Trick 'r Treat

 



Director - Michael Doougherty (Krampus, Deadtime Stories)
Starring - Dylan Baker (Cat Fight, The Americans), Rochelle Aytes (Shark, Bones), and Quinn Lord (R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour, The Possession)
Release Date - 2007
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Poison, Drowning, Claw, Or Knife. So Many Ways To Take A Life."
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Everyone has that one movie they have to watch every Halloween season.  For most that is John Carpenter's essential slasher Halloween.  For others they take the light hearted approach to the holiday with films like Hocus Pocus and A Nightmare before Christmas.  For me that film is Michael Dougherty's Trick 'r Treat.  I first heard about this film when I was a member of the UHM message board.  I fell in love with the trailer and I couldn't stop watching it.  The day the film was finally released on DVD I drive for three hours after midnight to every Wal-Mart I could to find it.  I absolutely adore this movie.  When Scream Factory announced that they were releasing the film on blu I had to have it.  I reached out to them and they were kind enough to send a copy my way.  Thanks guys!

     The film follows five stories that connect to each other.  One follows a school principal with a murderous appetite.  The second follows a young virgin who is going to a party with her friends and struggles to find the perfect date to be her "first."  The third follows a group of young kids who prank a young girl with a local legend that turns out to be true.  The fourth follows a hermit who is paying the cost of not celebrating the holiday before his past comes back to haunt him.  The fifth and final tale follows a woman who tries to end Halloween early only to suffer the consequences. 

     Trick 'r Treat is one of those rare Halloween horror flicks that isn't just set against Halloween but incorporates it into the story.  I watch it every year during October and randomly throughout the year just because I love the movie that much.  The acting in this one is fantastic.  Some of the characters are a little more fun than the others but the cast does a phenomenal job.  Each story for this one compliments the other and flows like one perfectly orchestrated story.  Each story is absorbed in Halloween and the lore around it before coming together to reveal and even bigger story also set around the holiday.  Each one has great pacing with very little dry spots.  The dialogue is great as well resulting in a very well rounded flick.  Finally, the film isn't what I would call gory but there is several kills that add the Halloween elements to them.  The kills are fun and the effects are fantastic.  Everything from the severed head to the lollipop death are fantastic.  Overall, Trick 'r Treat is the perfect Halloween movie and I say that with extreme confidence.  The film is fun, has a great cast, and the stories are perfect for those looking for the Halloween spirit.  Check out the awesome blu from Scream Factory!



3 Dead Trick or Treaters

 



Director - Torin Langen (Late Night Double Feature, Curse of the Bog Zombie)
Starring - Holden Levack, Jeremy Charles Singer, and Raven Cousens (Dead Rush, Zombieworld)
Release Date - 2016
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Chronicles 5 grisly tales of Halloween rites, rituals, and traditions"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5): 

     



     Horror fans are often blinded by Halloween flicks.  I absolutely love Halloween and most of you know how I feel about horror during the month of October.  Just because Halloween is approaching it doesn't mean you binge watch any horror.  You have to indulge in Halloween movies.  I don't care if they are kids movies.  If its about Halloween you can bet your sweet ass and half a tit that I'm down to watch it.  Just like myself, many indie filmmakers are Halloween fans as well and sometimes set their films against the backdrop of Halloween.  Most horror fans go rabid for these films and get caught up in the nostalgia the film has to offer.  They often praise these films when they are nothing more than a quick cash grab with no redeeming qualities other than being another Halloween flick to work into your movie marathon rotation every October.  A few weeks ago I saw people on social media sharing copies of an indie anthology 3 Dead Trick or Treaters from Videonomicon.  The film looked fun but looks can often be deceiving.  I reached out to my friends in the north and they were kind enough to send a review copy my way.  Thanks guys!

     The film follows a paperboy who comes across three shallow graves with Halloween masks on the crosses marking them.  Pinned to each cross is a story written by a man who has lost touch with reality.  The first story is Fondue involved some teens who don't have a sweet tooth but are in the mood for something a little more...savory.  The second tale is Malleus Maleficarium follows a religious group who takes the bible literally resulting in a modern day witch hunt.  The third story is Stash and follows a group of homeless twenty-something's who wait for Halloween so they can get bags of candy but soon find themselves with meat on their mind.  The fourth and final tale is Delivery follows two cops looking for a missing person but they have ulterior motives in mind. 

