why this movie didn't quite work for me.
alright... i waited until i finished the extras before giving my two cents on this movie. I REALLY wanted to like this... and i kind of did, but there was just something missing. The director and producers seemed to know what they were doing. they were very professional and knowledgeable about making movies, had a great team of workers and a what should have been a flawless strategy. the script, story layout and pacing could have been restructured a bit, but most of the positives mentioned above did come through in the final cut, yet it still seemed empty...
Then i watched the "making of" and realized that the team didn't seem to really LOVE horror movies. they knew what they wanted to make, they knew what they believed would sell and gave very logical reasons why this type of movie was the movie they could make the most money from, but none of them ever said "they wanted to make it becuase they love the genre". they said they grew up with that style and mentioned how, Sam Rami, Peter Jackson and others got their start with this genre of horror/comedy and where they are now, as if to say, "if we go this route, we are sure to become sucessful". but not once did i hear them say "WE LOVE HORROR!". something both Rami and Jackson have both professed countless times in interviews and the one underlying reason i believe this movie fell flat.
Evil Dead, Dead Alive, Night of the Creeps, Basket Case and other movies of this genre had a lot in common, but the one thing that sits on top is their charm. a charm that only comes with a team that is passionate about their beliefs and does what they want to do because they love that particular piece of work. I'm not saying that this team doesnt have a passion and love for film making, im just saying that their motives were to re-create/copy a particular style and genre to make money first. not make a movie they have always wanted to make and in the end hope it makes money. I believe that also came through in the final product.
On a side note, Robert Englund was the one of the main reasons i DID like this movie. he did an amazing job. the cyclops creature was also stunning and they should have done more with that creation. The professor creature was not... BUT it wouldnt have mattered one bit to me if i felt that passion from the creators that i was talking about in my last paragraph. i love funky crappy monsters if i can get that silly vibe from a film... but i didn't feel anything in the end.
For a "first time" director, I must give Jon Knautz great props. he organized a superb team and created an above average "high budget Indy" horror/comedy. He just needs to direct films for the right reasons. if he can do that, his movies WILL make the money he wants them to make.
Great effort though.
5/10
--------------------------------
Why so cereal?