My 1st Website Giveaway: After Dark Originals
I’m pretty excited everyone. Yesterday I got a huge box in the mail from the good people over at After Dark productions filled with some new booty to promote their upcoming AFTER DARK ORIGINALS!! So I have 7 pretty awesome backpacks with the After Dark Originals logo on them and some bumper stickers. Now the question is, what kind of contest do I run? I’ve been thinking about it and I think the logical conclusion is to do a tie-in with the After Dark brand. So here it is:
There’s already been 4 After Dark Horrorfests (ADH). In order to win one of the 7 backpacks and bumper stickers I want you all to list your 2 favorite and 2 least favorite ADH films. You can choose from any year and all I want to see is a few words or sentences about why you chose the 2 films as your favorites and the 2 as your least favorites. You don’t need to write down a book, just a little something explaining your reasons for your choices. Just write them down in the comment section below. The 7 best entries will each win a backpack and bumper sticker. The contest/giveaway will begin the second this is posted and will end on Thursday, January 20th at midnight!! There’s a lot of films to choose from so start thinking about the ones that have impressed you and the ones that have really pissed you off. And be sure to see my review of all the films from last year’s ADH here!!
Can’t wait to see your choices. And of course …
… Stay Bloody!!!
Horror Movies, Horror News, Horror Reviews | AnythingHorror.com 
I’ve been very excited about ADH since first learning of it. I thought we were finally going to get a great bunch of original horror films! Little did I know that some were just going to be horrible! Now, I must admit, I haven’t watched every single ADH film (I did the first season, but then as the movies seemed to flucuate so much, I only picked the ones I thought seemed interesting) and I haven’t gotten to all of the last season’s films either, so this might disqualify me (there are just so many movies out there and so little time!). But I can tell you that I have thorougly enjoyed some and others I wished I’d never watched! I’ll start with the bad:
The two worst for me were Nightmare Man and Slaughter. Nightmare Man wasn’t very original (including the masked man killing people) and the acting wasn’t all that great either. It bordered on ridiculous. If the movie had been more tongue in cheek instead of trying to take itself seriously, it may have worked out better. As for Slaughter, it had lots of blood and weird people, but for some reason it just failed to grab me. And you could see the ending coming a mile away! So, it didn’t really scare me. Now for the good:
My two best were Mulberry Street and The Deaths of Ian Stone (although I might consider this more of a scifi thriller than horror). Mulberry Street was one of the first in this series that seemed wholly original AND creepy! It grabbed me from the beginning and kept me in my seat (on the edge) until the end (probably because it was something a little different). As for Ian Stone, I liked it because it was something new. You had to pay very close attention in order to “get” it, but I enjoyed the new idea. It kept me interested. Although, like I said, it seemed more of a scifi movie to me with some gruesome deaths thrown in. As an alternate good one, I thoroughly enjoyed Penny Dreadful. It wasn’t a completely new idea, but the fact that she was stuck in the car and the guy was taunting her…that was brilliant! And you didn’t see him a whole bunch (at least not up close) for most of the movie, so when you do see him, you’re like…wait, he’s almost normal looking. What is wrong with this guy?
So, there you go. And can I say that I am excited about the Originals. I’m hoping we won’t get so many duds!
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My two favorite after dark movies are Frontiers and Zombies of Mass Destruction.
Frontiers was my first movie with the new french horror, I wasn’t expecting much but dang this film delivered on the gore. The story is ok , the acting is passable, but the gore was outstanding I still cringe at the thought of the achillies tendon scene. I know this wasn’t an official selection but when I rented it, it had the after dark moniker.
Zombies of Mass Destruction is well done independant movie, decent acting, ok gore, decent story , and pretty good humor. In fact I think I like ZMD better as a comedy rather than a horror.
Dark Ride is probably the only other after dark movie I like, cause I love movies with abandonded amusement parks.
My two worst after dark movies are The abandonded and The gravedancers.
The abandoned is so slow, I very rarely fall asleep watching a movie in a movie theater, well the abandoned did the trick I probably lost about 40 mins the first time I tried watching it and 20mins the second time on DVD. Needless to say there wasn’t a third viewing. I will give the director credit for cinematography and atmosphere was actually pretty good.
The gravedancers on the other hand isn’t boring as much as it is stupid. Same old story but the some scenes in the movie are so unbelievable. The dialog is terrible, acting is ok, the special effect are subpar, and plot is ridiculous. Now the movie skinwalkers is basically just as absurd but at least its so bad its funny, gravedancers on the other is so bad is makes me mad.
