(2002)
Dir - Marc Evans
Overall: MEH
A problematic found footage styled movie from British filmmaker Marc Evans, My Little Eye borrows and ultimately squanders the "Big Brother" premise utilized in Kolobos from three years prior. It can be argued that the primary draw of found footage is in conveying a form of mock-realism that conventional, cinematically inclined films are unable to have. Here though, Evans decides to exclusively rely on an endless stream of wall-mounted cameras, slowing down and zooming into certain shots while standard scary music plays quite frequently on the soundtrack. This essentially blows the entire point of presenting it in such a way. While this faux-pas could be forgiven if the actual content was enticing, such is not entirely the case. The mystery is upheld well enough for awhile, with creepy details getting gradually dropped in there which lead to something inevitably sinister taking place. David Hilton and James Watkins' script is left too vague though as we jump right into things without fully understanding enough of not only the situation but the characters themselves who seem either idiotic, underwritten, or both. This sloppiness transfers over into the half-baked, twisty finale as well, which is probably the most disappointing aspect of all.
(2004)
Dir - Christopher Smith
Overall: MEH
A modern day reworking of Gary Sherman's 1972 film Death Line, Creep is overall inconsistent yet not without some effective moments. Set in the London Underground rapid transit system, the location is ideally frightening in its vastness and filthiness with Smith teasing at a disturbing, enigmatic world underneath. As is usually the case, the first act sets up everything in an appropriately enticing manner, yet a series of "dumb people in horror movies" nonsense plus monotony and various other cliches ultimately sink the ship. Vague, unanswered clues to Sean Harris' nasty, super-human title character give him an ominous aura of mystery, but when he keeps springing back to life and predictably snatching his victims after Franka Potente's protagonist fails to properly finish him off when she has the chance is just a lazy, hack-job route to take on Smith's part. That said, there are a few genuine surprises along the way which elevate it above something merely bog-standard for such a genre film. These instances are not really enough to carry things through as the movie gradually runs out of gas though, but it might please the more forgiving viewer who is in the mood for something properly unsettling.
(2009)
Dir - Jon Wright
Overall: WOOF
One would have hoped that the horror genre could have permanently retired the despicable "A picked-on kid back for revenge against high school bullies" slasher film long before Jon Wright inexplicably decided to contribute yet another entry to it with Tormented. Wright and screenwriter Stephen Prentice slightly approach such mind-numbingly cliched crap from a dark comedy angle with a few outrageous death scenes and the like, yet it still boils down to a predictably boring waiting game for unrepentingly horrible characters to get their comeuppance. Setting up everyone to be so incredibly unlikable that their ultimate demise brings applause from the audience is obviously the appeal, but when every interaction between them simply reinforces lazy high school bully tropes ad nauseum, it inadvertently ends up being as miserable of a viewing experience as torture porn. Even with some jokes thrown in, the performances and tone are oddly far more serious than the hackneyed material deserves. So for anyone simply looking for an updated version with CGI blood splatter and cell phones of Slaughter High, Prom Night, Horror High, The Redeemer...Son of Satan!, Carrie, and god knows how many others, knock yourself out.
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