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The Frightening (2002)

   
Produced & Directed by: David DeCoteau

Written by: Matthew Jason Walsh

Starring:

Matthew Twinning .... Corey Peterson
James E. Foley .... Mason
Jack Charlisle .... Perry
Charity Rahmer .... Beth
Kyle Patrick .... Wyatt
Tanya Dempsey .... Tanya
Trevor Harris .... Paul
Robert Donovan .... Principal Rizcheck
Brinke Stevens .... Mrs. Peterson
Mark Miller .... Niles

Release Date: Direct-to-Video: April 2, 2002

Rating:

A troubled new kid at school named Corey Peterson (Matthew Twinning) arrives at Hallows End and hopes to have a good year. However, he finds out that many students there were missing and then end up dead and no one is doing anything about it.
It seems that some students dressed in black are killing them away as the school has a dark and twisted secret as there was a secret to a student body there but nobody knows who this body belonged to.
Corey is being asked which crowd he should belong to and is forced to decide by a popular student named Perry (Jack Charlisle) but he doesn't know which crowd to choose from as it can lead him to danger.
He chose to pal around a misfit named Mason (James E. Foley) and his group who have a bad reputation there as one by one that crowd ends up disappearing as well.
He also falls for a popular girl there named Beth (Charity Rahmer) which he thinks is great that she finds him normal and just not a typical NEW KID.
However, either way he needs to find some way to survive before he becomes the next victim at Hallows End.

The film was nearing for a turkey but it did pick up in many spots and in the end was fairly well done for what it was.
Alot of the slashings weren't convincing but certain performances were. It's not scary by any means though.
This was almost like another Brotherhood film. Although lots hated that one I found some of them okay.
I mean naming a highschool Hallows End is corny enough and making it sound obvious that this is a horror film.

Alot of the acting in the film is quite poor but we have some others that make a good effort with their characters.
I found that lead actor Matthew Twinning was just a typical pretty boor type of look and didn't carry much of a character to his role as a torubled and disturbed new kid at his highschool. At times he did pick up but mainly with his aggressions.
James E. Foley
on the other hand seemed to be full of energy to his role as a highschool misfit that everyone thought caused trouble. He seemed to almost know his part inside out.
Jack Charlisle
was one of the best characters out of the whole cast in this film. He came across evil and mysterious with his part and had nice smooth and icy words whenever he spoke.
Charity Rahmer
was another downfall as a popular student who mainly just had the looks (Barely that) and was rough with her performance.
Kyle Patrick
was fairly solid as a punk rocker type and seemed to know how to be intense too.
Tanya Dempsey
was another wild child who really stood out well with her role and bringing her character to life leading on to acting in more underground horror films.
Robert Donavan
was probably the best out of all the actors as he showed a great nasty streak to his role as the sharp and strict school principal. You wonder if he is a suspect in this movie he does it so incredibly well.
Of course we have B-film scream queen Brinke Stevens whom this time plays a basket case type of mother to the lead actor in the film which is a little different than her other roles mainly one's by Decoteau. That is if you've seen her in his film like Sorority Babes in the Slime Ball Bowl O Rama.

People are stabbed and some slit by the throat with some bloodshed.
Lots of blood gushes out of people's mouths
A small axe is stabbed in the back
A persons face is melted due to some acid

The directing by David DeCoteau has some real effective moments and alot of poor moments too.
Alot of the dialogues between the actors looked very bland and Decoteau doesn't seem to do much work on his direction with any of it.
There is a good argumentive dialogue between supporting actors Robert Donovan and Elizabeth Bruderman about shutting the school down and the other disagrees which looked strongly done while they enter the school and into the hallway.
There is a nice and dark shot on the stairway to the basement with Bruderman walking down looking a little nervous after hearing some sounds but when she is wandering in the basement trying to ask whoever it is to come out the setting doesn't look scary at all like it;s supposed to be.
We have nice dialogue sequences between Brinke Stevens and Matthew Twinning as mother and son relations especially after a nightmare sequence with Twinning and Stevens talks to him about his troubles.
There's a good shot on Twinning watching a wrestling match practice and he looks drowsy almost falling asleep.
Of course we spot many small cast members playing jocks taking showers too but doesn't show their nudity probably cause they're underage.
Alot of the times with the murderous moments on the supporting cast dressed in black about to kill doesn't look impressive like it should be in a horror film but there are some moments it does.
For instance, we have a nice shot on Kyle Lupo walking down some stairs from his workplace at a cafe holding a bat and the setting looks dark and this time it really works and then he shows nice terrifying expressions when he get slayed.
Also with supporting actors Scott Clark and Keary Ann Bixby hanging out in the highschool basement looks fairly impressive when they're goofing off and it does almost look horror like that something is going to happen to them.
Clark
reacts very intensively well after his face is splashed with acid and a nice camera shot on his face melting.
It looked good with the people in black ganging up on Bixby as well.
There was a nice and almost seducing dream sequence by Twinning when he is walking in the hall with his boxers on which is typical for a millenium DeCoteau flick. It looked good with him walking into the basement of the school and seeing other people shirtless mainly performed by Jack Charlisle staring at Twinning coldly and there's a bonfire there as well. Then Charity Rahmer behaves seductively with him by feeling him all over. It almost gives you a relaxing feeling but then the nightmare starts.
We spot a great scene with James E. Foley talking to Twinning about the disappearances on the students at the school which makes that scenerio very impressive.
We see a powerful dialogue between Twinning and Donovan in the principal office when they discuss the going on's and Donovan shows nice rage against Twinning with his attitude about what is happening which almost makes you wonder if he is behind all the madness.
There's another nice moment with Donovan against Charlisle in his office at night which looks a little intense. Charlisle really knew his direction at sounding cold, deadly and evil towards him.
The best direction was with Charlisle confronting Twinning with his sleek attitude and coldness to his voice as to why he did the things he did which also involved Rahmer.

The music was quite good composed by Jared DePasquale which he brings fine advernturous classical style to the film and not typical synthesizer Z-grade music.

Corey: (Running in the house) Mom, listen I know it's going to sound really crazy... but you gotta believe me.... I uh...
Mrs. Peterson:
It's okay to be happy once in a while you know??? I got to think legally you don't have to be a mindless zombie until you've reached my age.
Corey:
Mom, listen....
Mrs. Peterson:
Did you take your pills? The last thing I need is for you to wake up in the middle of the night screaming.