Uncovered Films - Indie, Cult & Direct-to-Disc Movie Source

The Fangoria Chopping List

2009-11-01T00:00:00.003-04:00

Fangoria.com, the online world of the best horror genre magazine in the world (Fangoria, of course), also hosts a lot of news, previews of upcoming issues, and lists.

One such list on their fine site is the Chopping List (Also linked in our sidebar). The frequently updated list has a rundown of all the upcoming releases on home video, and notes if their DVD, Blu-ray, Remake, Special edition, etc.

This list is a great resource for those wondering what's on its way out next. Though it only covers the horror spectrum of releases, it does that aspect better than any website you can find. I check it frequently just to keep myself up to date... it's great to find out "that movie's coming out next week?! Awesome!" Bookmark it, and check out their magazine when you get a chance... both are top notch!

Happy Halloween - enjoy these horrific images!

2009-10-29T23:13:00.001-04:00

As these people would attest, it's not a crime to enjoy Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Mantra

2009-10-24T22:01:00.001-04:00

Uncovered Film Review

I am not entirely sure yet (let me know if you find any sacrificed lamb suddenly cropping up around town), but I think I've been initiated into a cult by watching Mantra. If not that, then I have absolutely no idea what I've just witnessed.

However, my duty is to do my best to explain it (I would hate to have to piece together the synopsis for the box!), if nothing else. Mantra is about a group of strangers that take a bus to an isolated group of mountain cabins for a spiritual retreat. The rules state - among other things - that they cannot talk to each other, and they also may not pleasure themselves or anyone else. These rules don't apply long, as things take a horrible turn on their very first outing.

Once everyone gets talking, things go from bad to worse. Turns out, most of these people are at the retreat for a reason - for the most part being that they've done something wrong, and want to make up for it by praising Buddha, eating slop, and meditating all day.

O.K., so the plot sounds simple when explained as a package deal, but when viewed in long form, it is extremely confusing to the viewer. I thought I'd watched complicated films before, with lots of twists and turns, but with Mantra, you aren't supposed to understand any of the "twists" (and if you are, and I somehow didn't manage to decipher a single one, then take away my critics license, because I guess I'm just not smart enough to keep doing what I do).

You see, this is one of those psychological thrillers that is lacking in thrills, and overflowing with the fetishistic thoughts of some psychotic people. From Flintstones vitamins to a painted naked woman that just will not stop acting out, I am going to have to deny this invitation into the cult of Mantra, no matter how artistically and prettily filmed it may be.

Mantra official website | Purchase the DVD from Amoeba Films

iMurders

2009-10-16T16:37:00.004-04:00

Uncovered Film Review

iMurders is a film about a small group of cyber-friends that meet-up once a week for an online chat. In their voice/video/text chats, the host (a special effects artist) chooses a game to play that lasts all month long. The winner of the final round gets a prize from the host's memorabilia collection.

But being iMurders, things obviously go a lot further than that premise. The month's game is supposed to be a Survivor style game, in which chat members are "knocked off" one by one for saying the pre-determined code word. However, the host of this game is very quickly incapacitated, and the self-ordained replacement host decides the new rules of staying alive in this game.

This film struck me with the number of character actors present... it runs the gamut from Tony Todd and Frank Grillo to the wonderful Gabrielle Anwar. However, even though those names get first billing, the spotlight here is placed on the less recognizable actors, such as Terri Colombino (the lead in iMurders).

Ironically, Colombino bears a striking resemblance to Diane Lane, star of the similarly-themed (if much worse film) Untraceable.

So, with all of these familiar actors finally getting their due, does the film do them justice? For the most part, it actually does! The plot is very interesting, and more interweaving than it seems to be in the first hour of the movie. There haven't been many good movies made about the dangers of "cyber-friends" that you've never met in person. And while the line-writing struggles to express any character's knowledge of the internet (multiple characters stiffly insert the word "computer" in front of other technology-based words, just in case you don't know what a chat room or keyboard is), ultimately the plot matters more than the believability.