     I love a good horror anthology and I love them even more when the wrap around story works with all the stories.   I recently watched the Halloween centered anthology The Witching Season and really loved how they approached the stories but was not a fan at the film's lack of a wraparound segment to tie everything together.  3 Dead Trick or Treaters does have something to tie the film together but it's not as enjoyable as some of the other anthologies I've seen.  The acting in this one is phenomenal.  The film is mostly void of dialogue but there is plenty of sounds of anguish and pain.  The acting is unconventional but the cast approaches it flawlessly and delivers some truly chilling performances.  The stories for this one somewhat piggy back off each other with only one or two offering up something different.  Like most anthologies, this one has some that are better than others.  The religious tale is my favorite.  I grew up in the bible belt and relocated after college but still found myself apart of it.  As a person with no religious beliefs I find religion to be the scariest thing imaginable.  This story really stuck out to me because of that.  The two cannibal tales were fun for what they were but one would have sufficed.  They pretty much similar plot outlines and feel repetitive.  I also enjoyed the cop tale with the human trafficking of sorts.  With power like that comes corruption and this story also sends chills down my spine at the thought of abusive power like that.  Finally, this film is fucking gruesome.  It does not shy away from blood and gore.  The kills are not that original when you consider the subject but the effects are great.  In fact, I was not expecting the quality of effects that we are given.  Overall, 3 Dead Trick or Treaters is a solid horror anthology for the month of October.  Some of the stories do repeat but that doesn't take away from the overall film.  This is a beautiful and brooding indie horror film that I highly recommend.  Check it out. 

Halloween: The Babysitter Murders

 



Director - Jack Norman (Friday the 13th: Curse of Jason, Knock Knock)
Starring - Christy Faulkner (Scarewaves, Watch This!), Amanda Collins (Season's Greetings, Midsummer Nightmares), and Jack Norman
Release Date - 2014
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "He came home"
Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

 

     Fan films are something I'm fairly new to.  I always found the idea of a fan film to be extremely silly.  Why take so much time and money to make an unofficial sequel, prequel, remake, or original story?  I just could not wrap my head around the concept.  That changed when several no budget directors reached out to me to cover their fan films.  It was then that I realized that they make fan films because they are fans of the original content.  They don't wish to change the original.  They simply want to build upon, or in some cases, offer up a "what if" scenario.  Several years ago director and actor Jack Norman completed his short Halloween: The Babysitter Murders.  I thought I reviewed the film but I apparently only reviewed the first scene.  Jack completed it and finally released it for the masses.  Thanks Jack for reaching out to me with the finished product. 

     The film follows Michael Myers who escaped a mental health facility and makes his way back to Haddonfield in search of his babysitter who has now been adopted.  He breaks into a hardware store and steals a Emmett Kelly before setting his sights on his little sister and her friends as they babysit some children before heading out for a Halloween party.

     I try not to judge a fan film against what inspired them.  They will never be as good as the original in most cases so I try to keep them separated.  Tackling Halloween is a big task but I like how Norman and crew tackles it.  The acting in this one is solid but there was plenty of room for improvement.  Christy Faulner is no stranger to my reviews.  She's been in several Concept Media and Studio 605 flicks along with a Henrique Couto movie here and there.  She does a solid job in her role but there was several times throughout the short I feel that she lost track of what was going on around her and her emotions were not genuine.  The supporting cast is does a solid job as well but there is several times throughout the short where they almost seem distracted by something happening off camera.  For most of the film they are all fully dedicated to their roles and do a solid job but there is a few scenes where it seems like they are preoccupied.  The story for this one pretty much flows like the original with a few minor changes.  In this take we get less Dr. Loomis and more Myers action.  This makes for an interesting take on the story we all love especially when you watch the action unfold while Myers wears a different mask and not his iconic white Bill Shatner mask.  Finally, the film doesn't offer up memorable kills but it does give the viewer kills in the same manner as the original film.  They fit the story very well and require minimal effects which works in their favor.  They are fun but does lack the gore most expect with the slasher.  Overall, Halloween: The Babysitter Murders is a fun fan film that offers up an alternate take on a classic slasher.  It doesn't entertain to the extent the original does but it still a fun watch. Check it out.



