Return in Red

I had to watch this movie in two sittings after falling asleep after the first 45 minutes.

What kept me going were some positive user comments in the IMDb, however, after watching further minutes of this film being wasted on endless shots of walls and doorknobs I was galvanized to write this comment.

What did come across quite well in this picture was the portrayal of dull working class life in America and the depiction of deadbeat contemporary steel manufacturing, which may not be what the film maker intended primarily.

The filmmaker needs to work more on the element of surprise for startling horror, like in "The Descent" for instance.

The actors were so likable in this, I feel bad saying anything negative about it, but yet this really was a rather dull movie. It's really not for anyone who is looking to be entertained, though it is somewhat interesting from the perspective of someone wanting to study the film-making process. The reason for this is that the process is pretty obvious, here - in truly terrific filmmaking, you can't tell what's going on "behind the scenes", so to speak - i.e., casting, special effects, acting... But with this, there really isn't any way to forget that it's a movie and get lost in the story.

Still, it's interesting enough for me, but I tend to be able to enjoy things most people wouldn't waste toilet paper on. So I can't recommend this for most folks. Look up some previews and clips on YouTube or some such, and just from that you should be able to tell if it's your type of thing or not, as the entire film is made with pretty much the same pacing and tone the whole way through (slow and dull).

I must admit, however, the guy who was the lead actor (at least for a time) was pretty cute, and not too bad at it, either. Hope to see more of him. :-)

I got a kick out of the dark factory scenes. I worked in factories when I was young and they were all lit up, but they felt as dark as the one here. My favorite role, the old guy with TV problems; freakiest role, the mom who can't be reached; most endearing role, the daughter of the old guy; most sympathetic role, the guy who has to bum rides to his job. I thought the other actors were good too. Anyone who's been a grunt will recognize the perennially angry cigarette-smoking foreman. The deleted portions included on the DVD were lively and some of them added to the story and made me wish they'd been included in the movie. A couple things didn't make sense to me, but neither did the fact that I nearly got creamed by a tow truck that drove onto the sidewalk while I was walking home from work tonight. Moody, weird, tells a story ... I liked it.

A cast of very real ordinary people do much to overcome an underdeveloped and poorly written script. Even though the cast tries hard to make lemonade out of lemons the story ultimately sours. Several of the characters show tremendous potential and there were relationships that could have been developed to success, why the writer and director went the way they did is hard to understand. A few better plot choices possibly could have allowed us to see into a realistic view of rural America. A really interesting scene between a boy and his mother had me on the edge of my seat, but it was never really resolved. The scene built powerfully and then ended with a startling grab in a dark field. The story did that several times, start moving with some intensity and then crash into a cheap thrill. The climax wonders aimlessly through poorly arranged gore vignettes. By showing to much to fast and the lack of budget for decent visual effects what little credibility the cast had built up was wasted. I was reminded of "The Blair Witch Project" in which the director relied on talented actors to build suspense and mystery. It remains one of the scarcest and successful independent horror films ever made and not a dime was spent on fake blood and rubber masks. I still wonder if the actors could have done much better if the director and writer had gotten out of the way here. In the end the movie make no effort to resolve at all. The plot resolves no more in the end than it is explained by a corny narration in the first moments of the movie. If you are really looking for a good independent horror film let me suggest "Salvage" instead. Performances by Chris Ferry and Lauren Currie Lewis will knock your socks off.

This is the way horror oughta be! Reminiscent of the style of horror movies done in the early 1970s such as the original "The Hills Have Eyes", this eerie, disturbingly-realistic portrait of a secret government experiment performed on an average small American town and its unwitting townsfolk will have you peering out your window at any suspicious vehicle lurking about. With a relatively unknown cast and an obvious shoestring budget, the director of this movie knows what it takes to creatively construct a sinister atmosphere within an everyday, common setting and hold your attention. The acting is well above-average for such an inexperienced cast and they are able to pull their roles off most convincingly. Shot in northern Indiana, the bleak winter landscapes add an unsettling feel to the overall mood. At the risk of letting any spoilers out of the bag, let's just say I was mesmerized throughout the first 3/4 of the film and found myself jumping at every little noise. While the last 1/4 of the movie does end up relying on cheap special effects, the majority of the film is very creepy and sure to satisfy most sci-fi/horror buffs. 8 stars.