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DVD Day of a Thousand Screams
 Run time: 70 min Rating: 6.3 Genres: Comedy | Horror | Thriller Director: Reuben Rox Writers: Shawnee McCormack, Reuben Rox Stars: Catherine Franklin, Reuben Rox, Cara Mattern |
| Storyline TV reporter Natasha McGrath is sent to a remote area. Along with her small crew and a couple of campers, they encounter a man who watches, taunts and kills them one by one: repeatedly. |
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| Plot Keywords: camper, possessed human, zombie survival, seeing ghosts, blood | |
| Details: Country: USA Release Date: 13 January 2012 (USA) |
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4 comments
One of the perks working for a website dedicated to independent Horror filmmakers is that I get screeners of soon to be released movies. Sometimes I get a great movie, sometimes an awful one and sometimes I get something I'm not sure how to classify.
I don't think this qualifies as a body count movie as there aren't that many characters to bump off. Can't say it is a scare-fest either as it isn't scary or suspenseful at all for most of the proceedings. Lets call it: Horror lite.
There is some on-screen violence, nothing graphic or gory. If you are expecting tons of hysterical screaming coming from the would-be-victims as the title implies, you will be disappointed. It was only after I gave it some thought I realized why the movie is called DAY OF A 1000 SCREAMS.
As expected in micro-horror movies, mostly amateur acting from the cast, including the more seasoned cast members: Lucien Eisenach & Reuben Rox. Only Cara Mattern as the screamer of the group impresses.
Despite a trite plot (newswoman and others stalked by madman in the woods), this has a somewhat likable cast, unexpected funny moments, it moves at a very brisk pace, and features some interesting editing and camera work.
Reportedly they ran out of money before completing it properly. By no means what I would call a good Horror movie. Not the worst either. It was a little different. Definitely not your typical Slasher movie.
The end credits promise a sequel featuring zombies and bloodier deaths. I for one, will be looking forward to it.
As dumb as this is, it has moments to please fans for writer/director Reuben Rox has made an awfully confusing low budget quickie.
The first half is best with a bunch of dumb people "trapped" in the woods even if some editing tricks undercut the horror. Things happen quite fast, including the death scenes. The second half deals with the survivor of the first half terrorized by someone/something. In all honesty, things got a little dull as nothing really happened until the very end. The ending did leave me satisfied even though there was no gore involved.
The female cast is super pretty (especially Ms. Franklin who plays the lead), but there's no skin to speak of. One of the murder sequences was creepy, however this is not the same old gore murder crap like most of its ilk.
If you set your brain to zero, this is a fun watch even if it is hampered by what I'm sure was a very low budget.
Day Of A Thousand Screams ends up being a pretty fun movie to watch as long as you keep in mind that it's intended to be cheesy and much of it falls into the so bad it's good category. Okay, to be honest, the acting isn't all that terrible. It won't win any Academy Awards, but it's not hideous either.
I did like how the monster in here actually is different than normal. The guy using his scream to send people back and forth in time is pretty original. A nice variation on the banshee, but just making it male rather than female.
It was also great to see a movie by the team that did Night of A Thousand Screams 1 and 2, which both languish in that great limbo created by distributors going out of business. Hopefully, I'll even get a chance to see Revenge of the Unhappy Campers this year as well. But it's just good to finally see some of their work at long last.
I give Day Of A Thousand Screams 6 out of 10.
I was curious to see what Day of a thousand screams was all about especially after hearing it was not completely finished and how the cast and crew would piece what they had together.
Read on for minor spoilers:
The plot goes as follows a small T.V crew go to a nearby nature park being Natasha the reporter,Wade the cameraman and Olen who is Natasha's assistant to film a project for Halloween.
Various people disrupt their proceedings including two joggers DeeDee and Betsy plus a strange man named Carl who quickly stalks and murders all but one of the main cast,with a few supernatural and unexpected moments. The second half of the film goes at a slower pace and deals with the aftermath of what happened the previous month and the survivor carrying on with their life, as well as the reports from Matt Morbid who is investigating the disappearance of a certain character earlier in the film. The ending is ambiguous but is a set up for a sequel and i think it was a fitting one which didn't need much explanation.
The killer in the movie has the power to control time and in turn transports several characters back and forth so this will make sense when people get lost and go round in circles in order to try and get out of the park. I think the killers motive could have been explained better although he doesn't like people who throw away rubbish and thinks they should show more respect. Some scenes are repeated or extended and don't always need to be so it could make some people confused but i think that was to do with the time warp idea, which was unique to the film.
There is a brief teaser for a sequel at the end which could further explain the story but viewers will have to wait and see if that will ever materialize.
I watched the most complete version available to date and was nice addition to see out take scenes and bloopers after the film had ended.
I would rate this film 5 out of 10.