Perkins' 14 (2009)

Absolutely Fantastic

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Of all the '8 Films to Die For' that I've seen (which is most of them), this one is undoubtedly the best (though that isn't saying much). It's not what I'd call brilliant horror, and certainly could have been a lot better, but there are some really good ideas here and they're well carried off by the director and his cast. The film could be called a zombie film - although I think that isn't really an accurate description. The film does take some influence from said genre, but the monsters in the film aren't zombies - instead, they're teenagers high on PCP. The plot focuses on a small town cop, who is devastated by the loss of his young son some years earlier. He's called into work after one of the other cops took the night off sick, and is intrigued by one of the prisoners in his cells. He notices the guy is missing a finger, and jumps to the conclusion that he's holding the man who kidnapped his son. After sending another officer to the prisoners' house, all hell breaks loose when the fourteen maniacs being held in his basement are let loose! The whole film takes place at night, and director Craig Singer (who previously made the half-decent 'Dark Ride') makes best use of this as it gives the film a tremendous dark atmosphere that serves the central plot line well. It's basically a film of two halves; the first half focuses on the interaction between the two central characters - the cop and the prisoner. The best thing about the first half is the suspense and intrigue drummed up as we wonder exactly what is in the guy's basement - the sequence that reveals it is really well done. The second half is much more action packed and sees the maniacs let loose on the streets, and then we watch as the cop desperately tries to keep his family safe. The film is rather savage in the gore department - though to the director's credit, he's restrained with the gore and uses it only when needed - which ensures the biggest impact. The fact that the special effects are well done is also to the film's credit. The plot line flowing throughout the film regarding the officer's son is interesting; but soon gets silly. It also has to be said that many of the character decisions throughout the film are questionable. Still, this is an interesting effort and I would say if you only see one 'film to die for', make sure it's this one.

In the resort town of Stone Cove, thirteen children are missing for more than ten years. One of them is Kyle, the beloved son of Sheriff Dwayne Hopper (Patrick O'Kane) that is obsessed to know what happened to him. When the pharmacist Ronald Perkins (Richard Brake) is arrested, Dwayne suspects that he might have abducted his son, and he asks his pal Hal (Dean Sansone) that is at home to go to Perkins' house to investigate. Hal goes to the basement and finds many cells, and accidentally he releases the creatures that are imprisoned. Hal is murdered and the creatures escape. Dwayne goes to the place with Perkins and discovers the fate of the missing children that are released on the streets of Stone Cove in a hellish night.The gore "Perkins'14" is a sort of combination of the disturbing and sick Travis Betz's "Joshua (2006)" with any zombie movie. The result is disappointing since the attitudes of the lead characters are stupid in many times. The funniest part is when Janine asks her husband if he is all right. The guy has just found that he is a cuckold; his teenage daughter is a slut; and his beloved son has been abused for ten years and has become a monster. Further he has just seen many dreadful deaths and they are trapped in a basement under siege of powerful zombie-like creatures. Couldn't the writer have a more appropriate line for that moment? The conclusion is so imbecile that ruins the promising parts if this flick. My vote is five.Title (Brazil): Not Available

This movie could have had potential if it had live up to the write up. The "hero" of the story seems to be a superman that can do all things, even figure out that a pharmacist in his jail is responsible for the the disappearance of his son. The major plot hole is all that is missing between the time the kids were taken and the time they were released. At an outward glance, it looks like they were all trapped in cages. If this is the case, where do they get their blood lust? There should have been more insight into what happened to the kids while they were in his custody and his motives should have been better explained. The 30 year old trying to play a young guitarist was ridiculous. The randomness of the whole movie left everything open. There should have been a lot more to the story explaining the 10 years in captivity and what the captor was trying to achieve. Mainly, we need to know if they were on a seek and destroy mission or if they were on a "kill the people that abandoned you" mission. The story itself could have been a good one if they had tried to make a proper story out of instead of a showing how well they do dismemberment effects. This was a very poorly thought out movie.

Today's horror movies are a far cry from the ones I grew up on. Rarely, if ever, do you find the hard-edged rawness of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" or the original "Halloween" in today's highly-polished offerings. "Perkins' 14" is an outstanding exception. Watching this movie is akin to riding a very, very scary roller coaster. It starts off easily enough, building up a great back story and creating empathy and understanding for the main characters. Then, suddenly, you're plunged into a hellish heart pounding ride that leaves you, at the end, trembling with sweaty palms. The acting in this movie is superb and believable, the story is unique, the directing is masterful, and the photography is amazing. At first I had an issue with the dark appearance of this movie. However, on second viewing I realized it contributed to the entire ambiance and storyline. Considering the time constraints the director, cast, and crew were under, this movie turned out beautifully. I doubt it would have in less capable hands. It is my opinion that Perkins' 14 will go down in cinematic history as one of the top horror movies of all time. For those who doubt it, remember that "Halloween" was widely panned in it's day by critics who were unable to see the future of the genre. For those of you who like happy endings, look up "Disney" and/or "Pixar", because this movie won't give you one. What it will give you is honest-to-goodness hardcore horror, which is what a good horror movie should do. Watch it if you dare.