Palace Of The Damned (2013) Movie Review - A Dan's Movie Report Exclusive

Above: New Chinese Theatrical Release Poster of Palace Of The Damned




Greetings valued readers of Dan's Movie Report. Recently, the news broke in regards to the Chinese Horror film Palace of the Damned being released in China on November 17nd. The film is a Co-Production with Ace Studios and Roger Corman with Antony Szeto directing. Antony informed me that the film is being re-edited for the Chinese market, this review is for the original cut of the film which has yet to air in the U.S., hopefully that will change in 2018. Being that this is an initial review of the film, no spoilers will be given.

Reviewing Palace of the Damned is a bit like picking out a style of music that you like. I mean I love heavy metal, the louder the better ha. The film is an odd mixture of a variety of styles, ranging from ethereal Chinese Ghost Story, to action thanks to a sultry JuJu Chan.

The film has just about every element of horror, demonic possession, and tense moments, a bit disjointed, yet it does work in an odd way.The original edit is bloody and visceral, and should play decently at horror fests.

The performances in Palace Of The Damned are decent, with JuJu standing out as her character is devious and subversive. Again, even though there are some bloody scenes, compared to U.S. horror films, Palace of the Damned is a trifle tame. My favorite scene is when Peng Wei (JuJu Chan) finds out that Chan Ju Chi (Yixin Li) is betraying her in writing, um shall we say not a good idea to do this ha! Very brutal! Lessons learned, I am assuming this will never happen in real life to me, or will it hahaha! Check the photo below. Used for promotional purposes only.

Direction From Antony Szeto is good, as is the look of the film, the main issue here is budgetary constraints. On the action film Fist Of The Dragon, even with the smaller budget, the action and tighter story covered up much of the limitations of the minuscule budget. Essentially Palace Of The Damned needed more detailed effects sequences, to make the story 'pop' and stand out.

Katie Savoy leads the U.S. cast in Palace of the Damned, thus the film has English dialogue as well as Chinese. Normally, this can be a bit of a distraction, but this is far better than horrible dubbing. Katie is a wispy good actress, pragmatic in her portrayal of Rebecca, and fits the inquisitive part well.

Overall, Palace Of The Damned is a decent horror film, and should play out to audiences who are tuned into the genre. It will be interesting to see how the theatrical run in China in November pushes the film into the worldwide stage. As for a rating, a 6.5 out of 10. I would say worthy of a definite rent and purchase if you like indie horror. Be prepared for something a bit different.

Palace Of The Damned Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/palaceofthedamned/

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China Article #  http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2017-10-11/doc-ifymrqmq4169811.shtml

Woods Entertainment and Vlad Rimburg to Drop Hot new action film! Beauty Vs Red! With Amy Johnston!

Video (C) 2017 Woods Entertainment https://www.facebook.com/WoodsEntertainmentProductions/

Greetings valued Readers of Dan's Movie Report Vlad Drops hard a brand new video Red Riding hood style with violence! Boom! Amy Johnston has been on this site many times and has Vlad! Keep on Reading for more exclusives! On Your home for action Dan's Movie Report! BOOM!

Cannibals And Carpet Fitters (2017) A Dan's Movie Report Worldwide Exclusive!

Above: IMDB poster Official!

Cannibals and Carpet Fitters (2017) A Dan's Movie Report Worldwide Exclusive!

Greetings valued readers of Dan's Movie Report, 'Cannibals And Carpet Fitters' recently had its Worldwide cast and crew screening and of course, Dan's Movie Report was on hand to witness this special occasion.

Being that this is a very preliminary review, there will be no spoilers, AT ALL, given. Just a general synopsis and my overall thoughts. Special thanks to producer James Bushe for this inside look at his masterpiece in pieces of flesh, and of course there is no peace for the victims!

Basically, the title describes the movie perfectly. An independent business of Carpet Fitters (Installers in the USA) are sent to a particular house to do a huge job. In that house resides a family of shall we say unique and unsavory characters, which have appetites for particularly delicate food.

Being a genre mix of comedy, horror, and action, CaCF which I shall call the film presents a monumental achievement in merging the genres. There are horrible scenes, exciting scenes, action scenes, and some really hysterical comedy. Director James Bushe really made a spectacular film. I laughed out loud, in some scenes and in other scenes I was on the edge of my seat with fear. There is of course copious blood and gore, and definitely not suitable for children under 17, that said those adults with the mentality of kids ha, like me ,enjoy the hell out of it!

How is this possible you ask? James and his talented DP, were able to correctly light all the scenes and film with proper angles to show the action, when action was needed, the horror, when horror was needed, and up close and clear dialogue when comedy is needed. That is the problem with many films trying to merge the genres, some areas shine and others are tinged so dark the audience has no idea what the hell is going on.