By the end, you only have so many options for who the chat room killer may be, and the reveal came way out of left field. It doesn't explain everything in the end though, which leaves you hanging with some plot gaps (such as the FBI's immediate knowledge of the chat room... the FBI didn't even know how to stop 9/11 from happening, so you can't tell me they caught on to the chat room the second its visitors started becoming victims), but I can forgive some things ultimately because the rest of the movie makes up for it easily.

iMurders on Walmart.com | iMurders on Netflix.com | iMurders on BestBuy.com

One Hour Fantasy Girl

2009-10-10T16:05:00.001-04:00

Uncovered Film Review

One Hour Fantasy Girl, directed by Edgar Michael Bravo, is a film about a young woman named Becky (Kelly-Ann Tursi), a girl with an unusual day job.

Becky earns money as a "clothed escort" via a Fantasy Girl branded website. Her business partner routinely drops her off at a meeting place, and she then proceeds to fulfill men's fantasies... as long as they stay within her guidelines: "no kissing or sex allowed".

Becky was abused as a child, and makes a scapegoat out of that situation, claiming that she had no choice but to take such an unusual career path. As she continues working, the jobs being to get increasingly perverted, until her situation finally boils over. The camera follows Becky like a fly on the wall, and everything is so naturally shot, with realistic lighting, that you could easily confuse this with reality. It's only fitting that this is based on the true stories of real-life call girls.

The acting matches the over-the-shoulder cinematography, and is top notch. The characters rarely smile, and never raise their voices loud enough to wake the neighbors. Fitting for their bizarre circumstances. But there is a point when you have to have to start wondering when the depressive scenarios will come to an end, or at least one character will find what they're looking for.

When that does happen, it's too little too late. There's no way around it... you leave it depressed, and even a cherry ending would've felt wrong, given the rest of what you've seen. I can understand a character experiencing tough times, but you can make a better story of that than One Hour Fantasy Girl accomplishes.

One Hour Fantasy Girl official website

New Feature: Uncovered Films search plug-in!

2009-10-08T16:16:00.006-04:00

Install the Uncovered Films Search Plug-in for Firefox & IE
In addition to our search bar at page top, and in our sidebar, you can now search all of our posts for anything you wish, anywhere online! This search plug-in installs in your Firefox/IE toolbars, and works excellently.

So, if you're looking for a certain actor or movie and want to see if we've mentioned it, this is the fastest way to get right to us. Simply click "Install" on searchplugins.net, and enjoy!

In other news, note some of our other link/navigational changes and page improvements... more are to come, & I hope you like what we've done thus far.

Follow all of our site updates & blog posts on Twitter, or via our RSS feed!

*Awesome search plug-in favicon created at Favicon.cc.

The Open Door

2009-10-06T16:03:00.004-04:00

Uncovered Film Review

In The Open Door, a teenage girl named Anjelica (played by Cathrine Georges) is stuck at home after being grounded... forcing her to miss a party she'd been planning to go to.

As her parents leave to have fun away from home, Anjelica sulks, and decides to listen to the radio. As the night progresses, she finds herself listening to a pirate radio show that runs only once a month - the night of a full moon. Fed up with her putrid, steroid-chugging friends, she decides to call into the station, and speak with the prophet/DJ.

The Oracle, as she calls herself, answers at the station, and asks Anjelica to make a wish for anything she wants. Anjelica is hysterical at the actions of her assumed boyfriend, and hastily wishes for him and everyone around him to leave her alone, among other things. Soon enough she starts hearing and seeing horrible things as a result of her wish. And her friends aren't exactly happy with her wishes.

While watching this, I could certainly tell that the cast was having a ton of fun when they made The Open Door. When the cast is enjoying themselves, the viewer can relax knowing that they're going to be entertained. I wasn't entirely clear on what was happening to Anjelica's friends... at times they looked like zombies, not to mention acting like them. But when I realized what they were really up to, I was pleased with the story turn.

Most horror movies in this vein would take the familiar path of having one guy carrying an over-sized knife, on a path of bloody destruction. I appreciate that The Open Door takes none of the familiar clichéd paths that everyone's grown extremely tired of. The effects are solid... people are flying everywhere, bodies are set on fire, eyes are glossed over. All of this is well done for an independent film.

