Connect with us

Movies

[BD Review] ‘Dark House’ Is a Berserk Blend of Horror Tropes (In a Good Way)

Published

on

Jeepers Creepers director Victor Salva is back with another horror flick, and goddamn he throws A LOT of stuff into this one. Dark House is a whirlwind of twists, gore, and cliches all packaged up in a demented tale of rural carnage. Many of the bits and pieces of the narrative are familiar, but Salva puts these tropes to good use to shape his own brand of terror. Although it doesn’t always work, there are enough fun moments to make Dark House one to watch, especially thanks to its berserk second half.

The movie is longer than it needs to be by about 15 minutes because there is so freaking much going on. In particular, there are some hammy scenes of melodrama that don’t fit and make the dash to the finish line feel a little clumsy. These hiccups distract from the main narrative as well, which is absolutely bonkers and requires no side romance bullshit.

Nick Di Santo is a young, disturbed individual. He’s cursed with the power of premonition. If he touches someone, he can sometimes see their death. His mother is locked up in an asylum, which burns to the ground shortly after he visits her. She leaves Nick an old mansion, so he packs up two buddies and his pregnant girlfriend to go check it out. But first they have to find it.

The locals claim the house was destroyed in a flood years back, but there’s an urban legend about it still intact somewhere deep in the woods. As they’re looking for it, Nick and co. cross paths with a team of land surveyors who show them the way. Once they find the house, the movie unravels a barrage of well-worn horror material, including biblical demons, a creepy cellar, and the titular haunted house. There’s also Tobin Bell of Saw fame playing the creepy caretaker, who may or may not have Nick’s best intentions in mind.

While there’s a lot of familiar territory here, Dark House‘s story plays out in a way I didn’t see coming. When Salva makes this cliche cornucopia work, he makes it work really, really well. I especially dug the axe-wielding henchmen – they’re good for a few nightmares. At times the story is in danger of coming off the rails, but overall it’s a decent tale that’s certainly one of the most original haunted house films I’ve seen recently. Because right when I thought I had it figured out, Salva throws seven curve balls at once.

When the film pulls back from its horror core, it does stumble a bit. Like I mentioned earlier, there’s some melodrama thrown in that feels terribly forced. Those parts could’ve been shaved to create a tighter narrative. But overall Dark House is a fun horror romp that uses its many influences to create its own monster.

Cinedigm is releasing Dark House on VOD and home video on March 14.

Patrick writes stuff about stuff for Bloody and Collider. His fiction has appeared in ThugLit, Shotgun Honey, Flash Fiction Magazine, and your mother's will. He'll have a ginger ale, thanks.

Movies

SCREAMBOX Investigates UFOs and Extraterrestrials: Several Documentaries Streaming Right Now!

Published

on

As someone who is obsessed with UFOS (or more recently known as UAPs) and the concept of extraterrestrials, I love a good documentary. Sightings have been on the rise since the 1940s, with the atomic bomb seemingly acting as a catalyst for new visitors. But what are these UFOs/UAPs? Is there an explanation or are they simply beyond our explanation? Why are they here? Who are they? How much do our governments know? The questions are endless and so are the documentaries that attempt to uncover the secrets behind decades of sightings and alleged confrontations.

Whether you’re a seasoned viewer or new to the rabbit hole, there’s always a handful of interesting documentaries to get your neurons firing and leave you with sleepless nights. SCREAMBOX is investigating with the addition of several docs, all streaming now on the Bloody Disgusting-powered service. Here’s the breakdown:

Aliens (2021): Beam into this unidentified streaming documentary for a glimpse into Extraterrestrial life. Aliens are hypothetical life forms that may occur outside Earth or that did not originate on Earth.

Aliens Uncovered: Origins (2021): Before Area 51, hidden deep in the desert, the military discovered a hidden gem that helped them create Project Bluebook.

Aliens Uncovered: ET or Man-Made (2022): The crash of Roswell wasn’t meant for New Mexico. In 1947, a neighboring state had 3 major sightings that were swept under the rug.

Aliens Uncovered: The Golden Record (2023): In the late 70s, the US government launched a message to our distant neighbors.

Roswell (2021): This high-flying documentary examines the July 1947 crash of a United States Army Air Forces balloon at a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Theories claim the crash was actually that of a flying saucer, but what is the truth?

Also check out:

The British UFO Files (2004): Since the 1940’s the British Government has been investigating the Flying Saucer phenomenon. High-ranking military and government personnel, speak out for the first time, offering unique eyewitness accounts and inside information.

Alien Abductions and Paranormal Sightings (2016): Amazing Footage and stories from real people as they reveal their personal encounters of being abducted by Aliens.

And do not miss Hellier (2019): A crew of paranormal researchers find themselves in a dying coal town, where a series of strange coincidences lead them to a decades-old mystery.

These documentaries join SCREAMBOX’s growing library of unique horror content, including Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, Here for Blood, Terrifier 2, RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, The Outwaters, Living with Chucky, Project Wolf Hunting, and Pennywise: The Story of IT.

Start screaming now with SCREAMBOX on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Prime Video, Roku, YouTube TV, Samsung, Comcast, Cox, and Screambox.com.

Continue Reading