Let us discuss!

The Void– A cop parked on the side of a street on the look out for speeding cards comes across an injured man who stumbles out of the woods. He takes the man to an understaffed hospital (it’s being shut down soon) and the night takes a turn for the worst when a cult shows up along with some rather hungry creatures. This movie starts pretty strong but doesn’t really go anywhere. The Void is a pretty opaque thing and very little detail about it is given. The movie is pretty scant on any kind of detail as people are forced into a tight space for survival. So at the start, there’s a lot of angry people yelling at each other and for some reason, they don’t want to fill in each other about what they’ve been through or what they know. As a whole, it’s pretty well made. There are some impressive creature effects here and there but the gaps due to a low budget are pretty obvious. There are a few parts in the first half where the editing gets really weird like they had to cut around the fact that they didn’t have footage to show some things. Like the bottom half of a creature doesn’t exist so they had to severely limit shots. A person will move around or get pulled away by a creature in a strange jump cut where a lot of movement is assumed, the gaps so big it can look like things are teleporting around.  While darkness and flashing lights are pretty effective at hiding flaws, it’s mostly the weird editing moves that make this production look rather cheap. It’s not what I’d call scary either. I got a certain Hellraiser vibe from The Void but it never reaches that kind of intensity or sense of dread. I’m having a hard time nailing down what’s missing but I guess the ending was so unsatisfying that it makes me hesitate to recommend this.

I Am Not A Serial Killer- I mentioned this movie two months ago and it left such a positive impression on me that it’s made me want to discuss it. John is a troubled kid. He sees a doctor about his disturbing thoughts, most of them homicidal. He’s constantly worried that he’s going to eventually hurt someone, act upon his terrible thoughts that his doctor and mother help him keep in check. Then a strange murder happens in town and John becomes obsessed with it. He’s naturally drawn to the macbre, so with someone killing and taking body parts, he can’t help himself from investigating. This movie is a fun and well-made whodunnit and monster movie that thrives on its aesthetics and great cast (Christopher Loyd still rules). It’s got some great moments of mounting dread and suspense with quick pops of gore and violence to bring the message home. I found it tastefully done and was interested from start to finish. I like the end so I’m going to give this one a recommendation.