHERE as opposed to CGI gore and silicone breasts. True, some of the acting is awful (the performance of the actor playing the overweight kid is especially egregious). I never miss CGI effects, but a lack of female nudity can't really be considered an asset to a horror film either. But given there is only one particularly attractive girl here (Hope Jaymes, who plays the vulnerable slut) and she obviously has real breasts (only women with silicone breasts ever seem to do nude scenes in modern-day horror movies) the movie at least doesn't tease you with the promise there will be any.
There is some ill-conceived narration at the beginning and the end, and the end doesn't entirely work. Still, I found this to be refreshingly old-fashioned and off-beat and interesting in places. It's much better than the numerical reviews would suggest if not quite deserving perhaps of some of the more hyperbolic raves. It's worth seeing anyway.
There is indeed nothing particularly new here. I won't give the "surprise" ending away, but it's one horror-movie fans have seen A LOT of, from ever since a certain low-budget film was made in Kansas in the early 1960's. The story involves a group of disparate students who have to go on a bus tour of a railroad town with their teacher after they failed to turn in a paper (OK. . .). The students are the usual types--the obnoxious jock, the black best friend, the outcast, the slutty girl, the homely girl, the overweight kid--but right away there are some off-beat elements. The fat kid has a hilariously profane grandmother (a cameo by Sally Kirkland, who also produced the film), who tells him to take no sh*t from the popular kids as she drops him off. The homely girls seems to have a strange, perhaps incestuous, relationship with her father. The girlfriend of one of the jocks tells him she's pregnant right before he leaves. The slutty girl rather than being the stereotypical "high-school slut" is actually kind of a sweet, troubled girl who has been taken advantage of by the jocks at her school (maybe some shades of reality there). There are also TWO black guys, and, rounding out their numbers, a deaf girl.
They stop at a visitor's center and meet curator Tony Todd who does his usual thing in an extended cameo and warns them of the legend of "Railroad Jack". Soon after they're involved in a bus crash and their teacher disappears. They take refuge in this this strange deserted carnival sideshow that is out in the middle of the desert for some reason where they are stalked by the creepy, eyeless "Railroad Jack". This is the other strength of the movie (besides the more interesting than usual teen characters),the deserted carnival is genuinely creepy. This is the rare modern-day horror film that actually relies on ATMOSPHERE as opposed to CGI gore and silicone breasts. True, some of the acting is awful (the performance of the actor playing the overweight kid is especially egregious). I never miss CGI effects, but a lack of female nudity can't really be considered an asset to a horror film either. But given there is only one particularly attractive girl here (Hope Jaymes, who plays the vulnerable slut) and she obviously has real breasts (only women with silicone breasts ever seem to do nude scenes in modern-day horror movies) the movie at least doesn't tease you with the promise there will be any.
There is some ill-conceived narration at the beginning and the end, and the end doesn't entirely work. Still, I found this to be refreshingly old-fashioned and off-beat and interesting in places. It's much better than the numerical reviews would suggest if not quite deserving perhaps of some of the more hyperbolic raves. It's worth seeing anyway.
Horrible movie
chocolatecakeluke10 August 2021
This movie is absolutely horrible. It is so unrealistic it's not even funny. The acting in this is absolutely horrible. I don't know how this is rated R when a 8 year could tell how fake it is. I do not know how you can film this and tell yourself this is a some what decent movie. I saw the camera mans foot in one of the scenes which shows you how poorly produced this film was. Don't waste the valuable hours of your life watching this trash.
Welcome to the Carnival of Souls (hey, hang on a minute
.).
BA_Harrison27 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
After their bus crashes while on a field trip, a group of high school students—blonde bike Sommer (Hope Jaymes) and her deaf cousin Maya (Amber Zion), insensitive jock Steve (Tyler Wolfe), his brother Shawn (Jay Gillespie), token black guy Andre (Richardson Chery), token black guy number two Tyler (Jemal Draco), token tubby Harold (Christopher Raff), token Asian girl Trudy Yoo (Grace Jiyoung Park), token albino Brian (Andrew Olson), and tasty but troubled brunette Jesse (Alexandra Holder)—wander into a nearby carnival where they are hunted by an eyeless killer brandishing a pick-axe.
Jack the Reaper definitely won't win any awards for originality: the whole film is extremely derivative, a supernatural teen slasher that culminates with an entirely predictable 'they were dead all along' plot-twist (which is blatantly signposted along the way: the teens are from Charon High School, their football team are The Ferriers, and the name of the road on which our characters meet their fate is Death's Door). The film is also unlikely to find much love from gore-hounds, the majority of its death scenes occurring off-screen.