The Witching Season

 



Creator - Michael Ballif (2 Hours, They Live Inside Us)
Starring - James Morris (I Don't Speak English, Raisin Soup Pilot), Jordan Swenson, and Samuel Morris
Release Date - 2015
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "The season NEVER ends"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     I love the Halloween season but my reviewing duties prevent me from enjoying Halloween centered films that I grew up watching every season.  Most people turn to horror every October and miss out on fantastic Halloween films that are more for the holiday over horror.  I get why they turn to horror but it just isn't as fun watching a movie like American Psycho when you can have watch the Halloween heavy films like Spaced Invaders or Double Double Toil and Trouble.  These movies are far from horror as a movie can get but it is so deep in Halloween that you don't care.  A few years back director Michael Ballif started working on his YouTube series The Witching Hour after finding success in his short zombie film 2 Hours.  The series was compiled into an anthology film and released on blu during an Indiegogo campaign to raise money for a new film.  I couldn't pass this up so I jumped on it.  Sadly, I didn't have time to check it out but with Halloween approaching I had to make time.
     The film features five shorts.  The first, Killer on the Loose, is as the title suggests.  It centers around a killer that has escaped but who is this killer?  The second story is Princess and follows a single mother and her daughter move into an old home and soon find a strange stuffed animal and a supernatural presence.  The third short is Not Alone and centered around a community gripped by UFO sightings when a young man awakens from a nightmare to find that he is not home alone.  The third short, They Live Inside Us, follows an author who visits a supposedly haunted house to conjure up inspiration and soon finds himself in the story he is writing.  The fifth and final story is Is That You? follows a young girl in her room on Halloween who may not be home alone as she had originally thought. 
     I love Halloween flicks.  I don't care if they are horror, comedy, sci-fi, fantasy, or adult (yes, there is several Halloween porn flicks out there).  Modern Halloween flicks try to capture that nostalgic feeling we all have thinking about Halloweens we celebrated as a kid with the paper and cardboard decorations, the McDonalds' ghost buckets that the kids' meals were sold in, the local television commercials that played before the late night horror marathons.  The perfect example of this is WNUF Halloween Special.  The Witching Season doesn't go to the lengths that WNUF does but god damn was it fun.  The acting in this one is solid throughout all five segments.  Some of the cast does show their inexperience but that doesn't take away from their scenes.  No one stands out from the other but they do a fantastic job and the scenes are eerie and creepy.  Fantastic job to the cast.  The stories for this one is solid.  They are clichéd and borrow from other classic horror films and series but they work for the film.  My biggest complaint about the series on blu is there is no wraparound segment.  Films like Creepshow, Tales from the Crypt, and The Willies offer fun wraparound segments that ties the shorts together nicely.  This release of the film does not have that.  I cannot speak for the Scream Team release of this.  The segments work very well at creating chilling atmosphere and getting the viewer in the Halloween spirit.  Finally, this one does have some blood but the deaths are not the highlight of this one.  The effects work for the gag but are nothing that memorable.  Overall, The Witching Season is essential for October viewing.  Fans of horror and Halloween need to see this anthology.  I believe Scream Team Releasing has released the film on a different blu so check that out and add it to your collection. 


American Psycho



 



Director - Mary Harron (Constantine, Six Feet Under)
Starring - Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, Terminator Salvation), Justin Theroux (Zoolander 2, Six Feet Under), and Josh Lucas (Hulk, Session 9)
Release Date - 2000
Genre - Horror/Drama
Tagline - "Killer looks"
Format - 4K Ultra HD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

 

     Every decade has iconic films.  The 70s has The Exorcist, The Hills Have Eyes, and Dawn of the Dead.  The 80s saw a slew of horror films like Evil Dead II, Return of the Living Dead, and Child's Play.  The 90s is often called the worst decade for horror but there was some fantastic films to come out of that decade like Army of Darkness, Night of the Living Dead remake, and The Sixth Sense.  When I think about horror in the 2000s I immediately think about the 2000 Christian Bale flagship American Psycho.  This movie is beloved by most of the horror community and you can't get away from it.  I've seen lunch boxes, shirts, wallets, backpacks, patches, phone cases, and several dozen tattoos.  This film is one of the most popular in the horror genre.  This film was released when I was in middle school and I remember renting it when it hit tape.  I thought it was fun but nothing special.  In fact, I actually prefer the shitty sequel starring Mila Kunis over this one.  Anyway, the film was recently released on 4K Ultra HD and I was lucky enough to get a review copy.  Would this hold up 18 years later?

