Bloody Movie (2004)

   

Directed by: Nick Marino

Written by: Kenneth J. Hall, Murray Levy & David Rigg

Starring:

Staci Greason .... Kathy
William Butler .... Chip
Tom Durkin .... Aaron Walsh
Carla Baron .... Lorraine
Timothy Elwell .... Angel
Michelle Bauer .... Jo
Denise Stafford aka Jamie Summers .... Sherry
Ken Abraham .... Greg
John Ireland .... Lance Hayward

Special Appearances:

Cameron Mitchell .... Det. Sanders
Alan Hale Jr. .... Jake Nelson
Aldo Ray .... Capt. Ned
Dan Haggerty .... Ted Michaels
Jay Richardson .... Phantom

Release Date: Direct-to-DVD: September 14, 2004

 

Rating:

 

A disturbed filmmaker named Lance Hayward (John Ireland) has been rumored dead after buying the rights to his silent films from the 1920's as he has disappeared in the 1930's.
Also his theatre estate is about to become demolished but some sorority teens as well as a biker couple trespasses the mansion out of curiousity on it's last day of existance and are being slayed one by one in which they suspect that Lance could be a ghost and killing his trespassers.

 

The beginning looked rather bizarre as we spot some old fashioned opening credits as well as later on spotting Hollywood Boulevard in an old fashioned sort as well as a devastating fire burning a theatre down which seems to be an attention grabber but it doesn't explain all too well as to what is going on.
However there's a good moment with someone walking down a staricase as well as wandering through a wooded area which looked good and dark by having a low budget retro horror feel to everything as well as later on the killer catching this person and then tying him to a vehicle and tree which doesn't look pretty for this victim and can for sure be pleased by the gorehounds for sure while they continue to watch this moment in action.
There's also a cheesy discussion between the character's Jake Nelson and Ted Michaels about the unsolved cases which looked roughly done and very dated too.
Another cheesy situation is when Ted Michaels suddenly hears a sound in the still night and then slayed it seems way too obvious instead of trying to catch you by surprise which the makers tried to make this one out to be but failed by a longshot. Cheesy slashing moments here folks.
then after all of this we spot a long artsy bathtub scene with a couple named Sherry and Greg
bathing one another as we spot alot of close up shots on this and killing time during this moment which can be a bit of a bore. Also while this moment is going on we spot cheesy and pointless discussions with sorority teens having a conversation with a nerdy one named Chip as well as discussing a date and other stuff that we haven't heard before in a trashy horror flick.
A nice shot and trashy discussion between two bikers named Angel and Jo getting hammered while lying by their bike as this was campy fun spotting all of what was being said. Yet a hard scene to be taken seriously.
There's a moment with one of the employees at the theatre being slayed by the maniac in which we spot this maniac wearing a Zorro type of outfit coming in for the kill. Although this was nicely focused this looked terribly corny to watch.
Also a nice close up shot on the two bikers suddenly nearly getting into a lustful situation in the theatre mansion with them getting it on which was shown in a nice style and carefully focused too.
The fun starts up when the teens decide to go hunting out in the woods to a theatre as well as them spotting something watching them which looked entertaining once again in those great outdoors slasher flicks that we all remembered watching and got into the horror craze for sure.
A nice still shot on Greg wandering in the alleyway of the theatre as well as what happens when he is attacked with a nice close up shot on him near a metal fence which looked classy for a slasher flick.
There's also a good shot on this killer ready to do in Sherry with a blade to her neck which nearly resembles a scene in the cult classic Hell Night. Except this looked more focused on the gruesome results for sure and once again can please the gorehounds.
We spot an awkward situation when one of the clean cut looking teen Aaron Walsh is fighting against Angel and pounding on him since this biker was twice his size. Just didn't seem to fit the scene at all as well aa the fighting didn't look convincing at all.
Nice close up shots on Jo rolling down a staircase while the killer is on her tail which looked pretty suspenseful to watch all of this.
There's a scene with the killer revealed towards Chip and Kathy but yet this doesn't look as suspenseful as it was intended to be even though there was supposed to be a good focus on all of this especially during a flashback sequence on the killer towards a performance when he kills his actress which was incredibly long and lacking to watch. It just seemed to be a bit lacking while we spot all of this going on.

However things look a bit clever when Chip and Kathy are back at their dorm thinking the nightmare is over and it suddenly isn't as it offers a good dark feel to this. Yet at the same time it ends as a disappointment making the story rather pointless.
Bottom line is that the film is campy fun but alot of bumps in the road as well. Just not a total film to be taken seriously. Fairly decent for the low budget it was made on which could've at least earned a limited theatrical release when it was made in 1987 as the title was called Terror Night at the time but then shelved away until almost two decades later. The film looked artsy when the killer does in his victims revealing some pictures of a theatre production of a character before doing them in which looked rather confusing and a bit annoying at times. Check the film out if you're in the mood for a fun party slasher flick.

