Mothershucker

Starring - Carl Vinson, Eric Moreland, and Jonathan Payne

Release Date - 2024

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Stay the shuck out of his fields"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) 

Rating (out of 5):

     I grew up grabbing slashers from the local video store or watching the cut versions on cable.  I've always been a fan of the sub-genre and as I got older and founder myself pulled toward indie films it was slashers and zombie flicks that I would often look for.  I'm no stranger to no budget slashers.  In fact, some of my favorite slashers are no budget backyard flicks made my a group of friends in their teen/early 20s.  That's why I immediately grabbed a copy of the slasher Mothershucker when I found it while browsing Esty.  It was strange to find an indie horror on blu on Etsy but the title and artwork pulled me in.  I ordered a copy and added it my review list as soon as it came in.  

    The film follows a small town who is terrorized by a drunk that has mysteriously turned into a demented cornstalk with a knack for killing people.

     I went into this one really excited for a corny slasher but it wasn't what I had hoped for.  I'm here for a slasher in a corn mask killing people with corn in the same line as the ape in Psycho Ape does with bananas.  However, the film struggles in a lot of ways to find it's own footing.  The acting in this one is respectable but it's clear the cast has a lot of inexperience.  They give the film the best performance they can but at the end of the day a lot of the films are awkward to watch and the cast struggled to find their marks,  The story for this one had me hooked.  It reminded me a lot of Death O'Lantern with the cheap rubber masks and themed deaths.  However, the lack of character development and story that pulls it all together made it feels like a mess of jumbled scenes and awkward dialogue.  A little more time spent on the writing and editing would have made this one so much better.  Finally, the film has several deaths that fit the film perfectly.  While budget is a problem with this one, the film showed a lot of creativity and thinking outside the box to make it work.  They may not be the best effects you've seen but they are still fun.  Overall, Mothershucker has a lot working against it from inexperience to no budget.  However, I'm glad the cast and crew came together to make something they can be proud of.  They cut their teeth on this one and I'm sure the next one will be even better after they take what they learned from this one.  While I don't recommend this one, I'm still looking forward to what the future holds for this cast and crew.  

Longlegs

Director - Osgood Perkins (The Twilight Zone, Gretel and Hansel)

Starring - Maika Monroe (It Follows, The 5th Wave), Nicolas Cage (Mandy, Renfield), and Blair Underwood (Dear White People, Ironside)

Release Date - 2024

Genre - Horror

Format - UHD (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     Nic Cage has been one of my favorite actors for many years.  I grew up on his classics like Face/Off, Con Air, Once Bitten, Raising Arizona, and so on.  While he did hit a bit of a dry spell with the Left Behind films along with the two Ghostrider movies, he seems to have found his second wind with the smaller budget films like Mandy, Color Out of Space, Willy's Wonderland, and the recent hit Longlongs.  I heard a lot about Longlegs and how it was written and directed by Osgood Perkins but I had no idea Cage was attached.  I ordered the UHD release of the film and when it arrived I saw his name attached to it.  That made me immediately move the film to the top of my watch list.  

     The film follows an young agent who is working on a case where young kids were murdered and strange occurrences happened inside the home.  When she starts to uncover a pattern she realizes that the person responsible for the deaths is connected to another crime where an entire family was murdered.  The revelation of the killer leads her to her family home and a dark secret her mother has been hiding for decades.

