Well For all the Camp Horror movie lovers/1980 horror usual theme this on has a twist
Horror Scociety
As an adamant hater of “reality TV” movies it takes a lot for me to
say this but I actually enjoyed this film. I was worried in the
beginning that it was taking the Wrong Turn 2 vibe, and I’ll be honest I
was pretty bummed, but I realized pretty quickly this movie was going
to take on a bit more of a serious vibe with an actual storyline. (sorry
guys but WT2 was just awful)
As the story builds, this movie gets more of an old school slasher
feel, but with a modern twist, because of the “reality tv” angle. I’m
gonna be honest, the beginning was a little choppy and hard to follow,
and the story builds a bit slowly. However, I kind of like the slow
build up, because it allows the viewer to establish more of a connection
with the characters, and makes the experience better once the action
really starts.
This film had a pretty enjoyable cast as well. Eric Roberts character
is a total dick, and I gotta say, he plays it almost too well, but I
like it. It suits him. I kept waiting for Danielle Harris to show back
up, but when she finally does it really makes the ending. It gives the
story a final twist that closes out the movie really well. And I just
gotta say it, the good hair guy really did have some damn good hair. I
know I haven’t mentioned Felissa Rose yet, but as always, she’s just
fantastic.
Overall, this movie was quite enjoyable. It starts out a little
rocky, but overall I liked it. This film has plenty of suspense,
especially in the last 20 minutes. (Seriously.. Damn..) I liked that we
learn the characters stories before things get “messy”, and it doesn’t
just dive right into the gore. Speaking of gore, there isn’t a ton of
it, but when it happens, it’s done well. I’m usually a stickler for
practical effects, and I approve.
I recommend this movie if you’re looking for a throwback slasher,
with a modern storyline. This film will be released early next year so
keep an eye out for more details.
Diabolique magazine
Dead.tv (Film Review)
Eric Roberts and Danielle Harris in Dead.tv
The “dead teenagers” in
Dead.tv obviously haven’t seen last year’s giddily inspired gem
The Cabin in the Woods
or any of the hundred “spam-in-a-cabin” slasher flicks since the 1970s
and ’80s. However, the puppet master here, played by the handsomely gray
Eric Roberts, is Julian Barrett, a writing-directing purveyor of a
popular, now-defunct ’80s horror trilogy called
Summer Camp, Ã la 1983′s
Sleepaway Camp.
Making up for the end of his career, Julian has one last-ditch trick up
his sleeve — jump on the reality-TV craze and reboot the outline of his
films by casting real, troubled twenty-somethings, promising them the
shot to win a million bucks and to fix themselves at a fake counseling
camp. Of course, the contestant “eliminations” become deadly real.
With
Dead.tv, writer-director B. Harrison Smith uses a
self-reflexive approach in a different way and throws on a fresh-enough
coat of blood. In fact, Smith is actually slyer in his comment on
now-defunct horror franchises, with the inspired casting of Felissa
Rose, and the popularity of reality TV than he is with the standard
stalking and slashing. Wasting no time with the “getting-to-know-you”
conversations, the film introduces its gaggle of soon-to-be victims with
dark pasts in their reality TV auditions. There’s the sullen, anxious
Adrienne (Nicole Cinaglia); hunky lunk Christian Novak (Joe Raffa);
lesbian Sarah (Ashley Sumner); the clownish Vinny (Davy Raphaely);
ex-military nice guy Matty (Alexander Mandell); the slutty Katie
(Montana Marks); and a few other mysterious types.
Though the hook of watching a horror movie isn’t to see a Meryl
Streep running around screaming, or for the plot and characters, there
is typically a Final Girl or Guy whom we can root for and that’s not
really the case with
Dead.tv. The contestants, though while all
attractive, boil down to jerks, brats, stereotypes, or nice-enough
would-be heroes, and some of the actors fill their archetypal roles
better than others. Adrienne might have the saddest backstory, and yet
Nicole Cinaglia is the most uneven, seemingly misdirected to either
underact to the point of being lost behind her mousy glasses or overact
to irritating effect. Joe Raffa might make the most impression as the
wild-card hunk, who shares one of the more artistically free sex scenes
with co-star Montana Marks, and Gnomi Gre, as the pierced “princess of
darkness” Missy, sells a quietly funny verbal smackdown to one of the
arrogant dudes. The one Eric Roberts is perfectly snaky as Julian
Barrett, and, of course, Felissa Rose, cast as Julian’s ex-lead Rachel
Steele summoned to be the kids’ head counselor, seems to have some fun
poking fun at her role of transvestite murderess Angela in
Sleepaway Camp.
Also, horror veteran Danielle Harris has a few scenes to chew on as the
local sheriff (!) who doesn’t watch horror movies (!!).
Not the worst of its type,
Dead.tv,
like many entries in the genre, isn’t so much about what it’s about but
how it’s about it. One thing is for sure: the film is a team effort.
Actor Rafa does double-duty, playing loose-cannon Novak and taking
credit as film editor, and Rose and Cinaglia are also associate
producers. However, the production values are spotty, from a few
technical editing faux pas and some overly dim cinematography. Luckily,
make-up effects guru Clever Hall’s kills are realistically bloody and
viscous, including guttings, stabbings, and a very nasty use of
dishwashing liquid. There’s also a throwaway line involving the viral
watermelon-to-the-face clip from TV’s
The Amazing Race, which
then gets paid off with a darkly funny death. One exception: the killing
of a black amputee being beaten with his own leg seems a little
mean-spirited. For such a low-budgeted affair that usually calls for
blood to just look like Karo syrup, “practical” is always the way to go
in the grue department.
On and off, this cheeky horror pic delivers what you want it to and
ends on a didn’t-see-that-coming high note. Though not always competent
and filled with more potential than what was fully applied to the
finished product,
Dead.tv does have a low-budget charm, offering a few twistedly twisty goodies and enough splatter to keep gorehounds happy.
Not the worst of its type, Dead.tv,
like many entries in the genre, isn’t so much about what it’s about but
how it’s about it. One thing is for sure: the film is a team effort.
Actor Rafa does double-duty, playing loose-cannon Novak and taking
credit as film editor, and Rose and Cinaglia are also associate
producers. However, the production values are spotty, from a few
technical editing faux pas and some overly dim cinematography. Luckily,
make-up effects guru Clever Hall’s kills are realistically bloody and
viscous, including guttings, stabbings, and a very nasty use of
dishwashing liquid. There’s also a throwaway line involving the viral
watermelon-to-the-face clip from TV’s The Amazing Race, which
then gets paid off with a darkly funny death. One exception: the killing
of a black amputee being beaten with his own leg seems a little
mean-spirited. For such a low-budgeted affair that usually calls for
blood to just look like Karo syrup, “practical” is always the way to go
in the grue department.
I love Rose Mcgowan she plays the bad girl very well.
he
24th Day," an independent video feature written and directed by Tony
Piccirillo, suggests a second-rate Off-Off Broadway play as it might
have been captured on a camcorder by a doting parent.
