From Within (2009)

By Jody
Score: 5/10

In this After Dark Horrorfest Year 3 entry, a string of suicides plague a small town. When a suicide occurs, the next closest person in proximity to the victim is the next to do it, and so the chain continues throughout the film.

....Or are they really suicides....

With a startling open and a haunting conclusion, this is worth a watch despite its flaws, the most notable of which is poor pacing. The film also has a rather silly but forgivable detour about emo witches vs. religious fanatic psychos, neither of which group (Christians or Wicca) are portrayed fairly (only extremists on both sides are characterized).

Sometimes no exposition is the lesser evil between that and bad exposition, but at least it has a better explanation than M. Night Shayamalan's "The Happening" trees.

Starring: Thomas Dekker, Elizabeth Rice, Kelly Blatz, Rumer Willis, and Adam Goldberg
Directed by: Phedon Papamichael
Budget / Gross: Info Not Available
IMDB Score: 5.6/10
Tomatometer: 60% critics and 41% audiences liked it

Empire Records (1995)

By Greg
Score 4/10

The film is a slice of 1995. It incorporates so much that was happening to the teen scene in the middle of the decade. It was a gluttonous time to be a teen in America. I was at my pinnacle, 17, ahhhh.... to be that age. Half my life ago this film emerged and when I watched it amongst friends, it had a lot of what my life felt like. Not fitting in, except with friends. Feeling alone, like I'm the only one dealing with insecurities. Or having friends that are acting or doing things, from which I didn't approve of, i.e. drugs, sexual promiscuity and anti-authority. Sure, maybe in 1995 I was a bit of a wallflower or led a sheltered life, but I love life and I enjoyed 1995. This film I was eager to watch again for the focus on 90's cinema.
But now, it wasn't the same. Am I too old or maybe, since I'm married and have kids, has that changed my outlook. No, its just I'm more versed in cinema. This movie is weak, it does have character development, but so did "Friends" and that was just a half hour, sure a sitcom, but told better stories.

The film takes place at a record store named, title of film, Empire Records all in one day. It incorporates teens from all walks of life, making them best friends/co-workers and utilize this music store as their personal playground. Young at heart boss Joe (Anthony LaPagalia), must stop this place from going commercial and keep this piece of music Americana alive.

The problems the teens experience in the film, are what most teens with angst felt at a given time in their life, even some just for a day. The girl who is sexually charged to the max, because she wants to feel appreciated, the girl who is so pretty and has everything, only to succumb to be known as speed freak, the artsy kid who needs to reveal his crush, the girl who has the weight of the world on her shoulders alone and attempted suicide only because she wanted attention. Finally big boss Joe, who must break free of his chains/the corporate man, only to become his own boss.

Its jumbled and messy, the flow is there, but falls apart due to annoyance and too many story lines. It is hard to take the actors seriously during the more dramatic moments. The soundtrack which was decent, could have been better, much better, especially one that had a setting in a record store. The film more or less is like these young actors cutting their teeth in the business. Several of the actors went on to bigger and better things, so clearly this film didn't ruin their careers, it was a stepping stone along the way.

P.S. - A much better film, similar with struggling teens trying to find identification within their society, and not as pretentious, is SubUrbia. Will be reviewed at a later date.

Starring: Anthony LaPagalia, Rory Cochrane, Robin Tunney, Renee Zelwegger, Ethan Embry and Liv Tyler
Directed by: Alan Moyle
Budget/Gross: n/a / $303,841 (USA)
IMDB Rating: 6.4/10
Tomatometer: 24% critics and 83% audience liked it

Autopsy (2009)

By Jody
Score: 4/10

In this After Dark Horrorfest Year 3 entry, a group of friends have an accident and are taken away to a remote hospital that is a front for sinister experiments and generally sadistic goings on.

This film is seriously flawed right out of the gates. A 5-minute montage of the cast partying at Mardi Gras substitutes for character development. The script deals out in spades every stupidity and bad horror movie cliche known to man, the kind that make you want to yell at the screen. The viewer should also prepare themselves for bad dialogue and one-liners that include "Bleed out, bitch!" after an arm is severed.

Also, it is sad to see Jenette Goldstein, who plays a psychotic nurse, give such a bizarre, over-the-top performance, thereby tarnishing my memories of her as such a badass in "Aliens" and "Near Dark".

