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Jason and Shawn review: the Dark Fest 2012 selections

Hobo With A Shotgun

Shawn: Good for Rutger Hauer! It's nice to know he's still alive and thank you for starring in this movie. And good for Telefilm Canada for helping get it made. All too often I yell at movies "Show us! Show us this kills!" And this one does, most of the time. And it really crosses the line too, which is awesome. The Canadian accents do stand out and Abby's rallying-of-the-troops speech suffers a bit because of it, but why complain. This movie is great. But the rest of you will love it or hate it. I'm giving it a Good.

Jason: Between Rubber and this flick there's proof that original, edgy and, yes, completely fucked-up cinema is alive and well. Basement cinema. I honestly can't believe this movie got made . . . and in Canada no less. It's off the rails. It's gross. It's weird. And it's great. There's also a believable relationship between the Hobo and Abby that is touching and real. That surprised me, given all the crazy shit that's going on, but it gives the film the stable base it needs. I dug this flick a lot and am giving it a Good.

Deaden

Jason: Filmmakers who piss and moan about not being able to make a good movie on a low budget need to shut the fuck up and watch Deaden. This is a low, low budget action flick that delivers. It's got nudity, graphic violence, awesome kills and, for the most part, decent acting. Lead man and screenwriter John Fallon  might not have the hard look of the old-school action star, but he's got the physical presence and acting chops to do the job. And his script doesn't let him down. A Good from this Basement Dweller.

Shawn: This movie was fantastic! Sure the budget was smaller and some of the actors weren't awesome, but that didn't detract from it being entertaining, violent and full of action. Pull any punches? Fuck no! I can't believe how far this movie actually went. Good for you Fallon. Fuck Hollywood's pretentious asses. Too bad the industry hasn't grown a set of ball and given you what you need to do this kind of thing more often. A Good from me!

Skew

Jason: I love movies that fuck with you, and Skew fucks with you. Is what's happening real? In the cameraman's brain? Or is something wrong with the camera itself? That's what Skew is all about, Charlie Brown! Skew is more about psychological horror than visceral thrills, although there are a few of those. The viewer's task is figuring out the link between what is happening and what is happening on camera. You have to work a bit to enjoy this movie. If you're up to the task, you'll have a fun ride. Simon, the cameraman, unnerved me almost as much as the killer in The Poughkeepsie Tapes. I'm giving Skew a Good and encourage horror fans to watch it.

Shawn: Hello found-footage movie. I’m about done with these now. Truly. With that said, at least this was a decently entertaining story. For my last unbiased review of a “footage” movie, I’m glad it was this one. You better make one hell of a found footage movie to pull me out of retirement. This was a low budget, odd duck of a movie. It was a bit uncomfortable, with a shorts shitting moment or two. But I wasn’t embarrassed by the stain it left. Not bad. Better than some big budget, found footage movies, and a way better ending. Decent into madness. Dig that shit a lot. Ugly feet, Bad movie.

Some Guy Who Kills People

Shawn: This was an awesome movie, straight up. I went in with VERY low expectations, because this was the same guy who made Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus. Which was a league of cool, on its own, but cool in a goofy sense. This movie was a whole different league. There were no mistakes in any part of the movie. Including the title. It was original, well shot, well paced and I found it quite satisfying. Hollywood-style sunset ending, but still a refreshing as fuck ride on the way there. Nice one! I’ll be watching it again. Good. Man, Stiffler's mom. Time has not been good to you!

Jason: Colour me impressed! To go from Mega Shark Vs. Giant Octopus – which is good in its own right – to this is impressive. Sure, the title might hint at a big cheese fest, but this is so much more than a movie about a guy who kills people. Barry Bostwick and Karen Black steal the show with their humourous characters and one liners, but Kevin Corrigan is just great as Ken. He's a sad character, tragic even, but highly likable. I also dug Ariel Gade as his daughter. If I had an 11-year-old girl, I'd want her to be like Ariel. What more can I say about this movie? Dude and I had a great time watching it. It's a surprise crowd pleaser that kept me guessing and laughing. Think feel good movie, only it's about a guy who kills people!
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