Entries Tagged 'thriller' ↓

The Horseman (2008)

Review by Jude Felton Another day, another revenge flick. Don’t read that as a negative statement though, as for one I am a big fan of the genre and secondly I have been waiting for The Horseman to get its North American release for a few months now. As is usually the case the previews promised [...]

The Legacy (1979)

Review by Sarah “Fatally Yours” Jahier Always a sucker for ‘70s thrillers set in old mansions with an occult/satanic twist, I decided to check out The Legacy, a 1979 flick starring Sam Elliott and Katharine Ross. While it focused less on the occult than I expected and was set up more of like a murder mystery [...]

ThrillerFest V – Thriller Literature Fest Announced

SUSPENSE AND THE CITY MASTERS OF LITERATURE’S THRILLER GENRE ARE ABOUT TO EXECUTE AN EVENT SO PERFECT IT’S ALMOST CRIMINAL ThrillerFest V, the world’s most diabolically delicious literature festival, chills in New York City July 7-10, 2010 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. There’s only one event where New York Times best-selling masters of the art lurk around [...]

PDX Zombie Prom – 80’s Zombies Invade Portland

Portland, Oregon is a pretty cool place to be a zombie. We just got an email from Heather Erickson, a serious zombiephile hailing from the Pacific Northwest alerting us to their upcoming annual PDX Zombie Prom being held on May 15th. The event, which first started back in 2007 when Heather, who goes by the nom-de-zom “Bella Boo.” From their [...]

Triangle (2009)

Review by Sarah “Fatally Yours” Jahier Triangle is a surprising straight-to-DVD flick…when I first watched it I hadn’t heard anything about it, so I wasn’t expecting too much out of it. However, it’s a great little flick that offers plenty of twists and turns that will keep your mind reeling! I’m not even sure how to describe [...]

Thoughts on Franklyn


Been busy doing (attempting) screenwritery stuff, but I found time to throw up a few thoughts on one of the most challenging films ever to cross the path of marketing department, Franklyn. It's not hard to see why this wasn't released theatrically in the States. A weird hybrid with many masters: fantasy, quirky indie romance, psychological thriller, etc. I'm not even going to try explaining the plot. I will say that the one sheets play up fantasy element far too much. They look cool, but totally misrepresent the film. Nice character-driven, low-budget story. Don't pop in the DVD and expect to see a Stardust meets Edward Scissorhands fantasy/romance with elaborate sets and flashy effects.

A Perfect Getaway



"A Perfect Getaway" is hardly a perfect film -- couldn't resist that one -- but it aspires to be a thriller of Hitchcockian proportions with lots of juicy twists and unexpected turns, inviting viewers to play along and solve the mystery.

The story goes something like this: Honeymooners in Hawaii become aware of a murderous couple on the loose, cutting off fingers and pulling teeth. Who could it be? The hitchhikers they rebuffed? The friendly Southerner with his over-the-top war stories and perky girlfriend? Or maybe that shady pair from the supply store? Hmmm...

Good concept, but the story doesn't quite deliver. The twists aren't that juicy and the turns are fairly predictable. The trailer gives the impression of an action-packed, suspenseful thriller, which is hardly the case. Lots of walking, climbing and talking for maybe an hour and change. The dialogue just isn't strong enough to carry the film for that length of time. Sure, it wants to be self-aware by talking about red herrings and screenwriting, but that stuff is like death warmed over to non-writers. "Getaway" tries to make up for the slow pace with a knock-down, drag-down last 15 minutes, but it's too late by then.

The big reveal is pretty silly because it hinges on an illogical scene that served no purpose -- except to fool (or outright lie to) the audience. The backstory makes even less sense. Still, I can appreciate the fact that the film tried to be different rather than resort to torture porn or some other inane route.

Orphan


Recently read the script for this upcoming thriller about a couple that adopts a little girl with a BIG SECRET. Not much to discuss without giving away the BIG SECRET, which isn't too hard to figure out, but I can say that "Orphan" manages to push some effective buttons along the way. Plays on a lot of parental fears. The sight of kids doing bad things will have some folks squirming in their seats.

I do think the story hinges too much on the twist. Once we discover the BIG SECRET -- through a rather boring piece of exposition -- there's a mad dash to wrap everything up in a neat little bow (ha-ha). It's a cool idea that'll make you go, 'Why didn't I think of that?' "Orphan" could go either way at the box office -- will definitely be a classic on cable. The release date suggests that the studio thinks its a winner. Really curious to see if it clicks with audiences, especially Moms.

I Know Who Killed Me



What’s in a name? I don’t spend a lot of time obsessing over titles. I go with whatever strikes my fancy, usually a song. You have to imagine the title alone probably got the screenplay a few extra reads. Sadly, it’s also the only interesting thing about the film -- okay, Lindsay Lohan as a bad girl stripper ain’t half bad. Good girl Aubrey gets kidnapped by a serial killer, wakes up mutilated, now claiming to be a stripper named “Dakota”. Is she crazy? Is she making it all up? Does she have something to hide? Who’s the attacker? Not a bad set up, but everything after? Plot holes big enough for a chorus line of strippers to lap dance their way through, absurd twists and one of the most ridiculous closing scenes ever committed to celluloid. Still, it’s got that cool title...