All of these criticisms aside, I have some love to rain down on this strange little film. For one, it didn't bore me. That's so crucial. I will forgive many things as long as I am entertained. What stands out even more, however, and this is huuuuuuuugeeeeeee......

This film used (perhaps exclusively) real, good old-fashioned practical effects and gore rather than CGI, and they are great effects too. Two scenes in particular, made my jaw drop, but to say any more would spoil it. I wouldn't really know how to describe it anyway.

As a serious film reviewer, I couldn't justify giving this movie more than 2 stars out of 5, but I suspect my teenage self 20 years ago would've been a huge fan.

Starring: Robert Patrick, Jenette Goldstein, Jessica Lowndes, and Michael Bowen
Directed By: Adam Gierasch
Budget Gross: $4 mil / Festival and Direct-to-DVD Release
IMDB Score: 5.0/10
Tomatometer: N/A Critics and 27% Audiences liked it

The Graves (2010)

By Jody.
Score: 2/10

In one of the absolute worst After Dark Horrorfest films (one of the Year 4 entries), sisters Abby and Megan Graves (hence, "The Graves") go on one last road trip before they split up to go to different colleges. They stop at at tourist attraction where there are assaulted by the locals for increasingly stupid and inexplicable reasons.

This is an obnoxious film that is the result of a 13-year old boy trapped in the body of a 50-year old comic book writer who gets his buddies together (along with a hand full of heavy metal musicians and horror genre icons) to try his hand at directing a film that I am quite certain they are convinced is quite clever.

This is a very sloppily shot and edited film, and the script and dialogue are just simply awful. Bill Moseley tried his best and is the only silver lining in this toxic cloud. Tony Todd gives an absolutely embarrassing performance, the worst of his career.

The only reason to watch this movie is if you want to be able to say, "I've watched every After Dark Horrorfest movie." Or if you are a prepubescent boy who likes to see girls in tank tops and big boobs getting chased around by rednecks. To each their own.

Starring: Clare Grant, Jillian Murray, Bill Moseley, and Tony Todd
Directed by: Brian Pulido
Budget / Gross: Info Not Available
IMDB Score: 3.6/10
Tomatometer: N/A critics and 13% audiences liked it

Nothing But Trouble (1991)

By Greg
3/10

Continuing on with a 1990's John Candy theme, we come to this odd tale from 1991. Directed and Screenplay by Dan Aykroyd, its a tale of some city slickers who are stopped for running a stop sign. Instead of just writing them a ticket, Dennis (John Candy) a Deputy for the City of Valkenheiser, has New Yorkers, Chris Thorne (Chevy Chase) and Diane Lightson (Demi Moore), follow them to the mansion/dump of the Judge Alvin 'J.P.' Valkenheiser. Where no one leaves and its nothing but trouble for all who enter.

Its a twisted, dark comedy where the talent goes wasted, the scenery is catchy in the "fun" house, but cliche at best. The house from "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" had more substance, this house tried but was just disturbing, with goofy slides, trap doors, booby traps, etc. John Candy also played Dennis's sister Eldona, she is mute and is set to wed Chris. Candy in drag worked in other films, this was just waste of his talent. Moore still looked healthy before she went on to gain muscle for G.I. Jane and then transition to an unhealthy super skinny look for Ashton Kutcher, this was a prime time for her, this film was a failure for her. Chevy Chase and Aykroyd are no stranger to films that don't reach there potential, but the film couldn't even be saved by Tupac Shakur, who made a cameo with other rap stars at the time.

One more odd thing about the film, I couldn't find it for the Tomatometer ratings on rottentomatoes.com. All that came up was a classic Laurel and Hardy film. The film is hidden from Rotten Tomatoes, that or no one liked it.
I could jabber on and on about this lackluster film. The film did win a Razzie Award for Best supporting actor: Dan Aykroyd and was nominated for a few more.
The film was on, it was free and it had many actors I enjoy to watch. Thankfully I'll never have to endure this torture again.
Also, I do like the poster I found

Directed by: Dan Aykroyd
Starring: Chevy Chase, Demi Moore, John Candy and Dan Aykroyd
Budget/Gross: $40,000,000 (estimated)/$8,479,793 (USA)
IMDB Rating: 4.2/10
Tomatometer: N/A

Canadian Bacon (1995)

By Greg
Score 5/10

This was to be the final film that was released starring John Candy. After his death, Wagons East was a disappointment, so I think with strategy this film was released a year later. It flopped and bombed huge. I felt it was the better of his last films.