But as highly unoriginal and as bloodless as The Reaper undoubtedly is, I was rather surprised to find myself reasonably entertained for much of the time, thanks to its varied collection of well-developed teen characters (in the case of likable school slut Sommer, very well-developed!), a pointless but fun cameo from horror regular Tony Todd (who gets star billing), a suitably macabre setting, and a genuinely freaky killer. If only they had added some gore, some nudity, and found a less clichéd way to wrap matters up
Jack the Reaper definitely won't win any awards for originality: the whole film is extremely derivative, a supernatural teen slasher that culminates with an entirely predictable 'they were dead all along' plot-twist (which is blatantly signposted along the way: the teens are from Charon High School, their football team are The Ferriers, and the name of the road on which our characters meet their fate is Death's Door). The film is also unlikely to find much love from gore-hounds, the majority of its death scenes occurring off-screen.
But as highly unoriginal and as bloodless as The Reaper undoubtedly is, I was rather surprised to find myself reasonably entertained for much of the time, thanks to its varied collection of well-developed teen characters (in the case of likable school slut Sommer, very well-developed!), a pointless but fun cameo from horror regular Tony Todd (who gets star billing), a suitably macabre setting, and a genuinely freaky killer. If only they had added some gore, some nudity, and found a less clichéd way to wrap matters up
Not terrible, but not anything new
ihearthorrorfilm5 March 2013
Jack the Reaper (2011) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1552423/?ref_=sr_1
This low budget indie is about a group of teens that get stranded in the desert after a bus accident. As they all come to, they look out and see a carnival out in the middle of the desert. Once they start exploring the carnival, they come to find they are not alone. There were many creepy aspects to the film. I really liked the initial idea of being stranded and finding an empty, brightly lit, carnival. And the killer was actually really creepy looking, really awesome makeup. But there was really nothing new that you haven't already seen if you watch horror movies regularly. But it's not too shabby. It starts off slow, but it eventually gets going. There are a lot of silly parts that are in no way meant to be funny, for example, the black guy, Andre. When Andre is running from the killer, he acts like a spaz and its pretty hilarious. There is also a lot of unnecessary story detail regarding the characters that really should have been left out. At the end of the day, this movie isn't great, but its decent. Take it or leave it.
Side Note: Characters who wear sunglasses in the night that aren't blind, should be killed first ALWAYS!
Please like me on Facebook! We love getting suggestions and warnings on everything horror: http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Heart-Horror/338327476286206
This low budget indie is about a group of teens that get stranded in the desert after a bus accident. As they all come to, they look out and see a carnival out in the middle of the desert. Once they start exploring the carnival, they come to find they are not alone. There were many creepy aspects to the film. I really liked the initial idea of being stranded and finding an empty, brightly lit, carnival. And the killer was actually really creepy looking, really awesome makeup. But there was really nothing new that you haven't already seen if you watch horror movies regularly. But it's not too shabby. It starts off slow, but it eventually gets going. There are a lot of silly parts that are in no way meant to be funny, for example, the black guy, Andre. When Andre is running from the killer, he acts like a spaz and its pretty hilarious. There is also a lot of unnecessary story detail regarding the characters that really should have been left out. At the end of the day, this movie isn't great, but its decent. Take it or leave it.
Side Note: Characters who wear sunglasses in the night that aren't blind, should be killed first ALWAYS!
Please like me on Facebook! We love getting suggestions and warnings on everything horror: http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Heart-Horror/338327476286206
THE FUN IS OVER
nogodnomasters13 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
The film opens with narration about Jack the Reaper. Apparently RR accidents have their own special reaper. A group of high school kids on a field trip encounter a bus accident at a RR crossing. There is a nearby carnival where they go for help, but end up playing games as the carnival is deserted. Jack shows up and the carnage begins. The "twist" we already have figured out. Tony Todd has a minor role.
This slasher doesn't bring anything new to the table. Harold's grandmother was a hoot, but outside of that, the character were simply okay with jocks, a fat kid, a picked on albino, an oriental girl, a blond floozy with her deaf-mute cousin, plus a girl with daddy issues. There are too many characters to develop them all, so we are given quick intros as they load the bus.
It is a so-so slasher with the mute girl screaming when she gets hit with a pick.
