Greg

(2012-04-28 07:53:12)

OK Premise - Bad Ending

In John V. Soto's Needle, a killer uses an 18th century box withextraordinary and deathly powers to rein havoc on a group of friends atSaint Mary's College. The box is the size of a jewelry case and when apicture of someone is put into a secret slot, a wax figure of theperson is created to where the killer can stick pins, break off limbsand just make life miserable for the person the figure represents.We get introduced to the box when student Ben Rutherford inherits therelic from his recently deceased father. But before you can say, "Oh mygod, I am bored", the device is stolen and soon an unidentified killerbegins to use the machine on Ben's group of friends leaving thembutchered, blind and bleeding with nothing more than a few pin pricks.Ben (Michael Dorman) and his brother Marcus (Travis Fimmel) figure outthe sinister nature of the device and begin a search for the killerwhile attempting to warn their friends of their impending deadhood.Needle is a get-in-line movie. It got in line with stereotypicalcharacters, a half-descent story that fails to execute on the premiseand a bunch of forgettable characters and situations leading up totheir eventual demise. And the story of the sins of the father comingback to haunt the children was just…well – stupid.This is OK if you don't aspire to be anything more than another horrorfilm entry with above average DVD cover art. But Needle drops the ballby taking the fun out of the idea. And the ending which reveals to usthe evil Wizard behind the curtain, was poorly played and filled with abunch of 'now why would they do that' situations and discussions.I really wanted to like Needle. I sure as hell want the device that wasused in the film (I have a neighbor that might find himself with a fewless limbs if I had the opportunity). But throughout the running time,I was just bored. The kills were OK (we loved the hand coming off), butwe recognize that within a week, this film will find itself into therecesses of the brain where you can't distinguish this title from anyof the other horror-of-the-week type entries.www.killerreviews.com

brucev13

(2012-04-27 13:23:10)

Very flawed movie but it shows promise!

Basically this is a slasher movie. The one thing that stands out is themethod used by the killer. Not going to say it but the title word ispretty explanatory (For one moment you will get this Hellraiser vibewhen the method is used,which was even more promising,but it is farfrom it). Prepare yourself for some gory death scenes. There areelements however that prevent from "Needle" becoming a classic. Firstthe acting by some of the cast. Travis Fimmel really seems to be goingto much overboard with his laid back attitude.It is downright annoying.The main character however is even worse. He goes from sensible to acomplete idiot in no time.Supposed he was to express like he was inshock or something.But then observing the other actors it came acrossthat not everyone took the plot very seriously. And while I understandthe absurdity of the content. For a horror movie like this to work atleast the actors should not act like it is one big comedy. The sense ofdread should be there and it wasn't. The slow pace also isn't helpingmuch. There were too many scenes that had no purpose other than fillerscenes.Resulting in a less thrilling affair.But if you can overlook andaccept the flaws in plot you will be able to enjoy it.

brucev13

(2012-04-25 06:43:42)

Very flawed movie but it shows promise!

Basically this is a slasher movie. The one thing that stands out is themethod used by the killer. Not going to say it but the title word ispretty explanatory (For one moment you will get this Hellraiser vibewhen the method is used,which was even more promising,but it is farfrom it). Prepare yourself for some gory death scenes. There areelements however that prevent from "Needle" becoming a classic. Firstthe acting by some of the cast. Travis Fimmel really seems to be goingto much overboard with his laid back attitude.It is downright annoying.The main character however is even worse. He goes from sensible to acomplete idiot in no time.Supposedly he was to express like he was inshock or something.But then observing the other actors it came acrossthat not everyone took the plot very seriously. And while I understandthe absurdity of the content. For a horror movie like this to work atleast the actors should not act like it is one big comedy. The sense ofdread should be there and it wasn't. The slow pace also isn't helpingmuch. There were too many scenes that had no purpose other than fillerscenes.Resulting in a less thrilling affair.But if you can overlook andaccept the flaws in plot you will be able to enjoy it.

psandbergnz

(2012-04-24 14:33:24)

Very mediocre, and no credit to the Australian film industry

I found this movie shallow. The plot is thin, and generally "dumbeddown", with the acting mediocre. Actor Travis Fimmel (the estrangedbrother and photographer) came across as quite unconvincing, as if hewas hardly affected by the scenes of gore, and his expressions wereoften incongruous. Michael Dorman (his brother) started well, but hisacting in the scene of desperation near the end was lame (reflectingpoor directing) and poorly executed.I suppose the little bit of sexual titillation (played by the twoattractive female students) was deemed likely to increase the ratingsand to create some side interest. All in all, the movie doesn't really"work".