     The film follows investment banker Patrick Bateman (Bale) who is a shell of a man.  Patrick is obsessed with wealth and glamour preferring to live in luxury while obsessing over being better than his counterparts.  Patrick also struggles with emotions.  He has no connection to others which is what has lead to his secret hobby...killing people.  His obsession slowly consumes him and he can no longer control his impulses pushing him into going on a killing spree.

     American Psycho is one of those films that people tend to love but I could never get into like they did.  I could see why it had such an appeal but it just didn't sit well with me.  Now, after revisiting it I have to say I'm not really a fan of the film.  It just didn't hold up well and really tried my patience.  The acting in this one is great, for the most part.  Christian Bale fucking kills it.  His scenes where he can turn loose and be himself were fantastic.  He adds some light humor to dry scenes that would be otherwise unbearable to watch.  The supporting cast is hit or miss but the main focus of the film does a fantastic job and deserves the iconic status he does get just because he is so entertaining in these scenes.  The story for this one seems stretched way too thin for the running time we are given.  I've never read the book so I could not tell you the differences but I can tell you that this film is just too damn long.  There is way too many scenes where the dialogue will bore you to death and, as far as I can tell, serve little to no purpose to the overall story.  If the fat was trimmed, so to speak, the film would have flowed better but I don't think it would have saved it.  Finally, if you are looking for gore you wont really find it here.  There is some blood and some clever kills.  The effects for the kills do work but they are nothing memorable.  Overall, American Psycho is not for me.  I can see why so many love the film and I really want to due to Bale's performance but the film does fall flat.  I still recommend that everyone watch it at least once just to see how amazing Bale is in it. 



Hack-O-Lantern

 



Director - Jag Mundhra (The Jigsaw Murders, Night Eyes)
Starring - Hy Pyke (Vamp, Blade Runner), Gregory Scott Cummins (Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge, Caged Fury), and Katina Garner (Cannibal Hookers, The Tomb)
Release Date - 1988
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "The power is in the blood"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

 

     I absolutely love Halloween movies.  Most genre fans dive deep into horror and typically completely miss the point of the holiday.  During the month of October I enjoy Halloween movies and avoid most horror flicks unless it's for review.  Last year I let the Halloween season get away from me so this year I placed several Halloween themed flicks in my review stack to ensure that I got to watch some films for the season.  Sometime last year Massacre Video released the Halloween Satanic slasher Hack-O-Lantern on blu.  When Cinema Wasteland rolled around I made sure this was my first pick up while I was there.  Sadly, I completely forgot about it until this holiday season.  With October finally here I had to check out the film for the first time and review Massacre's blu release.

     The film follows Tommy (Cummins) who is a disciple of his grandfather (Pyke) who is the leader of a Satanic cult.  His grandfather has been grooming and training him for years to take over for him in the cult and this year was going to be his first year taking over.  However, Tommy is just a teenager and keeps getting distracted by beautiful women and family affairs.  Grandpa decides to stop that before it becomes a bigger problem and goes around killing everyone that gets in Tommy's way but this only pushes Tommy further away resulting in a showdown between the two.  With grandpa's last breath he realizes that the power is in the blood.

