2016 – Page 4 – Jiggy's Horror Corner

Cabin Fever (2016)

Directed by Travis Zariwny [Other horror films: Intruder (2016), World of Death (2016, segment ‘Manicure’), The Midnight Man (2016), Lensface (2020), Punk Rock Cannibals (2021)]

Prior to reviewing this, I wanted to make sure that everyone knows I have little love for the original Cabin Fever. Aside from a cute actress, I thought it was a good idea butchered by a sloppy direction and overall needlessly comedic. For this remake, a few of the problems are fixed, but it’s not altogether that much better a movie (though I do feel it’s a better movie).

What they did right: most of the comedic elements are taken out of this version (though some of the stupidity remains, such as the Pancakes kid), which is a step in the right direction. The last twenty minutes went in a different direction, and while there were problems (I’ll get into them later), overall, I felt the ending was decently stronger.

Onto the bad, the main issue is that the first half of the film is a scene-by-scene, line-by-line copy of the original, give or take a few lines, which really should not be the point of a remake, in my opinion. Still, it was a better first half than the original, which at the very least is something. Deputy Winston, the party cop, was a major problem I had with the original, and while the character (played this time by a female) still has those party tenancies, there’s a slight redemption near the end. The same hillbilly idiots in the original film are present here also, and do the same idiotic actions.

On the upside, the local authorities seem to be actually dealing with the contagion as opposed to covering it up. Really, the end as a whole is better, but there were two portions that seemed unnecessary, one including the Pancakes Boy and a post-credit scene that seemed beyond pointless.

The main problem with this remake is that it tries to be the original movie, keeping the script, as opposed to using the ideas from the original and crafting a new story, which would have had been ideal. This remake wasn’t something we needed, but it was moderately welcomed. At the very least, it was better than the original. Still lacks much of what I’d have wished for in a movie about a flesh-eating disease, though.

5/10

Miles Before Sleep (2016)

Directed by Michael Taylor Pritt [Other horror films: Fun Time (2015), Are We the Waiting (2017), Night Howl (2017)]

Miles Before Sleep has a lot of heart, in my estimation. It’s a short film (under an hour, and the last six minutes or so are outtakes anyway), but does a good job of not waiting until the end to pick up. Which is a minor complaint also; while the fun might be in the chase, I’m not sure how much fun I had watching these individuals trying to escape the two brothers (plus their mute sister) over and over again.

Around the forty minute mark, I did feel as though it was dragging a bit. But that aside, the ending was an okay one (and the flashbacks strewn throughout the film were welcomed, because while we didn’t need background information on the killers and their family, I thought it was a nice touch).

A funny thing I wanted to point out: Valentine, who is the hesitant third brother (and infinitely more civilized) was played by the director of the film, Michael Taylor Pritt. No matter how much I tried, every time I saw Pritt on screen, I couldn’t help but think of John Bradley (who portrays Samwell Tarley in Game of Thrones). Doesn’t really change my thoughts on the film at all, but thought it was worth mentioning.

The two insane brothers (being Christian is one thing, but they take it to another level) did their jobs well, and overall, despite the low budget of the film, I thought everyone did a pretty decent job. The story’s nothing overly creative, but I had fun with it (the outtakes themselves were quite enjoyable also), so I’d recommend seeking this out if lower-budget movies are your thing.

7/10

Isle of the Dead (2016)

Directed by Nick Lyon [Other horror films: Species: The Awakening (2007), Zombie Apocalypse (2011), Rise of the Zombies (2012), Foreclosed (2013), Bermuda Tentacles (2014), They Found Hell (2015), Titanic 666 (2022)]

A military squad is sent to a scientific island base to battle zombies and discover horrifying truths. Now, that’s a terrible description of the film, but as Isle of the Dead is an atrocious movie, it only seems fair. Almost all of the military individuals were interchangeable, and it doesn’t take a palm reader to tell who the survivor of the film is going to be. Predictability aside, though, this movie has a lot of flaws.

Chief among them are the uber-zombies. These super-zombies can speak, hold grudges, and brawl in fist fights. And some characters even inject themselves with a serum to also become uber-zombies to fight against the other zombies. There’s normal zombies too, though. And actually, I’m pretty sure there was even another class of zombies mentioned. Which brings me to another point: this movie, despite having what one might think is a simple plot, got moderately convoluted about half-way through the film.