     Longlegs is one of the genre films that immediately became a hit among horror fans.  I heard so much about the film to the point that I almost skipped it.  Movies that are typically hyped up by pop horror fans tend to be underwhelming to me.  However, after getting the film in for my collection and seeing it featured Nic Cage I knew I had to check it out.  I'm glad I did because it was one of the better films of the year and probably one of my favorite performances from Cage to date.  The acting in this one is absolutely amazing.  Monro and Underwood are fantastic.  They really do hold their scenes and the characters they bring to life make the movie.  Also, they work so well together and their on screen dynamic really shows how talented they really are.  With that being said, Cage makes the film what it is.  He's absolutely unhinged in this movie and damn near unrecognizable.  I've seen damn near everyone of his films to date and this was the first time he gave me goosebumps.  I couldn't see this film having the same impact if someone else had took on the role of Longlegs.  The story for this one is a bit of a stretch but I enjoyed it for the most part.  I loved the gritty true crime aspect.  It reminded me a lot of Se7en and Kodiak which are two of the most underrated films of all time.  We then get the Satanic aspect that I absolutely love.  I grew up during the Satanic Panic of the late 80s and early 90s and love seeing this incorporated into true crime films.  With that being said, the film does hit the paranormal on it's final stretch which does throw the movie off some but not enough to ruin it.  If the film was going to go that route I wish it would have embraced it from the beginning instead of just dipping it's toes in it during the last stretch of the film.  Finally, this is not a gruesome film.  We do get some blood and great make-up effects on Cage but the main focus of the film is the characters and rich story.  Overall, Longlegs is another fantastic pop horror film that I did not expect to enjoy as much as I did.  This is going to be a genre film that fans will remember for many years to come.  I urge anyone that is on the fence about this one to give it a go.  You will not be disappointed.  

The Blair Rabbit Project

Director - D. Kerry Prior (Roadkill, The Revenant)

Starring - Adam Powers and D. Kerry Prior

Release Date - 2021

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "In October of 1999 two assholes and some actress they hired shot a stupid satire of a blockbuster found footage movie... twenty years later their footage was found"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've reviewed several parodies over the years for the site.  Most of them were adult films but that didn't make them any less enjoyable.  Hell, movies like Evil Head and Fuckenstein are movies that I still recommend to genre fans that prefer their films a bit on the sleazy side.  I've always been a fan of parodies.  I was finding my way into horror when the Scary Movie franchise was taking off.  Since then I've watched the first four films of the series, the slasher parodies Student Bodies and Screamwalkers, and several more.  Several months back I was browsing Instagram when I saw that Future Video had put out a few new releases on blu that I needed to add to my collection.  The first was the Blood Gorge/ Cruel double feature and the second was the found footage parody The Blair (Blare) Rabbit Project.  I was very curious about both releases and quickly grabbed them.  

     The film follows two aspiring filmmakers and an actress they found online as they head deep into the woods to uncover any truth to the legend of the Blair Rabbit.  However, tensions come to a boil when they find themselves lost in the woods and someone, or something, is stalking them when they discover little poop sculptures outside their tents.

     I'm not really a fan of the Blair Witch Project or the reboot.  The sequel is a solid film but it's been years since I've seen it.  Found footage has never been my thing but I was still excited to check this one out.  I was hoping it would be a humor filled found footage film that not only poked fun at what I dislike about found footage films but parodied one of the biggest horror titles of the last 30 years.  While it did have a few laughs, it was way longer than it needed to be and a bit difficult to finish.  The acting in this one is exactly what you would expect from a found footage film.  The cast tries to capture that authentic found footage vibe with the casual conversation and small talk which takes up 90% of the film.  It's extremely awkward to watch and doesn't give the viewer the chance to see what the cast can really do.  The story for this one has a lot of iconic Blair Witch moments and turns them into something funny or could be funny.  I say that because not every joke finds it's mark.  I did laugh at the film a few times but the overall movie failed to deliver on the comedy.  Instead, it feels more like a serious approach to a found footage film with the absurd twists to the original story.  The movie fails to find it's own footing and create the movie that it wants to be.  Finally, those wanting a lot of blood and gore will be very disappointed.  Hell, if you are looking for laughs and a fun parody then you will be disappointed.  Overall, The Blair Rabbit Project is a huge miss in my book.  I wanted to love it but its focus on being a found footage film rather than a parody makes it difficult to finish.  This is one I would skip.  

