Reviews

When you name your movie "Bats" everyone has a general idea what the monster is, though they might not imagine something which looks like a winged Pug. You heard me, those ugly little dogs which appear to have run muzzle first into a wall, with wings. Oh, and they're mean, real mean.

Despite an interesting beginning the movie quickly degrades into frontal lobotomy territory, not the least of which is a patented military response. First off they're determined to eradicate the bats through bombs and antitank missiles, then an attempt to destroy the roost at night gets them all killed, since most recruits have at least high school diplomas these days I'd say our public education system is worthless. Not that it would matter, the creatures at hand are nigh invulnerable, only serious firepower can harm them. Bats (Even mutated ones.) are fairly light, this facilitates the miracle of flight, a female ballet dancer rolling over one would do some damage. Except to this variety, it just gets them mad.

By the way, Sheriff Kimsey is the best shot I've seen in my life, any guy who can score perfect shooting at flitting targets with a pistol is a God.

After losing half the town's population to an attack everyone is evacuated, except the civilian researchers who barricade themselves into the school. Why they stayed in town I have no idea, but it gave McCabe a chance to degenerate into mad scientist mode just prior to his death.

With an air strike scheduled to bomb the bat's cave (Huh?) it's up to Sheila and Kimsey, they must carry out the original plan: Turn on a huge refrigeration unit and freeze the creatures to death. Too bad for the bats, they're only highly intelligent when the script requires... ...such as destroying a member of the swarm when it has been captured and fitted with a tracking device, the idea to change caves after being discovered never dawns on them.

I must say this is the best bang for your buck as sword and sorcery flicks go, delivering decent characters and fight scenes along with a tidy little plot. So much as any movie that involves a witch sucking out a woman's baby and depositing it into a cow's uterus can be called tidy. Genghis Doolittle is saved from the witch's sacrificial knife by a kind farmer, then raised in a small farming community. Taught early on to hide his strange powers Dar is left with nothing after the Jun Horde destroys his village. Seems a little rain was all he needed to grow, in short order he assembles an impressive animal entourage and falls in love with Kiri at first sight. Presumably by the end of the movie both know they are cousins, it doesn't make any difference, our last image of them is passionately kissing on top a rock outcropping. (They went on to found West Virginia.) The Beastmaster has his work cut out for him, the evil priest must be killed, the evil army must be stopped, and he has to get his cousin. (The girl.) As such the movie is replete with some satisfying fight scenes, including one or two "eaten by dyed tiger" pieces I have grown to love. Don't miss the wonderful section detailing how to create a "Death Guard" either. First you torture him into insanity, then screw studded leather armor and spikes into his flesh, finish out by putting a leech in his ear. (I don't know why on that last part either, maybe they're just being mean...)

John Carpenter's first major (Cough.) film is something to behold my friends, what happens when you try to make a special effects bonanza with $55,000? Violent alien beach balls which hop around, space suits made from household materials, and a poor man's Johnny Cash soundtrack. (Though there are some inklings to the theme for Halloween.) Let's face it though, at one point the crew sits down to a nice dinner which Doolittle identifies as ham. What they unwrap from styrofoam trays covered with aluminum foil is mini Otter Pops. In any case, the ship's mission is to destroy planets that might someday fly out of orbit and endanger colonies. To accomplish this they are adequately stocked with intelligent "Thermostellar Bombs." Unfortunately one of them didn't get enough hugs from mommy and daddy bombs when he was little, soon it is lodged in the bomb bay threatening to go off! Talking to the frozen body of Commander Powell is no good, he exhibits the same mental prowess of most nursing home occupants, so Doolittle dons his suit to go out and reason with Bomb #20. After convincing the wayward nuke that it really should think things over Doolittle goes chasing after Talby, the latter gent having been sucked out the airlock and turned into a spinning model figure. Meanwhile Bomb #20 has started it's own theology, any time a fusion device sayeth, "Let there be light." bad things happen.

PAINFULLY slow. Dean Stockwell's steady and faultless monotone didn't help either, no matter what he's describing it's the same droning voice. Just add some really long and drawn out scenes to this for the real horror.

Wilbur meets Armitage hoping to persuade him for time to study the Necronomicon, but is refused. So then he lures Nancy to his home and drugs her, using something which makes it's subject sleepy and prone to suggestion. After stealing the book everything is ready for his ritual, lucky for the human race Armitage arrives in time to save the day.

There's no joke about how much suffering this movie caused me, it has few redeeming qualities. One is that Elizabeth's clothes are all ripped off when the monster chomps her! (NO IDEA why that happened, but it's cool.) I stopped the film to get a good look at this "monster" - it really is a mass of latex snake heads and arms. They only give glimpses to prevent you getting a really good look and I don't blame them.

Savory and sweet. An American Haunting is a wonderful thriller. I was half expecting to see another blair-emilyrose rendition of a tired genre but was pleased to discover an indie company releasing this film. Even the indies have seemed to scream CORPORATE OFFICE SHANT as of most recently. Ricky Gervais, in character, would've even had good things to say about this film. The overall subtext of it is insane. Donald Sutherland and Rachel Hurd-Wood shine together as a disengaged Father and Daughter and their on screen uneasiness parallels his own personal journey throughout the film. He was quite riveting and viewers are never truly sure of the motivations behind his character. Greed, money, or something much more sinister lurks beneath his façade for no one will grasp what's really happening until the last frame rolls. All that we're left with is a resonating fear of film's theme. An America Haunting is indeed one of the most provocative horror films of the past decade.

I am a scholar of folklore and saw this film back in 2001. This film is an uncompromising vision of adolescence lost and crossing the threshold of puberty and transcending into adulthood. Effects aside, if one removes the 'werewolf' eye candy, this film could be studied in a sociological convention. The trials and tribulations of two teenage girls, deadset on remamining ignorant of life outside their morbid fantasy of what life is. Living in essence scares them. Death intrigues them. And the beast within us all that eventually consumes everything we've learned as of late haunts their thoughts. Ginger Snaps is quite possibly the best horror film of all time with the subtext of embracing your true persona and adapting to an ever changing life as it surrounds you.