     I had heard a lot of negative things about this but I could not wait to check it out.  The film was flawed and laughable at times but I can't deny how much fun I really had with it.  It really was a fun Halloween watch.  The acting in this one is inconsistent.  Some dial it up while others go for the cheese.  Hy Pyke who had several memorable roles over the years is over the top and cheesy.  He made the film as fun as it was.  Sadly, who was not utilized as much as I would have liked.  The rest of the cast attempts these bigger than life characters but are unable to do so in such an entertaining way.  Some fail miserably which creates awkward scenes while others don't do too bad.  The story for this one is perfect for Halloween especially when you consider the year it was made.  The late 80s was smack in the middle of the Satanic Panic movement where several churches turned on metal and horror movies with claims it was satanic.  Many blamed murders and abductions on fans of both resulting in a witch trial of sorts.  Soon after we saw several day time specials on the subject.  This story seems to almost make fun of all that with the grandfather in the satanic cult with a special ritual on Halloween.  This was everything that got those middle-aged housewives all in a tussey.  I love that.  There is some plot holes and unintentional comedy but I really do enjoy the story for this.  Finally, there is several kills that embrace the slasher legacy that was in place almost a decade before.  We get some standard slasher kills with trick weapons and clever camera angles with a little blood.  This isn't a gore filled slasher but it does feel like the slashers of the early 80s.  Overall, Hack-O-Lantern catches hell for some reason but I absolutely loved it.  It was a solid slasher and very in tune with Halloween.  Check this one out!



Halloween

 



Director - John Carpenter (Escape from New York, Christine)
Starring - Donald Pleasence (The Monster Club, Phenomena), Jamie Lee Curtis (Prom Night, The Fog), and Nancy Kyes (Halloween III: Season of the Witch, The Twilight Zone)
Release Date - 1978
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "The night HE came home"
Format - 4K Ultra HD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

      Three is several dozen essential horror films that all fans are required to watch.  Of those films there is maybe a dozen that you are expected to like.  In 1978 John Carpenter took a William Shatner mask and forever changed the face of horror.  Some credit this film with creating the slasher sub-genre.  Others know this is far from the case but still respect the film and give it credit for setting the standard for a boom of films that would last for almost a decade.  I love Halloween along with the sequels and remake.  I do draw the line at the follow up to Zombie's remake but my love for the series should be noted.  Halloween is usually one of the first horror films, along with Evil Dead, to get released on a new format.  When I was a kid and VHS had been out for years Halloween was released on Laserdisc.  Then I remember picking up the DVD release when I first started collecting and a few years ago Scream Factory released the amazing Halloween boxset on blu.  Now that 4K Ultra HD is out Halloween was once again rereleased.  I was lucky enough to get one in to review.

     The film follows teenager Laurie Strode (Curtis) who is gearing up for Halloween where she expects to be babysitting and possibly going to a party after.  However, things seem a little off in her life when she suspects she is being followed by a man in blue overalls and a white mask.  Her fear becomes reality on Halloween night when he attacks her friends one by one making his way  to her and it is revealed by a psychiatric doctor that he is Michael Myers, an escaped mental patient, and Laurie's biological brother. 

     Halloween raised the bar for subsequent slashers when it was released in 1978.  In fact, slashers would follow this formula for two years before Friday the 13th changed it and created a new slasher formula that would still be used until today.  Halloween is essential for any horror fan or slasher fan alike.  The acting in this one is great.  The film centers around Jamie Lee Curtis' character and she is a strong lead.  This is the reason she is often credited with creating the final girl scenario in slashers.  She does a fantastic job but the real star of the film is legendary actor Donald Pleasence.  He is fantastic in this role just like every other film I had seen that he was apart of.  The supporting cast is solid as well but no one holds a candle to Pleasence.  The story for this one is a slower burner in terms of slashers but Carpenter does a fantastic job building tension and creating atmosphere.  The film is the embodiment of Halloween which adds to the appeal.  The slow tension and Halloween look comes crashing down in an energetic final act that always puts the viewer at the end of the seat.  Finally, this film has the typical slasher kills with none of the flair that we get from the slashers that soon followed.  The kills had minimal effects that are not bad but they still work for the kill.  Overall, Halloween IS the movie to watch during October.  As the holiday approaches it is the perfect movie to spin especially now that its on 4k Ultra HD. 



Fags in the Fast Lane



 



Director - Josh Collins (The Perv Parlor)
Starring - Chris Asimos (Danger 5, The Worst Alien in the World), Matt Jones (Night Shift, Neighbors), and Sasha Cuha (M is for Melt, Deadline)
Release Date - 2017
Genre - Comedy/Adventure
Tagline - "A packed jockstrap of thriller rock n roll adventure"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):



     Writing for Horror Society has been a dream for me.  I've always been a movie minded person and I can't remember a time in my life where movies wasn't a huge part of it.  It opened the door to so many more films that I would have never heard of before hand.  As much as I love horror I often find myself drifting deep into exploitation cinema.  I love it all; hixploitation, bruceploitation, sexploitation, and Blaxploitation.  As much as I love exploitation I sometimes cross paths with a sub-genre I had never experienced before.  Sometime ago I was sent the Australian queersploitation flick Fags in the Fast Lane.   I couldn't wait to check it out and The Cult of Monster was kind enough to send me a review copy.  Thanks guys!

