Taryn Barker: Demon Hunter

I think the producers must have got their friends to write five star reviews - or I was watching a totally different movie!

Anyway, this isn't too bad for a low-budget amateur production, but the same old 101 mistakes are rife throughout. It is not as though guidance for up-and-coming film makers is hard to find - it is everywhere.

First - SOUND! Again and again and again so many films like this fall down when it comes to reasonable quality sound. At times it is near impossible to hear dialogue, and at other times the sound jumps incomprehensibly between cuts or the levels are not taken care of properly in post. If the boom doesn't do the job then use radio mics for goodness sake. In some scenes the boom operator does a good job, then in the next it is totally awful.

Second - acting. Most of the acting was OK for an amateur production, but it was clear to see the difference between more seasoned actors - especially in the delivery of dialogue. Sometimes it seemed as though direction was seriously lacking and less experience actors were left to their own devices - which they tried to do as best a job of as they could.

Third - lighting and colour grading. Another very mixed bag. Sometimes the scenes were really well lit and graded and at other times it was damn awful. There didn't seem to be any consistency in approach or quality. There just isn't any excuse for this with the tools available now.

Lastly, editing and story. It wasn't a bad story, but was perhaps a little too ambitious for a low-budget/amateur production. I can see what was trying to be achieved, but the lack of attention to detail just didn't pull it off. Perhaps it would have been much better if the more demanding scenes (that required effects and fights) were simplified and placed in a more real-world context.

Not a bad film, but could have been better in very basic ways through attention to detail, even with the constraints of time and budget.

I'm not sure where the two previous bad reviews are coming from.

This film has won 10 international awards and even Lloyd Kaufman himself loved it so it gets my vote anyway!

In a nutshell, although not to demean from the main story itself this is basically "What is Buffy The Demon Slayer happened in Ireland?"

Personally I think it's a fantastic take on everything. The acting (save from one of the primary cast members IMHO) is excellent, the story is nice and well rounded and I'm not sure why the other previous reviews are talking about the VFX because they look good to me.

Are they 10 Million Dollar horror scifi budget level? Well of course not... this film is an indie flick so what more do you expect?

I think for what it is, the market it's going for and the actual story itself the film achieves exactly what it set out to do!

Personally I can't wait to see the sequel. :-)

Ohh... and that's coming from someone who isn't usually a fan of horror movies either.

There was a lot of buzz about this feature for many years & boy does it live up to it's deserved hype! Zoe truly delivers an emotional, action packed film, involving evil demons, gun battles & a kick-ass heroine. As Director & Co-Writer, Zoe shows she is a serious force to be reckoned with! The story concerns Taryn Barker, played most confidently by Niamh Hogan, & her journey from ordinary school girl to being trained to take on powerful evil forces after her sister Annabelle, played by Aisli Moran (Spider's Trap) goes missing. Along the way, she encounters the mysterious Falstaff, played wonderfully sinister by Michael Parle, as well as a group of Hunters. There are many quirky, strange & memorable characters throughout that add a sense of realism. Also, involved in her quest, is Detective Beckett, played by Alan Talbot. There is never a dull moment as the story &, at times, fast paced editing, keeps it nicely flowing. The many fight scenes are well choreographed & there are some funny one-liners. The cinematography & production design (Luca Rocchini & Lilla Nurie respectively) are simply out-standing as this was entirely filmed in Ireland. The pulsating score by Scott Tobin & soundtrack (feat. Voxillary) is well balanced with emotional songs for poignant scenes. Zoe Kavanagh comes from a music video background for My Birthday Massacre, Clan of Xymox, etc. & this feature is very much influenced & styled as such. It was won many international awards & will most definitely be a cult-classic. All in all, this remarkable & enjoyable film is not to be missed! I feel it certainly deserves a sequel as I personally want to enjoy more tales from the world of Taryn Barker Demon Hunter!

I see a lot of 0 star reviews which is kind of harsh, i mean its not citizen kane its an action movie about a sexy girl fighting demons and monsters. and on that front it delivers. overall its got a good atmosphere and the characters build pretty well. I personally found the fight scenes to be fun and the demon effects to be pretty good. overall I think its a worthwhile debut from a promising young director and worth giving a shot if you need that Buffy itch scratched.

I couldn't get past 35 minutes, which was almost torture. I almost stopped at b20 minutes in, but I was looking at my main screen.

Luckily, I have multiple screens (a 40", 50" & 2 smaller), which is great when playing movies, news & other. So, when I watch movies, much of my attention is drawn to my main screen.

Vampires & such are not a big draw for me, but I occasionally watch. This was just too boring. Although, as I'm typing, @43 minutes in, its picking up.