Parental Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity. It appeared on TV as a Movie Channel extra.
This slasher doesn't bring anything new to the table. Harold's grandmother was a hoot, but outside of that, the character were simply okay with jocks, a fat kid, a picked on albino, an oriental girl, a blond floozy with her deaf-mute cousin, plus a girl with daddy issues. There are too many characters to develop them all, so we are given quick intros as they load the bus.
It is a so-so slasher with the mute girl screaming when she gets hit with a pick.
Parental Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity. It appeared on TV as a Movie Channel extra.
Great acting, bad writing
KEmerton19921 September 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I had wanted to see this since I first heard of it and was actually pleasantly surprised. I rented it, thinking it would be a terrible film that I could enjoy making fun of. And I was only partially correct. The acting was fantastic, but I was not impressed by the writing or directing. It wasn't really that bad, but there's something about it that I just couldn't stand. The ending was quite awful as well (I think that it should have just been a regular slasher, not some weird ending film where they were all dead to begin with). All in all, if you're looking for a way to kill a night with a killer-chasing-teens slasher movie, it's worth a watch.
Creepy and enjoyable slasher
kannibalcorpsegrinder26 November 2013
After getting involved in a bus crash on the way home from a field trip, a group of teens find themselves stuck at a haunted amusement park with a deranged, mystical killer killing them off one-by-one and forcing them to find an obscure method of survival.
This turned out to be quite a fun and enjoyable slasher that features a lot of really exciting features. One of the better elements here is the fact that this one manages to get a lot of mileage out of the creepy amusement park setting with the nightmarish scenario of only being exposed to a few select parts of the park and no matter what continually returning to the same area over and over again, all of which just makes this seem more like a dream than anything but frankly adds to a chilling vibe that washes over this section of the film. That this is where the film pretty much starts offing the characters one-by-one in rather gruesome detail is where it starts getting really good, with a lot of rather fun and exciting elements coming into play due to that with a lot of pretty chilling stalking scenes, some decent escape attempts and a series of pretty violent deaths all brought upon due to the killer's use of a pick-axe as the weapon of choice here. It adds up, along with the rather demented killer and innate sense of hopelessness to turn into a rather fine slasher more often than not. While those are the good elements, it still suffers from some pretty big flaws, including the fact that this one tends to employ the exact same gimmick as several other films do right down to the very same mode of killing done here, which is a major plot-point but is nonetheless taken from another film series entirely and rather the back-story of the killer's identity is changed around. That tends to make it feel like a rip-off more so than as an original feature, which wouldn't be as bad if the low-budget origins weren't at play. Being so cheap means that the look of this is very cramped and confined, there's not a lot of big, extended sequences and the make-up effects don't always come off as good as they should. All-in-all, though, this one seems to have more going for it than not.
Rated R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and hints of child abuse.
This turned out to be quite a fun and enjoyable slasher that features a lot of really exciting features. One of the better elements here is the fact that this one manages to get a lot of mileage out of the creepy amusement park setting with the nightmarish scenario of only being exposed to a few select parts of the park and no matter what continually returning to the same area over and over again, all of which just makes this seem more like a dream than anything but frankly adds to a chilling vibe that washes over this section of the film. That this is where the film pretty much starts offing the characters one-by-one in rather gruesome detail is where it starts getting really good, with a lot of rather fun and exciting elements coming into play due to that with a lot of pretty chilling stalking scenes, some decent escape attempts and a series of pretty violent deaths all brought upon due to the killer's use of a pick-axe as the weapon of choice here. It adds up, along with the rather demented killer and innate sense of hopelessness to turn into a rather fine slasher more often than not. While those are the good elements, it still suffers from some pretty big flaws, including the fact that this one tends to employ the exact same gimmick as several other films do right down to the very same mode of killing done here, which is a major plot-point but is nonetheless taken from another film series entirely and rather the back-story of the killer's identity is changed around. That tends to make it feel like a rip-off more so than as an original feature, which wouldn't be as bad if the low-budget origins weren't at play. Being so cheap means that the look of this is very cramped and confined, there's not a lot of big, extended sequences and the make-up effects don't always come off as good as they should. All-in-all, though, this one seems to have more going for it than not.
Rated R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and hints of child abuse.
Jack the Reaper.
parry_na11 June 2022
A bus load of misbehaving teens find themselves in a sinister funfair, but they are being watched by ... something, or someone.
Tony Todd, who features briefly here, seems to have earmarked himself a career appearing in films like this. Modest productions that occasionally attempt to offer something new. In that, 'The Accursed' partially succeeds.