Perhaps the one fault of the movie is the ending. I know that it's very hard to craft a good ending to go with a great movie - especially hard for a horror/thriller. There's only a handful of ways to end a movie where so many die. The ending is a *flash-crang* scene, if you'll allow me a new term for a scene you'd find in most every scare film out there. Ending a fully original movie with something I've seen before is a slightly disappointing last impression to leave.

The Open Door at Createspace

The Rock-afire Explosion

2009-10-05T20:02:00.005-04:00

Uncovered Film Review

The Rock-afire Explosion was an 80's hair band that played most often in Showbiz Pizza Place establishments. The band was fronted completely by animatronic musicians, including bears, a wolf and drunken bird.

Aaron Fechter was the creator of The Rock-afire band, but his first idea to change the world was a gas-saving car! He literally built a car from the ground up... and while it worked, money was an issue holding back production of the vehicle. Fechter toiled with inventions and ideas, before being commissioned to create something new - robotic animals.

Soon enough, Showbiz Pizza and The Rock-afire Explosion were a match made in heaven. Pizza and robots?! What else could one ask for out of a restaurant?

Showbiz built a great reputation among families, and kids were drawn by not only "tokens for good grades", but most importantly, the multi-instrumental band that played for patrons, while still having time to crack jokes with one another. Inevitably, all good things come to an end, and this documentary is the story of what happens to the people that loved the franchise and band the most.

At the beginning of this film, I knew only of the wonderful modern online videos of the band, created by dedicated fans. These same people are featured here - namely Chris Thrash. Thrash has spent his life trying to get the band back together, and with the help of Fechter, he just might.

I didn't expect to be moved watching this, but when it comes to the story of this beloved family business, you cannot help but to be. Thrash is such a kind-hearted person, and the only thing he has ever wanted is to see the animal band back in action. Fechter, the creator and sole owner of the remaining sculpted band members, has spent his life focused on the product (even through the decline), but he's proud to have created something people still enjoy today. These characters are real people, and their stories are just as lovingly depicted as the robots that give the film its name. Hopefully thanks to this documentary we will see them for many more years to come.

The Rock-afire Explosion Official Website

ADVENTURES OF POWER Trailer displays the wonders of air drumming!

2009-09-26T14:09:00.002-04:00

Sent in by reader Coleman, THIS is Adventures of Power.

Cast shortlist: Ari Gold, Adrian Grenier, Jane Lynch, Shoshannah Stern, Michael McKean & Neil Peart.

Official site

Biggest Disappointments...

2009-09-15T00:00:00.003-04:00

With how many movies I watch (too many), I come across a lot of independent movies that fail in every way. The worst thing that could happen is for my anticipation to be built beforehand from reading previews, or the cast list, and then finding the movie to suck completely.

Thus, we have this list of utter failures and disappointment*:

BOTCHED: The cast, the cover and the description all lead me to believe this was to be a fun horror movie about a botched heist. What then proceeds to happen is a group of random people run through a hotel under construction for ninety-five minutes, trying to escape a viking killer who also happens to be the hotel's security guard. Great.

CABIN FEVER: Oh boy. Years of anticipation and putting off watching a film almost always ends in colossal failure. Such is the case with Cabin Fever. I can understand paying homage to classic, or even cult classic films, but when you lose my interest is when you become a giant cliché of them. This is Evil Dead, except horrible. I didn't know it was impossible to hate every member of a cast until I saw this movie.

GIGANTIC: You tell me Zooey Deschanel & Paul Dano are in a movie, I see that movie. No questions necessary. Maybe I should ask questions next time, rather than just looking at the cast and cover and tricking myself into thinking this would be a quirky, cute indie film. Not the case. It's infuriating, Dano is a psychotic loser (what range!), Zooey is exceedingly tough to like in this role - for once - and Goodman plays a total moron. And when we reach the end of the movie, we realize that there is no ending. It's pointless, pretentious, and a waste of space on shelves and servers.

SKINWALKERS: I wrote a hate-spewing review for this film because - at the time - I was still naive enough to think that amazing cover art meant something. I quickly learned from my mistakes, but that doesn't make up for the fact that a movie starring Rhona Mitra (Well, her body at least) could disappoint. Werewolves are supposed to represent feral excitement and thrills. This movie bored me to death, and NEVER let anyone tell you otherwise.

