User Reviews

Much attention was given on specialized sites concerning this movie. So whenever there is a fuss about something your expectations are high. That must be the reason why this flick failed for so many. Would I say, it's horror, no, is it a throw back to the grindhouse, no again. I can't say were I should put it but I can tell that it really is some weird movie. A story about two killers living back into the seventies that raped people until they were dead. Somehow, they are back nowadays, but are they really? I can agree that some people don't get the movie. It's all about tripping, remember Jacob's Ladder. Some people had difficulties with that one too. After a while you don't know if you are in the real world or in the hallucinating mind. At the end it will all become clear if it is fake or real...Some scene's will really be offending for some but if you are into weird stuff or gory things than you won't have any problem with it. Gory it will get sometimes and some frontal nudity both male and female will appear too. The director really did put some effort into publishing it and he did well too. Happy to have seen it, again, not for the squeamish, but for the perverted out there.

Based on the description, Someone's Knocking at the Door sounded like a good movie. Unfortunately, it isn't. There are no edge-of-your-seat moments and the ending is a huge letdown. Basically, this movie is nothing more than an anti-drug message wrapped up in a bunch of what-the-@*&#. Sure there is blood and nudity, but the nudity isn't even appealing. The acting is decent but the story is awful. SKATD had so much potential if it had focused on the villains pursuit of the college students. But instead it jumped too soon into the attacks and the whole thing got boring fast. Don't waste your time. If you want an anti-drug message search YouTube for anti-drug PSA produced by MTV during the 1980s.

Some drug induced shock tactics can't save, or paper over the cracks. Bizarre and disturbing are usually (at least) interesting in the movies but this one tries way to hard and any fantastic notions are quickly replaced by rape and graphic violence.

WOW! Chad Ferrin has created a film that has to be seen to be believed. Someone's Knocking at the Door is by far the most depraved, weird, and interesting movie I have seen in a very long time.

This is extreme to the max, so it is NOT recommended for Children or adults that have a weak stomach. The thing that I admire most about Chad Ferrin is the fact that he isn't afraid to go that extra step further in provocation.

Everything about the film is unique. From the atmosphere, to the kills, to the serial killers, and even the main characters, whose nightmare is only just beginning.

There is a twist that many people have disliked, but I must say that I thought it worked fine! Chad Ferrin never lets you as at the viewer, feel in control and its that unpredictability that makes it work!

Although it has problems here and there, the sheer volume of extreme terror makes it worth the effort to see!

The plot: Medical students are haunted by demonic serial rapists.

This was an interesting movie. I'm not sure that I could say that I actually liked it, though. It straddled the line between postmodern, avant-garde film and low budget, exploitation trash. People who are expecting a straight-up horror movie will probably be offended or, even worse, bored out of their minds. The plot is all over the place, involving experimental drugs that induce an near-death experience, serial rapists, demonic possession, a police investigation, and perverted medical students.

I'm not entirely certain what Chad Ferrin's point is, but, as far as I can tell, he's mocking Jacob's Ladder, Flatliners, Scream, and other late 80s / early 90s horror movies. He also seems to be influenced by Frank Henenlotter and Lloyd Kaufman, with lots of over-the-top, disturbing, and disgusting content thrown in, just to offend people. I'll admit, he did actually get my attention, and I thought I was pretty jaded. There are some pretty nasty rape scenes, which are generally played for black humor. Most of the characters are despicable, and the rest are dumbasses. If you're the kind of person who complains about movies not having a likable protagonist, you should definitely avoid this one.

Movies like SKATD often intentionally court as much controversy as they can muster, in order to boost their publicity. Ambivalence is the only reaction that can really harm them. Unfortunately, my own reaction was somewhat ambivalent. I'm tempted to say that it was different, wild, crazy, offensive, or disturbing, but, really, I'm just not sure how much of that is true. However, it's an interesting experiment, and, even if it does fail, it fails in a way that's interesting. I just wish I could figure out with 100% certainty whether this was meant to be parody, homage, or pastiche. Maybe it was meant to be all of them, at the same time. Or it could be that I'm seriously overthinking the whole thing, and it was never meant to be more than low budget trash.

Troma fans may want to check it out, but most other people will probably hate it.

