GamerTab That was an excellent one.
Protraph Lack of good storyline.
FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
Roman Sampson One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.
ApolloBoy109 As we all know in order for most run-of-the-mill horror films to work the characters have to behave unbelievably stupid. They have to make foolish decisions to advance the agenda of the writer. This film takes that meme to new heights of dumbness. Cribbed from The Wicker Man and mixed with the homoerotic earmarks of a David DeCoteau film, Unhappy Birthday fails to raise interest.The man-on-man sex scenes, I suppose, are to shock and divert us from the failures of the script. And while the scenes were titillating, actors David Paisley and Jonathan are attractive and capable enough actors, the well-worn story is so painfully predictable. The feeble reason why they come to the island and the ending itself do not add up. We know instantly they are in trouble. They do not. We know who is going to be the whack-job instantly. They do not. It's hard to root for people who are mindlessly being lead into a trap. Lastly, the lead actress is neither convincing, attractive enough or engaging. The three-way scene between the leads exists only to add running time to this poor film.
Ben Larson A low budget film like this gets reviews all over the map, but even great films have critics that didn't like them. The Kid With a Bike got reviews in the papers of 2, 3, 4, and 5 stars. You wonder if they are watching the same movie.This is a first effort for writer/directors Mark Harriott and Mike Matthews. They evidently worked hard to present a film with an atmosphere that is really creepy. The music and sound really matched the scenes and keep the tension high.The sexual scenes are intense, both heterosexual and homosexual, as Rick (David Paisley) brings his boyfriend Johnny (Jonathan Keane) along with his girlfriend Sadie (Christina De Vallee).It had a strange, but no unexpected ending that really drove the insanity home.The acting was very good, and it was a compelling story.
showtrmp This movie is stylishly made and definitely pulls you along, helped mainly by Jill Riddiford's performance as the pious and grandmotherly Corinne. Riddiford keeps you guessing until the very end whether she is unhinged or just childlike and pitiable. That said, this is also one of those thrillers where the characters have to make all the wrong (and increasingly stupid) decisions in order to keep the (ridiculous) plot going. By the end, I knew I was supposed to feel the horrible moral ugliness of the deranged religious fundamentalism espoused on "the island", but all I saw was a series of gruesome hate crimes (with the gay guy, of course, getting it the worst). It's been done before--and with less obvious sadistic relish.
seriousangel2 I am not going to write a very long review but, what I am going to write is that while it is indeed a strange movie the acting is above par. and the camera work is beautifully done. The movie comes off as professional and not cheesy. I gave it a 10 because it was well worth my time spent viewing it. but you have to be of the mind that does not have to be satisfied very quickly, some adults are like children and must have the pay-off right then and there and cannot wait this is not a movie for those of that mind set.This movie is slow paced and builds to the end which I did not expect.I was slowly drawn into the movie by the clever writing and great acting. I forgot I was watching a movie at some point and felt more like a voyeuristic peeping tom watching some persons personal tragedy unfolding before my eyes.