I Am Frigid...Why?

Director - Max Pecas (Brigade of Death, I Am a Nymphomaniac)

Starring - Sandra Julien (The Shiver of the Vampires, House of Cruel Dolls), Marie-Goerges Pascal (5 Kittens, Good Little Girls), and Jean-Luc Terrade (Dossier 51, Bel Ordure)

Release Date - 1972

Genre - Drama

Tagline - "She was hot ice... learn how she melts"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Sexploitation may not be everyone's cup of tea.  In fact, I've met an handful of fans over the years and while I am fairly knew to the exploitation sub-genre, I've been fortunate enough to review dozens of these films over the years.  It's a sub-genre that I never expected to like but once I dipped my toes in, so to speak, I was absolutely hooked.  Not many boutique labels cater to this type of filth but companies like Mondo Macabro has released several must see titles from the exploitation heyday.  Recently, they sent over a double feature of works from Max Pecas.  The films, I Am a Nymphomaniac and I Am Frigid....Why?, feature similar stories but told from very different aspects.  After I watched the first film in the set I quickly made my way to the second.  Like always, I want to thank Mondo Macabro for sending this one over.

     The film follows a young woman who finds herself being taken advantage of by a man and his sister.  This destroys her sex drive so she resorts to sleeping with everyone she can in hopes of re-awakening her sex drive.  

     I Am Frigid...Why? is a solid sexploitation film that does foster similarities to the other film included in this double feature.  Both of these films are rather enjoyable, especially for a first time watch, but I don't see myself revisiting them anytime in the near future.  These are the types of films that you can watch once every decade or so but anymore than that will leave you feeling a bit bored.  The acting in these fit the film very well but there was several scenes where the cast just didn't feel that dedicated to the film.  While these scenes were short in nature, they do stick with the viewer and become somewhat unintentionally funny.  The remainder of the film is well acted which makes these scenes in particular stand out more than normal.  The story for this one has a lot of similarities to I Am a Nymphomaniac.  The film follows a woman who suffers a traumatic experience and is sent down a lustful path in order to cure herself.  In I Am a Nymphomaniac, a woman suffers a horrible fall and awakens a nympho.  In this film, a woman is abused by a man and his sister and turns to sex in order to rekindle her sex drive.  While both stories are similar in that regard, they are very much different in how the scenarios play out.  We get a lot of sleaze and a surprisingly large amount of character development.  It's a well written film that has great pacing and a lot of skin to look at.  Finally, this is not a bloody flick that most of my readers would expect.  While the one scene may be unnerving for some, the remainder of the film is more mellow with lots of skin to look at.  Fans of sleaze will truly appreciate this one.  Overall, I Am Frigid...Why? is a solid sexploitation film.  It's not one that has a lot of replay value but if you are looking for something a bit different then this one is for you.  

I Am a Nymphomaniac

Director - Max Pecas (Sweet Taste of Honey, Brigade of Death)

Starring - Sandra Julien (House of Cruel Dolls, Freddy), Janine Reynaud (Two Undercover Angels, Operation White Shark), and Yves Vincent (Surprise Party, Knights of Terror)

Release Date - 1971

Genre - Drama

Tagline - "You have read about it.  The Sensuous Teenager is now a motion picture"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Exploitation cinema is one of the main reasons behind why I started writing reviews.  I wanted to cover forgotten direct to video action flicks and the thousands of exploitation films lost to time.  I've always been fond of exploitation flicks with blaxploitation and hixploitation being my favorite sub-genres of it.  When I started my run writing reviews I never expected to find sexploitation flicks sent to my mailbox for review but over the years I've reviewed dozens, if not hundreds of them.  Hell, I've actually enjoyed most of them when I reviewed them.  A few weeks ago Mondo Macabro sent over a double feature of I Am a Nymphomaniac and I Am Frigid...Why?  The first one of the chopping block was I Am a Nymphomaniac which was originally releases as The Sensuous Teenager.  Like always, I want to thank Mondo Macabro for sending this one over.  