*In case it isn't obvious, everything here is a 1/2-1 star movie.

Install the Flickchart.com Quick Search box!

2009-09-09T00:00:00.010-04:00

Install FLICKCHART Search
While on this page, simply drop-down the quick-search toolbar box in your browser, and click Add "Flickchart Search" to begin using this plug-in!

Flickchart - Your Rankings And Charts Of The Top Movies Of All Time

*Created by Matthew @ Uncovered Films. My Flickchart profile.

Support me by simply giving Swagbucks a try! (It's free, and I've earned countless shirts, posters, gift cards and more, just by searching Google. By signing up with my link, we share earned Bucks... which makes it easier for both of us to earn these things): :D

White on Rice

2009-09-07T00:00:00.003-04:00

Uncovered Film Review

White on Rice is the story of Jimmy (Hiroshi Watanabe), a man who leaves Japan after divorcing his wife, and moves in with his sister & her family in America. Jimmy was a minor extra in several samurai films in Japan, and longs to be a kid again. He isn't far from it... he ends up bunking with young cousin, Bob (Justin Kwong) until he's ready to get back on his feet. Despite having a steady job, Jimmy simply cannot please everyone.

This may seem like a depressing premise for a movie, but the fact is, Jimmy can't be knocked down. Despite his brother-in-law's spite for him, and his unrequited love for his momentary roommate Ramona (Lynn Chen), Jimmy manages to find ways to stay happy, even when everyone else is frustrated with him.

The acting in White on Rice is perfect... the cast was mostly brand new to me, and refreshing to see. I was smiling the entire time, and I do want to see more from all those involved, including the director, because this is a refreshing take on a frequently filmed topic.

Official Website | IMDB

'Grapes on a Vine' trailer

2009-08-30T13:39:00.003-04:00

Grapes on a Vine star Jazsmin Lewis
Recently, reader Lila sent me this cryptic trailer for Grapes on a Vine, a new film from the 2009 San Antonio Film Festival. It may be cryptic, but there's enough here to keep you wondering what happens with the screen goes dark! One thing's for sure... I've learned never to go into the woods alone, no matter what the circumstance. In movies, it NEVER ends well.

Check it out, and enjoy!

Grapes on a Vine stars Gregory Alan Williams, Jazsmin Lewis, Dwayne Boyd, Paula Rittie and Kaira Akita.

Official site | Official Twitter page | IMDB

The Marine 2

2009-08-16T00:00:00.002-04:00

I was watching "12 Rounds" recently, and while fast forwarding through a preview or two, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the logo for THE MARINE 2!!!

I was in the minority in enjoying the first Marine (As I usually am), but did because of the insane action, great stunt-work, and throwback style. 12 Rounds is very similar (But better), so of course I liked it as well.

The Marine 2 will star Ted Dibiase Jr. (Pictured above), son of well known professional wrestler, Ted Dibiase Sr. The film is under the authority of WWE Films, like the first, and there is a small cast list up now @ IMDB.

Kelly Carlson is currently not listed in the cast, unfortunately, and it is not known what role Dibiase will be portraying at this time (i.e., John Triton, or a new marine). The film is expected to be released late this year on both Blu-ray and DVD.

We will of course continue to follow this story, and mark the release date on our schedule when it is confirmed. Needless to say, I'm excited for the sequel, as the first was an excellent full throttle action movie.

EDIT: THE MARINE 2 HAS A DVD/BLU RELEASE DATE OF DECEMBER 29TH

Turn the River

2009-08-01T00:00:00.001-04:00

Uncovered Film Review

I have a hard time deciding how to rate depressing movies. Turn the River is depressing, yes, but it's ultimately a good film. The story of a woman who wants nothing but to have her own son back in her custody is one that anyone can get behind. What makes it even worse is when said child is being abused by his custodial parents.

Famke Janssen is very believable in the film, and you want so badly for her to succeed in her one goal. The supporting cast, particularly Rip Torn, is quite good. Not a bad actor in the bunch. The Special Feature showing off Janssen's real billiard talents is great to see. Some people probably thought she had a stunt player step in for her. Clearly, she's just that good.

