By
Travis G.
First off what a terrible name for a horror movie. THE ANNIVERSARY AT SHALLOW CREEK does not make me think of fear or death. In fact it sounds like something my Grandma would watch while drinking Tea and eating cookies along with the film A ROOM WITH A VIEW. This independent horror film was apparently based on true events.
A man hoping to get away to his uncle’s place out in the mountainside for a romantic getaway decides to invite a few friends and turn it into a weekend of partying instead. However unknown to him is that the house previously was the scene of a double homicide. The next thing the party goers realize theirs a party pooper at the party the shape of a sniper wielding maniac who is intent on ventilating the guests heads.
The self proclaimed “slick homage to horror classics and a clever update of the genre that never leads exactly where the audience suspects” is actually quite the opposite as not only does this film not bring anything new to this genre but it’s annoyingly predictable. It’s not quite as simple as a Scooby Doo mystery but the majority of the time even the most casual viewer is knowing where every plot is heading. "Shadow" is not necessarily a boring film it just doesn’t offer anything new or interesting. I did like the killer sniper idea though. Some light gore, nothing special, a mild body count and some nice looking girls running around in their underwear caught my eye but nothing remotely close to satisfying my inner sleazehound.
I don’t hate this film as much as other people do but the thing is with there being already so many great horror films and homages out there it's possible shortly after the release of this film it may sink into cinematic obscurity where no one involved is going to remember or even care to remember.
I don’t hate this film as much as other people do but the thing is with there being already so many great horror films and homages out there it's possible shortly after the release of this film it may sink into cinematic obscurity where no one involved is going to remember or even care to remember.
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ReplyDeleteThe problem with trends in horror is that, well, they become trends. It isn’t always a bad thing as it happens with every aspect of the entertainment industry – you produce what sells. The hope you have as a consumer is that the work produced is good. Or at least entertaining. Cycles is what they call it and cycles they are but sometimes these cycles take a while to run themselves out. Anniversary finds itself at the end of a cycle that hit a few years back with The Strangers and that was films about people beset by a stranger/strangers killing them seemingly at random. Thankfully this is one of the better entries into that subgenre but it just seems to be lacking something that keeps it from being really good.