The usual collection of bratty kids is given slightly more depth than usual, their backstories making them more than the usual cyphers this kind of film usually features. This doesn't stop them from being irritating, but at least they're supposedly meant to be; damaged youths, as opposed to permanently drunk/horny teens.
The setting is what makes this stand out. I find seaside towns, funfairs, circuses and the like incredibly sinister when 'out of season', or, as here, simply abandoned. The funfair setting is quite well utilised. The story has enough twists and turns to keep it interesting. My score is 6 out of 10.
Tony Todd, who features briefly here, seems to have earmarked himself a career appearing in films like this. Modest productions that occasionally attempt to offer something new. In that, 'The Accursed' partially succeeds.
The usual collection of bratty kids is given slightly more depth than usual, their backstories making them more than the usual cyphers this kind of film usually features. This doesn't stop them from being irritating, but at least they're supposedly meant to be; damaged youths, as opposed to permanently drunk/horny teens.
The setting is what makes this stand out. I find seaside towns, funfairs, circuses and the like incredibly sinister when 'out of season', or, as here, simply abandoned. The funfair setting is quite well utilised. The story has enough twists and turns to keep it interesting. My score is 6 out of 10.
Don't fear this reaper
movieman_kev16 October 2013
Don't waste your time or money on this completely unremarkable, unoriginal, utterly dreary, relatively bloodless mess of a film. Granted the latter wasn't an issue for me as I saw it streaming on Netflix, but I digress. This rancid half-baked little horror tale of stereotypical clichéd 'teenagers' running afoul of a serial killer in a deserted carnival is somehow even worse than that description would seemingly entail. Furthermore, while technically not even reaching an hour and a half of running time, it felt much longer due to its sheer awfulness. Poor Tony Todd deserves better. And don't even get me started on the ending.
Needed gore, nudity and nudity
fluffchop5 March 2022
Bad Movie That Capitalized on Outdated Stereotypes
epbomb23 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Jack the reaper seems that we can have a lot of potential, a reaper of souls of railroad accidents eyes to kill a bus load of teenagers. The reaper character could have been very interesting, but the reaper fails in every aspect. Very little background and no character development make the character irrelevant and unwatchable.
As a teenage slasher film, this film is unwatchable and in alarmingly poor taste. About half the teenage cast are "jocks" who are lazy and bullies, a ditzy blonde, several background female characters who add nothing, but the rest of the teenage cast are persons who have developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, or emotional disabilities. The movie stereotypes teenagers with disabilities in the worst way, making them all victims of bullies, unable to fend or think for themselves, and simply easy targets for railroad jack, the psycho killer. The movie's treatment of characters with disabilities is offensive, stereotypical, and demeaning. Jack the reaper, lacking any substance character, simply kills for no reason. The movies ending wraps nothing up, and was an easy way to let the movies innumerable loose ends hang in the wind.
As a teenage slasher film, this film is unwatchable and in alarmingly poor taste. About half the teenage cast are "jocks" who are lazy and bullies, a ditzy blonde, several background female characters who add nothing, but the rest of the teenage cast are persons who have developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, or emotional disabilities. The movie stereotypes teenagers with disabilities in the worst way, making them all victims of bullies, unable to fend or think for themselves, and simply easy targets for railroad jack, the psycho killer. The movie's treatment of characters with disabilities is offensive, stereotypical, and demeaning. Jack the reaper, lacking any substance character, simply kills for no reason. The movies ending wraps nothing up, and was an easy way to let the movies innumerable loose ends hang in the wind.
Maximum Creepiness
gryle30 January 2012
This movie sits very comfortably in its genre. I love horror films and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Tony Todd is always a pleasure to watch, and I would have liked to have seen more of him. We can only hope for a sequel or two that brings him back in this role.
The story centers around a group of high school students whose Saturday field trip goes to hell when their bus crashes in the desert with nothing in site but a creepy abandoned carnival. Writer/director Seilhamer has created a fascinating world of "The Reapers", who mysteriously appear when it's someone's time to go, and answer only to the one they call "Mother". This film introduces us to Railroad Jack, a particularly creepy Reaper with a fondness for his pickaxe.
I thought the plot and back-story were quite original, and there are some solid performances among the young cast. Excellent make-up and pretty impressive use of effects considering the ultra-low budget.
Considering how badly these kinds of movies can turn out sometimes, this one was a very refreshing surprise.
