Film Review: INFECTED (2013)

There is absolutely nothing original with director Glenn Ciano’s zombie film Infected (2013).  Unfortunately, it’s becoming increasing harder to come up with new ways to tell this old story and Ciano doesn’t try.  Instead, he does the next best thing which is putting together character actors Michael Madsen and William Forsythe and letting them have fun during a zombie outbreak. 

Louis and Dennehey (Madsen and Forsythe, respectfully) have decided to take their families on a little get together in the woods to their cabin in order to come closer since they’ve not seen each other in a very long time.  Unfortunately, a deadly and highly contagious disease is spreading like wild fire and Louis and Dennehey must protect their family from the horde of undead at their doorsteps.  The film eventually goes all Night of the Living Dead as everyone finds themselves trapped in the house with the undead trying to get in.  This could easily be a throwaway film except that Ciano let’s Madsen and Forsythe chew the scenery and have fun so whenever they’re on screen it’s like magic whether they’re together or with other characters.

Anyone looking for something different and new in a zombie film is not going to find it here.  Ciano knows this and plays on the fact that he has two accomplished actors in his film.  The entertainment and fun in this film is on his stars’ shoulders but the film also plays up the sex and gore so audiences just looking for an entertaining and good time won’t be so disappointed.  Infected is a highly forgettable film but if you enjoy Madsen and Forsythe and throw in some zombies then you’re good.

Film Review: TERROR TRAP (2010)

It is no secret that the horror industry relies on the popularity of its cult actors to help promote and guide the production of low budget horror films.  Actors such as Michael Madsen – starring in Piranhaconda (2012), Highway to Hell (2012), The Tomb (2009) and The Bleeding (2009), to name a few, and Jeff Fahey – starring in Tornado Warning (2012), Locusts: The 8^th Plague (2005), The Sacred (2012), and Sushi Girl (2012), to name a few, have been the only reason why some films have ever been made much less watched by an audience.  Madsen and Fahey are just two of these cult icons which also includes the names of Lance Henricksen, Tony Todd, C. Thomas Howell, William Forsythe, Vinnie Jones, Marc Singer, and Danny Trejo, to name a few.  In Terror Trap (2010) we get two cult icons for the price of one with Madsen and Fahey chewing up scenery.

Dan (David James Elliott) and his wife Nancy (Heather Marie Marsden) are having relationship problems and driving home through the country side when they are forced off the road by another car.  Stranded, Dan and Nancy call for help which arrives in the form of country police office Cleveland (Fahey) who takes the couple to a nearby motel until their car can be towed the next morning.  Unbeknownst to Dan and Nancy they are about to become part of an elaborate stalk and kill game in which they will be hunted by a gang of masked assailants for the pleasure of a watching audience.

If you’ve seen the film Vacancy (2007) then there is nothing new here that you haven’t already seen before because this is a low budget version of that film but with unlikeable characters and horrible acting and characters doing dumb things because they are dumb characters that have nothing else to do.  Fahey chews scenery like no one else and seems to be having a good time at it but Madsen is his usual stoic self and adds nothing to the film.  If you enjoy these two actors then this film will at least be a curiosity but other than that this is a film not worth even checking out.  Just watch Vacancy again.