Horror films are often made by independent filmmakers because of their ability to be produced for a smaller budget and the current worldwide popularity explosion that makes distribution a little bit easier. Consequently, there are a lot of really bad horror films made to simply try and capitalize on a growing market, instead of making the film because there was something to be said. Well, Chad Ferrin's film Someone's Knocking at the Door is thankfully one that has purpose and high skill with which the narrative is conveyed, taking the audience to a truly unique world that is fairly unfamiliar. This film came to the Arizona Underground Film Festival last week and after viewing, it was clear that the filmmakers had a definite vision to express. The film explores the relationship between a group of medical school students who are sexually obsessed, unconventional, and overwrought on drugs that they gain access to because of their connections through medical school. The other thing to keep in mind with this film is that it clearly steps outside the constraints of the horror genre, straddling comedy, drama, exploitation, grindhouse, and horror all at once for a rich and cinematic portrayal that will certainly keep the audience on the edge of their seat.

The students are examining, of their own volition, a case from the 1970s about Wilma and John Hopper who were serial murders and rapists. The thing is, they seem to have returned, bringing their brand of psychedelic terror with them. These are two of the most creepy and demented characters to grace the screen in front of this writer's eyes. Their method of dispatching their victims is, well creative, disturbing, terrifying, and unique. It certainly raises the pulses of the audience as these villains are just so bad, almost demonic in nature rather than just disturbed humans.

The medical students in the film are using drugs for many reasons, but one other than the easy access they have is a desire for the expansion of the mind. However, their use of an experimental drug in particular opens the doors of their minds, perhaps a bit too far, and allows the Hoppers to terrorize once again. It cannot be stressed enough how creepy and demented the Hoppers are. They are the antithesis of everything warm and fuzzy in the world, down to their method of extermination.

The film is filled with terrifying situations, but they are of a psychological and gory nature, not a startling variety generally speaking. The question of what is really going on in the film world, what is motivating the madness of the characters on screen is what is terrifying to consider. Do the Hoppers have a higher purpose or are they just plain mad? Are the students being influenced by drugs or are their feelings and hallucinations real? This film explores many questions, doing a nice job of answering them for the most part, while ultimately leaving the audience to sort out the truth of the film through the complex, yet extremely coherent narrative which leads the viewer on a thrilling path that showed this writer what a horror film should and can be. Even the sound design seems to go far beyond the average horror film, showing attention to detail and a desire to utilize the cinematic medium to its fullest.

Another great aspect of the film is that it is genre bending, possessing elements of comedy, subversion, satire, and true gore, yet in spite of its flouting of convention, it chooses to follow one important tenet which is keep the viewer on the edge of their seat throughout the film, something lost on many current horror productions as their goal seems to be to make an interesting DVD cover with a half naked person on it and hope the masses take it home. The half-ass filmmakers hope that the consumer is simply too lazy, too busy, or too ignorant to bring the film back to the place of purchase. Someone's Knocking at the Door does not presuppose ignorance or laziness, but rather, it hopes the viewer comes with a certain type of film acumen, and applies it to the piece. If the viewer does that, they will be rewarded with a rich and deeply meaningful work of art in front of their eyes.

Films like Someone's Knocking at the Door obviously could be objectionable to some viewers, but this is why watching film is a two way street. If you are the type who is offended by content in films, you should be vigilant in researching what that content is going to be in a film that you choose to go and see. Stifling and censoring art is a one way ticket to Nazi Germany, Russia under Stalin, hell, the United States under its current police state mentality. This is not where art culture should be. Filmmakers should be free to make any film that they see fit, not just films that fit into a preformed box that only offends "x" percentage of people, and "y" percentage of people will find it favorable with a chance for a return visit. It is that capitalism thing that can often drive art to the embarrassing place it is being relegated. The films being pumped out at your local mall every week are mostly terrible, and yet people just keep going. Instead of accepting the rubbish you are being fed, take in a film like Someone's Knocking at the Door at your local art house, independent, not corporate, whatever other types of theaters there are in your town, and turn you back on the fraudulent films being pushed on consumers by big business.

