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Review: ‘Rave Party Massacre’ Misses the Mark

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Rave Party Massacre AKA DeadThirsty, the latest release from writer/director Jason Winn and co-writers Jonathan W. Hickman and Maggie D. Hickman takes us back to an illegal rave in a soon to be demolished hospital in the 1990s where an unknown killer stalks the light-stick twirling, drug-fueled beautiful bodies pressed together in Bacchanalian revelry.

I mean, we’ve all been there, right?

On the surface, it seems like a solid setup for a horror film. Raves back in the day were dark and filled with people unable or unwilling to pay attention. Honestly, I’m surprised more people weren’t murdered at raves, but that’s the subject for another article.

Unfortunately, Winn and the Hickmans never quite manage to bring it all together.

It all begins when Rachel and her boyfriend, Branson, arrive at the aforementioned rave, and they’re obviously having relationship issues. We see in flashbacks that Branson not only has a serious temper, but he’s found himself sucked into the world of conspiracy theories in the wake of a speech given by former President George H.W. Bush in which he outlined his idea about the “thousand points of light”.

President Bush also spoke of a New World Order in that same speech and Branson and his buddies have bought completely into the idea so much so that they’re ready to start a revolution…maybe?

Sara Bess as Rachel in Rave Party Massacre

The truth is none of what happens in the film is really explained until the credits begin to roll. It’s like they suddenly realized they didn’t give any real exposition so the audience would understand what or why anything had happened so they decided to throw information at them at the end in hopes that they wouldn’t notice.

The Bad News is we noticed; the Good News is…I still haven’t decided what the Good News is.

Either way, Rachel and Branson are definitely on their way to splitting up and the fact that they both end up hooking up with other people within five minutes of showing up to the rave cements that fact. A mysterious figure dressed in black and wearing a hyena mask is handing out drugs and everyone who takes them wakes up the next morning trapped inside the hospital as the man in the mask begins picking them off one at a time.

The script is pretty standard with more holes than good Swiss cheese and matching production values.

Why were these particular people chosen to be killed? Is it random? And why kill people from a rave?

The only thing that does make sense is that the rave is in a building that is set to be demolished the next day. (For younger readers who missed the rave scene in its heyday, the more dangerous the location, the better!)

Winn did give us one beautiful shot in the film when Rachel wakes up in a morgue drawer the morning after the rave. Her body seems to float in the darkness surrounded by a perfectly shaped coffin of light.

It was reminiscent of the oft-maligned Buried, and I’m not sure that Winn didn’t do the job better than that film’s director.

If you do decide to give Rave Party Massacre a try, do yourself a favor and watch the credits first. At the very least, you’ll know more about what’s going on in the film, even if the answers aren’t entirely satisfying.

For more information about the film you can follow them on Facebook and take a look at their official website.

Check out the trailer below and look for Rave Party Massacre on VOD and DVD on April 10 2018.

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‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

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Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

The Strangers

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

The Strangers

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The Strangers

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

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It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

Great Movie Ride

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

Alien Romulus
Alien (1979)

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

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Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

Home Depot Skeleton Prop

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

Home Depot Prop

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.

Terror Dog Prop
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