Terror Trap

Hostel meets Vacancy in this cheap little knock-off. A couple's car is run off the road and a creepy town sheriff leaves them at a motel. This motel is actually a place where snuff videos are made and people come and sit and watch horrific acts being performed on the unsuspecting visitors. The film doesn't bog itself down with satire concerning business and violence, though it is mentioned. The big problem is that the horrible acts start in the middle of an argument between the protagonists. This means we're never truly on their side, though their actions do go some-ways to expressing their feelings for each other. Madsen just sits in a room for an easy cheque and Fahey overdoes creepy without ever being threatening. He just shouts. It isn't completely awful, but it's never scary or tense. However, the end is completely head scratching as it contains a scene that just doesn't add up to anything.

While driving at night on a lonely road, the car of estranged couple Don and Nancy is hit twice by another car in the middle of nowhere. Nancy asks for help and unpleasant sheriff Cleveland offers to take them to the nearby Motel Royal Vista and wait until the morning, when their car would be towed.

Another reviewer called this a lame ripoff of "Vacancy". Well, it might be a little bit lame. And yeah, it has some hints of "Vacancy" in it. But an outright ripoff? No way.

What this film has that "Vacancy" lacked is the cult actor appeal: Jeff Fahey as the sheriff, Michael Madsen as his typecast bad guy self. Sure, "Vacancy" is the better movie and has the better cast, the better plot and all that... but does Luke Wilson have the horror fan base that Fahey and Madsen have? No way.

Stopping off at a motel in a small town to rest for the night, a man and his wife find the area a front for a group of criminals to make videos of them torturing people to demented passersby and force them to fight the group off to get away alive.

Overall this was a rather tedious, tired retread without a lot of interesting moments about it. One of the biggest issues with this one is the rather bland and tiresome story here that is quite unimpressive with how it gives out its plot points. The revelation about the secret organization is not only given quite early from the set-ups showing the cameras hidden around the room or listening into their conversations but also seems obvious based on their insistence upon staying, the general sleazy atmosphere and the completely desolation location that continues on throughout here. These here really hurt the first half by dragging this out through a series of scenes designed to build up suspense yet never does anything for that factor in a tired example of the style. There's also a big problem here in the boredom it takes before the first attack by showing them doing nothing of interest around the hotel or fighting with each other which makes this extremely taxing to get through because of the problems with the couple and the lack of the group in action in the beginning. These here are enough to hold off against the few minor areas of enjoyment here, starting with the action throughout the final half as the masked men make for some enjoyable times here tending to the various escape tactics present with the race for the booby-trapped car, the break-in attempt on the motel room and finally the big brawls here throughout that are quite fun and tend to really get some excitement going. That frantic action here not only gives the section some nice gore but also a pretty thrilling way to work the creepy looks of the masks the gangs' wearing during these interactions that add a darker overall tone to these proceedings. Still, all of these aren't enough to overcome the main flaws with this one which is overall quite problematic and flawed.

Rated R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and Nudity.

I liked the cover of this Blu Ray and by getting it extremely cheap I gave my pocket a go. A go for two reasons one already know, the second because Michael Madsen was in it and Jeff Fahey. But what a let down on the part of Madsen. He's just in it for the money, what a bad acting he gave here. On part of Jeff I liked him, he got a kind of look I like. I liked him in Machete (2010) as Michael Booth just before this flick was made.

The story isn't really original but the fact that it's low on gore and also low on red stuff this fails completely. There are killings going on but nothing is shown. All off-camera. Just one shot involves a bit of red stuff when we look in room 5 we do see a girl in blood. But let that be all we do see for a horror geek. Still you want to know how it ends but even that I didn't like. Moving back to Carter (Madsen) and seeing him as a tough guy just didn't work.

People warned me that it looked like Vacancy (2007) and somehow it does or it also looks like a house being invaded. But this time you been trapped without terror.

Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 1/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5

"Well, it'll be an interesting evening." After a hit and run accident Don (Elliot) and Nancy are left stranded in the middle of nowhere. After the local sheriff gives them a ride to a motel run by Carter (Madsen) they soon realize that this is not the safest place for them to be. This movie started off really good, you feel tense when the cop talks to the passengers and really pull for the strangers. Then after the 20 min mark the movie starts to fall apart and drag on, and on, and on. Think "Vacency" without the horror and excitement. There are a lot of aspects they introduce that seem to go nowhere, and the ones that do aren't exciting enough to follow. I do like Michael Madsen (who doesn't like "Reservoir Dogs") but his last few movies have been bad, like Val Kilmer bad, and I hope that he will once again start making real movies. Overall, this movie was much better when it was called "Vacency". I give it a C-.

Would I watch again? - Nope.

*Also Try - Vacency 1 & 2