I really don’t care for most of the after dark movies but will watch them to fight boredom which sometimes only fuels the boredom.
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I had to go to the wiki to see which movies I had actually seen, since my interest tapered off after the first collection. My two favorites would have to be Meet the Hamiltons and The Abandoned. My two least favorites would have to be Butterfly Effect 3 and The Reeds.
Meet the Hamiltons was like shades of Romero’s Martin, but done well. You really don’t realize what’s going on until the end, erroneously thinking that maybe the kid’s family is just a bunch of sick serial killers. It’s only at the end that you’re convinced of the fact that they really are vampires, unlike Martin where there was still the possibility of insanity at the end.
I also enjoyed The Abandoned. I have a soft spot for horror movies set in Russia for some reason. Maybe because unlike much of the rest of the more exotic locales around the globe, we haven’t been as exposed to Russian culture. Russia is also such a vast expanse of wilderness that it’s very much the darkest part of the forest that your parents have told you not to go. There are ghosts and witches in the those trees and anything can happen and be believable. It lends even the most tenuous ghost story a certain validation by dint of tit occurring in mysterious lands.
It is ironic that I saw both Butterfly Effect 3 and the Reeds on Syfy I think. It makes sense that they would pick up these stinkers. In the case of Butterfly Effect 3… the first movie was good. The second was pointless. A third movie… is just cashing in on a franchise at this point. It didn’t need to be done, didn’t add anything to the idea and frankly, the lead actor didn’t grab my interest.
The Reeds could have been good, I think. Maybe if the acting had been better, but while the special effects were interesting, they failed to do anything but be confusing right up until the end where the whole thing started over again. Yes, I know it was mean to be a ghost story and ghosts have a tendency to repeat the same crap over and over without realizing they’re ghosts, but there was no explanation for what was happening, or why they were ghosts and hadn’t moved on despite “beating” the bad guy. It really failed to be cohesive or have an adequate ending.
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My 2 Favorite ADH movies are Unrest and The Final.
Unrest wasn’t like most other horror movie I have seen. Unrest has a killer was a ghost rather that an actual living being. Also Unrest stood out from many of the other horror movie because it uses real cadavers.Unrest had quite a few really good heart pounding moments throughout the movie and this film works because it’s not cheesy, it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It has good FX as some of the ADH movies FX are so bad I can’t finish the movie.
The Final is definitely one of the best movies I have ever seen. The plot is very good and very well mixed with gore, cruelty and revenge. The movie does not contain cheesy scenes and every action is well justified and based on a strong reason.
My least favorite ADH movies are The Abandoned and The Reeds.
The Abandoned was so slow starting out and was so hard for me to set through. I watch 3 or 4 movies a day and this is the most boring that I have watched in a long time. I don’t like where a plot is not given until the end of the movie. It can work in serial killer/ slasher films, but in a psychological story like this it is never good watching and not being aware of what you are suppose to be scared of.
The Reeds had so much different vibes going on that it leaves you only with empty plots, hallucinations,dead people coming back to life, a guy going around shooting a bunch of wild teens, they come back in the picture, skeletons in the water, a complete mash up of a movie, sort of the movie triangle but even more mind blowing, in a bad way. You will try to make sense out of the story but there’s nothing making any sense,it started good and introduces the main characters well and ends up in a waste of time.
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The ADHF is always an exciting time in my life. Having grown up on a diet of blood and guts and gore(not literally, of course. I’m not a cannibal), I’ve been fascinated with any and all horror films; obscure, indie, big budget, etc. And ADHF always makes me happy, even though there have been some not so great films.
My two favorites are probably Dread and From Within. The two least favorites are Lake Dead and Dark Ride.
There are really only two reasons why I liked Dread. 1) It’s based on a Clive Barker short story. Who doesn’t love Clive Barker? He’s totally awesomesauce. 2) Jackson Rathbone as Stephen Grace. He is an amazing actor(no, I do not count Twilight since he barely has the chance to do anything in those films) and at the end, when he gets angry and has that axe…yeah. That’s really about it. Plus, fear studies just sound like fun, don’t they?