I solidly recommend it!! You won't be disappointed.
The story centers around a group of high school students whose Saturday field trip goes to hell when their bus crashes in the desert with nothing in site but a creepy abandoned carnival. Writer/director Seilhamer has created a fascinating world of "The Reapers", who mysteriously appear when it's someone's time to go, and answer only to the one they call "Mother". This film introduces us to Railroad Jack, a particularly creepy Reaper with a fondness for his pickaxe.
I thought the plot and back-story were quite original, and there are some solid performances among the young cast. Excellent make-up and pretty impressive use of effects considering the ultra-low budget.
Considering how badly these kinds of movies can turn out sometimes, this one was a very refreshing surprise.
I solidly recommend it!! You won't be disappointed.
A Refreshing New Horror Is Born
jameshorrorcook31 January 2012
"Jack The Reaper" a new Horror film that I really enjoyed. Now, I don't usually like teen horrors. The acting and story is always bad,and there is nobody to root for. But In this film however the acting was really good and although there are some characters you want to die, there are some characters to root for. The actors all got a good amount of screen time and some do stand out more than others, but it is definitely a good group. Tony Todd is solid as always and Sally Kirkland is in it for a scene and plays a grandmother I would not want to mess with.
Railroad Jack is one cool character and Douglas Tait is a very imposing figure as that character. The design of the character is simple, but little touches especially those black eyes and his eerie smile gives the character that frightening quality you need to make a character stand out amongst all the horror movie monsters. Throw in the fact that he carries a huge pickax and is not afraid to use it only helps his status. There are plenty of violent kills in this film using that pickax to keep a horror fan happy. If there is a character that I hope I get to see again it would have to be Railroad Jack and that is rare because there aren't many memorable characters in indie films and I see a lot.
The pace of the film is good. The beginning of the film introduces us to the characters and the pace picks after the bus crash. There is no lull in the film which is always good. The director/writer Kimberly Seilhamer does a good job keeping us interested. The back drop of the film is interesting. The crash takes place in the desert and most of the action takes place at this empty carnival. Now, the first question I had was what the hell is an empty working carnival doing in the middle of the desert, but at the end of the film you figure it out. Speaking of the end of the film it was very cool and reminded me of Twilight Zone and when you see the film you will know what I am talking about. Overall, the film is definitely worth checking out and Railroad Jack will quickly become a fan favorite. This is a must see if you are a fan of Horror like myself.
Railroad Jack is one cool character and Douglas Tait is a very imposing figure as that character. The design of the character is simple, but little touches especially those black eyes and his eerie smile gives the character that frightening quality you need to make a character stand out amongst all the horror movie monsters. Throw in the fact that he carries a huge pickax and is not afraid to use it only helps his status. There are plenty of violent kills in this film using that pickax to keep a horror fan happy. If there is a character that I hope I get to see again it would have to be Railroad Jack and that is rare because there aren't many memorable characters in indie films and I see a lot.
The pace of the film is good. The beginning of the film introduces us to the characters and the pace picks after the bus crash. There is no lull in the film which is always good. The director/writer Kimberly Seilhamer does a good job keeping us interested. The back drop of the film is interesting. The crash takes place in the desert and most of the action takes place at this empty carnival. Now, the first question I had was what the hell is an empty working carnival doing in the middle of the desert, but at the end of the film you figure it out. Speaking of the end of the film it was very cool and reminded me of Twilight Zone and when you see the film you will know what I am talking about. Overall, the film is definitely worth checking out and Railroad Jack will quickly become a fan favorite. This is a must see if you are a fan of Horror like myself.
Loved this film
jadeelee8815 September 2012
Warning: Spoilers
I really enjoyed this film..Wasn't boring in any way at all..Introduced the characters at the beginning and then the suspense started.. From start to finish it was brilliantly done.. Didn't need to rely on the old cliché of drugs, booze, sex or sleazy characters like almost every teen movie is like. Each character was perfectly cast and did a fantastic job of acting and I really didn't want anyone to die.. Normally I cant stand the characters and couldn't care less if someone died but in this case I was saying noooo don't die. To be totally done production in 13 days just shows how professional the team was and how good the actors were..Ten stars for my vote and I hope I get to see more of this type as I actually enjoy watching films set in amusement parks at night with the creepy atmosphere. I don't care how many people compare this to another film I still loved watching this and kudos to the whole cast and crew !!! You have a fan..
