Reviews and SPOILERS

http://wreckhousemagazine.com/?p=668

Monday, January 17, 2011 14:42
Blood Creek

Here is the first line of the movie cited by a voiceover:

In the early ’30s, Adolf Hitler and his inner circle became obsessed with the occult, believing that the black arts were key to their plan for world domination. Nazi agents travelled the globe in search of ancient Nordic relics known as rune stones. They believed if they harnessed the power of these stones, nothing could stop the march of the Master Race. The symbols inscribed in these stones were said to describe the path… to immortality.

And there you have the entire plot of this movie in a nutshell conveniently outlined in the opening seconds of this film. At least now if you don’t like the plot you can save yourself 90 minutes!!

This is an odd little flick: It has a very B-movie plot, an A-list director attached to it, and it has some pretty good gory scenes in it. Besides the above opening “mystery killer” narrative, the story is about Evan Marshall (Henry Cavill) who won’t rest until he finds out what happened to his brother Victor (Dominic Purcell), who disappeared one night while they were on a camping trip. Not knowing what happened to Victor is driving Evan crazy. Then one night Victor shows up, bloody, telling Evan he escaped from his tormentors. Victory grabs some stuff, including a gun, and along with Evan goes back to the captors to exact some revenge (sounds a little Martyr-ish, don’t you think??). When they get to the farmhouse there’s a family there who has basically stopped aging due to the occult experiments done there by a Nazi Occultist, Professor Richard Wirth (Michael Fassbender) back in 1936. And now Wirth is immortal who holds the family as slaves in order to feed his hunger and stay immortal. Yeah, the script is kinda all over the place.

So who is the A-list director helming this? No other than Joel Schumacher. You know him from killing the 1990’s Batman franchise with his Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997) flicks, and for the huge misfire The Number 23 (2007). But he also directed the 1999 disturbing thriller 8mm and of course 1987’s The Lost Boys (not my favorite but it was a fun movie). So what the hell is up with Blood Creek? Where does this fall in Schumacher’s canon of films? Well; somewhere in the middle between “f#%@#&! retarded” and “it’s not too bad of a film”.

As mentioned above, the occultist Wirth is now an immortal, demon-looking thing that needs to drink blood to stay alive. Yeah you read that right. This is the main problem with this flick: It’s all over the place and feels very unfocused!! The script had some last minute re-writes that writer David Kajganich didn’t seem to like. This led to a falling out between him and Schumacher. (It seems history repeated itself because Schumacher had a falling out with the writer of 8mm as well). In the end Schumacher got his way and did the re-writes he wanted. You can feel this in the movie; you can feel the tacked-on scenes that were added on at the last minute.

But besides script and plot problems I have to say that overall the movie was pretty enjoyable. I know, weird right? There was some nicely executed f/x, one of my favorites being the resurrected horse with the slit throat running around. You could see inside the wound and the chunks of meat hanging off the throat as the horse ran around on a rampage. And the make-up on the immortal Wirth was also very well done. There’s definitely enough here to recommend and I think you’ll have a fun time; just don’t look to have everything in the script tie-up into a nice tight bundle.

Schumacher was pretty pissed that Blood Creek had a direct-to-DVD release instead of a theatrical run, but I’m not sure how he expected this one to get a large release. The script is so uneven and definitely wouldn’t attract a large fan base. But then again The Number 23 got a wide-release!! I wouldn’t go outta my way to catch this one, but if you have nothing else to watch this will satisfy your “horror fix” for a night.

My Summary:

Director: Joel Schumacher

Plot: 2 out of 5 stars

Gore: 5 out of 10 skulls

Zombie Mayhem: 0 out of 5 brains (Wirth was almost a zombie, but not really)

Reviewed by Scott Shoyer

This entry was posted on Monday, January 17th, 2011 at 3:25 PM

http://www.ghoulbasement.com/2011/01/some-quick-thoughts-on-blood-creek-2009.html

Tuesday, January 25
Some quick thoughts on Blood Creek (2009)
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From the back cover: In 1936, the Wollners, a German family living in Town Creek, West Virginia, are contacted by the Third Reich to host a visiting scholar. In need of money, they accept Professor Ricard Wirth (Michael Fassbender) into their home, unaware of the Third Reich's practices in the occult or Wirth's real mission, which will keep the family bound for decades to come. Now, in 2007, after mysteriously disappearing two years ago near Town Creek, Evan Marshall's (Henry Cavill) older brother Victor (Dominic Purcell) suddenly returns, very much alive and having escaped his captors. Evan asks no questions; at his brother's request, he loads their rifles, packs their boat and follows Victor back to Town Creek on a mission of revenge that will test them in every possible way.

