hmckiel

SPIDERS could have been another No-Flash, Even Less Bang DTV horror flick. But about halfway through, the writers got smart and made the final fifteen minutes something that monster movies fanatics the world over would of cheered in an immaculate chorus if they saw it in a movie theater for. Problem is, no one would've had the patience to stay up until then.

The plot is simple: The government injects a spider with alien DNA, it lays an egg in someone before it dies, the offspring hatches in a decent gross-out scene, and crap happens. It takes a while to get going, and even once it does nothing cool ever happens until the finale, which involves yet another spider, this one bigger than a large sports car, getting loose in Los Angles. It really is quite the spectacle, one that I thought saved the film from being a total snoozefest.

Everything else is average or below-average, except the puppetry effects used for the spiders (there's only three in the entire film). There is one part where the creature is obviously just a prop on the end of a stick, but other than that the practical effects are outstanding for this kind of film. Now about the CG, well, its terrible for the most part.

Overall, SPIDERS makes for an okay weekend rental. Don't expect much, and you shouldn't be too disappointed.

ALTERED is a nasty little Sci-Fi/Horror gem that packs on the suspense and dread. There's something here for everyone: Gore hounds will be pleased, people looking for scares will be pleased, those watching only to see the aliens will be pleased. Everyone wins! Unless you're not into Horror flicks. In that case, go watch You, Me, and Dupree.

Some rednecks who were abducted by sadistic and savage aliens manage to capture one of the monsters that tortured them and killed their friend years ago. Of course, it gets loose and it's buddies come looking for it. I know it doesn't sound very good, but believe me when I say that ALTERED is one creepy movie. Let's not forget how well developed some of the characters are. For once, the cast isn't made up of pretty twenty-somethings with no emotion or backstory! Now about the aliens. These things are nasty little buggers. When they bite you, they infect you with a flesh-eating sickness. They have mind-control powers. They have a tendency to dismember victims. They also are able to survive being shot, harpooned, and bludgeoned several times. That last part was one of the film's few flaws: Again, the monster appears to be using some sort of invincibility cheat.

Overall, ALTERED is a well-made, freaky, creature feature that you should check-out ASAP, if you're into monster movies.

When I was watching CHIMERA, I got the feeling I was watching something from the late seventies. That isn't a bad thing. Likewise, CHIMERA isn't a bad film. At only 22 minutes long, it dosen't wear out its welcome and the film makers clearly did the best they could with the ultra-low budget they had.

In fact, bad audio and some wooden acting are really the only problems CHIMERA suffered from. The gun and gore effects, though rare, are decent, and the direction is kind of nifty at times, but we never actually see the Werewolf aside from its hands. Plus, there were times when I had to adjust my speakers to hear what the actors were saying.

The plot revolves around a group of soldiers investigating an abandoned research facility in the Arctic Circle, and lo and behold, they find a Werewolf that kills them off one by one. Sure, its generic, but I don't mind unoriginality much, just as long the film itself isn't that bad.

And CHIMERA isn't that bad. It has a couple suspenseful moments, and does something imaginative with its generic plot line. I'd recommend seeing it at least once. Now if only the audio wasn't so bad...