Chloe Hughes

(2012-04-20 03:33:45)

If you enjoyed 1990's thrillers and Horrors

Needle is written well both story and characters. This film has a1990's vibe so if you're fan of Scream, I Know What You Did LastSummer, Halloween H2O,etc etc then this worth checking out. The murderweapon -the voodoo- is well thought of since using a gun or knife hasbeen used countless times so well done to the writers Anthony Egan andJohn V Soto. Filmscope have casted well with rising stars MichaelDorman and Travis as brothers ( Ben & Marcus) Luke Carroll (Nelson),Nathaniel Buzolic (Ryan), Khan Chittenden (Jed), Trilby Glover (Isobel)and Jessica Marais (Kandi) have been perfectly casted as his collegefriends. Veteran actors Ben Mendelsohn and Malcolm Kennard have smallparts playing Detectives Meares and Reddick and good to John Jarratt asquirky Paul the coroner makes a welcome change from his Wolfcreekcharacter.

Claudio Carvalho

(2012-04-19 11:38:21)

Boring and Predictable with Fake Reviews

In the Saint Mary's College, the student Ben Rutherford (MichaelDorman) inherits a strange device from his deceased father. However,the device is stolen and out of the blue his friends are murdered, oneby one, in a bizarre way. Ben and is brother Marcus (Travis Fimmel)have been estranged for years, but they get close again and discoverthat the machine is a tool built for revenge by Rubenstein in theEighteenth Century. Further they also find that their father had killedhis partner Robert Shawn ten years ago and now someone is seekingrevenge for the sins of their father. "Needle" is a boring and predictable teen horror movie. I was surprisedwith the two favorable reviews of this unoriginal film in IMDb, butthey are fake and written by "users" that have only one review topromote this flick. "Lost Boys: The Thirst", for example, is promotedthe same way in IMDb and I will certainly receive many negative votesand another favorable fake review will be written immediately afterthis one (this is the usual procedure). My vote is three.Title (Brazil): "ForГѓВ§a Oculta" ("Occult Force")

WDPrystauk

(2012-04-12 06:56:59)

From Cool to Ho-hum in Record Time

Part of what makes us indulge in horror movies is to see deathpresented to us in a different manner, through a story that compels us.NEEDLE had a wonderful premise with a wonderful little mystery thatscreenwriters Anthony Egan and John V. Soto (who also directed) couldnot bring to light.And that really bothers the heck out of me.If the pair had really invested in a riveting narrative, this couldhave comprised the mystery element of the United States based versionof THE RING with Clive Barkers HELLRAISER for one potent andunforgettable horror. Instead, after coming up with a wild idea, Eganand Soto clearly didn't know what to do with it. Instead, it becamehack-and-slice cinema that offered little stimulation to the senses. Bymovie's end, the tale had become so old and lame, the climax wasabysmal and unsatisfactory. In fact, it cheats the audience and sets upa sequel, though I doubt they'll ever have the chance – unless anintelligent producer with deep pockets comes along and shows them howto do it the right way.At first, when the lame commercial-hard rock commenced as Ben (MichaelDorman) ran across a college campus, I thought this was going to betypical teen fair. Then the premise was revealed and intrigue set in –only to collapse into typical teen fair. Worst still, Travis Fimmel,who played Ben's older brother, came off as being creepy in one scene,and a determined guy out to solve the mystery in another. Now, this didnot leave the audience with an enigmatic character (such as StellanSkarsgård in INSOMNIA or Ji-tae Yu in NATURAL CITY) but a confusingone. However, seeing how the story imploded into mediocrity, I havelittle doubt the director had told me to act in this manner. Think ofGeorge Lucas directing kids (unless they're stuffed into ewok costumes)and you'll get the idea.Revenge horrors have become a "give me a break" kind of subgenre, thatis a simple and clichéd plot device for writers and directors to use asan excuse to slaughter. NEEDLE reminds us filmmakers need to deliver somuch more. And this movie is only worth watching to see how a couple ofwriters came up with a great idea and didn't know how to make it work.

trashgang

(2012-04-12 05:19:53)

decent killings

Needle is one of those so-called horror flicks that you easily canwatch with your teenagers. It is not all about the red stuff or aslasher or whatsoever. It's more about who's the killer. Oh yes, thereare a few red herrings but still, it's more a thriller than a horror.Was it bad, no it wasn't because some killings were rather good andeven one is a bit gory but the ending was really a bit of a letdown.This was John V. Soto second feature and it was okay. the reason Ibought it was because my wife is a huge 'V' fan and Jane Badler is oneof those V icons that appear here in this flick. She did well althoughsome did give a mediocre performance. But overall it wasn't a flick that you will tell about the next day asto say this is a must see. It's one to warm up just before you aregoing to watch the real stuff. Gore 2/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 3/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

mike_brunton

(2012-04-10 15:27:49)

Generic movie with a good idea - bad execution

I will start by saying as always, I am a horror movie fan, if I wasn'tmy score would have been lower. Serial killer uses fiendish means tokill group of college students - heard it before? Oh yes we have, abouta zillion times. Therefore, some things have to be avoided, such aspoor acting, terrible scripts and a reasonably obvious unsatisfyingconclusion. There were some good points, I too liked the mechanism fordealing death, it was suitably creepy although all the deaths were'samey', a little more intelligent thinking could have gone into thevarious bloody demises. For a group of 'close' friends we were neverever given that impression, some poor scripts, along with the pooracting were to blame here, I can't help but compare this to RodZombie's Halloween 2000 or something where a similar group of collegestudents were shaking it up before Jason comes along and puts apermanent dampener on the proceedings. Once again, if you are going tocopy an idea that has been done a thousand times, then head down to acollege bar, get the permission of the students to film them drunk andsteaming/stoned and copy the absolute randomness that comes out oftheir tiny little minds. I can guarantee you it will be better thansome 40 year odd scriptwriters harking back to his glory days. Overall,could have been better, but not by a lot. Once again, I feltdisappointed that the horror genre is filled with low budget, seen it amillion times movies. Come on budding Neil Marshalls, let's have someoriginality and decent directing.