Blood Creek could be best described as a combo of Jeepers Creepers (2001), Venom (2005), Tales from the Crypt Presents Demon Knight (1995), and a pinch of Hellraiser (1987) with a light fascist dusting. Much like what I said concerning Marcus Dunstan's The Collector of the same year, this one is "the kind of slick, edgy horror film that has just enough huff to slip into theaters, evaporate quickly, and somehow seem obscure by the time of the DVD release. One of those decent underdogs that will probably be discovered by many on cable or the used disc section."

Okay, Joel Schumacher's only straight-laced horror feature didn't go wide theatrically, but everything else holds true. Except for Clive Barker's classic, Blood Creek shares that same nothing-new yet entertaining vibe the others mentioned above possess. The veteran filmmaker, in his seventh decade of life, crafts a decent moderately-budget horror/action piece that's pleasantly unafraid to fly the genre's flag. No more, no less. Grab some popcorn.

Maybe from the mostly topical Nazi angle or rough-around-the-edge quality, Lionsgate decided to unceremoniously dump the film with a sudden limited release. That's a shame, this might have struck a cord with audiences bored with Saw clones, but it's not surprising considering the continued floundering of similar "single-serve" horror features in theaters like Cry_Wolf (2005), Stay Alive (2006), Dead Silence (2007), and the aforementioned Collector. What's most impressive is Schumacher's spirited direction and consistent sense of narrative flow. Blood Creek is constantly moving with an even measure to its unfolding story in a tidy ninety minutes with, of course, a sequel-minded conclusion.

If one had to gripe about problems, the modest budget does show itself at times and finer points of the Nazi demon zombie's origins/methodology/motivations, played by Michael Fassbender in a prep run for Inglourious Basterds, aren't thoroughly explained. Dominic Purcell still looks like "that shaven head dude from Prison Break", yet makes up for his performance in Mike Mendez's underwhelming Gravedancers, and Henry Cavill doesn't seem to be trying as hard as those around him.

Still, you're unlikely to care much once things get going past the synopsis above. Touches like the monstrous family holding Victor captive not seeming so monstrous once Hitler's bloodsucking minion arises, said minion's ability to resurrect dead things to attack the living, and a healthy dose of practical splat effects (complete with squishy sounds) and monster make-up more than compensate for the gaps. No, Blood Creek doesn't change the face of horror, nor does it ever aim to, but it's mindless fun for an evening. May it join the ranks of respectable horror fare done well comprised of a bunch of ideas we've seen before--and that's okay.

Lionsgate's DVD, sorry no stateside Blu-ray release (?!?), features a very strong anamorphic/progressive 2:35.1 widescreen transfer with no edge enhancement, great detail, and obvious signs of grain structure on a dual-layered disc. The Dolby 5.1 track is also quite strong for the "last gen" format. The only substantive extra is a Schumacher commentary track. Video trailers for Gamer, Saw VI, Cabin Fever 2, Train, and ads for Break.com (really?) and Fear.net are tossed in.
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Written by Jayson @ 6:15 PM

http://horrornews.net/24977/film-review-blood-creek-2009/

Film Review: Blood Creek (2009)
Posted on 01/29/2011 by John Miles

SYNOPSIS:

A struggling, German, immigrant family in West Virginia, in the early 1930’s, receives a letter from the Reich that they will be paid for housing a Nazi scholar Richard Wirth, (Michael Fassbender) while he conducts research. This being the Dust-Bowl/Great Depression era the impoverished family reluctantly accepts the man into their home. Once there, he inquires about an ancient stone, a runestone found by the family years earlier. He says the stone, and others like it, were left by Germany’s Nordic ancestors and that the runes will lead to immortality and therefore will help Nazi world domination. 70 years later, in the present, Evan Marshall (Henry Cavill) an EMT cares for his sick father and his brother’s family. His brother (Dominic Purcell) an Iraq War vet who made it back home, suddenly went missing two years ago. One night Evan is awakened by the reappearance of his brother who says he has been held captive and demands Evan grab as many guns as he can and not ask any questions. Dominic leads his brother to the farmhouse, now even more dilapidated and covered in strange occult symbols, and — the family hasn’t aged since WW II. At the house the usual escalation happens resulting in violence and mayhem not to mention back to a now twisted and unrecognizable Wirth, whom the family has been keeping trapped and contained on their land, until the brothers come and mess everything up. At this point the movie takes off and switches gears from being a revenge flick to a survival film as the Purcell and his brother are trapped inside the house with the ageless family while the blood drinking, demonic, Nazi super soldier tries to pick off the cast one-by-one.