Classic Horror Lives Again!
creeksidefam31 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Yes, classic horror lives again. Jack the Reaper is truly a throwback to classic horror. Think Hitchcock...I did.
I especially loved the character development not often seen in today's horror films. You develop an understanding of each character and what brought them to their reality and anxiously relate to them. This film is directed with beautiful attention to detail and creates an associative imagery that provides foreboding clues. I really got pulled in! Whereas there is a good amount of profanity in this film, at times it actually provides some much needed comic relief. I can easily see the potential (and HOPE HOPE HOPE) for many more Reaper adventures...or misadventures. I, for one, can't wait!
I especially loved the character development not often seen in today's horror films. You develop an understanding of each character and what brought them to their reality and anxiously relate to them. This film is directed with beautiful attention to detail and creates an associative imagery that provides foreboding clues. I really got pulled in! Whereas there is a good amount of profanity in this film, at times it actually provides some much needed comic relief. I can easily see the potential (and HOPE HOPE HOPE) for many more Reaper adventures...or misadventures. I, for one, can't wait!
Seriously good little horror
the_wolf_imdb19 February 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Jack the Reaper is very simple, almost minimalistic teenage horror / slasher. The exposition is somewhat long, but overall it is very good flick.
Expect no complexity - just eery atmosphere of deserted carnival in the middle of the desert. The simple pure decadence of the place is definitely worth watching, especially if you do love ghost town stories or Wild West horror stories. The only lighted place in totally dark desert, scary, chilling, "behind the line". It was both beautiful and freaky. I loved the setting, seriously I loved that!
Surprisingly enough there are even some lovely details that might be easily overlooked. Remember that little girl at the museum that looks at the photograph and said "I have seen that man"? Remember that they say "you are dead if the Jack has eyes on you"? And have you noticed that the policewoman told "This is the second crash this night?" Lovely, isn't it?
The plot is not that revolutionary but it is acceptable and surprising enough as well - and the Jack is seriously scary. The special effects are very good for such minimalistic concept and the gore is enough to grab a beer and just enjoy the evening. I would definitely recommend that - it is not revolutionary, but very classic in the best sense of the word!
Expect no complexity - just eery atmosphere of deserted carnival in the middle of the desert. The simple pure decadence of the place is definitely worth watching, especially if you do love ghost town stories or Wild West horror stories. The only lighted place in totally dark desert, scary, chilling, "behind the line". It was both beautiful and freaky. I loved the setting, seriously I loved that!
Surprisingly enough there are even some lovely details that might be easily overlooked. Remember that little girl at the museum that looks at the photograph and said "I have seen that man"? Remember that they say "you are dead if the Jack has eyes on you"? And have you noticed that the policewoman told "This is the second crash this night?" Lovely, isn't it?
The plot is not that revolutionary but it is acceptable and surprising enough as well - and the Jack is seriously scary. The special effects are very good for such minimalistic concept and the gore is enough to grab a beer and just enjoy the evening. I would definitely recommend that - it is not revolutionary, but very classic in the best sense of the word!
A Must See
filmtrap31 January 2012
I'm usually into Sci-Fi/Action but a few horror films catch my eye and this is one of them. Great writing and totally hyped for a sequel. Tony Todd is always the master of creepiness. One just has to hear his voice and shivers abound. Read about the trials and tribulations they had filming this one and, despite the setbacks, it came together. You can tell the writer wanted to channel Hitchcock or Wes Craven. Let's just say you know these teenagers are going to get it (they always do) but "How" is the question. Hope this has a sequel and I'll want to see more gore. I hope they can get Tony Todd again or someone else who is as equally creepy.
A slasher sensation!!
chris-620-4392365 February 2012
This film drew me into the horror genre the way no other could I've always been more into SciFi but there was something about it that drew me in. was it the Star names attached to it? was it the haunting Music in the trailer? or was it the top showing at Canes Indie? whatever it was Ms. Seilhamers enticing script and characters (both those played by the stars we know and the ensemble who are sure to be stars in their own right)kept me on the edge of my seat and showed me that even the most innocent of us has a dark side. She follows a format that I've come to see as reminiscent of classic 80s slasher films but brings it to life (death?) with a formula all her own.
I look forward to more to come from this director who i see has already made quite the splash in the writing field of this industry and the stars both current and future involved in this slasher-thriller masterpiece!
I look forward to more to come from this director who i see has already made quite the splash in the writing field of this industry and the stars both current and future involved in this slasher-thriller masterpiece!
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