The Dark Lurking

Come on Aussie film maker guys, genre film makers in Australia are getting closer by the day. this is another one that almost got there, just like Gabriel. first off i found out how much the real budget for this film is and it sure as hell was a lot less than $1mil and that's why this movie deserves a good pat on the back. like Gabriel, this movie looks great.(its a bit dark in some places but its a dark aliens movie so i'm not gonna carry on too much about that) Unlike Gabriel this movie knows how to blow stuff up and splatter the screen with alien slime. Big time! There's my big gripe though and this is where the movie falls down. It should have embraced that and had even MORE than what it had. there's probably 40 minutes of wasted screen time trying to slightly differentiate itself from Cameron's "Aliens". But it didn't need to is what i'm saying. People get that its borrowing heavily from aliens but so what its an exploitation film and aliens was 25 years ago man, let it go. there's a 2 minute action scene on you tube floating around that kicks ass, and that's what i'm saying: the whole movie should have been this, and there is a lot more of this in the film to be sure, hell yes. but...it half is half isn't still. Its like they thought they'd get in trouble for just going nuts. If the movie really cost what they say it did it would have been, i'm sure! Somebody buy this movie so these guys can get a budget and make that exploitation movie that you know they're dying to do. but a 5 will do for now, to me 5 gets you in the green zone and is a good movie. hopefully the next movie is an awesome 7.

Yeah i just got a look at it. Very cheeky, i know but there is some REALLY good gore and lots of action. The last 25 minutes is fast. Has that typical Alien feel but thats a good thing IMO. Its not Alien, not even close but its a start. Better than a lot of other trash like AVP (i know someone will have a problem with me saying that) but its got no budget and holds up to something like a bigger budget. In a lot of ways i wish it had a bigger budget so we could see more monsters and more spaceships, was cool to see models being used btw. I give it a 6 for being better than it should. Hope the DVD has some special features when it comes out.

First when I saw it in the movie store I was like "Wow, a new Alien vs. (something random) movie, just have to see it". Then when I started it up and saw the really f***ed up filming I almost went to get my binoculars just so I could turn them around and be a bit further away from the screen. It's like the director wanted to catch every single drop of sweat that the actors left behind. To give you guys a slight idea on how close it was, it's the type of close you only let your girl get too.

That combined with awful acting, not one can say they did good on this movie, not really easy though when the camera is pushed right up in your face. Still no excuse.

I couldn't stand to watch more than 15 minutes, so if you don't want to waste as much time as I did, just don't watch it. If you do want to watch more than I did, embrace yourself, your eyes will start begging for mercy pretty quick.

This is another movie about experiments that go terribly wrong (Yep. Those craaazy scientists again!).

As a rule, Boloxxxi does not spoil (not knowingly, anyway). It is my every intention to continue this noble tradition. So I have to ask you this question: Would it spoil it for you to know what sort of experiments these afore mentioned crazo scientists were up to? ---If the answer is yes, then STOP RIGHT THERE!! Proceed to the next reviewer and God bless. However, if your answer is no, then forge on ahead good soldier and may God have mercy on your soul.

In an underground facility in outer space somewhere scientists, using human test subjects, perform UNGODLY experiments in order to bring back the "Fallen Angel", or less poetically, "The Devil". Some aspect of him anyway, using some ancient DNA from where he landed on his ass after God gave him the boot (I'm not making this up folks, it's in the movie!). Why the HELL would they want to do this, you ask? Beats the HELL out of me. I guess curiosity sometimes trumps good sense. Anyway, as might be expected, the human test subjects turn into horrible, toothsome monsters who see potato chips where they should see humans.

I actually liked this movie even though it was unoriginal, except for how the monsters are explained (the product of a fearless imagination, no doubt). As well, the acting, writing, and the general presentation was a bit amateurish. --But who cares? I thought it was suspenseful enough and the monsters ugly enough to hold my attention. I found myself rooting for the little horror film that could because I liked the people and the effort. Finally, if this movie were a meal, it would be fast-food. It's health benefits may be questionable, but it tastes good. So, again, who cares? Love, Boloxxxi.

Well, watching this movie isn't the greatest pleasure on earth, to put it mildly.

After the first half hour i began to regret the decision not to do something (anything!) else. The acting varied from terrible to mediocre. Although i have to say; Tonia Renee (as Lena) wasn't that bad. If the other actors were anywhere near her performance (which i would describe as adequate), then this movie could have been something worth watching.

Could have been. The story of 'The Dark Lurking' in a nutshell really. Or perhaps 'should have been' is what describes it best.

First, there should have been (done) proper casting. My first impression says it all: "did they cast the actors straight out of a local pub or what?". Poor doesn't begin to describe their performances. Especially Davyd Williams (as Canning) and Cassia Rosenstraus (as Jen) were absolutely horrifying. And not the good kind of horrifying. The kind one would expect to see in these sort of movies. No, this was horrifying as a synonym to terrible, abominable, dreadful, you name it. Overacting is the first term that springs to mind. Closely followed by: 'completely out of place', 'unrealistic' and 'plain stupid'.

Good thing it is a survival movie, meaning: people die. A blessing for the movie really.

The second 'there should have been' regards the choice of locations. Or the lack of it. How many times can you move around in freaking ventilation shafts and pretend it is a different one? Quite a lot, i know now. One or two rooms and a couple of meters of shaft, there's really not a lot more to see...

The third and final 'there should have been' is about the script. Which is weak. Especially the storytelling. The story is unfolded in about a minute time and doesn't explain too much. Far too little actually, even for an action flick/thriller. And maybe i missed it, but i never saw the aliens. Plenty of zombies around, but no aliens. Anyway, besides that; the overall quality of the script is (as i mentioned before) weak, bad even, although better actors would probably concealed most of it. Still, i expect much better for a million dollar budget movie.

Despite my previous critics, it wasn't all bad. It seemed like the movie makers came about halfway through to their senses (probably sobering up), making the movie more or less watchable. Not in the last part because of the 'removal' of the worst actors. The action was still kinda cliché, but acceptable and Tonia Renee definitely showed she deserves better. And the ending was - although not something i haven't seen before - quite surprising actually.

First part gets 1/10. Anything above that is just an insult for any self-respecting movie-maker out there. But the second part gets 5/10, because of a significant overall improvement. Still, the movie is substandard - to say the least - and is really nothing special. It's for most people one and an half hour of wasted time. I like post-apocalyptic movies, but i won't see this one again. Meaning to forget about it as soon as possible.

Verdict 3/10.