Ultimately, the story ends with a genuinely bittersweet moment and with an effectively tantalizing set up for other sequels that I’m actually sorry will never be made.

REVIEW:

Every once in a while, I hear about a movie and the premise just tickles all the right fanboy sensibilities and it makes me just plain giddy. Like when I heard a “serious” Watchmen movie was coming out, or the first rumors about Cloverfield, and the wave of elation at the prospect of a real, true Monster movie (Voltron… really?). Usually, this happens over time, as cast and director rumors fly around and then the odd photo leaks out and then a teaser and on and on. Well, a whirlwind of seemingly unrelated activity joined together and afforded me the opportunity to see Joel Schumacher’s latest flick Blood Creek today, and despite the odds, in less than 24 hours hemade me remember that feeling.

Now that feeling isn’t always the best indicator as to whether I’m gonna get a great, groundbreaking film or even a good film, frankly both Watchmen and Cloverfield are hotly debated and fan reactions vary widely. Some say they are both great films and others say they both fell short. In these days of DTV and Network MOW’s all too often I, as a genre fan, can feel strongly about the potential behind an idea, ready to give the benefit of a doubt, and find myself unfortunately let down at the execution. Well, Schumacher’s “latest” flick, a Nazi-occult-horror film!?falls somewhere in between. (sigh) Okay, you had me at Nazi-occult.

Earlier today, not an hour after being mesmerized by a History channel show on The Knight’s Templar in America and the true-life discovery of ancient runestones found here in America, I happened to stumble upon a story that made mention of a practically secret release of a Joel Schumacher directed film that just so happens to be based on the very same rune stones I had just heard of for the first time. Except, Schumacher went even further and added the eternally creepy, and also true to life, Nazi obsession with mysticism. Not only that, my hometown, Orlando, is one of the few, very very few, cities across the country that is seeing a limited release of this film. Essentially, Blood Creek has been in the can for over a year, gathering dust on the shelf and has now been relegated to said very, very limited release in second run theatres. “Second run” being code for the dollar theatre (who doesn’t love a bargain, right?) and even then in only a few cities. So, here I was intrigued by the new, and seemingly rich, mythology of theses American runestones and emboldened by the fortuitous nature my geographical proximity afforded me. Surely, it was a sign.

Previously known on LionsGate’s roster as Creek, and Town Creek before that, the film deals with some pretty ideal subject matter for a horror film. Namely, Nazi Occultism, raising the dead and Dominic Purcell. Seriously, he should be crowned the king of DTV or at least of the Afterdark Horrorfest. Also, the script by Dave Kajanich (The Invasion) is said to have been pretty good. But the film does have some pacing/editing issues and at time seems oddly expositional. It’s as if you can hear Schumacher saying, “they’re coming to shut us down right now, we have one take left, explain the plot in one scene… Action!” To be fair, this is not a big budget, polished affair.

In fact it has the most economical production I’ve ever seen in a Schumacher film and definitely showcases some of his edgier tastes last seen in the competent Jim Carrey led Number 23. If you’re a fan of Joel Schumacher’s genre work you won’t be disappointed. You may not get the same cerebral thrill you did from Flatliners or the dark fun of The Lost Boys but Blood Creek has set a new mark in Schumacher’s horror repertoire. Bottom line, this is a whole new side of Joel Schumacher, and I like it. Despite its flaws, Blood Creek is dark, intriguing, energetic and at times brutal. A lot like the movie industry itself, I suppose. See you at the dollar theatre!

http://www.shockya.com/news/2011/01/30/ridley-scott-will-include-alien-creatures-in-prometheus-afterall/

Ridley Scott Will Include Alien Creatures in Prometheus Afterall

While Ridley Scott recently declared that his new sci-fi movie ‘Prometheus,’ which was originally believed to a prequel to ‘Alien,’ would actually evolve into a new mythology and universe, the director is now including creatures from the popular franchise, Reelzchannel.com is reporting. The classic xenomorphs created by set designer H.R. Giger, who won an Academy Award for Best Achievement for Visual Effects for his design work on ‘Aliens,’ are expected to appear in ‘Prometheus.’

While Scott released a press release saying “keen fans will recognize strands of ‘Alien’s DNA’ in ‘Prometheus,’ the new movie will actually take place in the same world of the classic film. Scott has built the same space jockey cockpit for ‘Prometheus’ that appeared in the first ‘Alien.’ Part of ‘Prometheus,’ which focuses on the discovery of alien DNA that reveals the coordinates for an alien world, will be shot partially in Morocco.

