Before WWIII erupts: THE FOLLOWING IS MY OPINION.. Nothing more than that.
In an age where movies feature zero character development, a very thin plot, and a kill every three minutes.. I was pleasantly surprised to find Storm Warning a more traditional and fun movie to watch.
I have heard the comparisons:
"Another Wolf Creek" - WRONG. This film has a much more rich plot than Wolf Creek, and has a completely different flow and style.
"Another Texas Chainsaw Rip Off" - UNFAIR STATEMENT. This film is NOTHING like TCM. The backwoods loonies are not half-retarded inbred yokels, rather some sadistic fellows who have been in the brush for a bit too long.
"Boring" - Compared to what? This film is constantly moving..
Granted, we've all seen the "innocent couple / group of people lost in the woods" set up before. True enough.. HOWEVER, the plot specifics are original (by today's standards) and the writing is superb. The lighting and cinematography are exceptional, and the acting and direction of the film are tip-top.. Especially given the admitted low budget.
I think that modern horror fans who are used to a kill every three minutes will hate this film due to the lack of gratuitous splatter. However the kills that are featured are ALL brutal and unique. I'd prefer a movie with some good build up and powerful turns over a film that is just mindless gore any day.. To see the same people who praised the Friday the 13th remake bashing this film is laughable.. So in detail, here is my assessment:
The Plot: We've seen it before.. City folk trying to fight off crazed hillbillies. Nothing new here. However, the specifics of the story, the characters, and the build-up are very realistic and human... not formulaic and tired. I had no trouble staying locked into the story.. and despite a hint of predictability, the film delivers.. I love the fact that had the city-folk not tampered with the house (nor the shed) that it's implied they might have been left alone.
The Writing: This story moves, and the dialog is very well-crafted. Everett De Roche did a phenomenal job making the story-line believable and realistic.
The Acting: The actors all deliver. Period. No weak links in my opinion. I have heard people talk trash about both Nadia Farès and Robert Taylor's performance.. especially the latter. However, given the types of people they are supposed to be, the delivery comes off as very real and true to form. Personally, I think that they both gave strong performances, and stayed true to the nature of their characters. Also, I must say that David Lyons won me over as an actor. That guy steals the show, and his performance alone is worth watching the film. I haven't seen an actor with that much physical command in a while, and his performance was a pleasant surprise.
The Cinematography: This film was beyond "well shot", especially with budget constraints.. I was highly impressed with the movement and the camera angles.. Very smooth and very bold. I did notice a couple repeat shots.. one of which is used both backwards and forwards within a couple minutes of one-another.. but it doesn't take away from how wonderfully filmed this movie is.
The Directing: Personally, I think this is Jamie Blanks' best work to date (that I have seen), and I will be keeping an eye out for future films by this very talented director. Personally, I enjoyed this film way more than the (more modern and trendy-styled) Urban Legend. I must also commend the tasteful use of CGI. I am so sick of computer-based shots that insult my intelligence.. and the use of CGI in this film (while present) is very tastefully done.
For the older, more old school horror fans, this film is a breath of fresh air. I am extremely picky about horror films.. Even a bit snobby. I am not easily impressed, and this film is impressive. It is rare to find a modestly budgeted film that has solid writing, directing, acting, and flow... and Storm Warning delivers.. This film is anything but "another Wolf Creek", and it is surely no TCM.. Although, I did enjoy the nod to TCM when Poppy meets the hidden bottle. The sound effect was an eerie reminder of the original TCM. Beyond that, this film stands in a class of it's own. Nicely done.
In an age where movies feature zero character development, a very thin plot, and a kill every three minutes.. I was pleasantly surprised to find Storm Warning a more traditional and fun movie to watch.
I have heard the comparisons:
"Another Wolf Creek" - WRONG. This film has a much more rich plot than Wolf Creek, and has a completely different flow and style.
"Another Texas Chainsaw Rip Off" - UNFAIR STATEMENT. This film is NOTHING like TCM. The backwoods loonies are not half-retarded inbred yokels, rather some sadistic fellows who have been in the brush for a bit too long.
"Boring" - Compared to what? This film is constantly moving..
Granted, we've all seen the "innocent couple / group of people lost in the woods" set up before. True enough.. HOWEVER, the plot specifics are original (by today's standards) and the writing is superb. The lighting and cinematography are exceptional, and the acting and direction of the film are tip-top.. Especially given the admitted low budget.
I think that modern horror fans who are used to a kill every three minutes will hate this film due to the lack of gratuitous splatter. However the kills that are featured are ALL brutal and unique. I'd prefer a movie with some good build up and powerful turns over a film that is just mindless gore any day.. To see the same people who praised the Friday the 13th remake bashing this film is laughable.. So in detail, here is my assessment:
The Plot: We've seen it before.. City folk trying to fight off crazed hillbillies. Nothing new here. However, the specifics of the story, the characters, and the build-up are very realistic and human... not formulaic and tired. I had no trouble staying locked into the story.. and despite a hint of predictability, the film delivers.. I love the fact that had the city-folk not tampered with the house (nor the shed) that it's implied they might have been left alone.
The Writing: This story moves, and the dialog is very well-crafted. Everett De Roche did a phenomenal job making the story-line believable and realistic.
The Acting: The actors all deliver. Period. No weak links in my opinion. I have heard people talk trash about both Nadia Farès and Robert Taylor's performance.. especially the latter. However, given the types of people they are supposed to be, the delivery comes off as very real and true to form. Personally, I think that they both gave strong performances, and stayed true to the nature of their characters. Also, I must say that David Lyons won me over as an actor. That guy steals the show, and his performance alone is worth watching the film. I haven't seen an actor with that much physical command in a while, and his performance was a pleasant surprise.
The Cinematography: This film was beyond "well shot", especially with budget constraints.. I was highly impressed with the movement and the camera angles.. Very smooth and very bold. I did notice a couple repeat shots.. one of which is used both backwards and forwards within a couple minutes of one-another.. but it doesn't take away from how wonderfully filmed this movie is.
The Directing: Personally, I think this is Jamie Blanks' best work to date (that I have seen), and I will be keeping an eye out for future films by this very talented director. Personally, I enjoyed this film way more than the (more modern and trendy-styled) Urban Legend. I must also commend the tasteful use of CGI. I am so sick of computer-based shots that insult my intelligence.. and the use of CGI in this film (while present) is very tastefully done.
For the older, more old school horror fans, this film is a breath of fresh air. I am extremely picky about horror films.. Even a bit snobby. I am not easily impressed, and this film is impressive. It is rare to find a modestly budgeted film that has solid writing, directing, acting, and flow... and Storm Warning delivers.. This film is anything but "another Wolf Creek", and it is surely no TCM.. Although, I did enjoy the nod to TCM when Poppy meets the hidden bottle. The sound effect was an eerie reminder of the original TCM. Beyond that, this film stands in a class of it's own. Nicely done.