johndonny-10710 Reviews

All Hallows' Eve 2 (2015)

Horror Anthology Fan

[5/10 · 17 January 2024]

All Hallows Eve 2 is obviously the sequel to All Hallows Eve. The first installment is best known for introducing Art the clown, who surprisingly is nowhere to be seen in AHE 2. Guess his dance card was full starring in the "Terrifier" franchise. Like the first installment a masked character leaves a VHS tape for a beautiful woman to watch on Halloween. The tape being the vehicle for the eight shorts that along with the wraparound make up this anthology. 1. A boy and his hot babysitter carve a pumpkin together and bake the seeds. After eating the seeds they find this pumkin gets even for being carved up. 2. A survivalist and his wife are visited by trick or treaters who are far more sinister then they appear. 3. A father and son go into the woods to leave an offering to a supernatural entity. 4. A woman finds herself alone in an elevator with the man she believes murdered her roommate. 5. A group of teens enter a carnival where they throw weapons at a man tied to a wheel. 6. A boy tries to convince his mother that a monster lives under his bed. 7. A crazy man goes all out on his Halloween yard display to the point he uses his abducted victims as props. 8. A man deletes his ex from his social media accounts only to have her haunt him from the grave. We then see the girl meet a similar fate as the girl in AHE 1 to wrap up the wrap around. This anthology does not feel as cohesive as the original. It feels more like a collection of shorts with only some being connected to Halloween. That said, There is plenty to like here, Story 7 was my favorite with the psycho and his yard display with the stories 1,2,4,6 and 8 being good as well. Story 3 about the father and son leaving an offering feeling a bit under developed while story 5 was rejected from the ABC'S of Death for a reason. All in all AHE2 is a solid collection worth a watch.

No Budget Theater (2023)

No Budget Theatre

[4/10 · 2 January 2024]

Review by Horror Anthology Junkie.

When they say "No Budget Theatre" they really mean it. It is obvious that this movie was made by people who really enjoyed the process and were mostly broke. This gives the movie an amateurish film school project feel. But as the saying goes "when life gives you lemons make lemonade" The filmmakers, knowing they could not recreate Citizen Kane, decide to double down on how bad it is. They make you feel like they are letting the viewer in on the joke. Easier said then done but they manage to pull it off for the most part. The opening segment is a satire on the rogue cop on a mission of revenge. Skeleton cop is by far the star of the film and worthy of his own feature. He is a literal skeleton wearing a hat and badge who just screams when trying to communicate. He solves his cases basically by spraying a copious amount of bullets into everything that moves leaving piles of dead and mutilated bodies. The second segment is about a young man who is out trying to get supplies in a dystopian future hellscape due to what appears to be a zombie apocalypse. Next we are given a buddy cop segment featuring two cops who appear to be ex special forces which allows them to fight multiple groups of criminals in a homage to 80s badass cop movies. Lastly, we end up in space where a group of space cops must stop an evil space villain from acquiring what he needs to rule space or something.. What they did not expect is the return of, you guessed..Skeleton Cop! Which brings the movie, if you made it this far, on somewhat of a high note. This is not to be mistaken for a serious film but if you are stoned and just looking for an off the wall parody that was obviously made by people who loved making it then you might just enjoy it.

Late Fee (2009)

Late Fee (2009) AnthologyLover

[5/10 · 15 December 2023]

If your looking for a high end well made horror anthology film then this most certainly is not that. However, If you like something with smoking hot female characters in segments that have them in outrageous sexually situations while smothered in retro cheesiness, then you may actually enjoy this. A couple rents a pair of horror flicks from a strange video store owner who warns them of the extreme policies he has for late returns. The two stories are from the films they watch. The first story has a sexy blond streetwalker being picked up by a married businessman who is out for a night of tail. They end up in a prearranged motel room where she does her thing which most assuredly was not what he had in mind. The second tale has a beautiful and innocent brunette pulled over in a traffic stop by a over sexed blond hottie who looks like she thinks she"s in a 70's porno flick "not necessarily a bad thing" She takes her into custody where she is taken to a satanic prison that assumes everybody is guilty of something and spins a wheel to choose her fate. In the end we are back to the couple who are not going to make the return time agreed upon. Of course this has grave consequences. The movie is mostly for horror anthology lovers and or collectors. If you wath this in the right frame of mind, Not expecting Tales from the Crypt or Creepshow, and your not to picky then you might just find enough here to enjoy.