     The film follows The Cock Slinger Beaux (Asimos) and his partner Lump (Jones) to track down a group of ruthless burlesque dancers who attacked Beaux's mother and her geriatric whores.  Along the way he enlists the help of cross dresser Salome (Cuha) and a kidnapped homophobe but things go south for the gang when they learn that the leader of the burlesque gang has stolen the powerful golden cock and now plans on using it's power for evil.  Now The Cock Slinger and his group but revenge his mother and stop her from using the ultimate power against the world.
     I love how exploitation films go against society.  Most exploitation films are considered counter culture so it makes sense that in 2018 I would be watching an exploitation film centered around gay and trans characters.  I really enjoyed this one.  In fact, I liked it so much I watched it three times in just as many days.  The acting in this one is great.  The characters are bold, colorful, and in some cases very flamboyant and the cast does a fantastic job bringing them to life.  Every character was perfectly casted and they bring a ton of high energy to their performances creating several unforgettable scenes.  The story for this one is John Waters meets the wacky go-go films of yesteryear.  A lot of time and focus went into the characters which is something I really adore and the story is equally as fun.  Some of the scenes do nothing for the story but they are still fun.  Finally, the film does have some blood and minor gore.  The gags we get are funny and fit the film very well.  The effects are on a budget but they do the best with what they have and they work.  Overall, Fags in the Fast Lane is the most fun I've had with an exploitation film all year.  The humor is spot on, the story is amazing, and the cast is damn near perfect.  I cannot recommend this film enough. 

Dagon



Director - Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator, From Beyond)
Starring - Ezra Godden (Band of Brothers, Masters of Horror), Francisco Rabal (Talk of Angels, Moonfish), and Raquel Merono (Airbag, The Mark)
Release Date - 2001
Genre - Horror
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

      I've seen some amazing adaptations of H.P. Lovecraft's work over the years.  In fact, these adaptations are some of my favorite horror films.  Sadly, not all of his adaptations are fun.  There has been several attempts at his work and they failed miserably because they struggled to understand the concept of the story.  Lovecraft tends to not be straight forward.  The themes in his work are what makes his stories so much fun.  When I was in high school Stuart Gordon tackled Dagon.  I had read the story in middle school and was curious how the man that directed the near perfect Re-Animator would tackle this.  Umbrella Entertainment recently released the film on blu and was kind enough to send it my way with some amazing cover art. 

     The film follows couple who suffer a boating accident near Spain.  They leave two friends behind and travel to land for help and come across an isolated fishing town with unusual inhabitants.  They go different directions.  She goes to look for the police and he goes with a group of fishermen to get their friends but he quickly discovers that this small town is not as it seems and they are linked to his horrible nightmares centered around a mermaid with sharp teeth. 

     Dagon is one of the rare instances where the adaptation is not bad but easily forgettable.  I really enjoy Dagon and I always find myself having fun when I watch it but I tend to forget about it fairly quickly.  The acting in this one is fantastic.  I really enjoy Ezra Godden in this role.  He does an amazing job as the unconventional lead.  He's great and I feel like he was underutilized.  The supporting cast is phenomenal as well.  The characters are well written and attention to detail can be seen with each of them.  Their backstories, mannerisms, and how they handle themselves is all fun.  The story for this one is great but does feel a little repetitive as the film progresses.  I really liked the ancient cult angle and how the townspeople are slowing becoming sea-creatures after breeding with Dagon but the one man being chased through the town for most of the film does feel like lazy writing.  I get that this film is two short stories mashed together but it does drag on at times with these filler scenes added in.  Finally, this isn't a bloody horror flick but the film does showcase some fantastic practical effects.  The aquatic people look fantastic and I love how they were approached.  Sadly, there is some pretty rough looking CGI scattered throughout.  Overall, Dagon is a solid film and perfect for the Halloween season but you will find yourself quickly forgetting it.