Exeter

I'm not usually a fan of possession type movies, but this one was fun to watch once the 3rd act kicked in. Let me back up.

Basic plot: Some teens are having a party at an old, abandoned, rundown, school /hospital/permanent home, for less than smart children, where horrible things were done to them, and many died. Many, many years ago. During the party, a possession ensues. Ok, I know, an incredibly unique plot. If you watch this movie through the eyes of someone who is expecting: great acting, great dialog, original story, then you will be disappointed. But, if you want to see: things that are supposed to be taken seriously, but make you laugh instead, some really cool gore, and gory deaths with practical.... I will say that again, practical effects for the gore instead of cgi, which looks awesome, and a nice twist ending? Then this is your movie. It can be a little slow early on. But once it kicks in, it's pretty entertaining. I feel like many of these reviewers may not have watched the whole movie. It does ramp up in action. If you do watch it, have fun with it.

An isolated, derelict loony bin, where partying teens spark off a serial demon possession.

Open on a topless drug addict: she sways in her gorgeous panty-clad ass and ... shoots her brains out. Wot? The director doesn't bother to take his time, and you're not given enough information to work this scene through the story - until the final plot ambush.

The next ten minutes is irritating teens doing what teens don't really do. Especially when they're played by mature, beautiful actors. Then totally unrhythmic horror clichés, with poor humour and feeble characterisation, and by 35 mins you want to give up. And die.

But it does settle into a rhythm, and I wonder if that's down to an experienced cinematographer getting to grips with the director (also the writer). But still lots of bad judgment in the storytelling - at 60-65 mins there are four - 4! - jump scares (one with a toilet-roll, followed by a low angle instead of a high angle). In all, maybe 30 jumps in the film (poor Rory plays the jump monkey), and none of them works - a world record. Again, bad timing by the director/writer.

Can't blame the actors. They all seem up for it, so whachagonnado? Many more weaknesses to tell, but I surrender. It does wrap up neatly, as we get back to the prologue. Plus the end credits repeat the song + there's sequel-bait. And now I goes to shleep.

Obviously money behind this production for cintematography and CGI, but I wish they'd spread it around for more talented story tellers. Copyright is 2012. Depressing conservative rubbish.

At an abandoned asylum, a group of teens looking to party decide to experiment come face to face with the possessed. Their only chance of survival is to uncover the asylum's mysteries.

Director Marcus Nispel's Exter a.k.a The Asylum and Backmask is not as genre self aware as the Tucker and Dale Versus Evil. It is a humorous in places, scary and well scripted by Kirsten Elms. Nispel's offers his first film that isn't a remake or an adaptation with some slick direction and the story tries to put a new spin on old clichés. It's basically an updated take on the Evil Dead formula.

The makeup and special effects are finely executed with effective sound design delivering some jump scares. Elms's screenplay tries to ensure the characters are relevant and it's played straight by the majority of likable characters as they get possessed one by one.

It has a hard hitting opening where a record playing tattooed lady meets her maker. Then there's the typical drinking, drug taking and sex. A twisted head, suicide and levitation are all thrown in for good measure. The dilapidated asylum location and setting add some atmosphere and Stephen Lang's extended cameo gives it some further weight.

While not ground breaking, it's still an entertaining, big budget well paced piece of horror.

I was confused. I wasn't confused about the plot, although there were plot holes, but I was confused about whether this was supposed to be a serious horror or a comedy horror. Midway through the movie I decided that it was supposed to be a comedy horror and that sorta helped me watch it all. But it even sucked at being a comedy horror.

Some spaz-tastic stoner teens have a drug fest at an abandoned ward for children with mental disabilities and psychological problems. Before the party ends one of the wasted teens gets possessed. Everything that happens after that was a rip from one movie or another with the largest sample bite being from "The Exorcist".

The way it started I thought it was going to be a hardcore grungy and gritty horror film. In the end the only thing grungy and gritty was the location. There's plenty of bloodshed and demon activity with some laughs in there just to make it look like, "Hey, we're not serious with this." But the sad thing is; I think they did want to be serious. It ended up being a ridiculous movie with a ridiculous plot.

First, the good--I have to say, EXETER is a great-looking and well-made movie. The cinematography is top-notch, the directing is solid, and the acting is not great, but definitely passable. Unfortunately, the movie fails in something that is even more fundamental, which is finding and establishing a consistent tone/style/voice/vibe that works.

If this movie had had the balls to just be an outright comedy, I think it might have had a chance of really working. But by trying to cling to some kind of "real" horror story and attempting to mine real scares and genuinely disturbing moments from the material, it really loses its way.

By not firmly picking a lane between comedy and horror, the comedic moments in Exeter (which could have had promise) don't ever get a chance to really take off and the moments of dramatic life-and-death struggle just seem ridiculous. Rather than working together and potentially complimenting each other, the horror elements in EXETER only seem to undermine the comedy and the comedy makes the attempts at a serious horror story seem silly and ridiculous.

Some movies to a great job at balancing real laughs with real scares, but they seem to ultimately have a firm grasp on their tone and what kind of movie they're trying to be (a horror movie with comic relief vs. a comedy with some occasional horror and scares). Recent movies like HOUSEBOUND or BLOOD PUNCH are great examples of movies that pull off this tricky balancing act by establishing a tone and sticking to it, knowing exactly what kind of movies they are trying to be.

EXETER, unfortunately, never seems to quite find a tone that works for it. The result is a well- meaning but muddled movie that aspires to be both a horror and a comedy but ends up missing both targets completely.