The Ghouls (2003)

The stylishly produced zombie face on the DVD box fooled many viewers into thinking this ghoul fest would be a polished production. After about 30 seconds one can see that this is not the case. This movie feels like a student project on a 100 dollar budget at times. Also there truly is no hero to cheer for and that bugs the hell out of some folks here. The producers of this movie definitely cut against the grain of typical films of this genre by giving our main protagonist the personality of a scoundrel. His motivation was clearly based on his own personal greedy ambition to be famous & rich. I loved the originality here & I was thoroughly engaged by the story. However the dialogue & acting was dreadful at times & the pacing & editing needed much more work. But overall the handy cam view point feel worked for me, poor sound & lighting included. The soundtrack was bizarre but it fit the mood of this movie. Unlike the bigger budget variety of zombie flick this movie was not predictable and I liked the sleazy city & sewer settings. Curiously all the movie props looked like they were from the late seventies right from the cars to the rotary dial phones to the huge video camera our schmuck reporter was dragging around. I'm not sure what time frame this film is supposed to take place in. Overall the suspense was good and the ending was satisfying. The downs syndrome punk really cracked me up with his Robert Deniro " Taxi Driver " impression. That was classic stuff. If you want something original that will stick in your head long after you watch it, this movie is it. You may love or you may hate this video but I bet you won't easily forget it! "Are you talking to me cuz I don't see anyone else here!" LOL

Through most of the first act it would seem that the title THE GHOULS refers to Eric, the main character (I can't call him the hero.), his buddy Clift, and the other news hounds who cruise Los Angeles looking for bloody, violent crime scenes to videotape and sell to local TV stations. Calling Eric a bottom feeder is generous. When he comes upon a madman plunging a knife into a naked woman he does nothing to save her but instead videotapes the commission of the crime. When he comes upon his buddy Clift taping the end of a police chase he comments that the footage isn't worth anything because the police don't kill anybody.Like I said, he's not a hero. Fact is, he's a mess. He's an alcoholic and a chain smoker. Worse yet, a bearded chain smoker. There may be something besides a dumpster or an open grave that smells worse than a bearded man who's a heavy smoker, but I can't think what it is. And I hope that the excellent actor Timothy Muskatell, who plays Eric, doesn't smoke near that much in real life. His performance is sometimes a little rough around the edges, but he seems to have a tremendous talent and I look forward to seeing him in more films.Eric has a back story. When he was very young his father committed suicide very messily while Eric looked on. So he's gone through life an observer, keeping things at a distance through the lens of his camera.Reading the somewhat inaccurate description on the back of the DVD box you'd expect a retread of one of Romero's LIVING DEAD movies with zombies swarming through the streets of the city and crowds running in terror. Doesn't happen. The truth be told, the story owes more to BLOW UP than any other film I can think of.Eric thinks he's found the story that will make his reputation. He sees what seems to be a group of homeless men dragging a woman into an alley. He pursues with his camera at the ready and begins filming the crime in progress, but soon realizes that this isn't rape. They're eating the woman alive. When Eric turns on the light on his camera the light blinds the creatures (unnaturally pale with strange teeth) and they pursue him to his car and he barely escapes with his life.The second act finds him taking the video to the owner of a local station, thinking that his ship has come in. One small problem- he didn't have any tape in the camera. No pictures, no story, no money.So Eric decides to return to the scene of the crime, which draws him into the dark underbelly of life in Los Angeles. An old man he meets on the street tells him that local people in this poverty stricken area call these creatures The Ghouls, and that they've always been around.So Eric and Clift have their cameras and guns at the ready and go in search of these creatures, sitting and waiting for them to come out.In the third act Eric finds himself up close and personal with the violence and bloodshed that he's watched through the viewfinder so long. But when he's personally involved it's not possible for him to have the cool detachment and cynicism that has marked his work for years.The bottom line is that the monsters, although given their lion's share of screen time, aren't the story. Eric's moral dilemma and moral development are what drives the story. He may come out of this a better and stronger man if he comes out of it alive.This was shot on digital video and, on DVD, looks great- I have no idea what it might look like on a big theatre screen. Michael Mann's COLLATERAL was shot on digital video, too, and also looked good.I have a feeling the budget for this was nonexistent, just like I doubt that the producers bothered getting any permits to film on the streets. This technology doesn't require that big a crew. When B-movie crap like Adam Sandlers THE LONGEST YARD costs $80 million to make, it's refreshing that somebody knows how to get a lot of bang for the buck.This movie has the busiest soundtrack I remember in years. I watched with headphones and the use of stereo was very professionally done. There's always the sound of a police scanner in the background and sound from TV's and radios.THE GHOULS is not without its faults. As stated earlier, some scenes are a little rough and could have used some more polishing. And points were sacrificed because some of the music was flat out annoying. Loud saxophones that sound like sheep bleating don't make my adrenaline pump, they just annoy me. And the blood and guts are excessive. I'm not in junior high so that doesn't do all that much for me. Scare me, don't try to nauseate me.But all in all, an excellent piece of work. Well done, folks. And, as I said, Timothy Muskatell should be a big, big star. Even at this stage of his professional development he could leave Josh Lucas or Hugh Grant in the dust. He and George Clooney never try to be cute aging boys, they're grown men and not ashamed of it. Muskatell is an actor developing his craft, not a cover boy for teen magazines, and that's refreshing to see in this age of bland leading men.