New experimental short film wants YOU as Executive Producer!

2009-07-23T21:30:00.002-04:00

Press Release:

Be an Executive Producer of a NoRemake Pictures film!

NoRemake Pictures is embarking on an experimental film journey. We are filming a 10 minute short, entirely in one shot. It would be one day of rehearsal, one day of shooting. Here's where you can be a part of this milestone short film! Be listed as an Executive Producer! In the scrolling credits, your name and/or company will be credited with helping to bring this film to life!

A minimum contribution of 50 dollars gets you on screen. 500 dollars will get you your very own card, your name by itself onscreen! 1000 dollars or the whole 2000 will get your name above title, on a poster or DVD!

Be a part of the film making community and help bring art to fruition!
Get in touch with us now at noremakeassistant@noremake.com for further info!

Be an Executive Producer today, tomorrow, rule the world!

NoRemake on Facebook

Thanks for all you do for us!

-----

Earlier this year, we reviewed an excellent No Remake film entitled The Red Room.

The Brøken

2009-07-16T00:00:00.001-04:00

Uncovered Film Review

Everywhere I go, I see the same big BUT when it comes to The Broken, and I find myself agreeing with it. The movie itself is pretty beautiful, visceral and interesting, with an excellent cast... but the ending makes no sense at all. Though this movie does the mirror thriller better than "Mirrors" did, it's possibly less horrific, and more of a mind game than that movie. The ending for both movies is practically the same, to my disbelief. I was really happy up until the last 15, and that's where The Broken officially lost me, and will lose everyone. And that is a real shame.

I don't need any more convincing that you should never judge a movie by its cover. Nevertheless, I want to see more from this director.

COMING SOON To Watch Instantly on Netflix

2009-07-03T22:32:00.004-04:00

In collaboration with a good friend from the Roku forums (Home of the original Netflix Player, and now Digital Video Player), I have a new site covering upcoming releases to Netflix's Watch Instantly streaming video service (Some in HD).

The site is a community/group effort, requiring feedback from users to fully stock the database (Dates are sprinkled throughout user's queues and in search results). Basically, we find anything that has a release date for streaming, and we brief you on it (Saving you a disc rental in the process).

Users seem to really enjoy the idea, and we're proud of what we've started, so I do hope you'll take a look, and contribute if you're a current Netflix member.

Ode to the Indie - A video by the Rotten Tomatoes show

2009-06-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

Courtesy Ellen Fox & Brett Erlich of the brilliant "Rotten Tomatoes Show" (CurrenTV channel), this is "An Ode to the Indie [Film]". I love it, even though it mocks everything about the movies we love.

Cut N Paste: Anne Hathaway a Fan of Rock Band

2009-06-13T13:13:00.004-04:00

Turns out Anne Hathaway really enjoys Rock Band when she isn't acting. No cooties or boys allowed in her room though.

"Elsewhere" now available to Watch Instantly on Netflix

2009-06-02T22:19:00.004-04:00

Elsewhere, starring Tania Raymonde (Lost) & Anna Kendrick (Twilight) is now available on Netflix Watch Instantly, free for Netflix subscribers. I was going to rent the Blu-ray too... thanks Netflix!

You can keep ahead of the game by staying tuned to the new Streaming Soon on Watch Instantly Database... tracking all upcoming instant releases!

Nurse Jackie - Showtime original series starring Edie Falco

2009-05-26T10:51:00.006-04:00

Premiering Monday June 8th @ 10:30PM is the new Showtime original series "Nurse Jackie" starring the wonderful Edie Falco in the title role (Also pictured, Haaz Sleiman, whom you may remember from The Visitor).

You may also watch the 1st episode for free on Showtime.com! If you're a VIP Insider (Which amounts to your registering at Showtime's website), you can watch it online without a subscription. Very cool. After Dexter, I can only expect the best from Showtime... here's hoping they've struck gold again.

