Dread

I haven't been very impressed by movies based on Barker's work as they tend to be on the silly side and so it is with some apprehension that I watched this low-budget flick, shot by a first time director and based off a short story by Clive Barker.

The movie starts in a pretty conventional fashion and along the way, the plot is fairly conventional but things do pick up. I like how director Anthony DiBlasi doesn't shy away from horrific scene yet doesn't feel the need to overly polish the gore and special effects. A lot of films this decade (one only has to think of the Saw series) have raised the bar to show in minute details of body mutilation in their glory. DiBlasi takes a middle of the road approach. Part of the gore is suggested and left in the shadows, part of it is shown.

This is obviously a film on a budget and corners were cut. The lead and supporting actors are doing their best but uneven from one scene to the next. The action scenes are done as well as DiBlasi probably could on a budget as a first timer too but you will have seen much better.

The main weakness in the movie is the implausibility that authorities are never involved. It just doesn't seem to make sense from a plot point of view and also seems weird from the characters' point of view as well. There is also a vague sense that you've seen all of this before, even though it is definitely its own story.

DiBlasi also wrote the screenplay for the movie and I wish someone else had given it another pass. Stronger characters and a few more story details might have covered the flaws in this movie but overall, it picks up very well in the second half and unlike most low-budget movies, I was not bored to death by this one but started to care more.

Worth a solid 5.

This movie was a real positive surprise. It felt both original and well done. Simply a real good movie to watch.

It's perhaps hard to place this movie in any particular genre. Psychological-horror would be the best way to describe this movie. It plays on the deep rooted fears of people but please don't expect from this movie to give you plenty of scare moments, or anything of that sort. It's not really an horror in the classic most common sense of the word. The drama plays an important part as well, which only strengthens the movie its psychological-horror aspects. In that regard alone this movie already works out as an original and interesting one.

But above all things, it's also a really well done film. It has a good build up and narrative, some fine actors and the movie has a good look over it as well. It's not a big budget movie that had a big cinematic release anywhere but you can't really tell that, judging by the movie its looks or just overall greatness. Actually hard to believe that this was the first ever movie for director Anthony DiBlasi, who was also rumored to direct the new Hellraiser movie for a while. He would had certainly been capable of it and he had worked with Clive Barker, the creator of the Hellraiser franchise, before, which was on this movie actually, that got based on a short story by Clive Barker. His approach of the horror and more serious story aspects, which he shows that he is capable off with this movie, would had been great for a new Hellraiser movie.

The movie has a story that steadily but slowly progresses. Yet the movie becomes never a boring or dragging one because it is capable of getting you involved with the characters and their stories. It's a real intriguing movie to watch and because it's being so original, you also can't really predict all the time what is going to happen next in it. No, not everything works convincing or works out as strong and effective as it could had but still this movie feels like a breath a fresh air and is perfectly watchable.

A nice, original, well done little film.

7/10

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"Dread" is a work that will remain in your mind for some time after watching the movie. The movie will make you feel sick in your stomach, just like "Saw" and "Hostel", but what separates "Dread" from other movies in the same genre is the level of intellectual incorporated into this movie. Yes, I am talking about intellectual that is very sick, but again, there is no limit to humans intellectual.

Cast wise, I don't know anyone. I have no idea whether they are small timers or novice at all, but all of them did a very good job. I have seen low budget independent movies starring actors who don't even know the basics of acting, just pretty faces. But "Dread" steers itself clear by its cast, which does a very good job.

The best thing(or rather, sick thing) about this movie is that even though it lacks the blood, gore and violence of "Saw" or "Hostel" or "Texas Chainsaw", you still feel sick by the events in the movie. Cause, "Dread" showcase human's limit, when faced with the thing they most fear, in a very naturalistic way. The dark setting throughout the movie greatly adds to the overall sordid atmosphere.

Overall, watch this movie. But one thing, it's not for faint hearted. Even though it's not a horror movie with creepy creatures and gore, it will disgust you for sure.

My Verdict: 7/10

While I disagree with your review, I respect your opinion. However, the last line you wrote makes no sense.

You wrote, "We all know already what humans can do to fellow human beings. We don't need to watch it over and over again." Why watch anything then? We all know humans fall in love, so why watch Romantic Comedies? We all know cops bust criminals, so why watch Action films? And Dramas are full of the things we all do as humans, so why watch those?

This film is a solid effort and one of the better Barker adaptations to date. It contains all of the elements of classic Clive; sex, revenge, desire and, of course, blood and bodily harm.

Keep those Books of Blood coming!

Taking a glance at the cover in the video store, I almost arrogantly assumed it would be a terrible slasher flick, due to it's title and the lack of pictures, and also due to the fact that it went out of it's way to mention that Jackson Rathbone, "Star of the Twilight Saga", was in this film. I felt a little uncomfortable until I glanced a bit longer and noticed that it was "From the mind of Clive Barker". But alas, this is a review of it's content and not it's cover.

I'm glad I did pick it up however because it turned out to be a decent psychological thriller, more so than it was a horror film. The characters are convincing, in particular Quaid, the protagonist bad guy, who we feel isn't all right from the very beginning of the film. I feel as if I was led to question whether the motives of Quaid were inherently bad or environmental, due to a childhood of significant psychological torment. When an audience is opened up to the possibility of these influences, immediately it changes from a horror film to an intellectual psychological thriller, that borders existential exploration of the human psyche. I couldn't help but feel as if some scenes of the film kind of reminded me of Fight Club, as Quaid attempted to groom Stephen in to his mode of thinking, but unlike Fight Club, this was unsuccessful and we saw the further polarisation of the characters involved in the college project from Quaid.

All in all, Dread is a film which won't cater to your grisly, sleazy gore driven desires, mostly due to the fact that a lot of the gore is paced out through the film and used tactically in order to keep it relative to the conceptual element of the film, and also to keep the suspense. For those who enjoy psychological thrillers, college sociopathic sadists and existentially driven plots, will enjoy Dread. Fans of Clive Barker can rest assured that Anthony DiBlasi has effectively captured Clive Barker's depiction of the story and doesn't buck to the sleazy needs of Hollywood gore and torture-without-reason films (Saw) and manages to effectively convey the terror, torment and disorientation of Dread.