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The Worst Film I've Seen For A Very, Very Long Time

posted 16 years ago by zakwilde
24 replies | jump to latest

Now, I'm a big fan of slasher pics & trashy horror/thriller so I was really, really looking forward to this. The quotes on the box suggested expert reviewers in this genre thought that this was a class apart...but BOY WERE THEY WRONG!

The first, and arguably most important, problem with this film is that ALL of the main actors, with the exception of the lady playing the killer, are just downright lousy actors. And by downright lousy, I mean god-awful, "worst-actors ever" type of actors.

In films of this genre, it's sooo important to actually want the people in peril to survive - but I just couldn't wait for them to die, in the most horrific ways possible.

The writing is awful, the plot is rubbish and filled with holes and the basic premise is just absolute, total & utter balls. All things considered, the direction isn't too bad but you wouldn't really notice because the rest of the film is festering faeces.

If you want to spend 90 minutes of your life in a more productive, rewarding fashion you might wish to avoid this film and spend an hour and a half running on ice in your socks carrying a large pair of scissors.

[–] josephrh311 16 years ago

This movie KICKS ASS for how little money they had. I was practically biting my nails with the suspense. The torture and violence had me squirming. I didn't think all the girls were bad actors at all. Every now and then some poor acting would come out, but the script is funny and it's also very creepy. I always felt sympathy for the girls.

I don't understand why people expect something grand from a movie that didn't have a lot of money to use. For being a cheap indie film, this movie is awesome. That's why all the horror reviewers think it's great. But if indie isn't your thing, there's always the glossy Hollywood junk that's thrown out every week.

You want to see a truly horrible indie horror film? See Dead Clowns.

"I thought you were the man with the big cigar. What are you packin'- a tip a willow?"

[–] zakwilde 16 years ago

Hey, that's your opinion and you're entitled to it but I just didn't feel the same way.

I love indie and I HATE glossy Hollywood junk - that's why I just don't go to the cinema anymore. I became disillusioned with Hollywood movies a long, long time ago - although there is the odd exception.

I don't think that just because a film is low budget it should be used as an excuse for it not being very good. Whilst I admire their guerilla film-making spirit, there are much better ways of spending $4,000.

I'm not going to try to convert you to my way of thinking, if you enjoyed it, you enjoyed it. I think the main reason why I was disappointed was because it looked like exactly the kind of film which I normally enjoy.

If we don't agree on this, does that mean that I'd like Dead Clowns? ;-)

[–] josephrh311 16 years ago

Like Dead Clowns? No way. I can't imagine who would like it. I'm just saying it's worse than this indie film. Or evidence that there are worse indies than this.

I disagree in saying that using the $4,000 budget as a reason for the quality isn't an excuse. You won't be able to find great actors for what they'd be paid after all the other money used for other costs. You kind of have to get what you can. Same with the cameras and whatever else went into making this movie.

The script is definitely scary and funny, even if the execution wasn't the best. I saw this at a film festival and thought it was cool. I just recently bought the DVD and liked it just as much. I just forgave the quality and enjoyed how messed up it is (messed up as in freaky).

Didn't you think the part with the poo was funny? That surprised me and made me laugh.

"I thought you were the man with the big cigar. What are you packin'- a tip a willow?"

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] sakiss 16 years ago

Thanks hmoviefan, saved me the effort of writing it myself!

Terrible "acting", an awful script ("alright girls, just sit in a car, scream, cry and moan and occasionally talk about random crap, alright?"), terrible soundtrack which is all over the place, bad dialogue, no suspense, horrible camerawork, horrible picture quality, unlikeable characters and more. This movie was horrible. I don't care whether it had a budget of 4,000...it was terrible.

Screaming screaming screaming screaming screaming screaming screaming etc.

[–] josephrh311 16 years ago

Acceptable acting, lots of suspense, funny dialogue, likeable characters and more... This movie's awesome for a $4,000 picture. Great movie for those who can accept a movie that has home-movie quality.

"I thought you were the man with the big cigar. What are you packin'- a tip a willow?"

[–] BitterMan23 16 years ago

Paranormal Activity had about the same budget. The camerawork is solid (you can understand what is going on at all times), the acting is top notch, and it's funny when its supposed to be funny, and scary when its supposed to be scary. AND it doesn't look like it was processed through youtube 12 times before being put in front of an audience. Some things are understandable with a low budget, but others are easily avoidable. FATE has plenty of examples of both things, sadly. I didnt hate it, but its faults were definitely a result of both a low budget AND amateur crew/cast, not just the former.

http://www.horrormovieaday.com

[–] tinkerbellkate 16 years ago

I hate to be mean but, it is the worst film I have ever watched. I fast forwarded through it. The actresses were awful, awful, awful. Its no surprise they have not been in anything else.