Dark Chronicles (2019)

THE HORROR ANTHOLOGY DUDE-ABIDES

[6/10 · 3 December 2023]

A shopkeeper who is a collector of rare books, introduces four stories which delve into possession, rituals, zombies and harbingers. Story 1. A religious fanatic, convinced a woman is possessed by a demon keeps her captive while he tries to exorcise the entity. She believes she is just ill and decides to try and break free. Story two. A group of horror fans, on a road trip to attend a horror festival, decide to visit a creepy occult antiquity shop. The beautiful storekeeper shows them some items and tells them the backstories while the gang mostly cut jokes and treat her, mostly as a fraud out to make a buck. They are soon tricked into reading some passages from an ancient book which causes their trip to take an unexpected turn for the worse. Story three. A group holed up in a house trying to isolate themselves from a dystopian zombie infested world, find that zombies aren't the only thing to fear in a world of limited resources Finally story four. A brutal serial killer enters a bar to confront the owner who;s husband stole money from his family. After not hearing what he wanted to hear he decides to kill everybody beginning with a flirtatious redhead who is chatting him up at the bar. Things go bad for our slasher when it is revealed the redhead is not what she seems. Our guide see;s us out in conclusion and all in all this anthology fells satisfying and a recommend to lovers of the genre. The performances are solid to good.

The Horror Network Vol. 1 (2015)

Scary and thought provoking Horror Anthology

[7/10 · 30 July 2023]

The Horror Network Vol. 1 is a very interesting collection of shorts which all examine aspects of the human condition. The first story presents a woman wanting to get away from her stress and problems to a quiet isolated cabin in the country. However we learn that wherever you go, well there you are. Has she snapped or is she in an actual funhoue of horror? The 2nd story appears to be a possession story as a disturbed patient who fears he is committing horrable act when he sleeps as a analytical smug psychiatrist assures him that he suffers from a mental condition. In the end I found a couple viable answers to where we end up at the conclusion. 1. He should have considered the possibility of supernatural forces at work or 2. Stare into the abyss long enough and run the risk of becoming the abyss. The third story was really well done concerning a young girl nearly deaf except for the a hearing aid on one ear that allows her to hear somewhat. Her mom sends a friend of her fathers to pick her up instead. He looks for a girl with a hearing aid and does not find her due to her removing it because of cruel bullying she suffers at the hands of other kids on her bus. When he figures out who she is she is he creepily pulls up to her in a van of all things to finally give her a ride of course causing the girl run away into the woods. After a cat and mouse game it ends sadly for the young girl. This is shot and acted very well and their is a doll that appears to be a representation of the girl mixed in throughout the story. The unseen figure is telling the doll she will love her as long as she can while cutting away the dolls pretty red hair which the girl also has. This feels to me like a warning to being overprotective and not having the tools or courage to stand up for ones self. The mother casually tells police as they search for her that she sometimes takes her hearing aid off for quiet. When asked if she had a boyfriend the overbearing momsay of course not. If this girl would have appreciated her hearing aid as a blessing that she is not totally deaf and that life is not always fair. She may have stood up for herself. She may have found her courage, sense of humor, personality or wits to put an end to it. Even if it did not work on the horrible kids bullying her someone or several someones may have been inspired. They may have admired her courage and she would have made alliances and friends. She probably doesn't rush off leaving her phone. In the end she was a victim who was held back in a way that would destroy her. In the end the doll being told again she will love her as long as she can is pictured stripped bare of its dress, its beautiful hair and is left ruined of all its charms and qualities. Or of course the pursuer may have been el creepo. All these tales give you uncomfortable ends that are for the most part a deeper lesson through imagery and suggestion or actual supernatural horror. The fourth story is visually gutting. A woman and her daughter suffer in a brutally abusive violent home. The husband and father is an unspeakable bastard who should be killed on site by anyone who is close enough to do it. We see through imagery the complete desolation and destruction of people who suffer from such abuse. We also see her brother trying to get her to stop being a powerless victim and leave, change rise above instead of drinking to kill the pain. Of course she has an excuse for that as well. The woman and daughter are transformed into visually horrific creatures of pain an d suffering to break free. The effects here are fantastic and where the cover art comes from. Top shelf creepy stuff. Obviously we are encouraged or disturbed to figure out one should not be a vioctim. No matter hor terrible the antagonists are in the end we accept our lot in life and give away our incredible nearly limitless power to rise up and to break free and create a more fitting destiny for ourselves and our children. The final story has a man who is disgusted by his neighbors lifestyle. This tale deals with religious zealots and hypocracy. A common theme in cinema these days as we head away from judeo christian philosophies and take the bullet train to Hail Satan parkway. I just call's em likes I sees em. A pious man has found some very extreme ways to deal with those who publicly live in ways he finds sinful. Of course a corpse is not subject to any moral obligations and of course God rewards those who eliminate sin from the world of the living. If you are confused wath it and all will become clear grasshopper. Because men of god like this guy will be rewarded in the.........end. Anyways this is not always fun to watch but it is thought provoking, well done and worth your time. Grab some popcorn and be ready to be challenged a bit.

