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When compared to modern studio horror offerings, which often miss the point of the films they were inspired by, Jacob Ennis has encapsulated the exploitation films that inspires him perfectly. Much like 1972's "Last House on the Left" or Al Adamson's "I Spit on Your Corpse" Ennis creates an all too real universe of white trash, brutal violence, and backwoods sensibilities. Of course this is often missed by reviewers who would say, "How dare you compare this to 'Last House'?", the same reviewers who idolize "Last House" not because they understand it but because they believe that by worshiping this film they are to be counted among "real" horror fans.

It is obvious when watching this film that Ennis understands what made "Last House" work. Ennis will only grow as a filmmaker. For those who understand "Stash" and why it has been embraced by G4, Fangoria, and independent horror fans, we will no doubt see great things from Ennis in the future.

If you're expecting the same PG-13, sanitized, studio crap that's being released en masse by Hollywood or the supposedly "shocking" horror of Eli Roth films, then you're likely to be disappointed by Ennis' outstanding throwback to an age when exploitation was not a trend to be embraced by "wanna be" horror fans but by those who "got it" and those who understand that low budget cinema is far more true an art form than what a studio film can provide.

The horror genre in general tends to be cyclical in nature. For the last few years I, for one, have been waiting with baited breath to see who will be the next Craven, the next Carpenter, the next Romero or Hooper. Who will bring the next wave of horror to this generation? The answer can easily be found in 13 Seconds, the first full-length feature video release by Jeff Thomas.

The story, which seems secondary until the end, revolves around 'Night Gallery', a rock band, who makes the poor decision to record in an abandoned private school. Before we even get a chance to question the character's logic the movie keeps rolling into a miasma of disembodied voices, bizarre shadows roaming the hallway, and other gruesome surprises. The plot continues to move along at a pace where by the time we think we've figured out what is going on something new is thrown at us at a nightmarish, disjointed pace. Sure, the plot contains a few inconsistencies but by the time we've noticed them we're moving along to the next nasty surprise. By the time the credits roll the plot has wrapped itself up into a nice, tight, unusually satisfying finale that does what few modern mainstream efforts force us to do: Think. During those final credits I sat stunned knowing that I had seen the beginning of the next wave of modern horror.

That being said, this film isn't perfect. The acting does tend toward the wooden side. At times when I would have been s***ting my pants, crying like a little girl, and creating a large Reaper sized hole in the brick wall the characters tend to accept their fate in a surprisingly calm manner. But that's easy to forgive when you're immersed in an authentically creepy world filled with fog, shadows, and a lot of, lot of, lot of blood being splattered against the walls, dripping on the floor, and pouring out of the more unfortunate characters. In fact, if the acting is wooden the photography is absolutely double jointed.

Director and star Jeff Thomas knows what he wants to see and I loved it! The atmosphere is perfect and each shot is like viewing a gallery of grande guingol artwork piece by piece. At worst the shots are interesting and at best they are absolutely terrifying. From a technical standpoint 13 Seconds delivers in a way not seen since the heyday of Mario Bava. The light and art design is secondary to the way that Thomas utilizes those devices in a way that caresses every separate frame creating some of the creepiest imagery ever captured on film. Every scene is shot in a way that enraptures the audience and dares them to look away from the screen.

A film like 13 Seconds has been a long time coming as the nostalgia for the films of twenty years ago spring forth a new generation of horror. When asking whom the next John Carpenter is, the next West Craven is, the next George Romero is I honestly cannot answer. However, ask me who the next great horror filmmaker will be and I will, without hesitation answer Jeff Thomas. While Freddy brings the laughs, Jason brings the muscle, and Leatherface brings the intensity, there is a young director out there who will bring the nightmares for many more years to come. 13 Seconds is brilliant, beautiful, and mindblowing. Welcome to the new age of horror!

Freddy Vs. Jason

Okay, I'm sure anybody who has paid any attention to my previous reviews saw this review coming. Ever since 1981 the name of Jason Voorhees has been iconoclastic in the pop culture world; in 1984 another boogeyman joined the fray by giving us nightmares not to be believed. Freddy Krueger has also long been part of our cultural consciousness. In 1993 a teaser ending in the ninth Friday the 13th film let America know that these two would eventually come face to face. After ten years horror fans came face to face with two of the most recognizable personas in film history and the result is a horror fans dream. The film begins with Freddy's trademark wisecracking narration giving his backstory while setting us up for the plot of this film. The audience is then transported to modern day Elm St. where Freddy has, through dreams, resurrected Jason from his grave to kill and remind Elm St. of the boogeyman they have long tried to forget. As the townspeople begin to fear that Freddy has come back the gloved one becomes more and more powerful, primed for a comeback. Here we meet some stock teen characters that we are sure are only cannon fodder as Jason and Freddy leave a trail of bodies that the other entries in the film cannot compete with. As Jason continues being a one man wrecking machine Freddy becomes jealous and the inevitable showdown slowly begins. That's pretty much the story. There's a little more to it but by the end of the film you won't really care. Here's what you'll care about: Freddy and Jason beat each other up beyond the point of death and the fight is like none other. Yes, there are regular humans that tip the scales in favor of one or the other but by that point it really doesn't matter.

The direction by Ronny Yu (Bride of Chucky) is phenomenal. His method of directing is cutting edge while never eschewing the old tricks that fans have grown to love. The acting is serviceable with several of the modern young actors filling the parts of victims; this includes Jason Ritter (son of John), Katharine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps, Insomnia), and Kelly Rowland from Destiny's Child. But the two we really care about is Robert England as Freddy and Ken Kirzinger as Jason. England doesn't let us down as he steps into a character he knows well; Freddy is back but this time is a little more malicious, a little more evil than we've seen him before. Ken Kirzinger, donning the hockey mask for the first time, is a force to be reckoned with. After taking over the part from Kane Hodder (F13 7,8,9,10) Kirzinger makes fans realize that Jason is worthy of someone who understands the character. While it may seem that Jason is only a mindless, zombie killing machine Kirzinger brings new dimensions to a character whose story has oft been told. Both of them remind horror fans of what drew them to the genre in the first place. The screenplay, when dealing with the teen characters is the usual teen banter but the story brings both backstories to life in a way that audiences have rarely seen. By the middle of the film it becomes clear as to who the real villain of the film is and it's just a matter of who to cheer for in the final moments. I'm usually pretty tough on movies; I'm a hard man to please, so Freddy Vs. Jason not only met my expectations but exceeded them exquisitely. This film has everything we've come to expect but bigger, better, and bloodier than it's ever been before.