Thursday, July 10, 2014

State of Emergency (2013)



Number Rolled: 67
Movie Name/Year: State of Emergency (2013)
Genre: Horror
Length: 89 minutes
Rating: NR
Affiliated Companies: Clay Bros. Motion Pictures
Executive Producer: John Will Clay, Turner Clay, Jim Kehoe, Jason Price
Director: Turner Clay
Writer: Turner Clay
Actors: Jay Hayden, Andy Stahl, Tori White, Scott Lilly, Kathryn Todd Norman, McKenna Jones, Loren Albnese

After the explosion of a chemical plant in a small town, people begin to mutate. They become violent and cannibalistic. Failing to save his fiancĂ©, Jim holes up in a stable to try and stay alive until rescue. When a group notices him, they call him over to a warehouse they’ve been staying in. Together, they believe they will have better success than they would have alone.

First thing I need to do is explain why I added the “zombie” label to this movie. From the art, one would automatically assume that’s what they were getting, but it’s debatable. I’d be more likely to describe the creatures in this movie as monsters or mutations, but they do possess some basic zombie-like qualities. In fact, there are only a couple of points in the film where the definition didn’t really fit. So, it’s more like Turner Clay took the zombie experience and evolved it for his own use than anything else. It’s not a bad thing, but it is new.

Hey, at least they don’t sparkle.

This movie was much better than I expected it to be. Both when I added it to my list and when it was finally chosen. I expected a B-movie attempt at a World War Z type storyline. That’s not what I got. The effects and costumes were really pretty good and so was the acting.

Alright, Jay Hayden now has the title of “King of Slow Turn and Look in a Horror Movie,” but aside from that, nearly everything was believable.

Not only would I watch State of Emergency again, I’d recommend it.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 27%

Netflix’s Prediction for Me – 3.1/5
Trust-the-Dice Score3.5/5

The Random Rating: PG-13 – For moderate horror, blood and action

Movie Trailer: 

Monday, July 7, 2014

The Mooring (2012)



Number Rolled: 91
Movie Name/Year: The Mooring (2012)
Genre: Thriller
Length: 89 minutes
Rating: R
Affiliated Companies: In House Media, Lionsgate
Executive Producer: James Edington, Jeff Scott Edwards, Hallie Todd, Glenn Withrow
Director: Glenn Withrow
Writer: Ivy Withrow, Hallie Todd, Glenn Withrow
Actors: Hallie Todd, Thomas Wilson Brown, Karli Blalock, Anna Goodwin, Larissa Hayden, Lilli Hendrickson, Erin McIntosh, Olivia Meyer, Hailee Naccarato, Jessica Pepeli, Katie Simpson, Brooklyn Tate, Christopher Goodwin

Several girls land themselves in trouble and are sent to take part in a kind of technology rehab. During their introduction to the program, their phones and cameras are taken away and they are given a run-down on what’s expected of them. The next day, they all board the boat that will take them to the campsite.

The script was lazy. There’s no other way to describe it. For some reason, the writers believed that a five second speech made by one character about the others constituted an in depth background.

When the hack-and-slash started I was just bored. How could I have possibly cared about any of the screaming characters? I didn’t know a single thing about them except what landed them in the group! They were all faceless characters in what was essentially a snuff film with no damn point.

It’s my understanding that the film was based on a true story. If that’s the case, it’s a terrible story that’s frightening for those who were a part of it. Unfortunately, some true stories just don’t translate to the big screen, regardless of how tragic the circumstances were.

I will say one thing for the movie: those teenage actresses were amazing. For most of them, this was their debut and I sincerely hope the terrible quality of the script doesn’t hold them back. I genuinely believed what the girls were selling me.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – None
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – None

Netflix’s Prediction for Me – 2.2/5
Trust-the-Dice Score2/5

Movie Trailer: