Borderland

8 Things About Borderland

About

A satanic blood cult in Mexico toys with the police while setting their sights on a small group of college-age tourists.

Cast

Sean Astin, Roberto Sosa, Damián Alcázar, Rider Strong. Sean Astin was in the Lord of the Rings movies. What happened? Rider Strong was in Eli Roth's Cabin Fever. Actually, all the acting is pretty good.

Crew

Directed by Zev Berman, who previously did a movie called Briar Patch.

Grue

Guns, machetes, torture.

Like

Too many other movies to list. Original, it's not.

Good

The movie starts out briskly.

Bad

But it starts to lag, and ends with a whimper.

Sum

Borderland might appeal to those not overly familiar with the tried and true tricks of Mexican Satanic-cult movies, but for the rest it is nothing you haven't seen before.

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Crazy Eights

8 Things About Crazy Eights

About

A half-dozen childhood friends converge to uncover the repressed memories they all share, regarding the strange death of one of their own, ala Stephen King's It or The Big Chill. And of course, a super-creepy, abandoned old hospital is the perfect place to mull it over.

Cast

Traci Lords, Gabrielle Anwar, Frank Whaley, Dina Meyer. Dina Meyer was in the Saw movies, Traci Lords is a former porn star, and Gabrielle Anwar is currently acting is an underrated TV series with Bruce Campbell called Burn Notice.

Crew

Directed by first-timer James Koya Jones.

Grue

Mostly presented in flashback / repressed memory and dream sequences. Somebody gets their lower jaw torn off.

Like

Kind of similar to Session 9 in pacing and tone, but even more leisurely.

Good

Fairly intricate mystery.

Bad

Very slow.

Sum

Unless you're a fan of one of the leads, Crazy Eights isn't quite crazy enough to stick with.

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The Deaths of Ian Stone

8 Things About The Deaths of Ian Stone

About

When a young jock is involved in a horrific car wreck and dies, he's given a second chance at life in the boy of a white collar office drone. But that's not his soul's final destination, as a hellbent murderer is determined to kill every body in which Ian finds refuge.

Cast

Michael Feast, James Bartle, Mike Vogel. Mike Vogel was in Cloverfield and the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake.

Crew

Directed by Dario Piana.

Grue

Ian dies over and over again, in many inventive ways. There's a pretty cringe-inducing torture scene.

Like

Groundhog Day meets Dark City.

Good

Nice visuals and an intriguing premise.

Bad

The story peters out, as once the mystery is uncovered the story never ramps up from there.

Sum

Only worth a look if you think you might like to see how the supernatural battle winds up in exposition.

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Lake Dead

8 Things About Lake Dead

About

A group of impossibly good-looking young men and women fire up a Winnebago and go off to camp at "the lake". The lake area harbors a clan of inbred hillbillies who don't take kindly to strangers.

Cast

Kelsey Crane, Jim Devoti, Tara Gerard, and Vanessa Viola. (These sound suspiciously like stage names, don't they?)

Crew

Directed by George Bessudo.

Grue

Emulating shock cinema, Lake Dead offers up some pretty gruesome killings, not to mention rape and torture.

Like

Mother's Day.

Good

Lake Dead is reasonably entertaining and it does move along at a pretty good clip.

Bad

The acting.

Sum

Most will find the lake is all wet but for those not expecting much, you'll get a little something.

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Mulberry Street

8 Things About Mulberry Street

About

Rat-people spring up from the sewers of New York City, and these vile vermin avoid all the traps.

Cast

Debbie Rochon, Nick D'Amici, and Bo Corre, Rochon is known for her career in soft-core horror-porn.

Crew

Directed by Jim Meckler.

Grue

Mutants kill and die, gushily.

Like

B-movies of the late 70s and early 80s. Think: Nightwing meets Q: The Winger Serpent. But without the wings.

Good

Rat people!

Bad

Rat people!

Sum

If you liked Feast, and you're also a fan of grittier New York (Rodentz meets Escape from New York!) then you'll more than likely enjoy Mulberry Street.

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Nightmare Man

8 Things About Nightmare Man

About

A psychotic young woman's husband, trying to do the best he can by her, decides that it's best to have her committed. On the way to the isolated mental healthcare facility, their car runs out of gas and she's left stranded on the roadside while he walks for help… her imaginary demon comes to life, and leads her to a nearby cabin where a pair of horny couples on holiday are playing truth or dare.

Cast

Tiffany Shepis, Blythe Metz, Luciano Szafir, and James Ferris. Shepis enjoyed her best death scene ever in Abominable.

Crew

Directed by Rolfe Kanefsky. His previous film is Jacqueline Hyde.

Grue

Demon-doled deaths, the best of which involves a bow & arrow and a bad attitude.

Like

Night of the Demons meets Prozac Nation.

Good

Tiffany Shepis is hilarious in her delivery of dry wit, and there are some magnificent murder moments.

Bad

The first 20 minutes of the movie is so horrid, it's almost impossible to get through. But if you do (and you need the set-up), you'll be glad you stuck with it.

Sum

Nightmare Man is a b-flick… get ready for some terrible acting, a demon who's nothing more than an extra in a gargoyle mask, a story that's ridiculous… and lots of good-natured horror fun.

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Tooth and Nail

8 Things About Tooth and Nail

About

In a post-apocalyptic world, a small stronghold of young people hole themselves up in a derelict former school (or is it a hospital? Lots of hallways and empty rooms…) and fight flesh-eating marauders to the death.

Cast

Robert Carradine, Michael Madsen, Rachel Miner, Rider Strong, Vinnie Jones. Vinnie jones will soon be seen as the villain in Clive Barker's The Midnight Meat Train.

Crew

Directed by Mark Young.

Grue

Brutal beatings and cannibalistic consumption.

Like

Mad Max with an appetite for "the other white meat".

Good

Great cast.

Bad

The great cast is wasted in a boring, bloated and tedious story that never finds its feet.

Sum

One of the more disappointing films in the collection, mainly because it seems to be aspiring to greater heights than its cohorts.

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Unearthed

8 Things About Unearthed

About

An alien is dug up with some artifacts during a shady archeological dig.

Cast

Emmanuelle Vaugier, Luke Goss, Charlie Murphy, and Beau Garrett. Vaugier's been great in the Saw franchise.

Crew

Directed by Matthew Leutwyler. He wrote the screenplay for the cult hit Dead & Breakfast.

Grue

CGI… so not scary.

Like

Sands of Oblivion, minus the pharaohs.

Good

The rampant cliché's are fun to follow, if you're in a magnanimous mood.

Bad

Holy Wavy Gravy, Batman! There are some bad flashbacks.

Sum