Sheltered

Difficult to rate this one. It has all the elements of a good horror movie, but the flow wasn't good for some reason. Also, a lot wasn't explained. I don't like slashers, but the mix with the supernatural was good. I wish more were brought out with the lead girl's role as far as her ability to see things, which seemed to connect the diabolical and charming bartender. If it didn't show promise, it would get a 4 from me. If it were refined, I can see it going much higher than a 5. Please keep in mind that I know almost nothing about making movies or being a critic, I'm just one person who's opinionated.

Mister Rogers.

That's it, really. He's sweet and charming - except when he turns psychotic every half hour or so.

And he does resemble Fred Rogers - at least in his haircut and in his little smile.

Good Lord, I'm being told that my "review" is too short. What an asinine rule. Okay, then, let's fill it up until the robot is happy - Joey looks like Mister Rogers. No, really - he really does. I thought it was Mister Rogers acting in this movie. Honest, I really did. I just couldn't believe Mister Rogers was so buff. But his haircut is pretty unmistakable. No cardigans, though. I guess that's - enough characters typed. Bye.

The story and the coincidences may have been a bit too contrived but the actors pulled every bit of good out of the script. Everybody knows within the first 15 minutes how it was going to roll, but the acting kept you engaged. Gerald Downey's ability to turn from pleasant young man to psycho murderer was quite well done as was his portrayal of OCD. Mandel Hudec always angry still pulled it off at the end. Worth watching at least once as a guilty pleasure. The women (Stacia Crawford, Tricia Small, Allison Dunbar, Heather Loschiavo) played some great characters also, more mature but just as horny as your typical teenage thriller.

The acting, story and directing are all bad. The plot is easy enough to follow but many of the characters actions make no sense. This move is bad on every level and a complete waste of time.

RELEASED IN 2010 (with a 2006 Copyright) and directed by Josh Stoddard, "Sheltered" is a micro-budget slasher about a group of 20-somethings who seek shelter at a stranger's house during a hurricane, but there's something 'off' about the host and, even more, his brother. Will they survive the night?

If you want to see a multi-million dollar horror film, stay clear. If you wanna see a well-made independent flick made on nickels & dimes check out "Sheltered." The acting and script are surprisingly adept. Gerald Downey & Manoel Hudec standout as the courteous host and his little brother, Joey and Billy, while Stacia Crawford is effective as the main protagonist, Jen. Heather Loschiavo is on hand as an oversexed junkie, Christie.

One of the other actresses, Tricia Small (Denise), wrote and performed several of the cuts on the soundtrack, along with Dee Rock. One of them is a moving acoustic piece, "Salvation Day," that plays at the 47:12 mark and it's spectacular, even worth the price of admission. The editing during this sequence is artistic and all-around superb. The end credits song, "I Wanna Go Home," is also worth noting.

You'll notice the TV movie quality of the photography right off the bat but, other than that, the filmmaking is quite professional with imaginative flourishes. Stoddard effectively creates an ambiance of eeriness somehow mixed with beauty and even reverence, which can be observed in the climactic scene of one of the characters standing in the rain with their hands held out to the sky, as if they desperately need cleansed and perhaps re-awoken. It smacks of real life.

I appreciate well-done spare change budget indie flicks like this because you'll never get what they can offer from mainstream cinema. They provide a unique experience.

THE FILM RUNS 83 minutes and was shot in Glendale, Southern California.

GRADE: B