NewYorkRipper

A movie with tension from beginning to end, with an interesting method of fading to still black and white image every time there is a scene change or the location is changed.

This works all but once, when it is used in the middle of a busy chase scene towards the end.

If you like a movie set almost entirely at night, with some very lost and scared protagonists on the run and trying to make it back home, then this is one to check out.

I had read many reviews of this Mario Bava "classic" and have seen it re-released many times due to the cult status it holds. Starting to watch this however I really couldn't understand why.

I am no stranger to a good Italian movie and some of those can be very slow and lacking substance, so I was expecting big things knowing this was a cult classic, however I almost fell asleep in the beginning of this.

It was just so slow to go anywhere, it felt like almost nothing was happening. It almost has an "Omen"-esque feel to it, where something seems to be up with the boy, but we are not totally sure what it is.

Stick with it though, as the pace increases around the halfway point and doesn't really stop until the bloody conclusion. It's never going to be as good as "Blood and Black Lace", but it's certainly worth a watch.

I rarely review on here, but I thought this movie was worth leaving some comments. We have had something of a resurgence of alien/abduction type movies in the last few years, however very few I found any desire to review.

With this movie, the opening scenes try to grip us from the beginning, as we discover a girl being pursued by something that we cannot see, in what appears to be the middle of nowhere.

The movie tries to move along throughout at a continuous pace, although has some moments where it slows down for some character development. Mostly it keeps you watching by moving along at a steady pace.

It attempts to switch at certain times to the 'run for your life, serial killer on the loose' type modern horror movie moments, keeping up the tension. It is not the same kind of tension as found in a slasher movie though, where the enemy is always visible, but probably more like the tension in the like of "The Entity" (1982) - because we know something is there but with almost supernatural knows who knows what it can and will do next.

The directing style is a throwback to that of such movies such as "Communion" (1989), "Intruders" (1992) and "Fire In The Sky" (1993) and shows such "Alien Nation" (1989-1990) and "The X-Files" (1993-1996 episodes). Anyone who is of an age to remember and appreciate these these should similarly enjoy this movie, although you will find most of the ideas have been 'borrowed' from elsewhere.

The overall movie may be considered an attempt to bring these ideas and an appreciation for this directing style to a younger generation - most who like nothing more than the cheap thrill of the modern scare will be bored with this, but those with a few brain cells will hopefully be encouraged to investigate some of the older horror that is available just a little more after watching this.

So I went into this movie without any real expectations and it turned out to be, surprisingly, very good.

Mixing mind-altering drugs, a hint of the supernatural, things that go bump in the night (literally), a lot of filming at night in lonely and desolate places and a perpetual sense of tension in this case has made for a very interesting watch.

As has been mentioned elsewhere, I don't think it could be called much of a found-footage movie (probably why my expectations were so low in the first place anyway from thinking that it was it was!), but this actually makes it a better movie trying to create more of a storyline.

It isn't all good though, that storyline can get very confusing if you are not following closely and it still seems there are a number of plot points that are not entirely tied up by the time the movie ends, but in the end, it was still worth a watch and a worthwhile way to spend 87 minutes.

Rarely do I find a movie that I feel the need to write about.

While this is strictly B-movie material, it is still compelling viewing for those who like their suspense and mystery long and drawn out.

I went into this movie expecting something very different from what it delivered as I tried not to read too much into it beforehand. From what I did know about it, I thought it was probably going to be something very similar to "Identity" (2003) and hoped it wasn't simply going to rip it off completely. I am glad to say that it doesn't.

In the end, I was actually quite pleasantly surprised - as I felt the movie brought something new to quite a well-wrung out sub-genre (motel/diner in the middle of nowhere).

Until around the half-way mark, it ticks along rather slowly, building a background for things that are to be later revealed.

Around this point we then start to get a better feel for what the real truth behind the creepiness around the diner may be, but it isn't until around the last 15 minutes that the real truth is revealed and even at that, it is revealed in pieces - bit by bit until it reaches the very last scene. It really is rather clever. In many ways this technique actually reminded me of that used in the movie "Memento" (2000).

For those concerned about content, this movie could easily have passed for PG-13 had they left out a couple of scenes suggestive of sexual content and the handful of F-bombs which exist throughout it (mostly from the main character nonetheless), as overall this movie is aiming to be heavier in suspense, tension and mystery than trying to be dialogue heavy - though of what is spoken by the characters, if you ignore said profanities, only a select few are throwaway lines.

I would probably rate this in around 6.25 - 6.5 stars, except we can't give 1/4 or 1/2 stars here - but it's not quite worth a 7, so I had to go with 6 stars.

It's definitely not a popcorn movie, so your average teenager can stay well away - but for those who like these types of "mysterious" kinda flicks, it's worth a watch.

Awesome movie, what a way to spend 83 or so minutes.

The guy gets home to see his wife making out with another woman which drives him a little crazy.

Fast forward and we see a guy on a rampage, very similar to Nightmares In A Damaged Brain though just not quite as gory. Definitely worth a watch though to see him blow holes in various heads, chainsaw a little guy who was just playing baseball and machine gun down a bunch of people sitting on a bench just because he thought they looked like some other people in his mind.

Just awesome.

If you like your low budget horror-fests check this one right out.

The cast seems quite slim and of what characters do exist, they seem to spend their time running around streets and areas in dead of night and in places which we would probably never visit ourselves at that time of night, so it's night to see them on film and get that deep dark gritty feeling without actually having to be there.

Just the way it should be for an atmospheric horror.

Obviously made on a low budget, a mixture of Satanism, the esoteric, murder and of course demons as the title suggests, but after the initial slowish pace of the first 20-30 mins, there's plenty to keep the viewer on edge for the rest of the movie.

Definitely a must-watch for B-movie fans.

Yes, this is 2008. But yes, you read correctly. This movie should be banned outright from distribution or viewing within the UK.

While this of course a horror movie, it is difficult to imagine that there is anyone out there who will find the topics raised and the characters portrayed within this in any way tasteful.

Don't get it wrong and go into this thinking it's an exploitation movie, it's definitely not - but it deals with subject matter such a knife crime and xenophobia, present and current in the UK today and for this reason is treading very dangerous ground in that it may actually influence young teenagers who are in the very position(s) featured in this movie.

This can most definitely be considered the "Clockwork Orange" of today, which while said movie can be viewed as a period piece, is tame in comparison to Eden Lake; which is also a period piece but very relevant to now and thus extremely dangerous in the wrong hands.

The ride is a brutal and relentless one which leaves you feeling the sheer terror if you were ever in the position which the characters in this movie find themselves. If you weren't afraid before you watched this, prepare to be before the journey even properly begins.

The only reason I didn't turn this off after the first 15-20 minutes is because I wanted to be able to see for myself and justify clearly why this movie should be removed from distribution in the UK.

Watch it yourself and I'm sure you'll agree.