Josie Maran Movie:

		List Price: $104.86		Label: Lionsgate Salesrank: 53173 Released: March 27, 2007
		Our Price: $63.83
		Used Price: $42.74
		MPAA Rating: R (Restricted) Media: DVD

Editorial Review:
No Description Available.
Genre: Horror
Rating: UN
Release Date: 8-JAN-2008
Media Type: DVD

After Dark Horrorfest Films to Die For (Unrest / Reincarnation / The Gravedancers / The Hamiltons / Wicked Little Things / Dark Ride / Penny Dreadful) Reviews:
Not quite what I had hoped for
2009-03-25 - I remember seeing previews for these movies when they were being shown at movie theaters and they looked pretty good. I know they wouldn't be the best quality films, but I had seen one on TV and it was decent, so I didn't expect a problem from buying these 7.

First of all, I was bummed that they didn't give you all 8. Why did you have to leave out that last movie? Was it really that much of a problem? That issue aside, these were mostly pretty lame movies. The story lines were interesting, but most of the actors ruined it. I can deal with cheesy low budget effects, but if you have that AND poor acting then there's no hope.

I didn't find a single one of these films "To Die For". Not even a single moment of any of them was scary. Maybe next time they'll have higher budgets.

Christmas present for daughter
2008-12-29 - My daughter loves this! Ordered at a great price & received by the estimated date. She wasn't expecting the whole season, but I couldn't resist considering the price was better than I had expected. Packaging kept the set in perfect condition.

they suck
2007-12-26 - I will be honest i could not wait for these movies. Ive been a horror movie fan sense i was a kid & i can get into some pretty weird movies but these really suck . I mean i didnt think any were good not even the one that took so long to come out. Please do not waste money or time dont even rent. In fact if i ever run arcoss the people who came up with this idea i would love to jump kick them in the throat. thanks and beware!

Some good, some bad, one GREAT...
2007-08-25 - These films were recently available for viewing on FearNet and other cable outlets (with the exception of "Dark Ride," which I had to rent)...so it was easy--and free--to check them out prior to buying. I've seen all seven of the films featured in this set, and I'm actually somewhat impressed (with notable exceptions).

"Dark Ride" is a throwback to the wonderful slasher films of the 70's and 80's, and is virtually a remake of Tobe Hooper's 1981 film "Funhouse." I say these films were "wonderful" because, at the time, they were not only frightening but also fresh and, in some instances, groundbreaking. There is nothing fresh about this entry in the series, though "Dark Ride" does feature some really gnarly scenes of gore and a great opening sequence. There are no real surprises here, however, and I'd recommend this as more of an homage to the aforementioned slasher pics, and mainly for fans of those films only.

"Gravedancers" caught my attention immediately and never let go--even managing to actually creep me out a few times--I liked it a lot. The lead actor is completely miscast, but otherwise this is certainly one of the better efforts in this collection.

"The Hamiltons" is the obligatory tip-of-the-hat to the torture porn genre, generally awful films which are more sickening than actually frightening, managing to both revolt AND bore in equal measure. This flips that sub-genre and manages to come up with thematic material which seems both classic and fresh. Though not my favorite, it's still much better than so much of the junk actually getting released theatrically these days.

"Penny Dreadful" is simply one of the most nasty, gripping films I've seen in a very long time, on or off the big screen. Though there's plenty of blood in this one, it somehow rises above the genre to (as someone else mentioned here) achieve an almost Hitchcockian tone...much more suspense and tension than actual on-screen violence (though again, there's plenty of that here too). Easily the best film in this collection, it manages to be claustrophic, sweat-inducing and seriously scary too. This should have been released theatrically.

"Reincarnation" is the J-horror entry which bored me to screaming tears. There are only so many times I can be absolutely terrified by waiflike children with bad complexions and stringy, wet hair, and horrified by the ever so frightening and mysterious "bouncing ball." *yawn*

"Unrest" is a featherheaded but not entirely unwatchable tale having something to do with medical students, a possessed cadaver and Aztec human sacrifice. The mythology underpinning the story is somewhat muddled, though ultimately it just doesn't seem to matter as the film isn't frightening in the least. Set in and around a hospital anatomy lab, expect a very high queasiness quotient which will test your ability to hold onto your dinner. Buried in this strange brew is a rather sweet and sexy love story which is virtually lost in this diverting but vapid, and ultimately silly, effort.

Finally, "Wicked Little Things" starts out promisingly: a widowed woman and her daughters take up residence in an undeniably spooky house in the mountains left to her by her deceased husband. Everything else that happens seems a bit overly familiar, and no real surprises (or scares) result from the ensuing, somewhat flabby ghost story. This one involves the cannibalistic ghosts (though they're referred to as 'zombies') of children killed 100 years earlier in a mining disaster; their motivations seem a bit murky and the film just kind of trudges toward a predictable ending. This one scores somewhere in the lower middle as far as this group of films is concerned, and is hampered mostly by a sense of deja vu ("Village of the Damned" with cannibalism) and the issue of using children for the primary scare factor--which rarely, if ever, works for me.

So there are definitely a bad apple or two in this bunch, but several other films mentioned above definitely help make up for the duds.


Only If You're Are Really Into Horror
2007-08-23 - They are presented as something special, but I think they are just a way for Lionsgate to get rid of castoffs. They are basically 1 step above an amateur effort. This is not to say they are all bad, I found 1 good and 2 okay. This may be because I've been watching horror for 50 years and it takes a lot to impress me now. I did find many of the commentaries interesting though and they may be useful for budding filmmakers.