     This one follows a beautiful young woman who sees a man for the first time and finds herself becoming hot and bothered.  Not paying attention to where she is going, she falls down some stairs and hits her head.  She walks away from the accident with minor injuries but the incident forever changes her.  A once prude woman, she is now consumed with sex and tries frantically to screw everyone she can while trying to live a rather normal life.

     I went into this one completely blind aside from the fact that it was an erotic drama.  It wasn't until I wa putting my review together that I saw that it was directed by Max Pecas who also directed Brigade of Death, or Death Squad, that was also released by Mondo Macabro.  I was lucky enough to review this several months back and really enjoyed it and was surprised to see that he helmed both of these films.  I Am a Nymphomaniac is a solid sexploitation flick that does rely heavily on the sleaze but still delivers a decent enough story.  The acting in this one is great.  You will see several familiar faces from genre films and they all give it their all.  With that being said, no one in this film will be winning awards for their performances but they are still solid especially for a skin flick.  The story for this one id so fucking clever for a sexploitation flick.  A stuck up woman hits her head and becomes sex crazed.  That's absolutely brilliant and instead of that being the end of the film we get the added stress and drama you would expect from a person obsessed with sex as they try to hold down a real job and so on.  It's a well written film that does a great job holding the viewer's attention.  Finally, no blood in this one for you sick fucks.  Instead, a lot of skin and some moaning for the other sick fucks.  Overall, I Am a Nymphomaniac is a surprising fun skin flick that has one of the most fitting stories I've seen this far in my writing career.  I highly recommend snagging a copy from Mondo Macabro.  

XXX-Mas

Director - James Dean (Fountaine and the Vengeful Nun Who Wouldn't Die)

Starring - Drew Marvick (Pool Party Massacre, Murdercise), Morrigan Thompson-Milam (Crackcoon, Blood and Breakfast), and Jonathan May (Unresolved, Fountaine and the Vengeful Nun Who Wouldn't Die)

Release Date - 2023

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "The naughty list just got deadly"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

    I spent a good portion of December binging as many Christmas themed movies as I could.  Luckily, Tubi has a surplus of Christmas centered horror films to choose from.  I spent days watching no budget films about Krampus, killer elves, and so on before I wanted something a bit more.  That's when I remembered that several months back I bought James Dean's XXX-Mas on blu and put up for December.  I quickly rushed to my movie collection to snag the blu to watch.  I'm glad I remembered because this film did not disappoint.  

     The film follows an adult film crew as they work on a feature length fuck flick about Santa.  However, Santa (Marvick) himself finds out about this and sets out to kill everyone involved one by one.

     XXX-Mas was a lot of fun but it had some serious issues.  While the issues stopped me from giving it a 4 or 5 out of 5, it doesn't stop me from enjoying it the way it is.  It's a blast from start to finish and the cast makes the film one that you can watch over and over again without tiring of it.  The acting in this one is one of the highlights of the film.  Drew Marvick never disappoints in front of the camera.  He could be hosting a cooking channel on Tik Tok or being solicited for sex at a gym.  If the camera is on him then you know you are going to have a great time.  XXX-Mas is no different.  We still get some scenes showcasing his comedic side but most of the film shows how well he can portray a cold-blooded killer.  The remaining cast is just as great.  We see some of my favorite indie scream queens/starlets show why they are continuously being cast in so many amazing project.   Morrigan Thompson-Milam and Jessa Flux both show that they have the looks and on screen talent to steal the show.  Both of them, regardless of the film you see them in, will go above and beyond for the project.  This one is also my introduction to Madilynn Paige and Niv Aranea.  Both do a fantastic job in their scenes and I really look forward to seeing them in more genre titles.  Their male counterparts are just as good with amazing performances from Jonathan May, Newt Wallen, and the rest of the cast.  Honestly, whoever was responsible for casting this film truly deserves a pat on the back and all the praise they can get.  The story for this one is great for a late night watch but I did have some issues with it.  I really liked the light humor scattered throughout and how even though the film's main location was the adult film set, it didn't over do it.  Don't get me wrong, nudity does have it's place in horror but a movie with blood and boobs with no plot is dull as hell. We get a lot of character development, interaction, and a story that is straight to the point.  With that being said, the whole "eat a cookie and become dazed" bit was cheap as hell.  Could these beautiful and chiseled adult film stars not protect themselves from Santa Home Alone style?  I can sit here and name at least a dozen other Christmas classics that they could have paid tribute to while protecting themselves from Santa besides feeding him cookies and letting the diabetic coma take over.  Finally, the film has a lot of fun deaths and plenty of blood.  While the kills are not as gruesome as I would have liked, the addition of the great cast and all the skin more than makes up for it.  Overall, XXX-Mas is a must see during your holiday season.  This is the kind of Christmas movie I could see late night programing, like USA's Up All Night, would be showing late in December.  I highly recommend snagging this one when you can.  