Damon Lindelof, who previously wrote ‘Cowboys and Aliens,’ penned the script for ‘Prometheus.’ Swedish actress Noomi Rapace, who rose to fame in 2009’s ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,’ has been cast as scientist Elizabeth Shaw. Michael Fassbender is also rumored to be cast as an android named David.

By Karen Benardello

http://cenobiteme.wordpress.com/2011/02/07/blood-creek-2009/

Blood Creek (2009)
Posted: February 7, 2011 by shnsjolin in Movie Review

Blood Creek (2009)

Directed By: Joel Schumacher

Starring: Dominic Purcell, Henry Cavill, Michael Fassbender, Emma Booth, Rainer Winkelvoss, Shea Whigham

Subgenre: Undead, Occult

After reading about Blood Creek in a past issue of Horror Hound, I threw that bad boy on my Netflix queue, but, like a lot of movies in my queue, it took a while to get to the top. While not spectacular, it was worth the wait, and probably something I will pick up for the library some time as well.

The movie starts with a flashback to 1936 where the Wollners, a German family in West Virginia, are asked to host a Nazi professor, Richard Wirth. Needing the money, they agree, but soon find that Wirth is more than a professor and is there to study a mysterious Runestone found on the farm. This particular stone can give otherworldly powers to someone that knows how to tap into them. Sensing that Wirth intended to use the powers for evil, the Wollners trap Wirth in the basement of the stables and keep him there with ancient markings.

We then flash to present day, or close to it, where Evan Marshall is stumbling through life after the disappearance of his brother Victor during a camping trip. Then, out of the blue, Victor shows up one night, looking like a deranged mountain man, and asks Evan to come with him on a mission of vengeance. They pack up some rifles and head out. At this point, Evan has no idea what is going on, but trusts his brother. A little out there, but still sort of believable I guess.

Anyways, we learn that Victor was kidnapped by the Wollners, who are still living on the same farm from the flashback, and do not appear to have aged much at all. Apparently, keeping Wirth in the basement has kept them from aging, but they need a victim to keep things in order every so often, and Victor was the latest person to get tabbed for victim duty. Victor is obviously a bit out of his mind and wants to kill the family, as well as whatever is in the basement. He rushes in without much of a plan, and you know what they say, a failure to plan, is a plan to fail. s$#! gets bad, but the brothers manage to take down Wirth, who is pretty much the ultimate Nazi zombie/vampire/witch-doctor. After Wirth is destroyed, the family ages rapidly and dies.

Just in case someone wanted to make a sequel, the brothers find a map detailing more Runestones found in the U.S. Looks like there is some more Nazi undead to take care of!

Overall a pretty decent flick. The design of Wirth was solid as well. There wasn’t much spectacular about the movie, but it was well done, from the acting to the directing. I am surprised that it didn’t get more of a theatrical push, or any sort of marketing push really. It isn’t like Schumacher is an unknown director or anything, and Purcell has been in enough movies that most people at least recognize him. If you get a chance, check this one out.
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http://jigsawslair.blogspot.com/2011/04/blood-creek-movie-review-174.html

Monday, April 4, 2011
Blood Creek Movie Review 174

Blood Creek is a 2009 horror movie directed by Joel Schumacher and starring Michael Fassbender, Dominic Purcell and Henry Cavill.


The movie begins with a poor German family living in West Virginia during the war. They are visited by some Nazi guy called Wirth(Fassbender) who is interested in the occult. There is something that he wants in their stable. It is a rune stone and he wants it to use the powers for evil. He is stopped before he can have it and he gives it to the little girl of the family. The family have to trap him at their farm so that he can't escape. Years later and Evan Marshall(Cavill) is living a life filled with misery because his brother,Victor(Purcell) has disappeared when on a camping trip in Town Creek. Suddenly, Victor shows up and tells his brother that he needs to go back to Town Creek to get revenge on some people who just happen to be the German family with the rune stone. They have the evil Nazi trapped on their farm and he wants people to kill and torture.


Evan was captured by the family, but he managed to get away. They head to the farm, equipped with some weapons. They sneak around and confront the family. The family warn the brothers that Wirth is on the loose and the more blood he consumes, the faster his return to the world. The brothers come into contact with Wirth as he stalks the farm and they try to destroy him. The brothers set up a trap to catch him by stringing up Evan. Wirth finds him and he tries to kill him. Victor comes along and between them, they manage to kill the Nazi. They think that it is all over, but the family have aged terribly and they are going to die. They tell the brothers that there are more stones placed around the world and they have to track them down before all hell breaks loose....


