Hansel & Gretel has 2,4 on IMDB. That says a lot about the quality of those who votes.
The fact is that if it wasn't produced by The Asylum it would get a higher rating. Yeah, I'm very sure of it. It's just the word The Asylum that people reacts to, which is kinda sad. It just proves that people have no opinons of their own. I've been following this company for many years now and I've watched a lot of stuff from them. Some of it really bad, some of it quite good. I personally think they've hit their personal top with Hansel & Gretel, because it's a damn fine little horror movie. Corny and cheap, as always, but always well-made and a with a fun cast.
It's always surprised me that no one has used the Hansel & Gretel fairy tale to make a horror movie before. The original story is more or less a pure horror tale, and a gruesome one also. It scared the shit out of me as a kid and it's still a very incorrect story to tell to kids. It's based on shock and a some gimmicky ideas and that's what director Anthony C. Ferrante and screenwriter Jose Prendes has leaned on.
Here we have a small town with a beloved bakery, run by the lovable Lilith (Dee Wallace). Her meat pies are delicious! At the same time young people is disappearing around the neighbourhood and they all end up in her pies - of course. Her two deranged sons kill them in their torture chamber under her house and she prepare the meat afterwards! How adorable! Hansel (Brent Lydic) & Gretel (Stephanie Greco) are siblings and ends up in the house of terror and now they need to escape and put a stop to the horrible crimes of Lilith. But it's easier said than done...
First of all, this movie looks great. It has a lot of atmosphere. It looks a lot more expensive than the movies from The Asylum usually does (that's not saying much, I know). Even the traditional forest area used in every low budget movie from the LA area looks better than usual. They've made a fun adaptation of the story. I HATE the expression "torture porn", it's something people who's ashamed of watching horror movies use, but I could say that this film has an aura of torture porn + but feels a lot fresher becuse of the cute house, the nice nature and smiling Dee Wallace chewing the scenery!
Yeah, Dee Wallace has a lot of fun in this part. It's rare we see her in big parts nowadays, but here she's in all her glory, using every scene and every line to deliver a truly awesome performance. It's not subtle, but hey - this is a cheap horror version of and old fairy tale. It's not made to pick up golden statues during the Oscars. The slick direction and nice videography gives is a better and more professional look than a lot horror films in the same budget scale. I think it was shot in 17-18 days also, which is impressive considerning the number of set-ups and practical effects.
The practical effects is primitive, but gory and graphic. There's not much of The Asylum's patented computer graphic's gore (which I don't mind, sorry fanboys out there), and most seems to be real fake-blood spurting from body parts, there's stabbings and cuts and yeah... people die in bloody ways. Another nice surprise with this movie.
I doubt more people will watch this film because I rave about it, but it IS a fun little movie. It looks great, it's gory and Dee Wallace is worth the money alone buying or renting it. Give it a shot and expect something cheap and entertaining.
"It's always surprised me that no one has used the Hansel & Gretel fairy tale to make a horror movie before. The original story is more or less a pure horror tale, and a gruesome one also. It scared the shit out of me as a kid and it's still a very incorrect story to tell to kids."
I think more people should use the original fairy tales more often in horror......the Grimm Brother did their best to make it child friendly but the source material for example Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, all contain stories about cannibalism, rape, unhappy endings in their original form.
"I HATE the expression "torture porn", it's something people who's ashamed of watching horror movies use, but I could say that this film has an aura of torture porn + but feels a lot fresher becuse of the cute house, the nice nature and smiling Dee Wallace chewing the scenery!"
Well...I use the label.....but only for films I think are lacking in storytelling.....just because you have long, torture scenes with lots of gore doesn´t make the film good.
"Yeah, Dee Wallace has a lot of fun in this part. It's rare we see her in big parts nowadays, but here she's in all her glory, using every scene and every line to deliver a truly awesome performance"
Good choice though.....genre fans might recognize her from
The Howling (1981), Cujo (1983) , Critters (1986).
And playing a loving mother is perfect....think of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982).
"It's not subtle, but hey - this is a cheap horror version of and old fairy tale."
Well.....it might be a good choice....I like the over the top style of Freeway(1996), worked for me.
"The practical effects is primitive, but gory and graphic. There's not much of The Asylum's patented computer graphic's gore (which I don't mind, sorry fanboys out there),"
For me that´s not important....as long as the film is entertaining the effects don´t matter much.
"I doubt more people will watch this film because I rave about it, but it IS a fun little movie. It looks great, it's gory and Dee Wallace is worth the money alone buying or renting it. Give it a shot and expect something cheap and entertaining."
I might see it, I´m hoping that you will do review of Red: Werewolf Hunter(TV 2010), entertaining werewolf take on Little Red Riding Hood.
But of course best version was made by Tex Avery....hahahhah
http://youtu.be/IXcWQrhzlMU
Good review and thanks.
Posted by: Megatron | March 23, 2013 at 13:55
You could put it this way: "just because you have long, torture scenes with lots of gore doesn´t make the film bad".
Posted by: Fred Anderson | March 23, 2013 at 14:07
Fred: hahahahhah....perhaps, Fred......but if the storytelling is lacking.....I get bored.....personal choice, I know but that´s how it is.
Posted by: Megatron | March 23, 2013 at 16:45
sounds interesting. going to look for this.
Posted by: gk | March 24, 2013 at 08:15