The Invisible Raptor

Director - Mike Hermosa (Dutch Hollow, The Righteous and the Wicked)

Starring - Sean Astin (Encino Man, The Stranger Things), Mike Capes (From Jennifer, Bachelor Party Massacre), and Sandy Martin (Speed, Jawbreaker)

Release Date - 2024

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "You'll never see it coming"
Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I love reviewing movies that are odd and not for everyone.  In fact, the weirder and stranger the film, the more likely it is that I will want to see it.  Its when goofy humor and imagination come together to create something memorable.  A few weeks ago I was sent a press release for the film The Invisible Raptor.  I typically don't watch trailers for films sent my way but I wanted to see if this was something I wanted to see.  The title did intrigue me but I wasn't impressed by the film's poster.  However, I was sold on the film after watching the trailer.  I quickly reached out to them and they were kind enough to send over a review link.  

     The film follows a washed up archeologist who works for an amusement park and the security guard who find themselves in the middle of the biggest discovery in history when people are found ripped apart or missing and a pile of shit in their place.  They soon uncover a conspiracy by a local corporation to cover up one of their experiments when an invisible raptor escaped from their facility and is wreaking havoc all over town. 

     The Invisible Raptor was a lot of fun and fans of Spielberg and drive-in cinema will enjoy.  However, those looking for a fun sci-fi comedy may not appreciate it as much.  It has a lot of hang ups that stops it from being the best movie it could be but it's still worth a watch.  The acting in this one was a lot of fun.  Sean Astin makes a short appearance in the film.  I knew his screen time would be short lived when I saw his name and picture on the press release and poster.  It's one of the biggest marketing plows low budget films use and it's a damn shame.  I would have loved to see more of his character in the film.  With that being said, the rest of the cast is still solid.  The characters are enjoyable and the cast does a great job at giving them memorable personalities.  There was a few scenes where the dialogue was rushed through and had very little conviction behind it.  Luckily, these scenes are few and doesn't really take away from the overall film.  The story for this one reminds me a lot of the cheap drive in "invisible" films of the late 60s and early 70s meets fans of Steven Spielberg.  The drive-in invisible film trend seems to have begun with a few invisible hits in Japan that spawned some cheap knock offs here in the states.  Instead of spending money of special effects for the creature in question, they would say that it was invisible and just act out their scene as if its there.  Honestly, it's funny to a fault but the joke runs it's course fairly early on.  The same can be said for the movie itself.  The way the story unfolds is just too damn long.  The scene where the co-workers have a falling out and split up has no place in the film.  It ruins the pacing of the film and does absolutely nothing to move the story along.  Finally, the film is full of visual effects that are rather cheap but do insight several laughs.  The movie doesn't shy away from the blood but that is about it aside from the visuals.  Overall, The Invisible Raptor may not be making anyone's favorite films of the year lists but it's still a fun one to watch.  Check it out.  