The person that keeps saying that it must be an "American Thing" to enjoy this movie, well I am American and it is certainly not a movie Americans find interesting or entertaining.

I bought it for $5 b/c the case made it look okay, but I have to say I want my $5 back. Lol.

Sorry to rant.

www.myspace.com/skanderson

[–] crazyincoconut88 16 years ago

I hated this movie so much. Seriously. What the hell.

[–] josephrh311 16 years ago

It's an American thing.

"I thought you were the man with the big cigar. What are you packin'- a tiparillo?"

[–] pierre-57 16 years ago

I'm sure when Texas Chainsaw Massacre came out there were horror fans who didn't like it. Or a better example would be Last House On the Left.

I think the reason why the budget keeps getting brought up is because the poeple who dislike the film tend to point to factors that were beyond the filmmaker's control--i.e. the look, or the sound, or (and I disagree with this one) the actors.

In the end, not every movie is for everyone. There is a very vocal audience for this film that find it exciting and smart and that is why it has played so many festivals and gotten such great reviews. I'm sure there are negative reviews out there as well. There is no con going on here. And as somebody who knows, I can safely say that this is not proof that just any movie can get distribution.

As much as you may dislike the film, the fact is there are people who love it.

[–] sa420 16 years ago

Oh come on...Texas Chainsaw?!

Are you kidding. I bet there were many people that hated it when it came out in '73/'74 because it was part of the new movement of guerrilla film making. But that is a great, tense film that FATE cannot be compared favourably to.

As for Last House On The Left, I see what you're saying but at least there was some character development and you felt bad for the girls in trouble and couldn't wait for David Hess to get his at the end.

I know FATE tried to rip off LHOTL with the pissing scene. It was degrading and gross in LHOTL, but it happened so early on in FATE that you knew the director's were desperate to include it. It wasn't even disturbing in FATE and felt like it was the most depraved thing that the director's could think of at the time and was shoehorned in.

Maybe FATE should have been titled "This Movie Tries Desperately To Shock But Collapses Into A Pile Of Trite And Embarrassing Performances And Infantile Technical Acumen". What do you think? Or T.M.T.D.T.S.B.C.I.A.P.O.T.A.E.P.A.I.T.A. for short.

Or maybe FATE should stand for:
F ucking
Awful
'Tards
Entertainment

That's where FATE's story falls flat on it's ass. The director was too eager to throw away suspense too early in the film. There was no mystery about the girls' pursuer and, after the psycho woman's first attack, I felt that it was not necessary to involve her in the story anymore. In fact, after she got out of the SUV to attack the girls, I thought "Surely, SHE isn't the baddie!?" I didn't actually believe that she was going to be the movie's sole antagonist!

I just thought that she was going to be like a red herring or something and that someone else was gonna come along and cause death and destruction. Her reveal was way too early in this overlong crap.

But the fact that she kept going away and coming back was just stupid. It was like the director was happy with the psycho's actions and then thought of something else "shocking" and "terrifying" she could do after she had gone away, and so kept on having her return each time he had a new idea for her character.

I just don't believe that she was able to continually track down those girls. It was dumb.

Why, in FATE, when the psycho woman tells them all to strip, do 2 or 3 of the girls keep their bra's on? We don't get to see the girls naked boobs anyway so the others might as well had stripped too. Did the director's think we wouldn't notice? Those girls should have been fired on the spot.

FATE didn't even have the courage to kill off ANY of the protagonists!

And, also, I didn't feel any empathy for the five girls and actually felt that they deserved what they got. If someone rammed my car and drove off, thinking they would get away without paying for it, I think I would P.I.T. them and make them piss in their pants...and a lot worse. Like smash their faces into the jagged glass of the broken headlamp or whatever.

They just came across as spoiled little bitches and it's disappointing that they all survived.

I'd love to read an interview with the cast in about 2 years time, after this rot has been left to fester.

Anyway, the reason people hated Texas Chainsaw and LHOTL, at the time, is because they were considered as sick and depraved back in the day, rather than being badly put together, which FATE so obviously is!

If you want to see a good example of low budget horror, check out "Demon House/ Night Of The Demons 3". Now that's how you do a nice little atmospheric, cheapo horror flick!