I didn't like this film at all. I just couldn't enjoy it very much. I don't know why I disliked it so much, but I would never watch it again.I give it a 3/10.

http://erniessupercoolblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/pair-of-horror-flicks.html

So you thought Michael Fassbender was a tough guy in Eden Lake? Well excuse me while I top off your Caramel Macchiato. You were benumbed by Fassbender’s manliness in 300? Pardon me while I find you the next showtime for The Sound of Music. You were narcotized by Micheal F’s brawniness in Centurion? Well, actually your reaction would be justified; he was pretty bad ass in Centurion.

In BLOOD CREEK, the tale of man seeking revenge against a satanic nazi zombie who entombed him for the purpose of consuming his blood, Fassbender portrays an awesome vampiric villain.

To say director Joel Schumacher has, ahem, Batman & Robin, churned out a few, er, St. Elmo’s Fire, lumps of excrement throughout his career would be an understatement. However, as is customary for fans of horror, I have an extremely selective memory. I lack the sense of mental vision to see beyond that 1986 gem, THE LOST BOYS. BLOOD CREEK’s story is a bit silly and the movie is hampered by poor CGI, yet I found myself really diggin’ it. The stark, black and white cinematography used to depict the West Virginia farmhouse circa 1936 is unexpected in a film titled BLOOD CREEK. Beams of light and clouds of dust navigate their way through floor beams and canopies to chilling effect.

Though the makeup donned by Fassbender’s undead minion veers toward camp, it ultimately fills viewers with fear. Likewise, the mythology surrounding the character is a bit hokey, yet is fun enough to propel the film beyond spam-in-a-cabin status.
Posted by Ernie at 1:36 PM

http://hotdogsinthedark.com/?p=2018

Blood Creek (2009)
By thirdman | Published: April 30, 2011

Though he made a name for himself in the 80’s with movies like St. Elmo’s Fire and The Lost Boys, two films I must admit I’m not a fan of, if you were to speak the name Joel Schumacher more than likely the movie that will be conjured up by people around you will be his infamous Cape Crusader action flick Batman & Robin. In the time since that dud he’s had only one film you could arguably say is good, Phone Booth. The rest have been rather awful or lackluster film experiences and chances are a box-office disappointment. Even last year he managed to outdo himself with the “what in the hell was he thinking?” film Twelve, one of the worst movies for the year. Needless to say at this point Schumacher’s name isn’t one that brings great expectations.

His horror film Blood Creek, written by Dave Kajganich, turns out to be one of this director’s better efforts in some time. Choosing the ever reliable Nazis as the starting point for all of the horror contained in Blood Creek the film focuses on the Third Reich using ancient Viking runestones to gain supernatural powers in order to win the war. In 1936 one of these stones was found on a farm in rural West Virginia, where Nazi specialist Richard Wirth (Michael Fassbender) was sent to in order to harness the stone’s power. But something went wrong, and everyone on the farm has been trapped in a sort of ageless time warp while Wirth has become a bloodthirsty monster.

Jump 70 years in the future and the film centers around Evan Marshall (Henry Cavill) who in the middle of the night is reunited with his brother Victor (Dominic Purcell), a war veteran who went missing during a camping trip the two took some years ago. Turns out Victor has been held prisoner at the farm where Wirth is still lurking. Without telling him much Victor has Evan join him as he returns to the farm for revenge. Neither of these men are fully aware of the occult activity that has been going on in this farm for the past couple of decades.

Once the film finishes setting up all that supernatural Nazi mumbo-jumbo everything breezes along rather nicely. Once Victor returns to the farm the film turns into a very suspenseful experience. I love how the revenge starts off with Victor and Evan gunning down the members of the family who live on the farm, but quickly turning into a fight for their own lives once Wirth breaks free from the cellar the family keeps him in. Wirth is an interesting villain. He will kill people or animals, and then using his powers will bring them back to life to do his bidding. Nothing like a zombie horse kicking its way into your house to ruin your evening.

The cast do a fine job bringing their characters to life. Both Dominic Purcell and Henry Cavill are believable and likable as this pair of brothers. Michael Fassbender does a great job at creating one of the most unique and fascinating horror menaces in years. The actors playing the family who lives on this farm are fine, especially Emma Booth, who plays young daughter Liese. Having a minimal cast of characters contained within a very small location seems to be one of the best things that a horror film can do. Thankfully Blood Creek does this, and very well.

Blood Creek offers up a decent amount of thrills and some great kills. And aside from a few moments of bad CG the movie keeps things simple. It’s not perfect, nor does it compare to the few actual great horror films made in the last decade. But, Blood Creek proves itself to be a substantial entry in the genre. And for a change, an actual good movie from Joel Schumacher.

