Les Portes de l'enfer: La légende de Stull

The film's faults are clear in other reviews. Slow-to-no-action pacing with major plot-points left unexplained. Why didn't they start with the legend of Stull, Kansas? Surely one of the kids would have done what I'll have to do - Google the place to find out... With limited character development, piddling special effects, and few decent scares, the film squanders an interesting premise. There's one good aspect which led me to give it a kind 5 rating: Ethan Peck (Gregory Peck's grandson with grandpa's macho steely manner) and the two gals, Rebekah Brandes and Jennifer Stone - 28, 29, and 21 at filming thus pseudo-teens - are attractive young folk. Let's wish them better luck in their future flicks.

It's quite rare I can't find anything at least partly entertaining from a horror movie, this one is one of the rare exceptions that confirms the rule. I've seen tons of "indie" horror movies that were made with only bits of the budget of that movie, that could at least make me feel entertained. Very disappointing.

The acting is painfully bad, the story doesn't tie together with it's holes filled plot, the image is grainy and poor and as if it wasn't enough, the CGIs are so lame it makes it that much more painful to watch. Even the few attempts at cheap scares don't even work! There are so many goofs that made it through the editing, I believe the poor soul that had to do it probably fell asleep.

I had a hard time staying awake as the whole movie was so boring.

Love yourselves and don't waste time watching this poor movie.

I'll give this one a solid 5, the effects were nice, the acting, overall, with a few exceptions, good, but it never reaches up to the promise of a horror, cause that's what it's trying to be.

So, a few words about Nothing left to fear: the story, again, not the most original, used quite often, but won't disappoint tho. They managed to show it somehow different, good, more natural if you may. Problems begin when "clichée" makes its appearance. The always and eternal, "why does he do that?" , "how come he doesn't know better?" and many other sarcastic questions, cause in the end, you're watching a horror, and sadly this is what horror has come down to lately.

Would I recommend it? Not really, actually no, you won't get spooked, you won't be too drawn into the story, nor into the characters, it's just a movie that they wanted to make, with nothing to prove.

So, where would I point you then: Sinister, The reaping, The ruins; one is with a family that moves in a new town, the other with religious things and the last with odd habits.

Enjoy!

Another typical Hollywood horror B-movie. This one riffs on the likes of CHILDREN OF THE CORN and THE WICKER MAN in the tale of a small town hiding a dark secret. A new and boring family move into the community, where they're soon assailed by mysterious events and characters harbouring dark secrets.

It's a long-winded and slow-paced story and one that doesn't offer up a whole lot of interest, it has to be said. NOTHING LEFT TO FEAR actually does better when focusing on the non-horror elements like characterisation and character interaction and falls down when it comes to the cheesy horror scenes, augmented with CGI ghostly faces as they are. It also relies too much on jump scares and clichéd, derivative moments for effect when really it should be offering something new.

The cast aren't too bad, although they are given little enough to work with. Anne Heche is unrecognisable from her early Hollywood roles in the likes of SIX DAYS, SEVEN NIGHTS; she plays the suburban mother here. Rebekah Brandes isn't too bad either, although as with Alexandra Daddario in Texas CHAINSAW 3D, she's given little to do other than wander around in a skin-tight t-shirt. Clancy Brown is the best thing in it, but he doesn't have enough screen time.

Pastor Dan and his family relocate to the a small town in the Midwest for his new job. His daughter Becky, upon arrival, begins having horrific nightmares. These night terrors provide the audience with a bit of horror until the main plot actually begins to unravel. By the time the mystery is revealed, you'll be scratching your head and wondering what just happened.

Pros: The acting was decent and the budget was right. We also have the nightmares, which are creative and foreshadow the story, without giving it away too much.

Cons: The creature in the movie was CGI and looked cheap. Also the plot did failed to explain why the town was accursed to begin with.

I give it 6.5 out of ten. For a similar movie that was made right, I recommend The Shrine.