SnoReptilePlenty
Memorable, crazy movie
Candida
It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.
Isbel
A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
gpeltz
Room 33 (2009) is Directed by Edward Barbini , who also wrote it with Donnie Dale. Spoiler alert as I will be discussing plot points. First impression, Watchable but unintelligible. The longer it goes on the less sense it makes. The obvious set up, A group of mixed young people stranded overnight at a haunted, long abandoned Asylum. There they are terrorized by a stalking killer, and an abandoned young girl who haunts the vacant building. What makes this a bit different, and gives it it's twist? Unlike most teen victim films, here the girls in the group are tough as nails, roller derby brawlers. They are accompanied by their roadies and tech crew. Allie and Chad, played by Austin Highsmith and Chad Collins, are two unfortunates, stranded in the middle of nowhere, are happy to be picked up by the roller blade team, Sarah the leader of the pack is played by Nina Hausser. A nasty tempered loner. The group is well played and the dynamics are interesting. for a while. Then the plot gets in the way. Here there is not much of a plot , Rather the movie resorts to the standard set of clichés to take us to the inconclusive conclusion. The dark form running before the camera, accompanied by mysterious sound effect, has long since ceased being an effective jump scare. In this movie "I'll find them" is an overused phrase. Anytime there are group separations, and there are many, "You stay here, I'll find them" is put into play. Then there is the mysterious figure that disappears before the surveillance cameras. The Creepy girl who talks in voices, "You are all going to die" And so on. Production values are good, effects are minimal, It is the roundabout ending that is problematic. Here it is the writers who fumbled with the hit and miss plot points. In the end it did not really matter, just ride it through like a Roller blade session. Seven out of Ten, "Mindless pleasure" Stars
Woodyanders
A group of road trippers that includes two survivors of an automobile accident and an all-female roller derby team are forced to seek shelter at a dilapidated abandoned mental institution located deep in the woods. The group discover the frightened and enigmatic Roxy (a sturdy and sympathetic performance by Olivia Leigh) living on the premises. Moreover, a mysterious Man in Black (a genuinely creepy portrayal by Taras Los) starts picking folks off left and right. Director Edward Barbini, who also co-wrote the compelling script with Donnie Dale, relates the absorbing story at a steady pace, evokes a strong sense of decay, isolation, and vulnerability from the rundown remote setting, effectively creates and sustains a nicely spooky atmosphere that becomes more increasingly eerie and unsettling as the narrative unfolds, and provides a few cool bits of mild gore (the killer removes his victims' eyes). The sound acting from an attractive and capable cast helps a lot, with especially stand-out work by Nina Hauser as the snippy and angry Sarah, Austin Highsmith as the sweet Allie, Adam Key as resourceful and libidinous hipster Stewart, Kim Manning as the sassy Barbie San Juan, Nicole Dionne as the foxy Natasha, Chad Michael Collins as nice guy Chad, and Ace Gibson as antsy coach Nelson. Terence Pratt's crisp cinematography gives this picture an impressive polished look. Blair Anderson's shivery score hits the spine-tingling spot. The final explanation for what's going on is pretty sad and tragic. Worth a watch.
dbs630-697-952794
What exactly was this movie about? How is it that a lunatic can project a demonic father figure into reality to kill people by smudging their eyes out with goo? (I know it was supposed to be an effect of tearing eyes out but it really looked more like a smudging to me.) The "monster" in this movie was really rather annoying and came off like some sort of "euro-trash-thug-demon" more than a scary supernatural presence. How exactly a former government LSD scientist became this ghastly presence in the old hospital is beyond my comprehension, or perhaps it just wasn't clearly stated in the story? I liked the main cast being a roller derby team of smokin' chicks, the fact that none of them show any skin is a little weak. They couldn't even deliver the cheap thrills in this plot hole ridden flick. I just kept watching in the hopes that the story would eventually make some sense, but alas, no such luck.
Scarecrow-88
Roller derby girls, their camera man and manager, along with a young couple they pick up, must spend the night at an abandoned mental institution when the group get lost on the way to a competition. Something evil lurks within(and on the outside)not to mention the gang come across a damaged, injured girl seemingly possessed and warning of a dangerous threat to them. Chad and Allie's car breaks down, lucky to find Stuart(the camera guy and techie)driving the van of roller derby girls.Chad admits to derby girl Barbie that Allie recently had a breakdown. Barbie has an obvious interest in Chad and doesn't exactly hide it, but he clearly feels awkward when she makes passes or uses insinuating statements. Sarah is the derby girl with a rotten attitude who spends most of her screen time cursing folks and tossing insults, mainly towards Allie. To Sarah, Allie's a "know-it-all" college girl with all the answers, clearly the type she harbors a dislike for. Anyone who even attempts to be reasonable with Sarah gets chewed out..Sarah considers herself quite a tough chick, with a mouth that reiterates this aggressive personality.Nelson is the token black guy of the group, and, as usual for a horror flick such as this, spends most of his time afraid, shivering and quivering in fear. Stuart is your typical pervert with a camera, and voyeuristic impulses towards the girls..he doesn't exactly shield the fact that his camera "catches all the sweet spots". Anyway, the killer of the film likes to gouge out the eyes of "his" victims, which we see in one case where the group find a camp with a slaughtered family..Roxie, the traumatized girl found by the group in the institution, has bloody hands which could implicate her as the human tool, a "host organism" so to speak, used by the evil spirit of a killer. There are a lot of horror movies, slashers and the like, which have long stretches where characters walk through large buildings, with many rooms, flashlight and a weapon of some sort in hands, seeking(or looking to protect themselves against)whatever can potentially harm them. ROOM 33 is no different in that it has plenty of investigation with the characters moving through corridors, down halls, in the basement, etc. Sarah, in roller derby gear, skates down floors pounding lockers with a baseball bat, skulking and angry(she has issues, no doubt, always at odds with Allie). You know that this institution has a disturbing history which produced the sinister specter appearing, disappearing, and reappearing at will anywhere he wants, and Allie, a pre-med student, will learn a little about the place and him. Roxie knows what she must do to possibly halt the madness and Allie will do whatever is in her power to save the girl. And, inevitably, poor Allie might just be the specter's next chosen vessel to inhabit.