Rating: ★★★½☆

http://www.roseysreview.com/2011/05/movie-review-blood-creek.html

Tuesday, May 3, 2011
MOVIE REVIEW: BLOOD CREEK
Staring:
Henry Cavill...Evan Marshall
Dominic Purcell...Victor Alan Marshall
Emma Booth...Liese Wollner
Michael Fassbender...Richard Wirth
Rainer Winkelvoss...Otto Wollner

Director: Joel Schumacher
Writer: David Kajganich
Release Date: 18 September 2009
Film Location: Romania
Rated: R
Genre: Horror, Thriller

Plot:
A man and his brother on a mission of revenge become trapped in a harrowing occult experiment dating back to the Third Reich.

Verdict:
I usually don't do horror movies but I'm a big fan of Henry Cavill so I watched this. It was not too shabby. It was not great but it wasn't so horrible. The majority of the movie takes place trying to fight and kill the monster. The cast was small but good. I won't watch it again right away but I would again down the road.

Favorite Part: Henry shirtless
Liked: The cast
Disliked: Inner monologue in the beginning/end
Favorite Character: Evan
Least Favorite Character: Richard

Script: 6/10 Roses
Acting: 7/10 Roses
Plot: 7/10 Roses
Ending: 5/10 Roses
Over All Rating:6/10

http://johnofthedead.wordpress.com/2011/05/09/blood-creek-7/

Blood Creek – 7
May 9, 2011 johnofthedead

Director – Joel Schumacher

Cast – Henry Cavill, Dominic Purcell, Emma Booth, Michael Fassbender, Rainer Winkelvoss, László Mátray, Joy McBrinn, Shea Whigham, Tony Barger

Release Year – 2009

Reviewed by John of the Dead

I first came across this film a few years ago, but its very poor marketing at the hands of Lions Gate played a part in why I absolutely forgot about this DTV watch until recently. You would think that with veteran filmmaker Joel Schumacher at the directing helm that this flick would have received a bit more attention, but Lions Gate’s fascination with only things Jigsaw related (as of late) forced this to suffer the same ill fate that The Midnight Meat Train did, except it actually was given the courtesy of a dollar theater release. Why the hate for Lions Gate over its treatment of Blood Creek, well, that is because this is a damn good horror film.

In the 1930s a small West Virginia household found themselves elated that the Third Reich would entrust them with caring for one of their finest historians, Richard Wirth(Michael Fassbender; Inglourious Basterds), however this proved an ill-fated move for the family with the Nazi’s strong obsession with the occult and Nordic treasures. Fast forward to present time and we follow Evan Marshall(Henry Cavill), a young paramedic still suffering the psychological trauma of his brother’s disappearance during a late-night fishing trip several years prior. Late one night Evan is awoken in shock and amazement by none other than his long-lost brother, Victor(Dominic Purcell; Blade Trinity), but the joys of their reunion are short-lived when Victor recruits his brother to follow him, guns in tow, to the very hellhole he was held captive in for over two years. The mission is simple: revenge. However, the brothers soon find themselves in a battle with a long-buried supernatural force inhabiting the very qualities Hitler himself sought and failed to attain.

The storyline was the biggest reason behind my enjoyment of this film, as I not only love unique storylines but ones that involve the Nazi’s fascination with the occult. The historical aspects of the film are not very historically accurate, but this is a film of fiction, so only pretentious history purists should find fault with the story’s originality.

Writer David Kajganich’s story takes off with a fair amount of background regarding the old West Virginian town’s history with the Nazis and their search for the rune stones discovered in the town many years prior. It is here that we are exposed to part of the reasoning behind their search for the rune stones, which has to do with the ability to resurrect the dead of all shapes and sizes. Once the opening sequence is done with we are thrown into the solemn world that Evan lives in, with his dementia-ridden father blaming him for the disappearance or “death” of his brother, who served his country while Evan stayed to care for his father, which his father of course fails to realize. Evan is constantly reminded of the strong effect the loss of his brother had on his family every time that he is confronted by his two young nephews and his sister-in law. He has taken a role of responsibility regarding the kids, mostly out of regret over what happened to his brother, making nearly all of Evan’s life a constant reminder of his failure to save his brother from whatever horror grabbed a hold of him. I had not come across much regarding the film’s story, so I was quite elated to when Evan’s “dead” brother Vincent came calling in the middle of the night, which was a required yet nonetheless positive development that aided the story and began the awesomeness that never relented from then on out.

