EXORCIST: THE FALLEN - Wild Eye Releasing DVD Review

USA/2014
Directed By: Garrett Benach
Written By: Garrett Benach
Starring: Tara Marie Kirk, Rollyn Stafford, Justin Hall
Color/82 Minutes/Not Rated
Region FREE

The Film
A girl becomes possessed after using a really shitty looking Ouija board with her brother and his friend. The brother implores the help of a priest to perform an exorcism on her which he does after receiving the blessing from the girl and her parents due to the high risk nature of the act.

I'm not going to spend much time talking about EXORCIST: THE FALLEN so let me get this out of my system right now- This movie is hot steaming garbage. There are scenes that anyone watching should find insulting. On the top of that list is the single worst rendering of CGI blood I've ever seen. The blood is smeared around the girls nose and mouth and is so shitty that it stutters and jitters and has a hard time following the movement of the girl. I've seen computer generated blood that is bad but I don't think I've ever been offended by how bad it is. If the director wanted blood on face for these scenes it would have been as easy as spending $5 at the market for Karo syrup and food coloring and at the very least it would have actually been on her face and looked okay. I don't know how to even describe this because I want to call it lazy but it probably took as much effort to create this awful blood in post than it would to have mixed up a batch of fake blood on set.

That is how this movie treats its audience. There's nothing to latch on to as far as emotions go, there's no real moments of horror. The closest we get to it happen off screen and leave no lasting impact. It's a "so what" type situation. The possession is painfully generic with a bit of screaming, head banging and suggestive dialogue about incest and religion. The exorcism scene itself is supposed to be the big pay off against this demon that is growing inside the girl but is easily restrained by a couple of guys who are limply clutching her arms. There's no tension or suspense. There's no scares. There's nothing of value and it's all shit. I could keep going but there's really no need.

The Audio & Video
The technical side of this Wild Eye Releasing disc is actually quite good for a standard DVD. The anamorphic widescreen transfer features a picture that is sharp and has really nice detail with vibrant, lively colors. The Stereo 2.0 audio mix is solid, with no background noise or distracting buzzing, crackling or popping. The levels are stable and complimentary so the dialogue and music are never overpowering one another.

The Extras
-Original Trailers
-Storyboards
-Family Photo Album

The Bottom Line
Don't waste your time.

EXORCIST: THE FALLEN is available HERE

October Horror Challenge 2015 - Day 2

A very late night/early Friday morning viewing of Tremors was perfect. A comforting favorite that was easy to unwind and relax with before calling it a night after celebrating a friend's birthday and a Ravens win over the hated Steelers. There's nothing more to say about this one.

The Poltergeist remake was on deck later in the day and it seemed like a weak checklist of scenes from the original without creating a full investment from the audience like the original did. The acting was uneven and writing lacked common sense. It was surprising to see a family go through such a bizarre, scary and tragic series of events and treat it with such a passive attitude. It's as if they were driving passed the aftermath of a car accident on the highway and it grabs their attention for a few fleeting seconds before they turn their attention back to the road ahead of them never to think of the accident again. I'll sum up the film as "watchable, but little else."

After attending the Monster Mania 32 convention where I was finally able to meet George Romero and talk to him for a few minutes about his film Martin, I came home and popped in GHOST TOWN. I had been anxious about watching this one since Scream Factory announced it and the wait was finally over only to be disappointed. I like the movie but it isn't very exciting. The setting is good and there's some great makeup work on the main villain but overall the movie's cover art conjures up more interesting ideas than the film can deliver on. I enjoyed it but not nearly to the level I thought I would.

Today's Rundown
Tremors - 8/10
Poltergeist - 4/10
Ghost Town - 6/10

The Atticus Institute (Blu-ray Review) - Anchor Bay

USA/2015
Directed By: Chris Sparling
Written By: Chris Sparling
Starring: Rya Kihlstedt, William Mapother, Harry Groener
Color/83 Minutes/Not Rated
Region A
Release Date: January 20, 2015

The Film
Dr. Henry West opened The Atticus Institute to test and discover people who may have psychic abilities such as E.S.P. and Telekinesis. While some subjects displayed traits that showed they may possibly have the abilities nothing would prepare Dr. West or his team for Judith Winstead. Ms. Winstead showed exceptional abilities in all of the categories tested that blew any previous subject's results out of the water. Eventually her abilities became too much to handle and the United States government stepped in. When their tests showed signs of demonic possession that they could not deny, the Department of Defense took control of the facility in an attempt to weaponize Judith Winstead. The events that followed are now being documented in this documentary.

THE ATTICUS INSTITUTE uses a faux documentary style of film making to add to the realism factor that drives the film. Director Chris Sparling relies on that realism to unsettle the viewer instead of going for wild makeup or special effects and never comes close to anything like what you saw young Regan do with a crucifix on her bed. The cast is great from top to bottom which is critical to keeping the film realistic and unsettling. 

Split between sit down interviews with those involved in the case and archival footage from the institute, THE ATTICUS INSTITUTE is mostly a success in what it attempts to do and create which is a documentary that a viewer may mistake for a true documentary that would be just as unsettling as the movie created. The only downfall is a few hamfisted moments of poorly done CGI towards the end of the movie.

The Audio & Video
Anchor Bay delivers a very attractive looking disc with an anamorphic widescreen (16x9) transfer that is very sharp with strong detail in textures, surfaces and close-ups. Colors are vivid and there's no sign of DNR or edge enhancement. The English audio is handled by a Dolby TrueHD 5.1  track that sounds pretty perfect. It's crisp and clean without and distortions. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.

The Extras
-"Making Of" Featurette
-Deleted Scenes

The Bottom Line
An interesting take on demonic possession based horror films, THE ATTICUS INSTITUTE probably won't become a classic but it is worth a viewing for fans of the genre.

THE ATTICUS INSTITUTE is available HERE