Skeleton Crew

I fell prey to a decent trailer and intriguing plot line. Unfortunately, that's all it really had.

Bad acting, plot full of holes, and one of my biggest pet peeves: too many characters who look so much alike that it's hard to tell who's who, and not one of them is sympathetic enough to merit caring about.

The only thing it had going for it in my opinion, the gore effects and blood weren't half bad, which was surprising to me considering how bad the rest of the movie was.

Throw in gratuitous backside nudity that brought nothing to the plot, and a plot device that attempted to jump on the "Cabin in the Woods" bandwagon, and you've got a true mess of a movie.

I am not a movie critic just a normal person that likes good movies. This movie is really really bad, the acting is bad the plot is bad and also the story line. They tried to get people attention showing some nude scenes but even those scenes are bad. This movie it's about a Crew that is making a movie, about a crazy Doctor that torture and murder patients on a mental institution. The movie they shooting sucks apparently in real life; then the director goes nuts after finding some real films that were made by the actual doctor that kills all that people, then the movie director becomes a killer just like the dead crazy doctor and his crew becomes part of a new movie. It has some gore and bloody scenes but they are not really well done. Just don't waste your time watching this movie.

Found this very cheap at a convention so I was alert to see a really bad movie due the price. Luckily this wasn't that bad after all even as many people are tearing this down to the ground. I liked it but you must take it with a smile. Is it a real horror, yes and no.

A crew is out at an abandoned asylum to shoot a horror flick. But what they found in the basement are some films with snuff on it. The director is addicted to those flicks and when the shootings doesn't go that good after all he slowly changes into a mad director wanting to make a snuff. And when he finds an 8 mm camera he decides to kill his crew while shooting and making his own snuff.

I admit, it takes a while before things go wrong but the snuffs being watched is creepy and does show the horror. It's when the director goes out to kill that the real horror and gore comes in. It's a low budget flick and it shows here and there but overall when you don't take it all to serious it's a rather mediocre horror flick.

One to see while necking a brewskie with your friends, and you will all have your smiles but if you think to take this serious then you will hate it.

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

1) Get a million dollars 2) Assemble a cast and crew 3) Rewrite a script. Repeat. Repeat again 4) Procure some film/video and lighting equipment 5) Locate a current/old or abandoned asylum 6) Make movie 7) Read reviews on IMDb 8) Try again

This movie would have worked much better if the video makers went deep into XXX territory. One reviewer suggested a spoof. Hmmmm. Maybe. Anyone agree? Makes more sense that way. And there were hints of spoofdom...but spoofs are hard to pull off. The Naked Gun series and Scary Movie series were very funny movies.

But then they had lots of talent too.

NIGHT: INSIDE ASYLUM

The Director is watching a "found" snuff film from former denizens of the asylum. He becomes what he beholds. Shouldn't an alert siren go off with the klangon bells like on a destroyer, signaling "battle stations".

I think Skeleton Crew is best labeled as an OK B movie, get for drive-ins where you can make out during the movie. Or, was this totally tongue in cheek. Has anyone talked with the director. No special features....which would reveal his intent. This would have helped.

There are plenty of old,decayed, abandoned asylums everywhere and aspiring filmmakers. I am sure we will see many more ASYLUM films.

UPDATE: I did some thinking and decided it is a SPOOF. Why? Everyone seems to be doing a tongue in cheek performance. And at the end of the credits a guy makes a satirical comment. The director is over the top. Europeans love to dish back our own culture to us. And they often do it in a very subtle manner. And the "found" films try to one up our version of horror films. That's why there is confusion for us on this movie.

Did anyone catch the reference to Michael Powell's PEEPING TOM. One crew member gets skewered by a huge spear at the end of a camera, which films his agony. In PEEPING TOM, the killer does the same thing and uses a tripod with a mirror attached. I think it is all a spoof on several films, including the stormy weather and accident that propels them to the asylum (this has been done many times). So if you look at as a spoof with European sensibilities and as a B movie, it is OK. I may even rent it again, as I ony paid 25 cents for rental due to a special.

I actually quite enjoyed this little flick. Then again, I rarely go in to any film with expectations. Tonight, all I wanted to was low budget horror. This turned out to be right up my alley.

• cheesy overdone acting (but not so bad that it wasn't at least convincing)
• horror story with at least a little gore
• low budget
• pro equipment
• standard horror tropes (sex, killing, blood & gore)

While I enjoy low budget horror, I have a hard time with anything that looks like it was shot on an iPhone or a home camcorder. Not that I won't watch them, but I prefer tighter looking camera work with the 35mm grain.

All of the above is true. This is not a masterpiece, but I enjoyed the story- unique, and different than I expected, especially the ending - as well as the fx, which were not top notch but were adequate. The direction was fine, as well as the post production. One thing I noticed in many of the reviews was a lack of understanding.

***THIS MOVIE IS MEANT TO NOT BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. DON'T QUESTION IT!***

So many bad reviews, saying "that couldn't happen...that's the stupidest thing I've ever seen...no way it would go like that." It's not meant as a fully serious film, especially since the script has so many subtle nods to other b-class horror movies and directors. Don't question why...don't look at the holes in the story...don't do anything other than sit there with your choice of adult treats and enjoy.

Personally, I wish it had been more gory, but that's just me. They could have really souped this up and easily gotten away with it, but whatever.

It's worth a watch, for sure, especially if you have Amazon Prime. It's free.