Great concept, good acting, but.... Hun?
Madelyn Pryor | Mesa, AZ United States | 03/07/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"The Unknown Trilogy is a throwback serialized horror movie, very much in the vein of the first Tales from the Crypt or even Vault of HorrorTales From the Crypt / Vault of Horror (Double Feature). It is three stories of `horror' bound together by a narrator. Those first two movies were based on EC Comics and they had some glimmer of horror.
However, the quiet tone of Unknown Trilogy and the lack of follow through in some of the stories makes this film an easy one to pass over in favor of more horrific fare.
There are three stories represented here. The first is about a gambler who is a loser and finds himself making a very unholy deal in order to save his skin. It has some great, classic actors in it (though they only make cameos). I liked the pace, I thought the story and writing were decent and I liked the actors. I was like "cool! Bring on the next two!". The second story is about a young boy who is frightened of many things, especially funeral homes. When his friends dare him to visit one, he is confronted with his greatest fears. In this story, I found the ending trite and a little limp. It wasn't delivered with enough explanation or gusto. When the narrator says his next bit (I can't tell you what without giving away the end) I was asked myself "When did that happen? Hun? What was the significance of the coughing, and..." That was it, because I decided to write that off and move on to the next story. It was about a man who lost his little boy on Christmas and sinks into a terrible depression. I had the ending pegged in 10 minutes. 10 minutes! Then I wasted my other 15 to nod and say "Yep."
The uneven quality of the three stories and lack of well completed endings in two of the three stories earns my three star rating. The three stars are really for the first story about the gambler. If you feel so inclined, watch the first story and then don't watch the next two. Just don't do it. So think you're investing in 30 minutes of darn decent film.
Also know, this is a very quiet, very psychological horror movie. There are no moments of actual terror involved, so if you're looking for any of that, run far, far away.
"
It should be known...
Desiree | Missouri, USA | 03/09/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a really good anthology, best I've seen in a long time. Just about flawless actually. The only thing is, that I thought the kids featured in the second story should have been a little older for some things they do in their roles; other than that, great! This isn't cheap looking, poorly acted out, or done from an average written script like so many of the newer anthologies. Well done, like Twilight Zone The Movie, which has always been my favorite."
Boring
Melanie Winzer | houston, texas | 10/03/2008
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Don't waste your money or your time. This movie was a total let down. I could not even get through this movie."