After the success of films like The Blair Witch and Paranormal Activity, we were bombarded with found footage films. Scream hit the scene and suddenly slashers were all the rage again. Now, after films like VHS picking up where the greats (Tales from the Crypt, Creepshow, etc) left off years ago, anthologies are making a comeback. Now, I'm not a big fan of anthologies, especially when they're combined together to form a "story", simply because it becomes hard to stitch them all together where they all connect properly.
Patient Seven centers around Dr. Marcus (Michael Ironside), a renowned psychiatrist who has selected 6 severe mentally ill and dangerous patients from the Spring Valley Mental Hospital to interview as part of research for his new book. As Dr. Marcus interviews each patient, one by one the horrors they have committed begin to unfold. However, Dr. Marcus soon learns that there is one patient who ties them all together.
So I guess if you're going to do an anthology, this is an appropriate way to do it. Each segment is told by a different patient and while drastically different, still connect to the story surrounding them. The individual shorts are pretty phenomenal and range from horror to dark comedy. While none are particularly scary, they effects are well done and the acting is pretty spot on; but I would expect nothing less from such a star studded cast. Ironside has been a favorite of mine since he sent me away from the drive in scared and crying after watching him make someone's head explode in Scanners. His sideways grin and little giggle gives me chills every time. Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones) stars in the segment The Body" and is no less than brilliant.
Any filmmaker that can tell a complete story in less than fifteen minutes will always get kudos from me and I give a lot of kudos to each of one involved here. It would be difficult for me to choose a favorite from the bunch as they are all equally stunning in production, effects and acting. The story that pulls them all together, however, is a bit predictable and the twist at the end isn't anything we haven't seen before but that doesn't take anything away from the overall film. It's enjoyable and I would recommend it to other horror fans but suggest that they don't go into it looking for anything groundbreaking. Give it a watch then come back and let me know what you think!
Los Angeles, CA, October 11th, 2016 – Terror Films releases three new clips (“John Doe,” “Where’s My Bloody Shovel?” & “Scavenging” ) from their highly anticipated horror anthology, PATIENT SEVEN. The film is is releasing today!
Patient Seven is available today across multiple platforms. The platforms hosting the release include: YouTube, Vimeo On Demand, Amazon Instant, Google Play, XBOX Live, VUDU, Sony PlayStation and iTunes. The film is getting a limited release from Redbox and will also be released on Amazon Prime, the 24-Hour Movie Channel on Roku and Cable VOD. Release dates on those platforms will be announced at a later date.
The film features a wrap-around story, written by Barry Jay Stitch (The Chosen) and directed by genre veteran Danny Draven (Ghost Month, Reel Evil). The wrap-around intertwines 7 award winning, short films by filmmakers from around the globe that include: Nicholas Peterson, Paul Davis, Ómar Örn Hauksson, Dean Hewison, Erlingur Thoroddsen, Joel Morgan, Johannes Persson and Rasmus Wassberg. The cast of the shorts include: Amy Smart (Just Friends, The Single Mom’s Club), Alfie Allen (“Game of Thrones,” John Wick) and Doug Jones (Hellboy, Crimson Peak), among others.
Michael Ironside (Scanners, Total Recall) stars in the wrap-around as Dr. Marcus. Dr. Marcus, a renowned psychiatrist, has selected 6 severe mentally ill and dangerous patients from the Spring Valley Mental Hospital to interview as part of research for his new book. As Dr. Marcus interviews each patient, one by one the horrors they have committed begin to unfold. However, Dr. Marcus soon learns that there is one patient that has been kept from him by the hospital’s administrator - Dr. Vincent played by Jack Plotnick (Drawn Together, Reno 911!: Miami).
On the heels of its October 11th release, Terror Films is sharing two more clips (“Get the Noose” and “I Wouldn’t Mess with this One Doc”) from their highly anticipated Horror Anthology, PATIENT SEVEN. The film will be available on: YouTube, Vimeo On Demand, Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, Xbox Live, VUDU, Sony PlayStation and iTunes. On iTunes it is available here for pre-orders
As well, PATIENT SEVEN is receiving a limited release from Redbox and it will also be released on Amazon Prime, the 24-Hour Movie Channel on Roku and Cable VOD. Release dates on those platforms will be announced at a later date.
The film features a wrap-around story written by Barry Jay Stitch (The Chosen) and directed by genre veteran Danny Draven (Reel Evil). It intertwines 7 award winning, short films by filmmakers from around the globe that include: Nicholas Peterson, Paul Davis, Ómar Örn Hauksson, Dean Hewison, Erlingur Thoroddsen, Joel Morgan, Johannes Persson and Rasmus Wassberg. The cast includes Amy Smart (Just Friends), Alfie Allen (“Game of Thrones”), and Doug Jones (Crimson Peak), among others.