As for From Within, I liked that fact that it wasn’t what you would call a conventional horror film, if you will. It had elements of horror, but I found it to be more a psychological drama in some ways; it definitely didn’t adhere to the pattern that most ADHF films follow. It was quite intriguing and well-acted. Definitely something I could watch over and over again.
Now, for the reasoning behind my not liking Lake Dead. It’s far too cliche for my tastes. A bunch of bimbo teenagers go to a remote area after discovering that the three sisters in the group have inherited a cabin from their now deceased grandfather. Conveniently, there are also some redneck inbred hillbillies who have decided that the friends don’t deserve to have the cabin, nor do they deserve to live. Sound familiar? Yeah, that’s what I thought. It’s basically Wrong Turn in a different location and a slightly tweaked plotline. Definitely a weak film that barely held my interest.
Dark Ride was the first ADHF film I saw and I had high hopes for it. It sounded like a fun and bloody film. Well, only the latter was true. Dark Ride follows a group of cliched friends(yawn) who are on a road trip. They stop off at an amusement park attraction called Dark Ride and are terrorized by a brutal psycho killer in a mask who has just escaped a mental institution. It’s basically Friday the 13th meets Halloween at an amusement park. Bloody, yes. Boring, yes. Fun, no. This is one ride I wouldn’t wait in line for.
Well, there you have it. My two favorites and my two least favorites. I’m really excited for the Originals and I’m hoping that they’re better than the second batch of ADHF films(2007). I have a feeling they will be.
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The Hamiltons had a nice twist at the end. It wasn’t your regular vampire movie and that’s why I liked it.
Dying Breed was another fun movie with a twist on the Werewolf story. I liked the suspense throughout the movie.
Autopsy had good intentions, but just predictable and dumb. Didn’t like it at all, not even the ending saved it for me.
Dark Ride was also just dumb, predictable and a waste of my $. Figures I wouldn’t like it, right?
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I was in heaven when I discovered Horrorfest and Afterdark films. I have so many favorites. Its going to be hard to choose just two. My two favorite films are From Within and Penny Dreadful. It takes a lot to scare me in a film and I actually jumped and screamed with Penny Dreadful. Facing your greatest fear is what heals you. Penny Dreadful really takes the idea to its limits. This film had my attention from the beginning. It was like a book you can’t put down. I couldn’t get enough of it. I also love From Within. I know the story with a curse from a old book sounds boring but it wasn’t the curse part that got me. It was the fact that the killer was “YOU”. Each character had to face themselves and their demons. No one could see it but you. You coudln’t stop it either unless you did this ritual. It wasn’t something you could kill with a knife or gun. My least favorite is Mulberry Street. I didn’t like the type of camera they used. It reminded me of The Blair Witch Project or Paranormal activity (I personally don’t like that type of filming). It was just another zombie type film. Though I love zombie or zombie type films, It felt like I had seen it or something similiar to it. I was bored throughout the film. It didn’t catch my attention and I was counting down the minutes until it was over. My other least favorite is Butteryfly Effect. The first one was way better then this one. It didn’t catch my attention. Again, I was counting the minutes until it was over. This is a film where you can only have one. The first one had the “wow” factor to it. But this one was lost in translation. The story was all wrong. The only thing that I felt is good about the film is the ending.
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My two favorite Horrorfest films have to be ‘Dread’ and ‘Unrest’.
‘Dread’ -was a very special horror film. It was both dark and beautiful. The ‘killer’ is someone you should fear yet you cannot help but sympathize with him (feel pity). Great film…you cared for the characters. I feel it is the best film in the Horrorfest series.
‘Unrest’ -I have a very special bond with this movie. It was not only the first Horrorfest film that gained my interest, but it was the first film that made me fall in love with ADH. I watched it at home and fell in Horror Heaven. It kept me at the edge of my seat, and I was wanting more. If it was not for Unrest…I might not be the crazed fan that I am today.
My two least favorite Horrorfest films are ‘Nightmare Man’ and ‘Crazy Eights’.
‘Nightmare Man’ -It was just disappointing!!! It felt cheap, lazy, and not the quality fans expected from Horrorfest. It was like I kid grabbed a camera and had his drunk friends make a movie lol. I love low-budget horror, but only when it is done right…and this one just did not do it for me.
‘Crazy Eights’ -Okay where do I begin. The story sounds like an interesting concept…that is until the you see the movie. It goes no where! You do not even get an ending!!! i finished wondering what were they thinking. It was cheap and stupid. The worst film I have ever seen (the worst of Horrorfest). It sounds like Horrorfest II was bad, but there were great films to check out: ‘Deaths of Ian Stone’ ‘Borderland’ ‘Mulberry Street’ and ‘Frontier(s)’! They are what saved Horrorfest II.
