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Reviews
The Dark Sleep (2012)
Lovecraft meets Harryhausen
Dark Sleep is inspired by the short story "Dreams in the Witch House"; I stress the term "Inspired". Only a few of the elements of the original Lovecraft story are present in Piper's script. Not a problem for me, but a lot of Lovecraft fan boys tend to obsess on changes made to the original material. That said, all of the truly fun element of the original Lovecraft story remain: Brown Jenkin, Euclidian Geometry, and Surreal Dream Sequences.
Piper's film follows a young writer who is recently divorced from her husband and is struggling to put her life back together in a new house. And if her life wasn't bad enough, the house she has just moved into has Brown Jenkin living in the walls, and a dimensional portal in the basement.
If you are familiar with the films of Brett Piper you will already know of his use of Old School Stop-motion FXs, which is what really adds to the charm of this production. Sure the acting is forced and stilted; sure the scripting of some of the scenes are overly drawn out and in need of some editing; but in the end Piper delivers what we paid the price of admission for: dumb girls being chased around by claymation monster.
If you want ponderous melodrama then go see Spielberg's Lincoln; if you want to eat popcorn and shout at the screen then see Dark Sleep -- you won't be disappointed.
Mega Piranha (2010)
Tons of Fun
Just plain FUN. I've never had so much fun watching a movie on the SyFy Channel. This film was an action packed ride from beginning to end. Just when you think this film can't get any more over the top, it does! FUN FUN FUN... Never a dull moment. This is the first time in recent memory that I've been able to watch a SyFy Channel movie from beginning to end.
Writer/Director Eric Forsberg throws everything at us but the kitchen sink: Flying fish, car chases, helicopter dogfights, navel battles, atomic bombs, and Greg Brady. This film has it all. Also, I must applaud the films editor Bill Parker; he brilliantly keeps the film moving along at a break neck speed.
We all know there will be a sequel and I personally can't wait!