Skeleton Crew

Skeleton Crew is definitely a weird movie. And I guess it's because I kept telling myself (and my friend) that this is going to be so bad, that I'm almost positively surprised. It was bad, but like with so many movies like this, it's kind of the point. If a movie like this would be made completely seriously and well, it wouldn't have any kind of charm, would just make you wonder if the writers are okay. When it's done with a tongue-in-cheek attitude, it's usually more entertaining.

Skeleton Crew plays with horror movie tropes in a fun, fourth wall breaking way, while being brutally violent and just... f###ed up. It's been hours since I saw the movie, and I'm still confused about... well, everything.

It's a bad movie, but I definitely had fun when watching it. So if you do watch it, make sure you watch it friends, because this is one of those movies where it's just sad when you watch it alone and can't really laugh about it at the same time.

I am not a movie critic just a normal person that likes good movies. This movie is really really bad, the acting is bad the plot is bad and also the story line. They tried to get people attention showing some nude scenes but even those scenes are bad. This movie it's about a Crew that is making a movie, about a crazy Doctor that torture and murder patients on a mental institution. The movie they shooting sucks apparently in real life; then the director goes nuts after finding some real films that were made by the actual doctor that kills all that people, then the movie director becomes a killer just like the dead crazy doctor and his crew becomes part of a new movie. It has some gore and bloody scenes but they are not really well done. Just don't waste your time watching this movie.

a man and a woman are in a car crash , and look to find help,, eventually they get to a "hospital" or so they think, it's really an old asylum , dark decrepit and full of mystery. once there I can't remember which but one of our characters get's helped by the doctor , while the other isn't seen for awhile. after some time goes by, our victim realizes what is happening but it's all to late, the whole staff is in on it... but what our 2 characters don't get yet is that it's a movie being filmed by the staff, they are acting filming and directing a movie of their own, based on some supposedly real life going on at the Sanatarium many years before hand, where there was a doctor that went absolutely mad. if this isn't bad enough,, our director goes into this one room and find some secret footage from the vault, and sees the doctor performing weird surgeries and the like,, and he slowly is transformed into the afformention mad doctor,, I liked the movie it wasn't near as bad as people make it out to be,, it's good campy horror at it's best for a direct to video production.

1) Get a million dollars 2) Assemble a cast and crew 3) Rewrite a script. Repeat. Repeat again 4) Procure some film/video and lighting equipment 5) Locate a current/old or abandoned asylum 6) Make movie 7) Read reviews on IMDb 8) Try again

This movie would have worked much better if the video makers went deep into XXX territory. One reviewer suggested a spoof. Hmmmm. Maybe. Anyone agree? Makes more sense that way. And there were hints of spoofdom...but spoofs are hard to pull off. The Naked Gun series and Scary Movie series were very funny movies.

But then they had lots of talent too.

NIGHT: INSIDE ASYLUM

The Director is watching a "found" snuff film from former denizens of the asylum. He becomes what he beholds. Shouldn't an alert siren go off with the klangon bells like on a destroyer, signaling "battle stations".

I think Skeleton Crew is best labeled as an OK B movie, get for drive-ins where you can make out during the movie. Or, was this totally tongue in cheek. Has anyone talked with the director. No special features....which would reveal his intent. This would have helped.

There are plenty of old,decayed, abandoned asylums everywhere and aspiring filmmakers. I am sure we will see many more ASYLUM films.

UPDATE: I did some thinking and decided it is a SPOOF. Why? Everyone seems to be doing a tongue in cheek performance. And at the end of the credits a guy makes a satirical comment. The director is over the top. Europeans love to dish back our own culture to us. And they often do it in a very subtle manner. And the "found" films try to one up our version of horror films. That's why there is confusion for us on this movie.

Did anyone catch the reference to Michael Powell's PEEPING TOM. One crew member gets skewered by a huge spear at the end of a camera, which films his agony. In PEEPING TOM, the killer does the same thing and uses a tripod with a mirror attached. I think it is all a spoof on several films, including the stormy weather and accident that propels them to the asylum (this has been done many times). So if you look at as a spoof with European sensibilities and as a B movie, it is OK. I may even rent it again, as I ony paid 25 cents for rental due to a special.

I actually quite enjoyed this little flick. Then again, I rarely go in to any film with expectations. Tonight, all I wanted to was low budget horror. This turned out to be right up my alley.

• cheesy overdone acting (but not so bad that it wasn't at least convincing)
• horror story with at least a little gore
• low budget
• pro equipment
• standard horror tropes (sex, killing, blood & gore)

While I enjoy low budget horror, I have a hard time with anything that looks like it was shot on an iPhone or a home camcorder. Not that I won't watch them, but I prefer tighter looking camera work with the 35mm grain.

All of the above is true. This is not a masterpiece, but I enjoyed the story- unique, and different than I expected, especially the ending - as well as the fx, which were not top notch but were adequate. The direction was fine, as well as the post production. One thing I noticed in many of the reviews was a lack of understanding.

***THIS MOVIE IS MEANT TO NOT BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. DON'T QUESTION IT!***

So many bad reviews, saying "that couldn't happen...that's the stupidest thing I've ever seen...no way it would go like that." It's not meant as a fully serious film, especially since the script has so many subtle nods to other b-class horror movies and directors. Don't question why...don't look at the holes in the story...don't do anything other than sit there with your choice of adult treats and enjoy.

Personally, I wish it had been more gory, but that's just me. They could have really souped this up and easily gotten away with it, but whatever.

It's worth a watch, for sure, especially if you have Amazon Prime. It's free.