Black Water

Directors: David Nerlich, Andrew Traucki
Writers: David Nerlich, Andrew Traucki
Released: 2007
Labels: Creature|2000's

Black Water is based on a true story in which we find three tourists that take a guided fishing trip out to the backwater mangroves of Australia. A large ''saltie'' (saltwater crocodile) attacks the boat and capsizes it, killing the tour guide. The three tourists are left to fend for themselves in the murky waist-deep water, they will have to use their initiative and find great courage if they are going to outwit the killer croc and make it back to safety.

Black Water is an intense film experience, it is filmed fly-on-the-wall style which really puts the viewer into the action. The tension that builds throughout is considerable and that sets you up for the shocks when the crocodile appears. The crocodile effects are completely convincing, as is the acting from all three leads, the performances leave you in no doubt as to the terror that these unlucky tourists are experiencing. This film is an out-in-nature-survival movie that very much reminded us of ''Open Water'' (that one was Sharks), both movies are less about being a ''Creature Feature'' and more about the reaction of humans trying to survive in unfamiliar and threatening surroundings.

This movie is not a ''Jaws'' or ''Lake Placid'' nor does it try to be and it is all the better for it, definitely worth a watch.

Black Water Theatrical Trailer

Black Water Official Website

Black Water on IMDb

Black Water on Wikipedia

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Walled In

Director: Gilles Paquet-Brenner
Writers: Serge Brussolo (novel), Rodolphe Tissot, Olivier Volpi, Sylvain White & Gilles Paquet-Brenner
Released: 2009
Labels: Chiller|Suspense|2000's

Walled In is a ''spooky building'' chiller set in a large apartment block built in a rural location. Sam Walczak, a young female demolitions expert, is sent in to examine the building shortly before it's scheduled to be razed. The building's past holds a dark secret, many of its inhabitants were buried alive within its thick concrete walls by the architect. Sam becomes increasingly tormented by her surroundings during her stay and as she delves deeper into the mysteries that haunt the building she realizes that the last remaining residents are a part of the horrifying story.

Walled In sounds pretty good on paper, the ideas about the buildings history and its architect are interesting but (and it's a massive BUT!) after the shocking opening scene, the film becomes completely incoherent. It sets itself up as a supernatural chiller then wanders unsatisfactorily into trying to be a psychological thriller. The film-makers opened up their bumper book of horror cliche and threw everything they could at the first half an hour. We have such predictable scenes as: 

Newspaper clippings in titles.

Woman submerged in a bath-tub opens eyes suddenly.

Blood oozes from the wall.

Enigmatic old lady with tales to tell.

Enigmatic old black man with tales to tell.

Shadowy figure lurks in hallways.

Mirrors aren't what they seem.

Intriguing room but the door is locked.

Children heard singing nursery rhyme creepily.

etc, etc, etc........

None of the screenplay made any sense either. Why was the large concrete apartment block situated in a field in the middle of nowhere? Why did Sam even stick around after creepy moment #1? It's only a job right?? Which one of the bad-guys is actually the bad-guy and what made them so bad??? How did Sam manage to send the office a demolition report when she clearly did NO work???? 

This movie will give you more questions than it answers, in fact it will give you more questions than it poses! (Why!!?? in God's name Why oh why!!!?? was one we asked a lot), and the ending just adds insult to injury.

Admittedly the film does look pretty good, the sets are creepy in an industrial kind of way and the coloring is washed out and somber. The acting is entirely average though, the dialogue is dull at best and character development or motivation is absent. 

If Scooby-Doo and the gang had been sent to investigate a haunting at Hannibal Lector's mansion, we would have ended up with something akin to this film, although the Scooby cartoon would be a lot more entertaining, probably more scary, and definitely more three-dimensional than Walled In.

Walled In Theatrical Trailer

Walled In on IMDb

Walled In on Wikipedia

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Breathing Room

Directors: John Suits & Gabriel Cowan
Writers: Gabriel Cowan & John Suits
Released: 2008
Labels: Suspense|Thriller|2000's

Fourteen people locked in a warehouse with a collar secured around their necks, they have no knowledge as to why they are there. It is revealed to them that they are participants in a ''game'' and the rules of the game must not be broken otherwise the penalty is death. They are given some clues and hints to help them work out who the other contestants are and how they can escape. The "host" taunts them from a video screen inside the warehouse as the contestants fear and growing panic turns them against each other. As the game nears its conclusion the death toll rises, but who will survive and ''win'' the game?

Getting Started:

Congratulations! You have been selected! 

Prepare for the experience of a lifetime! 

Players must follow all the rules to avoid penalty.

The Rules:

Players keep hands clean at all times.

Players MAY NOT cross the line.

Players may NOT adjust their collar.

Hints:

1. Player Five does NOT tell the truth.

2. Patience.

3. Fourteen is the key.

4. Jumble.

5. Terror Him.

6. What is your favorite type of serial? In this game there are three. One rapist, one pedophile & one murderer. Find the killer, find the reason.

7. Players one and three are gone, yet the killer and the rapist still remain.

8. Bite the bullet.

9. Frankly, who cares?....(we added this one)

Not only have we seen this premise before, we have seen it done much, much better (''Saw" & ''Cube'') and sadly for this movie it does not hold up well under comparison. For a short period in the middle of this movie it becomes intriguing but the long haul to that point and the ridiculous, labored ''twist'' at the end completely destroy any chance of viewer engagement. None of the actions from the antagonists came with any clear motives and sometimes characters would do things that appeared so unnatural that it could only be to further the plot or to give the audience some easy information.  There is no pleasure for the senses here either, with the horrible shaky-cam, the fluffy audio and the garish fluorescent lighting.

Some of the acting actually is not that bad (the final four contestants were the better ones), unfortunately some of it really IS that bad, at times the over acting, with no guidance from a clear script, was like an amateur dramatics improvisation warm-up with a drunk elderly spinster taking the lead.

Low-budget movies don't have to suck, but clearly no-one told this one.

Breathing Room Theatrical Trailer

Breathing Room on iMDB

Breathing Room on Wikipedia

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