WildCinema Presents Movie Review: Among Friends (2012)

WildCinema Presents

Movie Review: Among Friends (2012)

The Lowdown:

After debuting on the festival circuit last year, scream queen Danielle Harris's directorial debut finally gets a general release on DVD and VOD and its a hell of a lot more fun than it has any right to be.

Among Friends tells the story of a group of friends who get together for an 80s themed murder mystery party that quickly turns sour when they are each tortured and forced to pay for the secrets they keep. The concept is hardly original but its executed with playfulness and a solid degree of tension in which the audience never quite knows whats going to happen next, making it a thrillingly exciting watch the first time around.

Sadly though the cinematography does leave a lot to be desired, it just screams straight to video from the get go, not that that's a bad thing by any means, the concept and execution are all great and the movies a hell of a roller coaster ride, so its a shame the overall look of the film dosent look more cinematic and grand as i feel this could have at least made a great cult classic in the years to come, but the vast majority of people will sadly dismiss this as B movie trash now which is a shame, but dont let the overall look fool you, this is a smart and fun little throwback to 80s horror.

Also worthy mentioning is one scene in particular that fans of Danielle Harris will get a kick out of in which a Dinner guest tripping on mushrooms thinks she's on a movie set and spots Ms Harris in the clown costume she donned in Halloween 4. Its a nice little tip of the hat from Danielle to her long time fans

Final Verdict

Although not breaking any new ground or offering anything unique into the DTV horror genre. Among Friends offers just enough thrills and gore to be worthy of a rental.

Rating

A solid 2 out of 5.

 

Halloween Sequels : The Top 5

Halloween Sequels : The Top 5

 With John Carpenters immortal classic Halloween celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, we thought what better way to celebrate than to check out the other, often over looked films in the long running franchise and bring you our definitive list on the top 5 best. Lets get started!

5. H2: Halloween 2 (2009)

Featuring a maskless Micheal Myers and David Lynch-esque visuals, Rob Zombies Halloween 2 is a very different beast from its predecessors. Essentially a story about Laurie Strode's descent into madness after encountering Myers one year prior, the artsy visuals and graphic violence make this entry into the franchise stand out for better or for worse, you decide which.

Buy Halloween 2 at Amazon here : Halloween 2 [DVD]

4. Halloween H20 (1998)

Twenty years after the original Halloween, Jamie Lee Curtis had the idea of getting together the original cast and crew for a new Halloween film. Director John Carpenter was on board until his hefty fee of 10 million dollars to direct was rejected leaving Friday the 13th II and III director Steve Miner to take over directorial duties. Ignoring Halloween's 4 to 6, H20 picks up after the events of 1981's Halloween II introducing us to Laurie Strode who is now the mother of a 17 year old boy John, and a cast of whole new fresh faces ready to be picked off by the boogeyman one by one.

H20 is an effective enough sequel and serves well when viewed back to back with the original two,

my only complaints are the four different mask's used during the production vary greatly in quality and accuracy and also the original musical score was altered and substituted with music from Scream. A bad choice, if you ask me as the music is an important key factor in creating the atmosphere for a Halloween flick. Nonetheless this is a fine sequel and certainly one of the less confusing ones.

Buy Halloween H20 from Amazon here : Halloween H20 [DVD]

3. Halloween 4 (1988) 

After mixed reactions to the Myer-less Halloween III, Moustapha Akkad decided it was time to take the franchise back to its basic elements, that being babysitters, mayhem and the indestructible Micheal Myers himself. With Jamie Lee Curtis not reprising her role as Laurie Strode and John Carpenter yet again not directing, the writers took this one in a new direction. Featuring Danielle Harris as Micheal's niece and Donald Pleasence as Dr Loomis, Moustapha Akkad paid close attention to the elements that went into this one and it shows. Generally considered a fan favorite Halloween 4 is essentially Halloween brought into the eighties decade, featuring more gore, a super strong Myers and terrific atmosphere throughout, its easy to see why this one ranks so high on many fans lists. Danielle Harris is terrific, as is her Jamie Lloyd character, its just a shame how things ended for her in Halloween : The Curse Of Micheal Myers. This one comes highly recommended.