The acting is pretty rough and a little dated too. Lead actress Staci Greason (Kathy) however seemed to pull her weight a bit in her role as she shows it off nicely offering some good charsima as well as having a perfectly sharp attitude as well. Shows off well with her stern behavior as well as her aggressions too. Brought it out nicely with her sobbing emotions since she seemed to know on how to get into this a great deal too. So she's passable as a character actress.
William Butler (Chip) was a bit mediocre but not too shabby playing a nerdy type as he seemed to show it off okay as one of those intelligent types. He had the right looks to portray a dweeb for sure. Shows off some decent energy whenever he needed to be this way especially for when the terrifying moments starts to happen. He reacts fairly well to certain situations and acting nervous with this which he adds to a fair hype.
Tom Durkin
(Aaron Walsh) had the right looks and motive to play the guy next door type with his jock type of looks as well as having the intelligence and believeable courage showing no fear as to what he had to do. Shows off nice aggressions too in a sscene showing off good energy within this. However at times his blocking is a little off like when he takes a swing at someone and pins them to the ground which looked a bit sloppy.
Carla Baron (Lorraine) seemed to show off a nice fliratatious personality into her role in which she does well having a near romance with someone and focusing on this a great deal. Adds some nice charisma into whatever she did. Wasn't the greatest actrss but did the best she could. Plus does a nice job with her fearful energy near the end of her performance.
Timothy Elwell (Angel) I found to be the best out of the cast in which he knew on how to play a bad ass biker with a personality as a surfer type and had the perfect looks for all of this as both that and his talents did the talking big time. Does well acting hammered all the time as well as getting obnoxious too. Plus shows alot of great adrenaline when he is in a lustful mood or when he struggles against the onscreen killer adding his perforamce totally action packed.
Michelle Bauer (Jo) was as usual over the top but however came across nicely with her appeal at the same time as the girlfriend. She was a bit much at times when she acted hammered. But of course shows off energy as usual when she gets into a lustful position. Did okay while having a cocky type of attitude. Seemed to show off some good energy when she freaks out which looked convicning. Also does an okay job screaming in terror too.
Ken Abraham (Greg) was very stiff and fairly wooden as one of those show off's along with his cocky behavior which could've been a bit more believeable. He just has a hard time getting into character like he often does with everything that he did in shows as that explains why he is cast in bad films. Basically his looks does all the talking in whatever he did. When he acts aggressive he needed to add more energy which he doesn't seem to do.
John Ireland
(Lance Hayward) was not too shabby as the killer even if at times he seemed corny while attacking someone. He does show a good aggressive moment in a flashback sequence near the end of his performance as he brought a good menacing type of personality. Yet he wasn't intense enough at the same time but this was mainly due to the cheesy writing into this flick.
Cameron Mitchell
(Det. Sanders) had a nice appearance in the film near the end as he was believeable portraying someone whom is overly opinionated and closed minded. Basically comes across as a tpyical asshole. He for sure can be well remembered even if his role was quite small in the film.

Porn actress Denise Stafford aka Jamie Summers exposes her breasts while taking a bubblebath.
Michelle Bauer exposes her breasts while fornicating in bed at the theatre mansion. Also is fully nude top to bottom while running in a hallway of the mansion.

Alot of horror violence in this flick which might explain why it was shelved away for so many years.
A person gets split in half while tied to a vehicle.
Someone is stabbed in the stomach by a blade.
Dagger is stabbed in someone's head.
Arrows are shot in another person next to a metal fence.
Head is chopped off by a blade and later on a dinner tray.
Hand is chopped off.
A girl falls into a bed of spikes.
Biker's chin is stabbed through by a sword.
A girl is stabbed by sharp obects on a fence.

Alot of high pitched icy synthesizer music in alot of the scene's used for the terror scene's as this for sure has a decent low budfget appeal to a slasher film from the period that this was filmed. Also we have some nice low keyboard sounds mixed in with the suggestive dark moments. There's also some cheesy low budget sounds combined which didn't do much for my liking almost ruining the other music that was brought in for the flick. We also hear some interesting chiming and xylophone playing as this adds some interesting flavour to the plots. Plus there's the odd uplifting sounds for a near romantic scene as this was done in a mediocre fashion. All of this was put together by Bruce Hanifan and an uncredited Ian Whitcomb.