If you know me then you know that I love revenge elements in horror films, and the revenge element in this one was enjoyable as ever. After being bound and tortured for two years, Vincent and his brother Evan made their way to the secluded farmhouse Vincent was kept at to wage war against his captors, which was great to watch given the two brothers were finally united and fighting in the name of Vincent and what he suffered. After kicking some ass we are exposed to some interesting developments involving the farming family, and several twists and turns commence that eventually bring out the true perpetrator of the ordeal, the very Nazi historian who made his way to the town over 70 years prior, Richard Wirth. I loved that the film switched antagonists from the farmers to the occult-powered Nazi, as it was not only a clever development but it also in a sense switched the farmers from antagonists to victims, although “victim” will be left up to your interpretation given the horrible things they had to do to keep the Nazi beast appeased. The usage of this antagonist was great, and his usage of the supernatural to do his evil-bidding was made unique thanks to some clever albeit silly ideas. He harbors the ability to re-animate any organic object into a bloodthirsty killer that he can command, and this resulted in one of the zaniest scenes I have come across in a long time, a scene involving a re-animated horse chomping a man’s shoulder and dragging him out of the farmer’s home. I can honestly say that I have never seen a scene such as that in the horror genre, and thanks to positive writing it did not come off as silly as it sounds. The final sequences of the film are action packed and involve much cool occult elements, including one involving Wirth’s seeking of a “third eye” on his forehead, and we are left with a climax that leaves a possibility for sequels, however in a perfect world I would say that this story is through. The screenplay paced very well thanks to each of the numerous developments coming at just the right time, however some potential faults that I came across included a lack of character development. We are given little insight into Vincent, and more but not enough insight into Evan, however this being a fast-paced 90 minute horror film I did not find that too much of a problem given I did not take much notice to the lack of character development until the film was done. If I was entertained enough to not care for character development and came out of this experience with a smile on my face then I can forgive the film’s writers for that. I say writers in plural form because according to filmmakers there was a falling out between Schumacher and writer David Kajganich over changes Schumacher wanted, and much like what happened between him and Andrew Kevin Walker(Se7en) in 8mm, Schumacher found himself writing the changes in the script.

Director Joel Schumacher(The Lost Boys, Flatliners) did a great job executing this film, with great sets and superb camerawork that showed the guy still has what it takes to deliver some good action, and I am glad that he used the horror genre to show it. His execution of the horror was positive, although this film was never really “scary” in my opinion, just darn cool thanks to the subject material and the carnage going on before me. We get some CGI here and there, mostly resulting from the usage of the killer horses, and for a low-budget film I found the CGI to be fair and much better than what we get on the Sci-Fi channel. The live-action FX are great, and I loved the look of Wirth after acquiring power from the blood of his victims for almost ¾ of a century. We get a fair amount of gore and sweet kills, some of which came via CGI, but nonetheless the carnage was delivered and with horrific results. The performances given are great, with Henry Cavill and Dominic Purcell coming off as a more serious Sam and Dean ala “Supernatural”, and Michael Fassbender being his usual awesome self.

Overall, Blood Creek is a great horror film that gives us a unique story for modern day horror dealing with the Nazi obsession with the occult and the vengeance two long-separated brothers exact on the evil being responsible for their pains. Great performances abound, and Schumacher makes the most of this low-budget effort with fantastic execution and non-stop action in this underrated and truly under-appreciated(damn you Lions Gate!) horror film from a director long gone from the genre, but one that I gladly welcome back.

Rating: 7/10

http://brutallyviolentandwonderful.blogspot.com/2011/07/get-to-point-trolls-devils-wookies.html

BLOOD CREEK

Although I'm not a fan of Joel Schumacher (but how can you NOT love D.C. CAB?!), I gave this one a shot anyhow. Glad I did, because while it's not amazing by any means, it's the best Satanic/Nazi/Monster/Family Trapped In An Isolated Farmhouse/Revenge film I've ever seen. Michael Fassbender (as the Satanic Nazi Monster) just keeps on proving that he is the f#%@#&! man! There's also an appearance by Shea Whigham, who plays Eli on BOARDWALK EMPIRE and the shithead sniper in MACHETE. He's also in THE LINCOLN LAWYER, but I can't speak on s$#! I haven't seen. He's got a great presence and I expect him to become one of the next decade's great character actors.

BLOOD CREEK is a dark and violent little quicky that's definitely worth your time. Check it out on Netflix Instant.

http://paracinema.net/2011/07/blood-creek-more-like-blood-weak-right/

Blood Creek? More like Blood Weak, right?!

1 Comment 12 July 2011

I tend to not write reviews for “bad” films. People often describe bad films as boring or poorly executed. And I agree that those are atrocious cinematic crimes. But personally, if I find a film boring or inept on some level, I won’t write about it. It will most likely never enter my brain again let alone inspire me to sit down and bang out 1,000 words explaining why it was super uninteresting. The only time I will write about a film I didn’t enjoy is when it disappoints me (I’m looking at you, Sucker Punch); when it doesn’t fulfill it’s obvious potential. Blood Creek, you let me down.