Blood & Breakfast

Director - Mark Byrne (Bigfoot!, Remnants)

Starring - Nancy Anne Ridder (Scream, The Only Ones), Beatrice Boepple (A Nightmare on Elm St.: The Dream Child, Quarantine), and Jim Krut (Dawn of the Dead, Bottom Creek)

Release Date - 2024

Genre - Horror

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I'm always looking forward to the next indie horror film to review.  I never know what movie is going to be sent my way for review and it's damn near impossible to keep up with all the indie projects I receive press releases for.  For sometime now I've been seeing posts for the indie slasher Blood and & Breakfast on social median and it catches my eye every time I see one.  I'm a big fan of Morrigan Thompson-Milam so seeing her appear in a film with one of the most recognizable zombies from Dawn of the Dead, portrayed by Jim Krut, really intrigued me.  A few weeks back I was contacted by actor Matt Burns to check it out and I quickly agreed to it.  I wasn't able to get to it right away but I was able to work it into my schedule.  I want to thank Matt for sending this one my way!

     The film follows a bed and breakfast who just happens to be in a town where a serial killer is active.  One of the guests is a bit odd and matches the description the police has released of the suspect which causes the other guests to suspect that it's him.  They form a mob to investigate his room when they discover him dead and their group starts falling prey to the real killer one by one.

     I went into Blood & Breakfast very excited.  I was really looking forward to seeing the film especially after I saw that Morrigan and Jim was in it.  However, the movie wasn't for me.  There was some things that I liked about it but it wasn't something that I particularly enjoyed.  The acting in this one is very inconsistent.  The film has a big list so I would be here all day praising and picking apart performances.  With that being said, some of the performances were much better than others.  These performances came from those with some on camera experience while those without made several of the scenes awkward to watch.  The story for this one held my attention very well.  It's more of a murder mystery than a slasher but that is something I enjoy.  I prefer slashers over this kind of films but I still like them.  The killer's identity is not easily predictable and I like the twist with the angry mob convinced someone else is the killer.  I really liked the way that played out and how the real killer is revealed.  It was the build up to these that I struggled with.  Most of the film consists of dialogue heavy scenes that were extremely dull.  I found myself watching the clock more than the film during these scenes.  It almost feels like a day time soap opera than a horror film.  A lot of the fat, so to speak, could be trimmed and it would improve the films pacing.  Finally, the film has several deaths.  We get a lot of blood and some fun practical effects.  In fact, the deaths were the most impressive aspect of the film.  They are not the most original but they are fun and fit the film perfectly.  Overall, Blood & Breakfast wasn't one that I enjoyed.  I can look over the cast's inconsistency but the film's pacing is all wrong.  The long, drawn out scenes ruins any sense of tension the film tries to establish.  I wanted to like it but I couldn't.  

The Revenge of Shitters

Director - Jarno Mahlberg (The Haunted Movie Collection Chapter II, October Rust)

Starring - Jamie Deetz (Ho-Gun Ass-As In: The Salmon of Death, Ex Coffee), Charles Pinion (Debbie Does Damnation, Red Spirit Lake), and Dave Neabore (Zig and Zag's Dirty Deeds)

Release Date - 2024

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Tagline - "The shit just got real"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     

 I've always been a sucker for little monster movies.  I remember snagging the Puppet Master flicks along with Leprechaun, Ghoulies, and any other random tape I could find at my local video store.  I fucking love these kind of movies so when I come across one in the wild I have to check it out.  Several years ago I was browsing social media when I came across a few posts for the shorts Shitters and Return of the Shitters.  Both were great films that I wished had more to them instead of being just shorts.  Fast forward a few years and director Jarno Mahlberg has released yet another short in the Shitters saga titled Revenge of Shitters.  He was kind enough to send a link to the film my way and I would like to take a moment to thank him for that!

