Wake

... then you shouldn't be disappointed.

A young couple in a hotel out in the desert somewhere close to LA. The Hotel office guy acts strangely, and so do all the other people the couple, mainly the guy, will meet during that night. Up to here it is an absolute cliché but this leads the viewer into the wrong direction.

Things are getting stranger and stranger but instead of hysterically screaming girls and bloody massacres, suspense keeps steadily up by clues to the reason why this is happening. But of course there is also a little screaming and blood. Even though this movie leads into a rather parallel World it is pretty reasonable.

So people who are able to find a movie mysterious enough without too much blood and bones, but rather by a good and also surprising story and characters should have a good one and a half hour with this one.

Wow, I just finished watching this and I cannot frigg'n believe that people only have rated it an average of 4.8. Geez... What the HELL do people wanna see these days anyway, I mean REALLY! I've commented on a few other Indie films recently where I felt they were rated way too low, but the average rating this one has REALLY burns my butt.

Okay, maybe the story is not completely original; and maybe people may be put off by the VERY MILD spiritual overtones. BUT... and it is a BIG BUT like Mariah Carey's... the film was very well directed and written, and it is one of the rare cases where it is acted even better. The main dude Josh was like a younger, milder version of Sean Pen; the guy was COOL personified. And the Black Dude, MAN! I don't know where they found him, but he was bloody PERFECT! The acting alone was so well done and blessedly NOT over the top or overdone in ANY way what so ever, that that alone merits a 7 or more. That is EXTREMELY rare these days; usually, the acting is one of THE worst parts of these kinds of films.

In my lowly and wretched opinion, many of these other Indie Horror films can be a bit rough and are DEEPLY into 'B' territory, but THIS baby here frigg'n ROCKED with much better quality than usual. I have to say that this is one particular case where I am truly disgusted with what people have rated this film; it really almost makes me lose total hope for the taste of the movie going / watching public. I'm not gonna add snide comments about how mindless people are who have rated this low or how horrible their taste is, etc., etc., like you usually hear all the time in cases like this. No... But, I WILL say that PLEASE remember that the purpose for reviewing and rating films here is NOT just to trash these films because of our individual little petty and pissy likes and dislikes. NO... The primary reason why I come here myself is to get an HONEST and OBJECTIVE view of the Quality of the film itself REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU COMPLETELY LIKED IT OR NOT. Man, it's like if a movie doesn't just make you explode in your pants, you're gonna give it a crap rating (of course, if a movie DOES indeed make you explode in your pants, that probably would merit a '10' : )

Let's remember here people that sometimes we may not personally like a film for one reason or another, but if it is well made and of high quality, it would really be appreciated if ones would temper their ratings and reviews and try to be a little more OBJECTIVE and include that information for those of us who just MIGHT damn well appreciate a movie that is well done like this, despite the fact that YOU didn't like it...

THAT is precisely why we come here...

BENEATH THE DARK is a b-series mystery thriller that doesn't bring much novelties to the genre. It's an average movie, effective to create suspense and mystery, but it completely falls in all type of clichés! I knew from the beginning what kind of plot I would have, and many of the plot disclosures are predictable, but what I disliked the most was that pseudo morality about "sins which instigate other sins" (nice people die too if you know what I mean!); beside that it's an OK movie in its type. The acting could also be a little better, but it's not bad though. The setting is good, in spite of being one of the main clichés… I scored it 6/10, probably just because I'm fan of this type of cinema (mystery thrillers).

So, this morning I watched the 2010 Chad Feehan as writer / director film, Beneath the Dark. The synopsis sounded good, but I tried it mostly because Jamie-Lynn Sigler beneath(Sopranos, Guys With Kids) was in it. The film also stars, Josh Stewart, who has been in a number of good films and TV shows as well.

Okay. The basic idea is that Paul (Stewart) and Adrienne (Sigler) are headed to a wedding. A guy from Paul's college frat is tying the knot. Growing weary on the way, and a little frisky, Paul runs the vehicle of the road. It's decided they will not push it and land a hotel room for the night.

The Roy Hotel is run by Frank (Chris Browning). He's a step-and-a-half above Anthony Perkins on a creepy-meter, and the hotel is slightly more modern than the Bates Motel. Once tucked away in a room, Adrienne is still frisky (and while there is no nudity, it is quite hot), only Paul has too much on his mind and cannot perform. Frustrated he heads to the connected diner for coffee where he meets a Man (Afemo Omilami) who claims to be the Son of God.

The Man certainly knows a lot about Paul, and Paul's soiled past, and aside from conversation, he tries to have Paul answer some simple questions . . . What Do You Believe In?

I can't forget Frank's wife, Sandy (Angela Featherstone). She is not a happy woman. Sandy stalks the bars looking for company. Isn't hard for her to find what she wants. Not bra-less in a thin white tank-top. She shows up here and there. (And is quite sensual in a barfly kind of way). Seems her sole (or soul) purpose is to torment the loser-ness of her husband.

There is always homemade cherry pie and fresh coffee. There is a jukebox–while outdated with its selection–that is always ready to play.

Beneath the Dark is nothing new. Sadly, I knew the end of the story at the very beginning of the movie. There have been a flood of "identical" big-screen and direct to DVD films with the same ending over the last four years. I could name them. But if you see one — then I have ruined the ending for the rest. I hate that. Hate it. Because the story was as solid as the acting. Both I enjoyed. The dialogue was crisp enough. The filming was simple but effective.

If I were to assume you saw none of the other films with the same ending — then this is an excellent movie. If not, then this is a mediocre film. Since the Beneath the Dark is from 2010 — and we are on the cusp of 2014, I am going to assume the ladder and for that, give the movie 5 out of 10 Stars.

Zombie Author Phillip Tomasso

http://www.philliptomasso.com

It starts out the old cliché of a couple driving in the middle of no where. Of course something happens and they have to stay in a creepy hotel. Nothing original here even the big twist at the end is just sad you see it coming. The movie is not boring and you get to feel for the character Frank (played by Chris Browning). The only good thing about this title is that it doesn't try to be this big suspenseful movie it knows it is a B movie. But besides that there really is nothing good about this film. I can just know of so many better movies to see besides this, because this is just one big cliché in a 1 hr 42 min movie.