Looking around on the internet, one will get mixed reviews for this independent film. Some comments will read "horrible effects/Script/Actors", others I read said "Great effects/actors, solid script and see to believe makeup/scenes". The truth lies somewhere in the middle.I hadn't even heard of this film before plucking it off the shelf(to rent) at the video store. It's definitely not an average horror film. It includes some very unique/sloppy (you can decide) camera angles. Some shots seem too zoomed in, or perhaps not enough takes were done. The script has it's downfalls (character depth), and seems slightly, if not more, rushed. The dialog could use some work...Having said that, this movie is worth seeing. The plot starts slowly, but once one gets into it, it can surly keep one's attention. There are some gruesome scenes, and it will shock, if not scare you. An overall dark mood throughout, comparable to 28 days later(the mood), but by no means the same.If you expect to see a typical movie with this one, you're way off. Original, unique... there's definitely something here you can't get from big budget Hollywood movies. It's hard to forget about this one anytime soon after watching it.A graph of this movie would start at the bottom and end at the top... slow starting but grows and grows to something... (for lack of a better term) better.

My Tuesday started off like most, wake up, shower, eat a balanced breakfast and head to work. My day was somewhat routine, no ups or downs, just......typical. I left work a little stressed and while driving home, I got a flat tire and was forced into 30 minutes of extra work that I had not intended. I got home late, and then attempted to wind down. What would I do? Watch some TV? Eat a snack and take a nap? "Hey man, do you wanna watch this movie, The Ghouls?" my roommate asked. "Hmmmmmmmm" I thought, this could be a pretty good idea.Man was I right! I quickly forgot about the ills of my day quite quickly as I was cast into a world of depravity and horrible film-making. I was blown away at all the talent bursting from the seems in this picture, from the A+ acting, to the directing, most likely helmed by a retarded 7 year old, or the inane pacing that made my life feel so much better than anyone else's associated with this movie.It's a really comforting feeling to seek satisfaction through the misfortune of others. Kind of like watching someone fall and spill their drink on themselves. This movie was like watching a really arrogant skate boarding teen brag to his friends about the 720 he's sure to pull off, only to break his face on the unforgiving pavement.I cherish the thought that I may ever get the chance to meet the makers of this film, perhaps at a low caliber festival they are sure to play, so I get the opportunity to belittle their amateur efforts. Hey I'll even make my own festival and fly them right to me just for that chance.You remember when you were a child and you wanted to do something that your Father said you weren't old enough for, like hold your new baby cousin, or help carve the Thanksgiving turkey? All to spare you the obvious misfortune of failing. Well Father Filmmaker should have told everyone involved that "You are not old enough, mature enough, competent enough or talented enough to make this movie". The childish filmmakers would have sighed "Awwwwwww but I want to!" and then stomped their feet as they left the room. But it would have spared them the massive rejection that they must be feeling now.If I had tried to ride a bike for the first time and bailed as badly as this, I surely would have learned to jump rope instead. Makers of The Ghouls: Please for the love of anything decent and proper; seek another form of employment, because you will only get hurt if you continue. Film-making doesn't like you.