For the past 35 years, people have regarded Texas Chainsaw and, to a lesser extent, LHOTL in high regard as pioneering movies of their genre. If anyone remembers FATE in 35 years it will be a miracle. But it will obviously be in a negative light. If FATE is the start of things to come, regarding home DVD rental, it will earn it's rightful place as the granddaddy of movies so monsterously shi t, that they are truly unwatchable.

"Not The Gold!!" - Augustus Steranko.

[–] Joel-Ryden 16 years ago

Stefan, you're absolutely right. In terms of 'classic' horror films, the likes of TSM and LHOTL are held up as great pieces of cinematic history. On the contrary, there really isn't much to like abouth either film other than their shock-factor.

More to the point, this film (FATE) was perhaps the worst film I have ever had the misfortune to rent. Production values, script, acting, editing - the whole thing was indescribably bad.

I turned it of after 20 minutes. The second film I have ever turned off before the end - what an accolade.

[–] killadamvol14 16 years ago

This movie was awful. Awful, awful, awful, awful, AWFUL!

How anyone can find this disturbing or slightly enjoyable in some way should
really consider there state of mind. I bought it mostly on hype and a friends
recommendation, what a devastating disappointment.

~km

[–] crinkster 15 years ago

I want the 30 minutes of my life back that I spent fast forwarding through this piece of:
not funny, not scary, not gory , not ironic, not anything but a waste of time, annoying, cost me $2.50 to rent and I still feel ripped off, no nudity, no suspense, no good music, no satisfying conclusion, no twist at the end to make me go "awww, ok, at least the end was cool!"....
JUNK!!!!

Thanks fer nuthin!

[–] dwa2613 15 years ago

I could not have hated this movie more. I have never written a movie review, but this "film" has inspired me to reach out to others so they do not lose the 90 minutes of their life like I did.

[–] Fenrir-5 15 years ago

I still can't believe it was only 90 minutes! It felt like at least two hours.

[–] viewsonthenet 15 years ago

its not the worst movie ever there are certainly worse but its pretty bad the camera is too all over the place.

the acting is average for this kind of movie.

I guess the only thing that was if not unique then was at least unusual for these non supernatural hottor flicks is that they made the nutcase killer female.

[–] j-cameron22 14 years ago

Jumpin' jezobels I don't know how anyone managed to sit thru the first 10 minutes of this craporama - I certainly didn't. Put it on last night and couldn't freakin believe the awful acting. I mean it is the worst acting I ever seen! When the main girl started freaking out about her car at the beginning whining 'Jesus Christ' and hitting the dashboard like a flid I just turned it off in disgust. This film aint even fit for Youtube let along DVD? JESUS CHRIST!
--I do wish Imdb wasn't so riddled by bugs and popups--

[–] YankeeDood 11 years ago

I was watching it on Drive-In Classics and stopped it after 5 minutes.

ghost stories..WEIRD stories..
http://tinyurl.com/wtradio

[–] YankeeDood 11 years ago

Yup, you know a horror movies sucks when you actually want everyone to die in it. Real bimbos.

1/10

ghost stories..WEIRD stories..
http://tinyurl.com/wtradio

[–] Mathias001 11 years ago

I agree 100%. I can't say this was the worst movie I've seen but my God those girls couldn't act to save their own lives. (nyuk nyuk)

The one fact in this movie's favor is that it went against the same old boring formula that we've seen over and over again and made the killer a woman. Too bad it didn't have much of a budget to work with. I was rooting for the killer and wanted to see those annoying girls die horribly.

[–] Phroggy 9 years ago

…Instead (SPOILER, if anyone still want to watch this crap), those annoying girls who put themselves on to what happened to them, as a commenter rightfully pointed out, gets to murder the "psycho" with more horrid violence that was exerted on them, finding justification in the fact that "she was, like, not kewl", then go back to their crummy little life as if nothing happened, as implied ? Gimme a break, for Cthulhu's sake !

The directors obviously tried to go for the "schock" factor, but ended up NOT being "sick" or "disturbing", just slapped the face of every horror fan and hopes they could get away witrh it. If you want to see something really sick, surprising,and where the schock value actually has a meaning, bloody see Pascal Laugier's traumatazing "Martyr(s)", not this tripe…

[–] wetbrain 9 years ago

I didn't think it terrible. I've seen worse. My biggest problem with it is that it's simply way too tame. Low budget horror movies should try to shock. This wasn't shocking at all.