The Frightening

It's fine not great but fine. Is there really that many people out of high school that pay to see these movies because for me once I was out of high school I had no reason to remind myself about the stupidity that is centralized on people who are in the lucky sperm club born with money and good looks that immediately fade. I really only wanted to rip this one thing but was forced to type a certain number of words. So at what point was it in fashion for non strippers to wear the extreme fish net top and the what I can only guess is an environmental disaster in terms of making as well as a biodegradable nightmare in the form of pants. I know every generation has the combination of bad music/horrible hair/and clothing that you didn't realize at the time that some adult made with the sole purpose of embarrassing you like they were when they purchased parachute pants, wore a mullet which is turned into a skullet and they now design clothing with only one purpose - REVENGE. I'm guessing that the actor wearing this age specific tonsorial (thank my mom for the word of the day calendar for having to look that word up) nightmare coupled with a shirt repurposed from something to gather food has one purpose going to every garage sale he see's to find copy's of his shame and bury the physical embodiment of a combination of teenage angst and the mistaken belief that all attention is good attention. This movie is everything most of us hate about growing up and what better way to illustrate this accurately then have impossibly attractive 25 year olds wearing clothes that were utilitarian bedroom they were fashion. This did make me search for my swatch search and destroy all evidence of the time I started dread locks as a suburban white kid and my collection of useless single gloves.

Well written, well acted, well photographed, well directed but absolutely hideously edited horror film. Good editing should be invisible. It should never call attention to itself. The editing in THE FRIGHTENING makes the film unwatchable. There are these absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary flashes of white every two seconds. This makes watching THE FRIGHTENING about the same as experiencing Chinese water torture. What were they thinking? Brinke Stevens makes a nice cameo appearance, and the lead actor who plays her son is very good. I can't believe a director as accomplished as David DeCoteau would give his movie to an editor who made the film an unwatchable experience.

The eighteen years old Corey Peterson (Matt Twining) moves with his mother to a small town due a trauma in the past. On his first day at Hallows End High School, he is approached by the student also new arrival in town Mason (James Foley) that tells him about a death of a friend of him in the school and advises Corey to stay away from the wrestler Perry (Jack Carlisle III) and his gang. When two other students vanish, Corey decides to talk to Principal Rizcheck (Robert Donavan), who does not give any attention to him. Together with Mason, they investigate the secret about the school and disclose the dark truth about Hallows End and the missing students.

"The Frightening" has a good premise, but the screenplay and the edition are terrible. The story is flawed, but entertaining and watchable; however, the use of annoying noises and music score, and the successive cuts in many scenes are really irritating. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Grito de Pavor" ("Fright Scream")

David Decoteau does it once again. He makes a movie, full of beautiful, well sculpted men in their underwear, but for some reason, he refuses to make a film with an original idea or plot.

I had really been anticipating this film's release. The trailer looked interesting enough, and I thought maybe Decoteau had finally gotten it right. However, borrowing too much from other genre films, we are offered nothing new or original, even for a B-movie. The script really seems to want to go in a decent direction, but in true Matthew Jason Walsh fashion, the ending is rushed and makes no sense and does not tie in to the rest of the film. However, you can't blame him, (though I have before). He is only a writer for hire, and for this film had many restrictions placed on him by the Distrbutor's and Producer's of this film. Oh, well...

Newcomer, Matt Twining really did one of the best jobs in this film. His acting is pretty solid and was executed well. Tanya Dempsey wasn't in this enough to really critique her performance. Most of the other players were just there and did nothing for the film. Brinke Stevens was really upstaged by Twining in the scenes they were in together. Still, she is Brinke, and that is all we need to care about!

As for the ending, which is really what most will hate and rip apart. I really liked the back story of the school and the student being dead since 1925. Though it was vastly underdeveloped...I would like to see the orignal script or a more bigger one from Mr. Walsh. He really had an excellent idea that was turned into a Sixth Sense rip-off!

The editing of the film is by far its saving grace. Danny Draven does a superb job making this look like a psychodelic nightmare though the past and though another world, without really doing it! If that makes sense... Quick flash cuts really helped move the eerie pace the film really wanted to have...but really didn't for lack of story!

Overall I give this film a decent rating. It was worth watching, and for die-hard fans. Alot less homoerotic than previous films by Decoteau, but still enough male flesh to make those it is intended for, quiver with glee!

6 out of 10

the ending is decent but overall the movie is pretty bad. the acting is terrible except the lead guy is OK but mostly they are overacting. the cinematography is horrible during the scary scenes, it made me feel like i was going to have motion sickness and sometimes it looked like the editing was off. when they would cut from one character to the next, it did not line up right. and the gore is just too overdone, especially for how little slashing there is. i wasn't expecting much and that is basically what i got. i only watched it because i have a thing for scary movies but i definitely would not recommend it to someone and if someone asked me about it i would say watch it if you have nothing better to do.