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Reviews
Fangoria: Blood Drive (2004)
A few really good, the rest really bad
The Fangoria Blood Drive definitely has some talented filmmakers on it. I am a huge horror fan and am always looking to find the next Evil Dead or Dead Alive. So I rented this compilation at Blockbuster expecting to hate it after seeing Rob Zombie's stamp of approval. But the first short blew me away! The Hitch was creepy with some hilarious dark humor. It had great twists and a great payoff, albeit a super bloody one. But the problem is after that short, the others fall flat. A Man and his Finger was too long and too silly for my tastes. Inside was really good, very dream like. It's the most psychologically scary one on the disk. That guy will be good once he gets a more linear, cohesive story. Shadows of the Dead was good for us Romero fans, great mood. I just wished there was more dialogue in it. The rest were forgettable. Mr. Eryams looked like a porn movie and Song of The Dead made me feel embarrassed for the filmmaker. While The Hitch isn't terribly scary, it's a spooky little diddy and worth the look. It's the only one I went back and watched again with my friends. I see a Raimi or Peter Jackson coming out of this one.
Theory of Revenge (2003)
Cool, violent indie flick...only wish they better production value.
I saw this movie about a month ago at the Magnolia Theater in Dallas, Texas and was quite impressed. Obviously shot with no money on digital video and an amatuer cast, it is effective none the less. The plot was a little merky at first. Something about a drug addicted son ripping his criminal father off, then his father putting a hit on the son. While it reminded me of At Close Range with Christopher Walken, it's the storytelling and some pretty good acting that makes it stand out. The movie becomes stronger and stronger as it goes on from one violent scene to the next. The son gets his girlfriend pregnant, pulls a nasty drug house robbery, escapes his father's attempted hit, and finally gets his "revenge". Sounds like a bit much, but it's pulled off with a good amount of flare and entertainment that it makes it one of the best no budget indies I've seen. It's got the cojones in the drama and action that most small productions shy away from. All it needs is a little better production value, a little sharper story line & script, and bingo...these guys are there. I recommend this just for the introduction of the potential talent involved.