Reviews

The metaphysical nature of this story will turn many off but for me, this is one of the most successful attempts on film to incorporate concepts from the fiction of H. P. Lovecraft. Although it's based on a graphic novel and not one of his stories, Nyarlathotep (The Crawling Chaos) is his creation and put to superb use in The Empty Man. It's an amazing story and ably directed by David Prior (AM1200). It probably won't be well received by the slasher/jump scare horror crowd. This one has brains and takes thought and patience to truly appreciate.

Also... The cinematography is absolutely stunning! Shot composition, lighting and effects are just incredible. One of those most beautiful films I've ever seen. UHD for best results.

Considering the amount of terrible, schlocky, unfunny low budget horror out there, this one is actually pretty good. Original plot, good dialog, funny jokes and decent acting from a cast of unknowns make this eminently watchable. Effects were minimal and not great but didn't detract from the fun. Some great creepy moments too. You could do much worse.

Points for originality here but that's about it. Subpar acting, disjointed storytelling and the murkiest most annoying sound mixing you will ever encounter. So bad it's hard to get through it, but I did. There's worse out there but there's so much more that's better. Next time the production team should focus less on trying to be unique and more on trying to be palatable.

Watch it for the gory practical effects. Laugh at the terrible plot, acting and script. Even Dr. Ted Nelson couldn't save this from the schlock heap.

If you've read the title of this review, you've seen the movie. Forget about seeing any actual crocodile.

The book and original film version of this vampire tale are both masterpieces. Although the film LET THE RIGHT ONE IN left out much of the story, it was faithful enough and masterful in execution so you end up loving it as well. This English remake leaves out even more story and is not nearly as well made. A problem with writing and direction, not the actors who did the best they could with the script they were given.

If this is your first exposure to the tale, do yourself a favor and explore further. You will be rewarded.

The most successful attempts at Lovecraftian cinema actually don't even use his stories (The Ritual, Yellow Brick Road, The Lighthouse, Event Horizon to name a few) so when a writer/director actually does and does it well it's something that should be celebrated. Richard Stanley has proven that he's a visionary (Hardware, Dust Devil) and has made so few films it's nice to see him take on a passion project and translate Lovecraft as few have done before. Color Out of Space is not perfect but it's few faults are easily overlooked in favor of some truly otherworldly cinema. I would have preferred a period piece versus this modernization and the presence of Nicolas Cage can be distracting at times but he's not entirely unwelcome. Depicting a color you cannot see or describe sounds impossible but Stanley's shifting palette and distortions convey Lovecraft's creation aptly and the combination practical/digital effects are quite admirable for a mid-budget affair. This film may not appeal to those uninitiated (or unimpressed with) weird fiction. If you're a Cage-hater probably avoid as well. But if you have an open mind and want to see something different, that pays proper homage to a master of weird storytelling told by another master, I can highly recommend this film.

While it's true this tale of a serial killer and possession offers nothing new to the genre, the amazing performances and excellent writing and execution make this a winner. If you want originality or are just a hater in general please move on. If you enjoy well-done cinema and want to see some disturbing genre fare you should check this one out.

I'm a big David Cronenberg fan but I've always felt that Rabid was one of his weakest efforts. That the Soska twins chose this one to remake cannot be faulted. Since Cronenberg himself did a remake, let's not be overly judgmental. The twins do an okay job but don't really add anything to the original concept. I liked this Rabid slightly more than the original but neither of them are going to set the world on fire. All these low reviewers are hateful asshats. Watch and judge for yourself.