By Eric Shlapack Tucson Film Industry Examiner

Wow this was a wild movie! A low budget film with a lot of heart. It left you wondering what just happened. The acting was on par, as it made up for the low budget, and the visual effects were quite disturbing for what they had to work with.

One particular scene was a heavy nod to Blue Velvet, and quite graphic. I chuckled my way through that scene. The antagonists in the film were a bit like the Manson family members, but with a severely sick twist. A fifteen inch phallus can do a lot of damage! That's all I can say about that without giving anything away. I enjoyed the trip, may watch it again with friends just to see their reactions.

Thanks for the ride tho!

Well, first of all I have to say that I made it roughly three-quarters through the movie, then I gave up out of boredom.

Having said that, let's get down to business. OK, this movie was driven by a very weak storyline, revolving around people's usage of some weird drug. A drug that apparently caused deadly hallucinations, or were they actually hallucinations? (insert your own scary music here!) ... No! No! No! It just didn't work. The storyline was boring and uneventful, and failed to captivate.

What worked in the movie was the overall weirdness that was in almost every single frame. From the way the movie was shot and cut together, to the quirky characters and situations. A lot of them were quite far out there, and bordering on being too much. But oddly enough, in a strange way, it worked well enough for the movie.

Some of the cast actually managed to pull off adequate performances, though there were some where you just sat there and stared blankly at the screen, wondering how that person ever made it past screening.

The movie went on at a very slow pace, with very little happening along the way. Sure, it tried to build up some suspense, but there were no climaxes along the way. You just sat there with a hope for something to happen, but were left with a flaccid sense of deprivation. The movie was just too boring and uneventful for me, and I had to give up on it. And I know that I will not be returning to it at a later time to try to finish it or to give it a second chance. My life is simply too short for these types of movies. I gave it a shot, and it didn't impress me.

Oh, and before I forget, there were a couple of brutal scenes in the movie, that might actually be offensive to some people, so be warned about that.

Returning to the medical school where they were test subjects decades ago, a pair of outrageously twisted serial killers use shockingly brutal sex acts to start killing off a group of drugged-out med students.

What do you say about a film that opens with a man getting brutally raped by a man with the world's largest penis? Once you see that, you are more or less prepared for anything the film can throw at you. Of course, it also means you are now expecting the worst and any less might be disappointing.

We have two horror guest stars: Lew Temple as the coroner and Trent Haaga as a police officer. You may or may not notice them (heck, you may or may not know who they are).

The film focuses largely on drugs and the police interrogating the raped man's friends about his drug use and whether or not any of them have ever slept with him. This really made no sense to me, as they clearly had enough physical evidence to narrow down the suspects. But, hey, whatever works.

SOMEONE'S KNOCKING AT THE DOOR and he's using his battering ram. Good Lord, this is one crazy movie!

A group of med students experiment with a mind-altering drug resulting in a nightmare of hallucinations, rape, and brutal murder. Nothing, and I do mean nothing, can possibly prepare you for the purplish, hydrant-sized murder weapon.

Nothing!

WARNING: Viewing this film may cause uncontrollable fits of laughter interspersed with projectile vomiting!

A movie that you definitely should see at least once before you die. Or, perhaps after would be better...

Got done watching this film, what a fcking trip. There is great production values and some solid acting for this oddity, really bizarre and darkly humorous. The film is essentially about a couple of medical students experimenting with drugs whom or stalked by a serial rapist/murder with a phallus that is 4 inches in diameter and 15 inches in length (so as you can images he fcking anal rapes his victim to death). Now with that plot description you might be expecting one of those doom and gloom type projects that just leave you feeling depressed afterwards, well not so Sally! SKATD is a rather humorous and surreal affair that had me laughing out loud during several of the more bizarre moments and chucking to myself throughout the rest of it. I'm not sure how I feel about the ending, but I guess it was a fun little twist on things and the rest of the film was so much fun anyways so I'm not really bothered by it. Definitely give this one a look, there is lots of fun to be had.

I don't want to give too much of the plot away, just the reaction I had after watching "Someone's Knocking at the Door"...

I was totally blown away! You'll either love or hate this type of film, there's not really a middle ground. In my opinion Chad Ferrin was bang on the money! This film is awesome.

