Siren

I am a horror fan but have been disappointed lately with all the retold stories out there. When I saw this movie on redbox I checked IMD and read the first review. When I read demon girl from VHS I was sold. I really enjoyed that episode so I headed off to the box and I am glad I did. Really I think this is a prequel to the VHS story. I thought the acting was good and special effects. I like how it brought out a sense of endless nightmare, like those dreams you can't wake up from. These folks have stepped in it and there's no going home for you Dorothy. But seriously, I would recommend this movie to anyone, horror buff or not. Good times to the end.

Fantastic work ethic and detail went into this movie. Disturbing isn't quite the word the creature who in a way stalks the lead because she likes him. He freed her from some sort of cult supernatural club. Okay some of the acting is lacklustre the editing does your head in, the horror was more sex gone wrong and gore, although surely a film to jumpy and weird enough for a an okay score.

Siren is a spin off from the VHS films, which of course mixes up a variety of horror tales, in new and amusing ways.

There's bloody bucket loads of black humour on offer here, alongside a few "sort of" creepy zany scares all bundled up with a weird tale of unrequited monster love. Its a good mix that's calculatedly camp and, in my view, all the better for it.

As you might expect, given this flicks VHS pedigree, there's a lot of mixing of familiar horror themes and a few moments that feel like tributes to other horror film's. Most notably and without giving too much away, this films ending is somewhat reminiscent of the closing scenes in the first Jeepers Creepers film.

If you like your horror a little "way out" and "off beat" Siren is definitely worth a look. Seven out of ten from me.

20 May 2017. Siren is one of those horror movies that might have been better, but really how could it? Too often other movies become so simplistically, stereotypical. The PBS television movie Dracula (1997) had similar polished authentic focus. Here the Siren is depicted quite well considering, without either the romanticized nor the glorified monster portrayal. Like in the Keanu Reeve's cult horror Constantine (2005) or perhaps even more like the more recent depictions of eerie characters like Anya Taylor-Joy's Morgan (2016) or Scarlett Johansson's Under the Skin (2013). In the lower budget tradition of Stanley Kubrick's last movie classic Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Siren really wasn't so much scary as it is absurdist horror with a more human inhuman twist. So really this movie while it isn't superb and a great classic, it is a solid horror movie that stands out from most other for its creepy factor, its more all American plot outline, and its more somber rather than typical gross out ending.

As a fan of the first V/H/S, particularly the segment upon which this film is based, Amateur Night, this prequel-sequel does not do the series justice. What made the first film great was the romantic element, you just couldn't help but fall in love with Lily. She was the cute, quiet, shy girl who "likes you." (Of course, with quite the dark secret, but that's part of the appeal to us sick ones.) This film rushes every encounter with Lily, and does next to nothing when it comes to expanding any sort of story surrounding her. Not to mention, she seemed to change from a succubus to a siren somewhere in between these two films.

I will concede, however, that SiREN does add some interesting details. Take Mr. Nyx, for example. A "man" that appears not to age and owns a supernatural strip club? Again, my gripe is that the film did not expand much on the details. You're just expected to run with it, "A supernatural strip club with cult-like outfits and memory leech drinks? Of coooouuurrrse!"

In summation, if the film had focused just a tad more on the details, fleshed out the story a bit, amped up or added more romance/sexy demon scenes, this movie would've been exactly what the fans wanted. Damn shame it wasn't.