------Review by contributing writer Scott Baker------ HOUSE OF FEARS, released by Synergetic Distribution, accomplishes a feat that I haven't seen in very many horror movies: it gets its point across with minimal profanity. Not that profanity will ruin a movie for me or anything. But I think doing something like this shows a lot of talent for the script-writer. I only caught a couple of 'hells' and 'damns' but otherwise the language is pretty clean. This movie is fun and good overall, but I have to be honest and say it was a little 'ho-hum' for me. It is very well done, but it never really reaches a sense of 'true suspense. The plot of House of Fears is this, courtesy of imdb.com:
The night before a local haunted house opens for Halloween, six friends sneak in for a few hours of fun. Soon after entering, they find themselves trapped inside with no way out. Their evening of fun rapidly turns into their worst nightmare as they begin to die and disappear in the most freakish of manners. With every effort to escape blocked, the survivors find themselves being driven deeper into the carnivalesque world of terror. Unable to tell what is real and what is counterfeit, they must trust one another, even if it kills them.
Just from looking at the cover of the DVD, I was expecting a lot of gore and a lot of scares. Instead, I got a wee bit of gore and just a few scares. The blood and gore are shown primarily in flashes, which is fine and works well, but I was wanting to see some of the characters actually meet gruesome demises (what can I say? I like that, ok?).
But even so, the movie is well crafted and moves at a great pace. The acting is excellent and the haunted house looks great. Director Ryan Little is to be commended for the superb use of what little budget he had (I would guess this was done for just a few thousand dollars).
I think fans of horror should definitely check House of Fears out, if anything just to see a freaking creepy a clown can be (ergo, see the DVD cover). But don't expect intense terror or horrifying gore. It is simply a pretty good movie. It is also a perfect example of how temperate good horror can be.
CLICK HERE to visit the official website of Synergetic Distribution
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