You're Next - Phil's Five Words for Films

You're Next When the Davison family descend on their secluded, country manner to celebrate the parent's wedding anniversary, they are in for a rotten weekend. One by one ( and in an entirely predictable order ) they are picked off by a group of mask wearing home invaders who have already taken care of the neighbours. Nobody, however, counted on there being a battling uber-aussie, Erin ( Sharni Vinson ), meeting the 'In-Laws' for the first time. Can she protect her new extended family and get them out alive? 'You're Next' is a straight up and down 'who-done-the-slashing-and-invading' movie, nothing really original or clever

Insidious - Phils Five Words for Films

Insidious Very much a film of three halves, this creepy, ghost train of a movie is silly, scary and amusing. It goes from being a tense haunted house film, to a daft exorcism film and ends up in a phantasmagorical romp through a spirit world. It does, however, have some genuinely chilling moments and these are nicely balanced by some comedy characters that fit perfectly into the 'non-too-serious-horror' genre. Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne, play the parents of a young family who have to do battle with all manor of netherworld demons to bring back their son ( Ty Simpkins ) after he slips in to a coma. Although the last section

The Conjuring - Phil's Five Words for Films

The Conjuring - Instructions: Take a pinch of 'Amityville', a cup full of 'The Exorcist', a sprinkling of 'Paranormal Activity' and some small pieces of 'The Orphanage'. Add in a some Hitchcock and claim that it is all 'Based on real events'. Give the whole thing to 'Insidious' director, James Wan to see what he makes with it. The result is a well made, slow-burner of a movie that has some good acting and a couple of good scares that manage to deliver moments of spine tingles. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play Ed and Lorraine Warren, a ghost-hunting couple called in to help the parents of five children who have a problem with things going bump in the night. The Warrens' were also the investigators in the classic 'Amityville' case that spawned sequels and remakes. There are many good performances, most notably Lili Taylor as the haunted mother and a couple of the younger actors also stand out. Having seen many-a horror

Paranormal Activity 4 - Phil's Five Words for Films

Paranormal Activity 4  The Law of  Diminishing Sequels is very much in evidence with the P.A franchise and the fourth film in the series does nothing to halt their slide in to the pit of sequel oblivion.  Directed once again by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman ( Catfish & PA3 ) there are some new, interesting characters but very little in the way of scares or horror.  Following on from the events of PA2 , the 'action' centres around Hunter, a missing child from the second film, who is forced to stay with the family across the road after his mother is taken in to hospital.  Once in the house, strange things start to happen and the new family find themselves being stalked by supernatural forces.  Most of the footage

Kill List - Phil's Five Words for Films

Kill List   If you don't have any questions at the beginning of this low budget, British 'horror' film, you certainly will by the end.  There are two well-judged performances by Neil Maskell and Michael Smiley as they star in the lead roles of Jay and Gal, ex-army friends who teeter on the edge of violence, masquerading as salesmen whilst providing a hit man service.   Kill List.  Sounds straight forward doesn't it?  Directed by Ben Wheatley, the dialogue is fast, furious and often witty whilst some of the scenes are extremely gruesome and tough to watch.  Kill List is billed as a horror but for the majority of the film it is just toe-curlingly tense and uncomfortable.  There are some great moments within the film ( the encounter between Jay, Gal and a god-squad in a hotel restaurant is a classic ) but on the whole, the film does just enough to keep you watching as it spirals towards it's annoying ending.   I'm not going to pretend that Kill List is a great film because it isn't, but it is a brave, unsettling, intriguing and frustrating piece of work that will have you wondering what you have just watched and whether you should have bothered.  It will spark conversation, It will divide people in to groups, those who love it and those who hate it.  I'm somewhere in the middle.  If you make it to the end, ask yourself this - why did she smile?  Thank You.
6 out of 10
Cert 18 ( uk)
2011.

The Awakening - Phil's Five Words for Films

The Awakening  Despite some solid performances and the type of backdrops you would expect from a BBC funded period drama, this British 1920's supernatural tale never really hits the mark.  Set at a time when millions of people had lost loved ones and were desperate to hold on to memories or contact the missing, Rebecca Hall plays Florence Cathcart, a Myth-busting investigator intent on exposing con artists claiming to be 'in touch' with the world of spirits.  Sent in to investigate a recent death at a Cumbrian boarding school and claims of ghostly sightings, Florence soon finds herself at the centre of the action. Along with Dominic West and Imelda Staunton, Hall does a credible job of drawing a little tension out of the storyline but the scares are few and far between and the plot twists are so ridiculous, leaving too many holes and unanswered questions.  There is a nicely handled 'Doll's House' device that worked well but on the whole, there are plenty of films in the same genre that have more to them.  If you want to see this film done better, then watch 'The Others', 'The Orphanage' or even 'The Woman in Black'.  Although not a bad film, there are too many holes, not enough atmosphere and ultimately it is relatively toothless and unsatisfying.

5.5 out of 10

Cert 15(uk)

2011.

