The
Scared Stiff Collection: Volumes 1 - 3 (Cinema Epoch DVDs)
Picture:
C+ Sound: B- Extras: D Films: C to D/C- average
Cinema
Epoch brings us three volumes of Independent Horror films that are
sure to give you the frights... or at least the poor photoshop
posters will. At any rate, if the cheesy posters don't scare you
away, there are actually just decent ideas stuck in here just not
really executed in a profound way. Let's face it, this is horror
cheese and sleaze with killer scarecrows, Granny slashers, found
footage chills, and of course zombies.
In
the two disc Volume One, the monster-filled, found footage
shocker Shallow Creek Cult, along with the whodunit, killer
granny slasher Family Secret, the paranormal nightmare named
Evil Legacy and the cornfield monster mash Rise of the
Scarecrows.
In
Shadow Creek Cult, which was the Official Selection at the
Indie Gathering Film Festival, the story revolves around two brothers
stumbling across a viciously cannibalistic and mysterious cult,
presumed responsible for the bloody massacres of various Shallow
Creek, Louisiana residents. And now the brothers are on the menu
along with some terrible acting.
Film:
D
In
Family Secret, A throwback to the 1980's brand of whodunit
slasher, Geno McGahee's film incorporates shock value and mixes with
several twists and turns. Known to be one of the only
Illuminati-themed horror movies, this tale revolves around the death
of an elderly woman that just can't stay dead. What appears to be
the dead Granny is going around with meat cleaver in hand, butchering
member after member of the McGee family. Geno McGee, forced to cover
the story as a journalist must uncover the truth and face the true
evil of the Family Secret.
Film:
C-
Evil
Legacy is a found footage movie that features a bunch of teens
awakening a ghost. What begins as a gathering of old high school
friends becomes an authentic nightmare. For Sarah, there is only one
thing worse than witnessing the horror, not knowing why it is
happening. The evil spirit has decided to take her first victims
after 500 years of lethargy. Never heard that one before!
Film:
D
The
best of the bunch is Rise of the Scarecrows, the monsters roam
the night, in the woods, and demand that their lust for blood be
satisfied. The bag-headed killer scarecrows have been through hell
and have decided to crawl up for a visit to the town of Adams. A
handful of visitors to the town will hope to survive the terror that
is Rise of the Scarecrows.
Film:
C
The
two disc set of Volume 2 features sexy women and forbidden
desires in Loverboy as well as the evil entities that consume The
28th Day: The Wrath of Steph. If that wasn't horrifying enough,
the volume also includes the zombie-filled horror anthology, Scary
Tales and the monster movie bloodbath, Phantom of the Woods.
In
Loverboy, we find young Lauren, a beautiful girl struggling
with a painful home life finding the boy of her dreams, but when his
sinister side is revealed, the true horror begins in this
rollercoaster thrill ride of clichés, been there done that feelings,
and some sex for good measure.
Film:
D
In
The 28th Day: The Wrath of Steph brings a true evil that is so
demented that it preys on women who are on their period. Awkward!
Poor Steph awakens in a forest not knowing that she has been
possessed by an evil spirit. The evil of course consumes her body
and it's a race against the clock to save her in this paranormal
horror film which is pretty reminiscent of every other demonic
possession film you've seen.
Film:
D
Scary
Tales is an anthology film that concerns four friends who reunite
at a remote cabin, as they share some campfire stories, but the line
between fantasy and reality soon gets blurred and the unexplainable
begins to occur. Secrets get revealed and the stories come to life,
turning nightmares into reality. Five tales, featuring twists and
turns, zombies and ghosts, werewolves and demons, and more, create
madness and asks the question: What are you afraid of? This is the
best film on Volume Two.
Film:
C
In
Phantom in the Woods, some teenagers experience their worst
fears and they must run for their lives before they and everyone they
care about is destroyed. It emerges from the shadows and becomes
reality a harsh reality for anyone that crosses the path of this new
horror force. No it's not Jason, it's the Phantom of the Woods!
Film:
C-
Finally,
Volume Three is the DV Trilogy, which is no August
Underground trilogy, I'll tell you that! In DV 1, it follows
James, a serial killer, has taken to recording his life so that he
can examine it and stay one step ahead of the authorities. He soon
finds himself hunted by one of his victims. Man Bites Dog... only
not as good.
Film:
D
In
DV 2, (spoiler alert) the body of James was found in DV. The
camera that recorded his death is taken by the Man who discovered his
body. Suddenly, the Man finds himself haunted by something entirely
different. So it's Paranormal Activity... only not as good.
Film:
D
And
in DV 3, after mysteriously receiving the camera at the end of
DV2, the brother of James soon finds himself becoming obsessed
with how his sibling died. After going through the DV footage, the
brother's life unravels unleashing hell in the process.
Sound
and Picture on these releases are standard for DVD but below the
quality that you have come used to only bigger studio releases. The
standard definition transfer and lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 tracks work
fine for these films, as they weren't shot with the means to boast
high definition picture and sound.
No
extras.
All
in all, these are one time watch films at best. A few of them have
some interesting ideas, but ultimately they are knock offs of better
films in the genre.
-
James Harland Lockhart V
www.vimeo.com/jamielockhart
