Hallowed

Okay, so there are more than a few reasons to hate this film. The main reason would be that the film single-handedly copies "Halloween" which is the genre's classic masterpiece. But do the filmmakers actually copy it like other teen-slashers such as "Scream" or even worse "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and "Urban Legend" No, they really don't. The villain in "Hallowed" is definitely a unique character who doesn't hide behind an overused mask. In fact, his appearance isn't even intimidating. One look at him and you'll say; "I'd kill that religious idiot." But the fact that the filmmakers created Gabriel to go after vulnerable victims was genius... yeah I said it.

Let's face it, Halloween is still arguably the best slasher film of all time and has influenced a lot of other horror films... some good, some bad. "Hallowed" can't be faulted for paying homage to this great film and personally, I think the filmmakers did a great job at doing it in good taste rather than another comical spoof. It's well worth watching.

I remember seeing the tagline "Say Your Prayers" which got me to give it a whirl. When I saw it last month, I really dug it! This reminds you of a great 1980's era horror flick with routine scare tactics, but done with good acting and a fast paced style. I almost didn't see it when I heard it was compared to "Halloween" which didn't work for me, I'm glad I made the trip to the city to check it out though as I found it to be better than Halloween. What I liked most were the killing scenes, which are really freaky and have a no holds barred style to them. I liked Cassie and her friends a lot as well as Father Jacob who was kind of freaky to me. Also, Gabriel is a good sick & twisted relentless killer...If you like 1980's era horror films, you will most likely enjoy this film. A good old-fashioned horror film that does what it intends to do: scare you.

What sets hallowed apart from other films I have seen that could be considered a "B" movie? Well for starters, it overuses every cliché in the book, and does it with class. The killings? they're cheesy beyond belief, and the ending? WOW is all I can say. I laughed, I jumped, I thought, and I trembled. The film was shot on digital, which worked perfect for the film because of the flexibility it offers. Deep down I know it wanted to be serious, but it was so hard to do so. The dialogue invoked chuckles, the acting was stiff, and the plot, well lets say you could eliminate some walking for some solid prologue and epilogue space. BUT. That said, I enjoyed watching this film from start to finish because I expected nothing and received a pure gem. I would recommend this film to anyone who likes horror or "B" movies.

Or so it was supposed to have been. Changes of screening times & dates were merely the icing on the cake of problems that the baja film festival had. Needless to say I was very disappointed in how they handled the event. However, this comment is for Hallowed and to the makers of this film whom I chatted with that night. You asked for my opinion so here it is.

First of all, I love all kinds of films and don't judge them by budget or format. If it's a well made film then I'm happy. Hallowed really caught my attention from the beginning. The slow crawl through the "secret locations" (I won't spoil it) was creepy. The flow of the film was decent though there were many moments that were just too dark. I'll take the director's word for it that it was the festivals poor projector. Still, I found myself caught up in the story and wanted to stick around to see what happened next. The music and especially sound effects were perfection. If there was one element that needed improving, it was the killer's stale acting. I could not tell if he was speaking like that on purpose or if he really needs more acting classes.

Nonetheless, Hallowed is definitely a "must-see" in my book. I wish it and the makers much success.

I caught this film in New York and have to say that for what I was expecting I was pleasantly surprised.

As with any slasher, the story isn't overly complicated, although it does make you (the audience) ask a few questions, and unfortunately (or fortunately however you look at it) some of those questions aren't revealed. My guess is that the director did it that way on purpose and maybe the DVD will have all the answers.

Most of the actors were believable, with the exception of the dude playing Gabriel who was stale and weak, but the picture/audio/lighting and music were all very pro. There are some creepy moments in the film and a few classic pop out scenes as well. It's definitely worth checking out.