The Barn (2016)

Just see this movie for yourself and draw your own conclusion.The Barn is a movie that you will either like or not. There's no pretense with this movie. It has a strong marketing strategy that has worked in their favor, and it worked! Personally, I enjoyed the movie. The acting was what you expect from a low budget indie film, but the cinematics and the mastery of nostalgia are what solidify this movie as a strong flick.

I wanted to write this review after days of the dead a few weeks ago but never got the chance. I saw the barn at the midnight screening of DOTD with Linnea Quigley, it was awesome. She introduced the film and gave a little insight into her thoughts about it. I loved it so much that I specifically went to Scarefest in Lexington this weekend to show my friends. This movie is so much FUN, not like trick or treat fun size candy bar fun on Halloween- BUT like getting a full size candy bar in your pillow case FUN. I read up about the movie prior to watching it and its really cool and inspiring that the director wrote it when he was a kid and finally was able to bring it to life. The story and look really does have a childlike Halloween essence to it. It reminds me of 1980s B horror movies with a mash up of the monster squad and hocus pocus. The attention to detail from the costumes to set was amazing, especially the skating rink. It feels and looks like a 1980s horror movie. FYI if you are into goofy dialogue and spoofy movies then you will be GREATLY disappointed as this film does take itself just serious enough not to make fun of itself or horror film in general. If you love older horror films, then you will be able to appreciate this one. The are also a lot of visual shot references to other films I picked up on like a night on elm street, maniac, cannibal holocaust, Halloween and TCM. Cool added bonus Ari Lehman showed up near the end of the film screening to watch. HOW KEWL IS THAT?!? I ordered a DVD copy a few days ago, can't wait to watch it with the family. This will be a new annual Halloween viewing for sure -S.M.

Watched this at Scares that Cares last night because my boyfriend wanted to see it. Full disclosure time :) my boyfriend loves horror movies and I tolerate watching them for him. I am SOOOOO glad he made me go see this movie! It was so much fun! He and I both enjoyed it for different reasons. He loved the monsters, the over the top kills, and the music. I loved it because it actually had a story and wasn't just some annoying kids getting slashed apart by a madman and these actor and actresses could actually act. It was refreshing to say the least. I can't wait to buy this when it comes out. If you can see this movie playing somewhere nearby I highly recommend you do.

So I have to admit that I have been following this film for a long time (years its seems like), but luckily I was able to finally see it on the big screen at it's Texas premiere at the Alamo Drafthouse last week. I won't ruin anything from the film, but I must say from the story line and trailers (which are great BTW) I assumed this film would be a straight parody of 80s horror films. But to my surprise it was not like that at all. If you're looking for straight scares, you won't find it here- as this is much more of a love letter to those retro films. Yes it certainly feels like it could have been released in 1989, but the film doesn't poke fun at the genre at all nor does it feel self aware that it is indeed a "horror film". The cast was surprisingly good for being comprised of relatively unknown actors and the characters they portrayed were very likable. The Special FX were far better than I imagined they would be and the music was killer. This film had every opportunity to go the complete "cheese" route, but it didn't. It walked that fine line of fun/silly but authentic with sometimes a serious tone in the story arc. You could tell the production team must really have a soft spot for 80s B Movies. If you love films centered around Halloween, Monsters, and Rock music... then I highly recommend you track down this flick!