WA_film_supporter

(2012-04-10 01:39:06)

A very slick and well made film - go see it!

I've been meaning to write this review since I first watched it at the"CinfestOz" Premiere in Busselton a few months back. After reading someof the highly critical and unfair reviews I thought I would put in mytwo cents worth. I support any film made in Perth, particularly if theyuse WA crews. (I work in the industry, but did not work on this film,unfortunately). "Needle", "Blame" and "Wasted on the Young" are threeexamples of quality WA films that have been made on low budgets.The DOP on Needle was Steve Windon and its clear his eye has had a hugeinfluence on the look of the film - it looks very slick. Although Ibelieve this was shot on Digital, it looks like they used 35MM cameras.The story is very fresh. I admit to being wary about watching anAustralian "horror movie" as most have been terrible in the past, butthis film is a breath of fresh air. I have never seen a film where thekiller uses a machine that makes voodoo dolls. Congratulations to thewriters for thinking of this new device. Although the film has the samegeneric elements of a slasher, the characters, locations and story setthis as a quality film with some major unique differences.The film has a slower pace than most frenetic (and usually bad) USslashers and I noted some of the reviewers have criticized the film forthis - they couldn't be more wrong! I loved spending time with thecharacters and when they started to get killed off I did start to feelthe tension gradually rising and rising until the climatic end.I have noted from their website that they are promoting the murdermystery element of Needle and without doubt this is the strongest partof the film. I certainly did not work out the killer until the revealand this was a great surprise. Overall my opinion is that this is a good film, well worth watching. Ican't wait to see this again when its released in cinemas in Australia!

JoeB131

(2012-03-27 15:32:29)

Not bad for a little horror movie

Actually, this wasn't a bad little film.The plot is that the sons of an antique dealer who murdered his rivalfind his home Voodoo Doll machine, and promptly lose it. Their friendsstart getting picked off one by one.The mystery is slowly unraveled by the protagonists in an encouragingway while the subplot of the unresolved anger between the two brothersalso unwinds. So it's a good film all around.The performances are pretty good, although I think some of thecharacters are underdeveloped and only there to be victims. Still,worth a rental if you still have a blockbuster in your neighborhood.

Boloxxxi

(2012-03-27 00:37:21)

The "Hardy Boys" vs. Revenge machine

Estranged brothers Ben and Marcus come together ( like the "HardyBoys") to solve the systematic killing of Ben's school chums.This movie is basically a "murder Mystery". The only thing that set'sit apart from most is the method the murderer is using to off hisvictims. Let me say right here that I don't believe describing themurder weapon in some detail spoils anything for you (Boloxxxi NEVERspoils; not intentionally anyway). But if you believe it does, thenSTOP RIGHT THERE!!! Advance to the next reviewer and collect $200.00.Made or acquired in the 1800's, the instrument of death is a "revenge"machine that operates on voodoo principles in that it uses a wax figureand photo of it's victims. It has a side drawer that holds a crank thatis inserted in a special slot that "winds it up" or get's it going oncethese steps are taken: (1) A wax image or symbol is made of the victim;(2) blood is drawn from the avenger and poured into an ornate circularreceptacle at the top; (3) a retractable viewer of some kind is pulledup from what looks like a "coin" or "card" slot and a small photo ofthe unlucky bastard --sorry, "victim" is placed in it and pushed backdown into the machine; (4) a long needle is selected from a collectionin a drawer of the machine to be heated and used with the wax figure(Positively fiendish, what?) I liked this movie as a simple, solid murder mystery. So though Ithought the revenge machine was an interesting take on the voodoo idea,the way it's victims died was not that interesting to me; that is tosay, no more so than if a gun or knife were used. What was interestingto me was who was doing it and why. That is what kept me going. BeforeI saw the movie I thought it was going to be another of those typicalyoung people horror films. You know; clueless, beer-guzzling,libido-driven, party loving teens getting knocked off one by one. I wassurprised how straight forward this movie was played out as a murdermystery (sans a lot of "teen antics") with brothers Ben and Marcusplaying detectives.Finally, though not exceptional, this movie is a solid murder mysteryfrom the perspective of young people around whom the story revolves; itis methodical and sober as Ben and Marcus try to get over theirdifferences and solve the killings at the same time. So if you arelooking for horror or want to be "horrified" this is not your movie.But if you want to be "mystified", it is (though you could stay homeand achieve the same effect by going through some of the bills youowe). Love, Boloxxxi.