The entire cast is amazing, special kudos go to the incredible Zara Phythian, for enduring a destroyed knee, showing up on crutches, courtesy of a previous production, but in true film fashion it is incorporated into the film with spectacular and piercing results! Lee Charles provides some real muscle and craziness as well. Big scary man doing big scary things hah! I mean I can go down the list as the cast was well rehearsed in action, comedy, and horror, obviously passionate about all three willing to go that extra mile for the perfect indie film.

Special kudos go to sound design team for knocking it out of the park with tense music when needed complete silence and clear dialogue when needed.. Again a pet peeve of mine, if you cannot hear the actors speak, boom how the hell do you know what is going on!

The film will be making its festival run this Halloween season and in my opinion: Fly, walk, drive, or crawl over broken glass to see it! 'Cannibals and Carpet Fitters' rates a damn near perfect 9 out of 10, a must own and see! If you disagree with my review, great we all have opinions, just remember, where you read the first review! This is my top pick indie film for 2017! Boom, I am getting hungry!

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Ghost House (2017) Movie Review Dan's Movie Report

Above Pic: IMDB poster of Ghost House (2017)




Special thanks to actress Katrina Grey for turning me on to Ghost House. Actually, the film had a blink and you miss it one week run theatrically in the U.S., yet very limited. This review is from the home video release.

Ghost House opens very promisingly, as we see Katrina running and a sense of ominous urgency. The tight camera work, and excellent  lighting, really setting the mood. I kind of hoped the entire film would follow this pace, sadly it does not. Katrina has two decent scenes in Ghost House and she made the most of them especially in the beginning, where she showed some real fear. One of those grab you in moments, yet alas no other ones really occur.

The film plays out more like a Chinese style ethereal ghost horror story, and in the case of the Ghost House, the story is just not full of enough plot points, jump scares, or and excitement. It is not a bad looking film, has the elements of setting, creepy houses, creepy people, just not enough intertwined situations to keep a viewer interested.

I really wanted to like the film more, I think the director and crew will be better on the next project, as the talent level and look of the film are fine, just the story and plot were tepid, not allowing for the viewer to be fully engaged. Ghost House is a bit below average, perhaps a Netflix or Amazon Prime affair only and 5 out of 10. 

Axeman 2: Overkill Movie Review Exclusive Photos! Dan's Movie Report

Above: Axeman 2: Overkill Poster (IMDB)

After really enjoying Axeman the movie I was waiting with excitement for Axeman 2. Fast forward nearly four and a half years part two, entitled Axeman 2: Overkill has arrived. I really liked Scott Pollard as The Axeman in the first film, sadly he is replaced, as is much of the cast. 

Above Photo: Exclusive Screen From Sinning Works: Dan's Movie Report

 

The film feels a bit lower quality than the first, but still campy fun. This time around we get a bevy of beauties including the legendary scream queen and indie queen Monique Parent. Actually by using a largely female cast, the film feels a bit more fun, and light hearted, campy, sexy, yet cool.

The forest and isolated surroundings are in play as is the cabin in the woods. Yes it is a trite plot formula, but kind of is needed for this. The plot has some tinges of a treasure hunt thingy yet not really developed enough. I mean evangelical Christians and murderous bank robbers are a great mix when an ax crazed murder is on the loose, yet I wish the film played out more serious and less campy. Perhaps a bit of a darker tone in the second half of the movie.

Above Photo: Exclusive to Dan's Movie Report Copyright 2017 Sinning Works

There are a few good kills and surprises along the way, two of them are actresses Linda Wong as Shank, and actress Ariel Brachfeld as Deputy Whitfeld. I thought they were more emotionally invested in the story. Linda Wong, played up her tough girl person, she pretty much kicks ass and takes little shit! Want her on my team of mercenaries for hire!

Unlike most horror films, Axeman 2: Overkill for the most part is a daytime affair, and the kills are clear and easy to see, which for the most part is great, but the minor drawback is the film is not really scary or tense. Yes the Axeman himself is huge and dangerous, but since the audience sees all of what is going on, it takes away from the scares. The upside and it far outweighs this is, you CAN actually see everything! Nothing happens in dim light, off camera, or out of focus. Kudos to the film making crew and DP for framing a great movie. Director
Joston Theney got the most out of his cast given budgetary confines. I do hope his next film is given  bigger budget with more established actors in the cast. Not putting this cast down, it is just time for Joston to step up!

Minor drawbacks aside, Axeman 2: Overkill is a pretty cool film, watch it not for horror, but for campy, and bloody fun. Enjoy sexy ladies, getting killed and doing the killing haha! Hard to put my finger on a rating, perhaps, 6.5 out of 10, a solid rent, a purchase if you are into horror. 

Watch for a poster giveaway to coincide with Halloween! Keep Reading Dan's Movie Report for more exclusives on this film and others!