For more details, you can visit the official site, and you can also sign up on Amazon to receive a reminder when Nurse Jackie is available on Blu-ray or DVD. *EDIT* Nurse Jackie premiere preview is now on Netflix Watch Instantly (June 22nd is the expiration date). Not the best quality, even in HD, but it's there for the viewing.

The Red Room DVD Contest Winner

2009-05-24T12:13:00.001-04:00

I first want to say thank you to everyone (Including all of my sponsors, and No Remake Pictures) who made our inaugural contest - a giveaway for The Red Room on DVD, extremely successful, and a special thank you to all of our entrants. We received nearly 200 qualified entries*!

Our winner is MARY L in Pennsylvania! Congratulations Mary!

Our winner was chosen thanks to RANDOM.ORG's random integer generator.

If you did not win this time, you are welcome to enter again in our next contest (With an improved format). If you'd like to bookmark our future contests (We intend to giveaway more DVD's, movie collectibles and possibly even Blu-ray's at some point!), they will all be listed under the Contest tag.

Our RSS Feed is also readily available, if you're interested in subscribing to the latest site updates!

If you have any feedback on the contest, or Uncovered Films in general, you may leave a comment on this post, or via this form.

Thanks again, and to all of our first time visitors, I do hope you return!

* If you did not read the simple rules, I can't help you (And if you entered multiple times, I'm not a moron, you're now banned from all of our future contests).

For more information on, or to purchase The Red Room:The Red Room @ IMDbThe Red Room @ Amazon
The Red Room @ CreateSpace

Turbo

2009-05-22T16:01:00.002-04:00

Uncovered Film Review

Director Jarrett Lee Conaway does a lot in a surprisingly small amount of time. Choreographed fight scenes with flurries of special FX shots highlighted within, deceivingly big and futuristic sets, and a young cast you barely get to know, but quickly come to love.

In Turbo, star Hugo Park (acted well by Justin Chon of Twilight fame) gambles his brother Tobias' (Ilram Choi, a professional stuntman) rent away at a local club, playing a virtual reality game called Super Turbo Arena 2. The game requires gloves and special glasses, it which point, the player's movements are tracked onscreen. This movie couldn't have been made at a better time, as video consoles have finally reached a point where movement tracking controllers are a reality. Suddenly, the idea of STA2 seems more possible than ever.

This is obviously a movie by a gamer, for gamers, as every minute detail is covered. From the techno music backing the fights, to the announcer's voice, this film is a love letter to "Street Fighter", and many other 3D fighting games.

The only time I found myself disappointed was during key scenes near the end, when a final tournament is held, with a prize take of $50,000. I was looking forward to all of the fights leading up to the final tournament battle, but unfortunately, the only one you really get to see is a part-flashback style fight between the protagonist and his nemesis. I was hoping to be wowed by the action, but cutting what should be an important tournament for ALL of the characters in the film was not the best decision.

Overall, Turbo nails the atmosphere of Martial Arts video games, and by not overstaying its welcome, it succeeds in drawing you in and keeping you interested. Perhaps this is why so many video game films struggle... you can only do so much with a story you ultimately create yourself (In modern games).

Coming Soon to DVD. Please see the following sites for details and updates:

Turbo the Movie - official website
BFAM Studios
Turbo trailer on Vimeo

Finally - A Horror store that doesn't suck.

2009-05-21T17:42:00.001-04:00

Recently, while perusing a Fangoria magazine, I saw an advertisement for a website called The House of Mysterious Secrets. I thought it was an intriguing title, but I doubted it would be any better than the others I had visited in the past for 2 minutes at a time (And left in sadness).

Turns out, the site carries a lot of interesting horror movie memorabilia, shirts, books, music and DVD's that you really cannot find anywhere else. It is a lot of fun to browse the site, especially the "Coming Soon" pages, where you can pre-order items that are on the way out.

Also notable is the "Weird Stuff" section that showcases any odds and ends that don't fit in other categories... that's where some of their best stuff is located!

I've ordered with them several times now... it seems like every time I place an order, I see one more thing I should have bought. Their service is fast and reasonably priced. I would NOT feature a site that isn't worth your time.

Check them out if you want to do a little shopping, and if you decide to place an order, tell them "Uncovered Films" sent you!