Freakshow (1989)

Misunderstood classic

[5/10 · 24 July 2023]

I see so many brutal reviews on this 80"s horror anthology film and it makes me smile. Reviewers seem to think it is trying to be Citizen Kane or even Creepshow. If you go into this movie expecting cinematic greatness you will not find it. However, If you are looking for a fun anthology that does not take itself that seriously and lays on a healthy portion of 80"s cheese and the offbeat feel to all things 80's then you will have some fun. We are treated to some really shaky acting and just passable affects to 80's hair metal video vixens busting out into an all out rock video while dancing in their panties before they sacrifice a pizza delivery guy who lets just say, turns the tables. Add drug stealing poodles, hard partying zombies and a gigolo named Funk and I mean what else could a true film historian want. Just grab some popcorn and turn off your brain and enjoy a stroll to a simpler time, if only for an hour and a half.

Scare Package (I) (2019)

A horror movie within a horror movie

[6/10 · 23 July 2023]

I love horror anthology movies. This is a decent effort that is done firmly tongue in cheek. The owner of a video store teaches a new employee several tales from movies to teach him about horror tropes and the genre. Their are 6 segments plus the wraparound story. A couple segments are really good with a few laugh out loud moments. There are 3 passable segments that are hit and miss. The 6th segment is awful and and drags the movie down a bit. The wraparound goes on a bit too long as well. This movie could of used some healthy editing. It dragged on at the end a bit. All in all its worth a spin. Eliminate the 6th segment and tighten up the ending and it would have been a very good anthology.

Crawl (I) (2019)

Another gator flick

[6/10 · 20 December 2022]

In yet another Gator eating people movie, Crawl is a decent natural horror flick. A young woman goes to check on her father as a class 5 hurricane approaches. She finds him injured in his basement with chomp chomp mcgee soon to be joined by more hungry hungry reptiles. Solid creature effects and heartfelt development of the 2 main characters are what ke3p it all afloat. The survival scenes range from doubtful to just plain silly is what keeps this well below films like Jaws or Back country in the killer animal horror genre. But all in all its worth a watch. I thought the dog was the smartest character animal or human in the whole film.

8 Days to Hell (2022)

Worth your time horror anthology

[6/10 · 28 November 2022]

As a collector of horror anthology movies, I have emassed a large collection. I would not say this movie goes into the excellent section but it it will be on the good shelf. It does have a bit of a b movie feel but it isn't altogether cheese. Most of the segments work and there are some good twists in a few that will leave you smirking more then being terrified. I liked most of the effects, the acting ranges from solid to hanging on by a thread. But as bad as anthologies can be this one is worth a watch and if you aren't expecting an Exorcist level horror film and watch it for what it is with a bag of popcorn on a rainy night you'll be entertained.

The Rocket (2013)

A triumph

[10/10 · 7 August 2022]

One of the best films I've seen in ages. A timeless tale of determination and overcoming all that life can throw at you. I became so engaged in the story and the characters I forgot I was reading subtitles. It should be a reminder to Hollywood what character development and a well told story can do instead of the endless parade of superhero flicks with dark themes, poor acted tripe duct taped together with CGI and cringeworthy political correctness.