Film Review: the Gravedancers
Kevin L. Powers asked:
After a six-year hiatus director Mike Mendez returns behind camera for the horror romp THE GRAVEDANCERS. Having broke every religious taboo with his previous film THE CONVENT, Mendez returns in full form with this entertaining and imaginative film about a group of friend who desecrate three graves in a cemetery and inadvertently wake the dead.
Now, going into this film you can’t concern yourself with the absurdity of the whole premise you just have to go with it. Three school friends get back together after one of them dies. Having not seen each other they all gather at a bar and get drunk while reminiscing over the good old days before heading to the cemetery for one last goodbye. Letting loose they decide to have a little fun by dancing on the graves and desecrating the ground which awakens angry spirits which latch onto each of them.
Upon learning from a group of paranormal investigators that they have until the next full moon to rid themselves of the spirits before the spirits are strong enough to kill them, the three search for a way to exorcise the spirits. What follows is a darkly comic misadventure of the three friends as they are teased by their spirits before the big finale in the paranormal investigators’ home.
The cast is at top form with Dominic Purcell (from the short lived television series JOHN DOE) heading the group that includes Clare Kramer (from television’s BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER), Josie Maran, Marcus Thomas, Tcheky Karyo, and Megahn Perry.
The film borders on self parody but like Mendez’ previous film THE CONVENT he knows how to balance the laughs with the screams for an enjoyable ride.
After a six-year hiatus director Mike Mendez returns behind camera for the horror romp THE GRAVEDANCERS. Having broke every religious taboo with his previous film THE CONVENT, Mendez returns in full form with this entertaining and imaginative film about a group of friend who desecrate three graves in a cemetery and inadvertently wake the dead.
Now, going into this film you can’t concern yourself with the absurdity of the whole premise you just have to go with it. Three school friends get back together after one of them dies. Having not seen each other they all gather at a bar and get drunk while reminiscing over the good old days before heading to the cemetery for one last goodbye. Letting loose they decide to have a little fun by dancing on the graves and desecrating the ground which awakens angry spirits which latch onto each of them.
Upon learning from a group of paranormal investigators that they have until the next full moon to rid themselves of the spirits before the spirits are strong enough to kill them, the three search for a way to exorcise the spirits. What follows is a darkly comic misadventure of the three friends as they are teased by their spirits before the big finale in the paranormal investigators’ home.
The cast is at top form with Dominic Purcell (from the short lived television series JOHN DOE) heading the group that includes Clare Kramer (from television’s BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER), Josie Maran, Marcus Thomas, Tcheky Karyo, and Megahn Perry.
The film borders on self parody but like Mendez’ previous film THE CONVENT he knows how to balance the laughs with the screams for an enjoyable ride.
Why Bother Watching Supernatural Episodes?
October 7, 2009 by admin
Filed under Television
Joel Owens asked:
The world of the paranormal is back – back in television that is. The signs were clear when the show Lost, and Medium by ABC and NBC respectively have been gaining ratings. Warner Brothers has joined the fray with the new series Supernatural. Episodes of this show play like its own mini horror movie. The truth is, Warner Brothers have always been doing this kind of show. They were the ones who made Buffy the Vampire Slayer such a big hit. They followed it with the spin-off Angel. Then there was the hit series that made Witches so much sexier Charmed and then finally, the very successful Smallville based on the teen life of the worlds most popular superhero. Supernatural features pretty boys and pretty girls all involved in the world of unholy phenomena. Despite that, his show can actually scare you.
The main characters Sam and Dean Winchester are played by actors with unpronounceable last names Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles. The two are actually ok actors. They do their job on screen well enough for us to believe what they are doing or to believe that there is actually some demon in the scene. The only distraction is that they are just look too much like pretty boy models. Jared Padalecki has been trying to get other kinds of acting opportunities. He recently had a role as a victim in the House of Wax horror movie and as another victim in the movie Cry Wolf. Okay, so those roles aren’t exactly new. He might not be able to get out of the genre of the supernatural. Episodes that showcase his acting skills are many though, and might be good enough for his career. On the other hand, Jensen Ackles seems like a more veteran actor. He is more convincing for me.
Eric Kripke, another unpronounceable surname, is the Supernatural Episodes creator and executive producer. This is a hell of a lot better than the last project he was involved in, the massive failure called “Tarzan.” Supernatural episodes have a better horror quality. It actually made my heart skip maybe once or twice throughout the season. But maybe that is only because I am not really that used to seeing blood and gore in my television set. My dose of horror blood is always taken through the movie houses. So in the final analysis, Fox has tried to combine some elements from The X-files, and also some story elements from the show Route 66. The show, especially in the last few plot twisting episodes of season 4 is worthy of being watched. It’s a welcome addition to the horror genre in television which seems to have been thinning out as of late.
The world of the paranormal is back – back in television that is. The signs were clear when the show Lost, and Medium by ABC and NBC respectively have been gaining ratings. Warner Brothers has joined the fray with the new series Supernatural. Episodes of this show play like its own mini horror movie. The truth is, Warner Brothers have always been doing this kind of show. They were the ones who made Buffy the Vampire Slayer such a big hit. They followed it with the spin-off Angel. Then there was the hit series that made Witches so much sexier Charmed and then finally, the very successful Smallville based on the teen life of the worlds most popular superhero. Supernatural features pretty boys and pretty girls all involved in the world of unholy phenomena. Despite that, his show can actually scare you.
The main characters Sam and Dean Winchester are played by actors with unpronounceable last names Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles. The two are actually ok actors. They do their job on screen well enough for us to believe what they are doing or to believe that there is actually some demon in the scene. The only distraction is that they are just look too much like pretty boy models. Jared Padalecki has been trying to get other kinds of acting opportunities. He recently had a role as a victim in the House of Wax horror movie and as another victim in the movie Cry Wolf. Okay, so those roles aren’t exactly new. He might not be able to get out of the genre of the supernatural. Episodes that showcase his acting skills are many though, and might be good enough for his career. On the other hand, Jensen Ackles seems like a more veteran actor. He is more convincing for me.
Eric Kripke, another unpronounceable surname, is the Supernatural Episodes creator and executive producer. This is a hell of a lot better than the last project he was involved in, the massive failure called “Tarzan.” Supernatural episodes have a better horror quality. It actually made my heart skip maybe once or twice throughout the season. But maybe that is only because I am not really that used to seeing blood and gore in my television set. My dose of horror blood is always taken through the movie houses. So in the final analysis, Fox has tried to combine some elements from The X-files, and also some story elements from the show Route 66. The show, especially in the last few plot twisting episodes of season 4 is worthy of being watched. It’s a welcome addition to the horror genre in television which seems to have been thinning out as of late.