Great films…and I cannot wait for After Dark Originals!!!
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I really REALLY love the whole idea of the After Dark Horrorfest, although it falls short more than it hits. The films are either totally forgettable (Dark Ride, Captivity) or come SO CLOSE to being good that it’s a little maddening (Borderland, Lake Dead, The Deaths of Ian Stone). Then there are the turds (The Gravedancers, Unearthed) and the Uber Turds, my two least favorite ADH films: Unrest and Nightmare Man. A little backstory on Unrest…See an old boyfriend and I used to budget a film a month per person, always in the horror genre; he’d pick one, I’d pick one. This particular time we hit the bargain bin at Best Buy, and he picked up a Takashi Miike film and me, being unaware of the magic of Mr. Miike, was all, “Screw that, man. That’s not even a feature length film [Imprint]! I’m totally going to get my money’s worth out of this After Dark movie.” I’m so sad that I was wrong! Let’s go diving into formaldehyde with the miscast high school gymnast/wanna-be doctor who just “feels that something’s not right”! Let’s set up the film to have us believe that the gymnast is totally okay living in a blast bunker of a housing Gulag where she’s mere steps away from the autopsy suites (which have the entry code of 666)! She’s so poor that she needs this Auschwitz-style student housing, but she can afford to bring a corpse back to Brazil at the end of the movie? Screw you. Stupid freaking movie. I was mad, a) because it was so slathered in ick and b) that my boyfriend’s choice of Imprint had him winning this particular round of “Movie Pick Bingo.” (Although it did establish in me a new sick, sad love for all things Takashi Miike.)
I’m only going to devote a sentence to the drivel that is Nightmare Man: Up yours; I hate you all, and I wish you were dead for real.
Now, there are a couple of shining examples of excellent, independent film production that keep me coming back. To quote Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, “It’s just like diamonds in shit.”
I really really enjoyed Frontier(s). Granted, I have a bias here. I’m a sucker for new French horror, and a lot of aspects reminded me of my all-time favorite horror film, Martyrs. That said, I feel like it stood well on its own with creepy characters, a believable setup, and some first class kills. A couple of scenes made me jump, which is always a Yahtzee, but I have to say, if I see one more film where the protagonist (usually a woman) gets out at the end of the hellish night, week, day, whatever and raises her head to the heavens and screams her anguish away, my own head will explode in a totally money-shot finale.
My other favorite is kind of a dark horse, and I can totally understand why it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. That is The Abandoned. See, there’s something for me about the atmosphere, the score, the few actors, the bleakness…It all went to underscore for me a sense of total unease, a futility about the outcome for the brother and sister, a sense that right from the start, shit was going to go badly, and not in the way I was expecting. And I wasn’t disappointed. The doppelgangers freaked me out, both in idea and execution, and there’s a grinding, relentless underground noise at play during almost the entire film that just gave me the creeps. I didn’t know where it was going, I didn’t know how it would play out, and that made me extremely happy. It does have weird pacing, and it’s not a very bloody film. It’s more psychological, and sometimes, that’s just what a horror freak like me craves.
So yeah, all in all, good work, After Dark. Seriously. At least you’re bravely putting it all out there in a world that only cares about Burger King packaging and sales of what’s most palatable to the dumbed-down masses. I’ll take indy any old time, knowing that for good or ill, at least these filmmakers are unafraid to try to get their message across without selling their souls in the process.
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I’m so stoked for this time of year!! I can’t wait!… Well anyway, first off my first favorite will have to be Zombies of Mass Destruction. It is such a great Zombie movie with a perfect social commentary. At least I think so. My second favorite would have to be Autopsy. Seeing the trailer for it almost a year prior at Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors, I was so pumped to see this film and it didn’t disappoint. The tone and gore were on point. Loved it.
Now as for my least favorite… First, Dark Ride. I Think I mostly disappointed in this film because I so was expecting a lot out of it. It sounded like a great idea but it just fell short. Second is Lake Mungo, which I really knew nothing about going into the theater, but just couldn’t help feeling that it was a great idea and had some spooky imagery, but could have been a whole hell of a lot better.
Now I’m really looking forward to these new originals!
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