Netflix made this 2009 occult horror flick directed by Joel Schumacher sound like the most interesting film I’d never seen. “When a family agrees to host an occult-obsessed Nazi scholar in their West Virginia farmhouse prior to World War II, they’re transformed into his undead slaves and must kidnap local victims to feed his bloodlust. Years later, an abducted war hero (Dominic Purcell) breaks free from the zombie family’s clutches, rounds up his brother (Henry Cavill) and returns to the wilderness for payback. Joel Schumacher directs this supernatural horror flick.” What?! And Netlfix, you mean to tell me this “Nazi scholar” is Michael Fassbender? Well, I’ve died and gone to heaven, now haven’t I? I asked around and got mixed reviews. People could have said this was a pile of steaming s$#! and I still would have watched it. The premise sounded awesome and Fassbender is so versatile and charismatic (plus it’s almost a sure bet he’ll end up speaking SOME German).

Well, Fassbender was charismatic and he did speak some German, but a single man can not carry an entire film. Especially when he is barely in it and when he does appear his handsome mug is covered by makeup and latex. Other than underusing my new favorite guy, Blood Creek made some other notable missteps. This includes: not building tension; not fleshing out characters; being unoriginal and predictable; employing a vague, open ending. If these were the only issues, I would be breaking my “not writing about boring films” rule. The real shame lies in the fact that they had this amazing “Nazi scholar” premise that they didn’t expound upon.

Fassbender’s character practices the dark arts under the guise of furthering Germany’s power. This is established beautifully in the period footage at the film’s start (the only time you actually see Fassbender). Then it flashes forward to modern day and we get familiar with 2 boring brothers looking for revenge. They get to the aforementioned farm and they battle the aforementioned “zombies.” Which, by the way, is only a little true. They aren’t a “zombie family.” That just sounds silly! They are only turned into the living dead once they die! And before that happens they are utterly boring faux multidimensional characters. Also, zombie horses happen.

What I’m trying to express is, yes, there are occulty things afoot, but what does that have to do with Hitler? I just don’t understand the point of having an interesting setup that is historically rich and inherently macabre and not exploiting it. And that is the crux of it. This films could have been, nay, should have been something awesome.

It’s on Netflix instant so check it out if you’re curious. I would love for someone to disagree and tell me this is the best film that could come from that cast and that setup. Me? I’ll just pretend I only watched the amazing and compelling first 10 minutes and daydream the rest.

http://andrewmeadford.wordpress.com/2011/08/28/superman-dracula-kind-of-vs-nazi-zombie-magneto/

Superman & Dracula (Kind of) Vs. Nazi Zombie Magneto
By Andrew Ford

Blood Creek (2009, Joel Schumacher)

So here we have a movie starring Henry Cavill (soon-to-be Superman in Zack Snyder’s sure-to-be-pretty-to-look-at franchise reboot) and Dominic Purcell (who woodenly portrayed Dracula, or “Drake” as Blade: Trinity would have it be) as brothers who finds themselves caught in a decades-old Nazi Occult experiment that’s still happening on an American farm in the middle of the last truly rural part of the country.

And I didn’t even mention the best part. Michael Fassbender (the current Magneto, of course) as a semi-immortal/ageless Nazi cannibal, whom the brothers are pitted against. The film begins with a Martyrs-esque cold open of unexpectedly shocking violence; in fact, the opening 20+ minutes of the film – which begins with Michael Fassbender arriving on this family’s farm in the late-1930s (in black and white) before segueing into a modern-day meth trailer fire – actually portend greatness.

Could this be some strange, undiscovered gem of a film that slipped through the cracks? Was the film dumped onto DVD so quickly simply because of the amount of violence, a handful of spotty CGI effects, and a lack of any true name actors?

Nope. As directed by Joel Schumacher (who seems to have forsaken many of the basic tenets of filmmaking in favor of incoherence), this film is a wasted opportunity at virtually every turn.

By the time Nazi Zombie Magneto is on top of Superman, about to stab him to death before the Blade series’ Dracula surrogate intervenes, Joel Schumacher has gone out of his way to make sure I don’t give a s$#!.

This is a bad, shrill movie – but the worst thing about it is that with this cast, the core idea in this script, and any other filmmaker behind the camera, this could have been kind of awesome. C-

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More blogs coming, including the promised blog update on a handful of more recent films.

I just had to get this off my chest.