A brilliant pace, fantastic blend of grindhouse cinema, comedy, spaced out weirdness and pure brutal horror. It's not easy viewing at times, but there are so many horrors out there that give viewers an easy ride nowadays. Why not try something a little testing? This is shocking, brutal, exciting and a thrill to watch. Can't recommend this one enough!!

Smart, different and wickedly entertaining. I was lucky enough to view this film at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival where it ranks as the absolute best film screened there. Sex, drugs and blood abound in this hard to define flick. 6 medical students are introduced to killer man parts as well as a man eating female vessel. You are entertained the entire movie and the ending will not disappoint. At this time it is seeking distribution and I sincerely hope it finds a company that will give it the marketing attention it deserves. For those of you who love smart independent films with terrific acting and strange twisted plots, this is a must see. Next time someone is knocking at your door, you may take pause!!

Captivating from the first knock. It's difficult to not be both stimulated and mortified by the raw terror that stalks a group of med students in "Someone's Knocking At The Door." This 70s style horror film creatively takes you through a disturbing drug-induced ordeal that masterfully interlaces sexually charged suspense with a little comedy. Unlike many of today's horror films, this movie features an excellent soundtrack that plays with your emotions. Several scenes still stick with me weeks after watching. This is a refreshingly original film with an ending that will both surprise you and leave you wanting to watch it again.

I felt compelled to write a review on this film after reading mixed reviews and noticing the poor rating here on IMDb.

If you were disappointed after seeing this, then I'm not exactly sure what you want from a film. The story was well written, the core group of actors were all totally believable, and I think the film makers used some simple effects to create an overall surrealistic feel. I really liked what the soundtrack added, and after about 10 minutes into it, I was completely hooked. The way it was shot was gritty and typical of low budget productions, but I think the look works effectively with the feel of the story.

If you are tired of overly grotesque, slow paced, and generally mindless horror/thrillers then I recommend this movie because it was largely original, and keeps you thinking during the process. This film does a great job of using creative situations that you wouldn't see in a mainstream film, while resisting the temptation to become exceedingly bizarre. I thoroughly enjoyed the experiencing this film.

Holy God this some some flick!

Firstly, don't go by the synopsis on IMDb.

The story line is way better than that! Plus, I'm pretty good at figuring out where stories go and the ending surprised the heck out of me.

I think this director is one to watch. He made a low budget flick that is just superb. It really defies being pigeoned holed into a genre.

It's not the typical teen slasher movie in the slightest. It's intelligent and interesting. And not so great actors are turned great by the unique story and writing.

If you are expecting a 70s grind house movie as the synopsis suggests, you will be disappointed. This flick doesn't resemble a grindhouse flick at all and that's a good thing.

I could not take my eyes off the screen! It's a very unique and different film.

Rent it immediately! It's twisted, warped, funny and mesmerising.

If you've watched Someone's Knocking at the Door then you know the visceral violence and suspense Chad Ferrin and co. put into the film. It has been controversial. My take is that Mr. Ferrin won't compromise on his vision, and that's a good thing. You sit down to watch the movie, expecting to be entertained, and if you're used to watching horror movies, you're expecting to only be mildly affected. Mr. Ferrin doesn't let you get away with that. He lets you sit down and push play while he's smiling, but then he grabs you by the collar and drags you through exactly what he wants you to see and feel and you have absolutely no choice but to just deal with it. Brilliant! You can argue about this or that and analyze small nuances if you want, but in my book the film overwhelms you with gripping terror and doesn't let go and that makes the film work. The plot is unique, the characters interesting, and the pacing is great.

Part of what I like is what you don't see. In an independent horror film you expect to hear lousy muffled audio, bad colouring, contrast, white-balance, too low or too high lighting, or any one of a number of bad technical issues with the film itself, not to mention bad editing and bad camera work in general. You won't find that here. SKATD looks and sounds like an "A" budget movie. I only had one small complaint in one scene that the background music was too loud for the character to be heard properly. That's it - one small technical issue. Mr. Ferrin has such a distinguished career already that by this production he has "movie making" down.

SKATD really made me think, really made me feel, and really made me want to turn the f*cking lights on. That's what a good horror movie is supposed to do.

Cheers!