     The film takes place several years in the future.  The world is a wasteland and a group of survivors are scavenging for supplies while the shitters, and their giant shit leader, works together to round up the surviving humans so they can force them to poop so they increase their numbers.

     The Revenge of Shitters is not the direction I was expecting the series to go but I am here for it.  I don't want to compare it to Mad Max because that is the go to apocalyptic film that everything get's compared to but this is Ghoulies meets Mad Max in every good way possible.  The acting in this one fits the film very well.  The cast is extremely small and everyone works well together but the short is not long enough for the viewer to really see what the cast is truly made of in that regard.  The story for this one picks up many years after the first two films and doesn't really have the humor those films had.  Instead, it makes up for the lack of humor with story development and bleak settings to fit the wasteland motif.  It's still extremely short and doesn't overstay it's welcome but it also doesn't last long enough to give the viewers something to latch onto.  Finally, the film has a lot of campy visual effects that fits the film like you would expect and lack the carnage most would want to see from a killer poop movie.  With that being said, I love the look of the shitters puppets and hope that one day we get a feature length film for them.  Overall, The Revenge of Shitters is a different direction than the previous two films.  While it is completely different, it still delivers on the little turds.  I highly recommend checking it out!

Cruel: The Cross Village Encounter

Director - Victor Gabriel (Blood Gorge)

Starring - Victor Gabriel, Ali Issa (Blood Gorge), and Reyes Laura 

Release Date - 2024

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "This isn't real... it can't be"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) 

Rating (out of 5):

     I always feel the need to start all my found footage reviews with a disclaimer that I am not a fan of the sub-genre.  There has been a few films pop up here and there that I did enjoy but the bad far out weighs the good.  I'm sent a bunch of these films throughout the year for review and I always feel bad for the amount of negative found footage reviews I've posted during my tenure at Horror Society.  When I ordered the Blood Gorge/ Cruel: The Cross Village Encounter from Future Video I had no idea that the second film in the set was a found footage flick.  I enjoyed the first film and decided to give it a go regardless.

      The film takes place one year after an aspiring filmmaker and his girlfriend head deep into the woods in hopes to film a documentary on the elusive Dogman.  However, he is murdered and she is badly disfigured.  On the one year anniversary a group of friends set out to make a documentary on their late friend in hopes to shed some light on his passing.  However, what they uncover is something far more sinister with a small town covering up their violent ways.

     I'll be completely honest here.  I was ready to turn Cruel: The Cross Village Encounter off at around the 20 minute mark.  However, I stuck with it and found myself really digging the ending but it was not enough to make up for the rest of the film.  I wanted to like it but the things that make found footage films so believable makes them damn near unwatchable to me.  The acting in this one is what you would expect from a found footage film.  The cast is delivering their dialogue in an interview type setting while someone behind the camera records them.  It's not acting in a traditional sense but fans of found footage will understand what I mean.  With that being said, this is one of my biggest problems with found footage.  The mindless banter and characters "being real" is extremely boring and awkward to watch.  The story for this one doesn't really take hold until the very end.  At least 90% of the film is the group talking about what happened to their friend and his girlfriend before actually going to the area.  Once in the woods the film does pick up slightly but it mostly them yelling profanities at each other and unconvincingly acting like they are lost.  Then, without warning, the best part of the story starts unfolding before the film abruptly ends.  Finally, the film has some blood and solid make-up with one great scene with solid practical effects.  I would have liked to see more deaths on screen but I understand not everything can be on film when trying to make an authentic found footage flick.  Overall, Cruel: The Cross Village Encounter is not for me.  I'm not the target audience but that doesn't mean it's a film that you won't enjoy.  If movies like The Blair Witch Project or August Underground are films you enjoy then this one is right up your alley.  With that being said, I seriously hope we get a sequel that follows the story from where this one ends.  That's the movie I need in my life.