The Cabin in the Woods - Phil's Five Words for Films

The Cabin in the Woods  Five college friends head in to the woods for a drink and drugs weekend, blissfully unaware that their every move is being watched and that they fit perfectly in to the stereotypical 'horror film victim' niche understood by all fans.  As they discover one-way mirrors and a hidden basement full of torture implements it looks like the film can only be heading in one direction.  That is until someone pushes one red button and then all hell breaks loose.  Literally.  Enough said.  It's a B-movie of an idea, given plenty of money and TLC by people who obviously enjoy the genre.  Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, who have been responsible for the likes of Buffy and Cloverfield, have created a good genre piece that manages to be both amusing and shocking whilst poking at the conventions of horror films.  Likeable characters and script are slightly let down by some average special effects and the film is neither as groundbreaking or clever as some seem to think it is.  A good opening premise is followed up by a good gory romp and the film is enjoyable from start to end.  Think 'Evil Dead meets Scooby-Doo' and you won't be far off.  Daft apocalyptic teen horror.

6.5 out of 10.

Cert 15 (uk).

2012.

The Woman in Black - Phil's Five Words for Films

The Woman in Black   Having been given a 12A certificate by the BBFC, I was slightly dubious whether or not this spooky tale could really deliver any good shocks and scares.  I needn't have worried.  There were several occasions when I had the spine-tingles and a couple of set pieces that had me jumping out of my chair ( at one point my choice of language was far from 12A ).  It's all good ghostly fun.  Daniel Radcliffe plays the youthful looking widower Arthur Kipps, a lawyer sent in to tidy up the legal affairs of a recently deceased woman.  The locals are hostile towards his presence at Eel Marsh House ( a proper Gothic haunted manor cut off at high tide ) and Kipps' sightings of a woman in black are soon linked to the deaths of children in the village.  There are ghostly noises, moving furniture, faces in windows and spooky children and it is all put together in that 'Hammer - Houses of Horror' way.  There is very little gore or horror but the atmosphere of the film is perfectly judged.  It's more about the things you don't see than the things you do.  Like a good, old fashioned campfire ghost story, it is how the story is told that can be the truly scary thing.  Daniel Radcliffe does well in his first major roll since the H.P films, delivering a solid performance and a guaranteed young audience for the film.   'The Woman in Black' could so easily have been given a 15 certificate and I thought the final scenes were slightly wasted but fans of spine -tingles everywhere should enjoy this tidy tale of spirit rage. Atmospherically jumpy.

7.5 out of 10

Cert 12A (uk)

2011

[Rec]2 - Phil's Five Words for Films

Rec2 Having watched, loved and reviewed the first film ( here ) I was looking forward to finally seeing the second in the Spanish horror series. Taking place almost immediately after the end of the first film, we follow a team of soldiers as they enter the same condemned building to search for and document evidence. Armed with a video camera and helmet-cams, we watch as the action unfolds. Where the first film triumphed was its basic and low budget approach to scaring people - there is something in the dark that is going to get you. It seems that in making the follow up film, they have forgotten how effective this was and instead decided to throw everything at you in the hope that it scares. There are machine guns, helicopters, grenades, religious mumbo-jumbo, invisible rooms and at times it looks and feels more like a computer shoot'em-up than a horror film. There are still some good scares to be had here but I felt that too much was added in, almost trying too hard. The result is a louder, weaker, less tense horror experience that left me slightly disappointed. Good sequels should compliment and add to the original - Rec2 is not a bad film but not in the same league as the first.

6.5 out of 10.
Cert 18 (uk ).
2009.

Rec - Phil's Five Words For Films-

Rec. ( short for record - in case you were wondering) Turn off the lights, crank up the sound, sit back and get ready for the terror. Imagine taking '28days later', 'Sean of the Dead' and 'Blair Witch', putting them in a pot and mixing them about. The result would look something like 'Rec', a Spanish horror that really piles on the fear. Without giving too much away, the film is set in a Spanish apartment building as a film crew is following the local fire-fighters on a routine patrol. A women has been heard screaming in one of the flats and the locals are worried. From there, all hell breaks loose. Filmed entirely on a hand-held camera, this is a frantic film that, once started, doesn't stop with the scariness. Bring on the gore. Tense, claustrophobic and a great example of proper, small budget horror at it's best. As long as you don't suffer from camera motion sickness, this is a cracking film that will grab you by the throat and try to bite your nose off. I love a good scare and this did the job. Don't worry about the subtitles, sheer panic is the same in any language. Great fun with a raised pulse. No need to bother with the American remake either.

8.5 out of 10.
Cert 18 (uk). 2007

Paranormal Activity - Phil's Five Words For Film -

Paranormal Activity. This is not a 'Horror' film, it is more of a 'Terror' film. The plot is this: A young woman is hearing and seeing things in her own home at night. Her sceptical boyfriend gladly sets up a camera to capture any night-time activity. To begin with, the events are nothing more than twitching bedsheets and some sleep-walking but it soon gets much worse. The tension gradually builds with the clever use of off-camera noises and long, oppressive stretches of silence, when you are straining your eyes and ears waiting for the inevitable scare. It is refreshing to see a film that doesn't come with a 12 piece orchestra in the background gently announcing the next moment of terror. Filmed on an amazingly low budget, the clever use of hand-held cameras and night vision effects - a bit 'Blair Witch' but without the motion sickness - increases the claustrophobic nature of the footage. The increasing ferocity of the 'hauntings' is cleverly controlled and the atmospheric tension in places is really effective. The terror is mostly suggested / off camera until the climax of the film when it becomes very real. I was a touch disappointed with the ending but it in no way detracted from the rest of the film. Home movie-type acting and script added to the general feel of this film which should be a case study in how to successfully generate on-screen tension. Creepy.

8 out of 10
Cert 15 (uk) 2009.