Why the bazooka launched a nuclear weapon at the end, I didn’t catch. Perhaps they explained it, but the audio quality seemed lacking (which, for a movie on Syfy, was odd). The CGI gore was intolerable (though there was one scene, with a bug crawling out of someone’s eye, that I got a kick out of). The characters were unremarkable (for the most part), and the plot, at least insofar as it could be followed, was just your run-of-the-mill zombie movie.

And don’t get me started on the final thirty minutes of the film; as soon as the uber-zombies started appearing, the movie got much worse. The one highlight of this movie is D.C. Douglas, who played a manic scientist. His sometimes over-the-top acting was deeply amusing, and I rather enjoyed his character (and in fact, he reminded me of Kyle MacLachian’s performance as Cal on Marvel’s Agent’s of S.H.I.E.L.D.). Douglas was a fun character, and I appreciated that, but overall, it couldn’t save this movie. An utterly generic and atrocious film, Isle of the Dead is a movie I’d not at all recommend.

4.5/10

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)

Directed by André Øvredal [Other horror films: Trolljegeren (2010), Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019), The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)]

Directed by André Øvredal, who was behind the cult favorite Trollhunter, this movie has a high quality production, great actors (Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch playing the main characters, father and son), and pretty suspenseful scenes. A moderately unique plot, also.

Prior to beginning the film, I didn’t much know what to expect. I was thinking maybe it’d be a murder/mystery-type thing playing over the course of a month or so. What it actually is happens to be a supernatural journey over a single night, culminating in a downer of an ending, for the most part. Truth be told, I think the film, as good as the first 2/3 of the movie was, ended up being a mixed bag.

The good: Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch play a very compelling father and son. Their scenes together, for the most part, are very solid, and some even moving. It feels as though there’s a real relationship there, and I loved that. Also, some of the implications of the ending are cool. I’d rather not say any specifics, but things that happen in the film aren’t as obvious as they may otherwise seem. Also what has to be praised is the tense, claustrophobic feel of the first 50 minutes. Were there jump scares thrown in? Yes, and those bothered me, but the core of the first 2/3 of the film were great.

Onto the bad, we have a few elements, one being the aforementioned jump scares. I wish that mainstream horror films didn’t rely on these paper-thin jump scares in order to rev up the audience. Now, this film wasn’t nearly as bad as others, perhaps because Øvredal’s not been responsible for many mainstream flicks, but it was still prevalent throughout the film (including the last split second, which I find increasingly annoying).

There’s also the character of Emma, who was Austin’s (Hirsch) girlfriend. Now depending on your perception of the film, her actions seemed rather foolish. And the aftereffects of her actions didn’t seem all that important, in truth. I just don’t think she added much of anything, and that’s not a great thing. At the same time, given the fact she had less than 15 minutes of screen time, perhaps that can be excused.

The last thing, though, is arguably debatable. In my opinion, I don’t think enough, if any, concrete answers were provided. There were some potentially accurate conjectures, but one theory (according to IMDb, the most credible one) just doesn’t make sense to me. I will say, though, that the antagonist in this film was quite unique, and I certainly didn’t expect it to go that route. The Autopsy of Jane Doe was an interesting supernatural horror film – it had some great elements (the relationship between father and son) and interesting choices.

The movie didn’t fall flat at the end; if that’s the impression I’m giving, it’s unintentional. But the final thirty minutes are certainly more an average path than the first fifty. For it’s flaws, the movie’s not atrocious by any means, and is, when all is said and done, above average. Not by a lot, but it is.

7.5/10

Wolves at the Door (2016)

Directed by John R. Leonetti [Other horror films: Annabelle (2014), Wish Upon (2017), The Silence (2019)]

The only reason that I sought this movie out was due to Elizabeth Henstridge, who plays one of the main characters in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, a show I rather enjoy. And as it turns out, aside from Henstridge, this movie doesn’t have much going for it. Dramatizing the events of the murder of Sharon Tate and company (purely hinted at until the end, for some unknown reason), Wolves at the Door is almost utterly run-of-the-mill. If you’ve seen Ils (2006) or The Strangers (2008), or hell, even The Purge (2013), you’ve seen a more enthralling and tense movie than this one.

Adam Campbell (Wojciech) has some decent scenes, and if you like the ascetic of someone dragging a sledgehammer across the ground, well, Wolves at the Door has that also. But aside from Elizabeth Henstridge, who does a decent job despite the shallow script, the best I can say is that occasionally good 60’s songs play, such as ‘She’s Not There’ by The Zombies and ‘Lil’ Red Riding Hood’ by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. There’s nothing else though – this movie is otherwise empty. And while I wasn’t fond of it that first time I saw it, I’m even less fond of it now. Not much here to recommend, folks.

4/10