The wrap-around stars genre favorite, Michael Ironside (Total Recall) as Dr. Marcus, a renowned psychiatrist. His character has selected 6 severely mentally ill and dangerous patients from the Spring Valley Mental Hospital to interview as part of research for his new book. As Dr. Marcus interviews each patient, one by one the horrors they have committed begin to unfold. However, Dr. Marcus soon learns that there is one patient that has been kept from him by the hospital’s administrator - Dr. Vincent played by Jack Plotnick ( Reno 911!: Miami).
“Get the Noose” Clip from a segment directed by Rasmus Wassberg:
When it comes to aliens, most people explain away mysterious lights in the sky as something military related or just plain old pranks committed by bored college kids. Me? I'm more of a "I have to see it to believe it" kind of person and since I've never seen one but I do wonder sometimes... if we are to believe that aliens are real, how would they be? Vicious and unrelenting like the ones in the Alien franchise? Peaceful and loving like E.T.? Funny and full of one-liners like Paul? Maybe they would capture and study us only to realize we're a species of self destructive douchebags and just vaporize us all. Movies give us a plethora of ideas about how aliens would be and Extraterrestrial is no different.
Five friends take off for a weekend of fun at a cabin in the woods only to discover they are not alone. When one of them shoots and kills an alien, it sets off a chain of events that sends the lot of them running for their lives.
Yes, I know, it's not much of a synopsis but that's about all you'll get from Extraterrestrial. There is nothing ground breaking about it. When it started I thought, "this might end up being pretty good", yet the further into it I got, the more it seemed to fall apart. The cast, while good, were held back by dialogue that felt forced and phenomenal actors like Michael Ironside and Gil Bellows were sorely under used.
In the end, Extraterrestrial ends up being a direct release that's dumped right in the middle of an oversaturated subgenre full of recycled elements and cliché characters that is just "okay". If you're able to make it through the first 60 minutes or so, the ending does differ a bit from the norm but even that seems to come completely out of the blue and doesn't really tie in with the rest of the film. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a disaster because there's definitely an audience out there that would find the silver lining in it. It's worth a one time viewing but I don't see it being something that someone would watch over and over out of pure enjoyment.
Los Angeles, CA – In October of 2015, genre distributor Terror Films announced that principal photography had begun on an Untitled Horror Anthology, now titled PATIENT SEVEN. The structure of the anthology includes a wrap-around, written by Barry Jay Stitch (The Chosen) and directed by horror veteran Danny Draven (Ghost Month, Reel Evil), whichintertwines 7 award winning, short films by filmmakers from around the globe. The filmmakers include: Nicholas Peterson, Paul Davis, Ómar Örn Hauksson, Dean Hewison, Erlingur Ottar Thoroddsen, Joel Morgan, Johannes Persson and Rasmus Wassberg. The cast includes: Amy Smart (Just Friends, The Single Mom’s Club), Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones, John Wick), Doug Jones (Pan’s Labyrinth, Crimson Peak), among others.
The wrap around stars veteran actor and genre favorite, Michael Ironside (Scanners, Total Recall) as Dr. Marcus. Marcus, a renowned psychiatrist, has selected 6 severe mentally ill and dangerous patients from the Spring Valley Mental Hospital, to interview as part of research for his new book. As Dr. Marcus interviews each patient, one by one the horrors they have committed begin to unfold. However, Dr. Marcus soon learns that there is one patient who has been kept from him by the hospital’s administrator, Dr. Vincent - played by Jack Plotnick (Drawn Together, Reno 911!: Miami).
The film will have a wide ancillary release, currently set for this Fall. Exact dates for the release will be announced soon, followed by exclusive clips. In the meantime, check out the official trailer and poster for the film.
Terror Films is a Los Angeles based distribution label with a focus on horror, Sci-Fi and thriller films targeted for limited theatrical, Television and all major ancillary markets, including DVD, EST, VOD and all major streaming outlets. Their first film THE CHOSEN, starring YouTube Sensation Kian Lawley, remained in the Top 100 of Horror Films on iTunes for 8 consecutive weeks upon its release. Their second film TRACE opened exclusively on Redbox in all 40,000 locations followed by a wide ancillary release. The label recently released the award winning film LANDMINE GOES CLICK on DVD and is gearing up to release an impressive slate over the next 5 months of 2016, including the documentary UNEARTHED & UNTOLD: THE PATH TO PET SEMATARY; GODDESS OF LOVE; THE DARK STRANGER; HELL HOUSE LLC and THE HOUSE ON PINE STREET. The company is repped by Michael Sherman of Reed Smith LLP.