Buy Halloween 4 at Amazon here: Halloween 4 [DVD] 

2. Halloween III: Season of the witch (1982)

Undoubtedly some readers will disagree with this one taking the number two spot on our list, but quite frankly i dont give a damn. Producers John Carpenter and Debra Hill wanted to take Halloween in a different direction after Halloween II and start making stand alone movies set on or related to halloween using the Halloween moniker. This is the first and only movie we got using that concept. Rejected by fans at the time who wanted to see more Myers, Halloween III tells the story of a Halloween mask company and its intent to kill innocent children using Halloween masks. The movie has terrific atmosphere much like the first two installments in the franchise and John Carpenter and Alan Howarth's score is equally as atmospheric. For people not afraid of change Halloween III is a strong sequel and will perhaps one day gain the love it so rightfully deserves.

Buy Halloween III at Amazon here : Halloween III [DVD]

1. Halloween II (1981)

The tagline "More of the night he came home" sums up Halloween II in a nutshell. A direct continuation of the original Halloween, Halloween II picks up immediately after its predecessor with Dr Loomis still hot on Micheal Myers trail and Laurie Strode being transported to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital for treatment on her injuries sustained in the first film. Halloween II is effective at continuing the storyline as well as keeping with the tone and aesthetics of the original. The Hospital setting works in the films favor and it is at times genuinely creepy, dark hallways and sparse staff make Haddonfield Memorial a very effective setting. This film also ups the ante on gore as Friday the 13th had just taken off and a little more of the red stuff was deemed necessary in order to appease audiences growing blood lust. Halloween II is essential viewing for fans of the original as it perfectly recaptures the atmosphere of the original and succesfully continues the story adding new twist and turns to the Halloween Mythos along the way. It also makes for great back to back viewing with the original, so have yourself a double feature this Halloween night!!

Buy Halloween II at Amazon here : Halloween II [DVD] 

There you have it, the Top 5 Halloween sequels. What are your favourite Halloween Sequels? Let us know in the comment section below, and be sure to have a Halloween marathon this fall to celebrate John Carpenters classic turning 35 years old!

Other articles you may enjoy:

Top 5 Superhero Movies

Hatchet III Review

The future of The Terminator Franchise

Fatal Call Review

Fatal Call - Movie Review - Wild Cinema

WildCinema Presents

Movie Review : Fatal Call

 

 

The Lowdown

Its been a busy year for Screen favorite Danielle Harris, with a handful of movies still set for release sometime in the near future, Fatal Call A.K.A Call Me On Tuesday, marks a departure from her usual "scream queen" fare, one that is sure to both surprise and delight many a fan, as Danielle lights up the screen as the seductive but conniving  Amy Hannison.

Jason London stars as Mitch, a smalltown guy who's affair with a beautiful woman has disastrous consequences as he fights for his life and to clear his name. The plot reads simple enough on paper, but there are terrific twist and turns as the film progresses that are played out and executed effectively, taking this from Z grade Thriller, to a pretty fun and engaging B movie.

I was both surprised and delighted by the casting decisions, not only do we get great perfomances from Danielle Harris and Veteran Jason London, but Kevin Sorbo of "Hercules" fame is along for the ride, as well as Scary Movies, Lochlyn Munro, this isnt your typical B movie no name cast and the film is all the better for it.

The writing and directing for the most part is really well done and director/writer Jack Snyder does a great job of capturing the tone of early 90s erotic thrillers, as the movie at times feels like a throwback to the days of Shannon Tweed thrillers albeit with a lot less sex and more emphasis on the storyline. 

The only minor complaint i have is towards the middle of the movie it starts to drag on a little, but that is quickly rectified with a fantastically tense sequence featuring Jason London's character Mitch sneaking into Amy's house to acquire some evidence to clear his name. Its a well written and directed sequence that perfectly and effectively notches up the tension and will have viewers hanging on the edge of their seats. 

Final Verdict

 For fans of Femme Fatale films and Steamy late night cable thrillers, Fatal Call is neither anything fresh nor groundbreaking. But that said, it does provide a handful of tense thrills, a standout being the nightclub chase and car park showdown, an engaging storyline with plenty of twists and turns to keep even the most jaded movie goer satisfied, and great performances from Kevin Sorbo, Jason London and the ever beautiful Danielle Harris, who shows terrific range and sexuality, we dont usually get to see from her. Fatal Call is the perfect movie for a Friday night when all you want to do is put your feet up and relax.

Rating

An unusual acting turn for Danielle Harris, solid directing and writing earn this a 3 out of 5.

Its worth checking out and despite its DTV movie production values, is an engaging treat from start to finish.

Also check out some of our other articles:

VHS NOSTALGIA #1

Movie Review:  Hansel And Gretel

Movie Review Hatchet III