Film Review: DARKROOM (2013)

The road to recovery has never been as menacing as it is for Michelle (Kaylee DeFer) in the film Darkroom (2013).  Michelle has just gotten a new job recommended by her counselor after having been in rehab recovering from a past trauma.  Upon taking the new job she soon discovers that she’s the prisoner of three psychotic siblings who will teach her how to repent for her past sins even if it kills her. 

Michelle is forced to undergo intense questioning and torturing before she realizes she is but one of many other women who are also subjected to the siblings’ idea of religious purging and she must find a way to escape before she becomes their next victim.

Written by Britt Napier the film is designed as a lower budget version of Saw (2004) mixed with a little bit of The People Under the Stairs (1991) but is neither as graphic or horrifying or fun and entertaining as those two films (respectfully).  What the film does have going for it is Elisabeth Rohm who plays one of the siblings.  It’s refreshing to see her in a villainous role as I’m so used to seeing her in the hero and good-girl and she does her character well.

The film tries hard to make a point of having the Michelle character overcome her own person and internal demons by externalizing them by trying to save herself and a friend from the torture but it comes at the costs of logic as there is no real logic to some of the character’s motivations as audiences will perceive them as idiotic.  DeFer is a very capable actress who gives Michelle enough of an edge to allow you to oversee the film’s shortcomings.

“Rants & Ravings About Horror" - Week 1

"A New Year's Resolution"

It’s a New Year and a new season of horror.  Or, at least a new way of looking at all things horror which is what I will be doing here at 100 Favorite Horror Films.  In the past you’ve read many reviews on this site with the occasional personal rant from me.  I don’t particularly like to rant and rave about all things horror but I’ve decided that I should impart some of my long standing knowledge and experience with horror to you faithful readers out there.

I not only watch a lot of horror films but I also read and make films about horror.  I study the history of horror & horror films and film makers and therefore I would like to share some of that knowledge.  As part of my New Year’s Resolutions you will getting more bang for your buck here at the 100 Favorite Horror Films Blog as I try to write an article every week in association with these “Rants & Ravings About Horror.”

Unfortunately, the beginning of the year (and most importantly January) is the time in which Hollywood studios dump their horror films that they either don’t have faith in or don’t believe audiences really care about since they’re still watching films from the Holiday season.  This year’s first casualty of war is The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death.  I loved the first film but didn’t think there was any need for a sequel but like the Hollywood machine when a film is successful, a sequel is inevitable (especially when it comes to horror).  None of the stars from the original return as this film takes place decades after the original.  This being the first sequel to the new Hammer Studios I am curious to what they concocted and hope that it is at least a successful film (financially) since the studio needs a few hits in order to continue to stay alive.

Instead, the first horror film I’ve seen this New Year is The Babadook (2014), which I absolutely loved.  2014 may have been one of the worst years for theatrical horror films.  The only major standout is Oculus despite the financial success of Ouija, Annabelle, Godzilla, and The Purge: Anarchy (among a few others).  What 2014 has had were a lot of low budget indie success stories that either had a limited theatrical release or skipped the theater all together (i.e. The Sacrament,  The Battery, Only Lovers Left Alive, Proxy, and several others).  More often than not 2014 was littered with forgotten films like As Above, So Below, The Quiet Ones, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones, The Pyramid and Horns to name a few).

The one great thing about 2015 is that it can’t be as bad as 2014 was.  There is a lot to look forward to this year in terms of horror films with Insidious: Chapter 3, The Green Inferno (moved from 2014), Crimson Peak, Poltergeist (remake),  Jurassic World, Sinister 2, Goosebumps, Paranormal Activity: Ghost Dimension, and even a possible new Friday the 13^th!  This is only a small sampling of things to come as there is also video games, books, comics, and other media geared to us horror fans of which I hope to comment on over the next year.  I hope that this gives you a new outlook on what to expect from 100 Favorite Horror Films Blog and this column “Rants & Ravings About Horror.”

Enjoy and I look forward to next week!