Candy stars as Sheriff Bud Boomer, after losing his job at a nearby weapons factory, he and Honey (Rhea Perlman) a deputy, patrol around the Niagara Falls for possible jumpers. The duo receives extra money if they jump. Meanwhile in Washington D.C., the President (Alan Alda) is at his lowest rating, so he wants to boost his image as President. He states that America needs another war, peace has been declared with Russia, and everyone else seems to like America. His advisor, Stu Smiley (Kevin Pollack) see a news broadcast where havoc ensued after Sheriff Boomer said that Canadian beer was horrible. This sparks the interest for America to be at war with Canada.

So off we go with Honey and Boomer, trying to do their part with this new terror to America, Canada. Plenty of Canadian jokes and cameos by Dan Aykroyd (Canadian born), Steven Wright, Rip Torn, James Belushi, Wallace Shawn, and even Michael Moore. Canadian Bacon takes the viewer into a possible conflict with our neighbor to the north. With the craziness of Sheriff Boomer and his band of rebels, will they create a real war with Canada, where the President just wanted attention, so he can boost his acceptance ratings with Americans. Only time will tell, aye.

 What does succeed as a good political satire, fails as a comedy? At moments it feels too preachy and the jokes just had bad timing. Moore later succeeded with political driven documentaries, and truthfully, I enjoyed it better the second go around. Back in 1995, a friend rented it, we watched and felt cheated. This was John Candy's last film and it was only mildly funny.

As time as progressed over the last 16 years, this film aged nice. It does have good jokes, good humor and it pokes fun at what Moore likes to have fun with; Corporate America, George Bush, political propaganda, etc. It just doesn't flow nicely, it trips over itself, becomes jumbled and takes itself too seriously. (The political preachy-ness) Even though, it was a flop, Moore did take it hard, but has rallied back with a two Oscar nominations in Documentary and even a win for "Bowling for Columbine." He does have a gift, I hope he does come back for another go at fiction film making. Contradictions, indeed, watch this film, that's how it left me, with contradictions.


Starring: John Candy, Alan Alda, Rhea Perlman and Kevin Pollack
Directed by: Michael Moore
Budget/Gross: $11,000,000 (estimated)/ $178,104
IMDB Rating: 5.7/10
Tomatometer: 14% critics and 49% audience liked it

Wagons East! (1994)

By Greg
Score 2/10

Wagon's East will forever be known as the last film that John Candy acted in, that is the only thing this film had going for it. The film was so horrible. It has very few redeeming qualities and even John Candy wasn't in his "A" game.

The film's story is simple,  various individuals, a doctor, a banker, prostitute and seller of eccentic things, no this is not the beginning of a joke, are not "fitting in" in the Wild West. These misfits want to head back east. They hire rugged James Harlow (John Candy) to be the wagon master and lead this group of western oddballs east. Indeed the journey does have perils; they encounter Sioux Indians, who help guide them back east because the Indians believe this could become a trend. A railroad tycoon reads about these westerners leaving so he sets the cavalry out and hires a lone outlaw to stop them before they reach St. Louis. This would prevent any embarrassment or prevent future settlers.
  Plenty of small historical jokes, for example: the group begins to fear Harlow because he supposedly led the Donner Party. For anyone unaware of the Donner story, they were settlers trapped in a mountain pass, forced to begin cannibalism for survival. Sophomoric jokes that should have been left out, for instance, one of the men has sexual feelings for a cow, cliched penis jokes and homophobia. In the right context, they could have been funny, this film they fell flat. The film did have potential, but it fell on the behind the scenes, writer, director or producer. Had great scenary, a cast capable of good or even great things and the story isn't horrible, just tweaking.

Truthfully, I would recommend 'Blazing Saddles" it was directed better, had better actors, the comedic timing was there. Wagons East! wanted to be a new Saddles, but it will only live on as the last film that had the acting greatness of John Candy. He did pass away on set and required a body double to finish scenes. The studio, director and producer could blame his passing for the film not reaching total potential, but I don't think anyone or thing could save this film.

Starring: John Candy, Richard Lewis, John C. McGinley and Robert Picardo
Directed by: Peter Markle
Budget/Gross: N/A / $4,358,940 (USA)
IMDB Rating:
Tomatometer: 0% Critics and 32% audience liked it