In the midst of October and the Halloween season, Direct to DVD Dissection looks at yet another reason to be afraid of clowns with an anthology horror film featuring not just 1, but 5 different stories of terror. In the end, though, how will they all stack up?
Watch Trailer Here
The Specs
Rated R
Directors: Bob Badway, Michael Emanuel, Igor Meglic
Running Time: 94 minutes
Studio: Phase 4 Films
Release Date: September 11th. 2012
The Story
After five strangers attempt to escape a horrifying fate, one is mauled by a flesh eating clown. Infected by the maiming, Emmet succumbs to a terrifying metamorphosis. As his body begins to change, so do his desires, placing the lives of his friends and family in jeopardy.
The Cast
Corbin Bleu as Emmett. Best known for the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL movies, he is also known for being the young Laredo from GALAXY QUEST.
Nicole Moore as Angela. Recently worked in 2009’s SORORITY ROW, as well as the recent 2012 movie, THE BABYMAKERS.
Bill Oberst Jr. as Buck. Got acclaim for TAKE THIS LOLLIPOP, which won an Emmy, and also for his role of Lincoln in the Asylum’s ABRAHAM LINCOLN VS ZOMBIES
Domiziano Arcangeli as The Clown. Has done films like ORGY OF BLOOD, VIRUS X, and ALIEN BABES IN HEAT.
The Dissection
The issue that faces anthology movies is similar to what a wrestling PPV card faces of sorts: The idea behind it is a gradual rise in excitement from the first moment until the last. A lull anywhere in the middle can drag the film down, and especially so near the end as it leaves a lasting impression on the viewer.
Bill Oberst Jr as Buck.
When it comes to SCARY OR DIE, it resembles more of a peak, where it builds up in the beginning, reaches the top in the middle, and then just goes down before the end.
The real issue at hand is that the stories are very schizophrenic in terms of tone and style. Some stories seem more planned out and given more detail than others. Some of them are hampered by short time and give the idea that it served no purpose cause of it. Others drag on too long, and especially so when concerning the climax, or lack of one. There’s even 1 story that could have probably been cut out entirely without causing any issues in the film, because of how it never really connects with the other stories.
Still, when the stories are good, they are real good. That alone will merit this movie a recommendation. The main story that revolves around a cannibal clown story mixed with THE WOLFMAN. It works, and would have been better stretched to a full movie. Two of the other mini segments also work well and have some more importance than the rest do.
The big issue is that, while the whole movie isn’t even, the design of the movie makes it easy to skip the dull moments and move onto a new story.
Da da dada dada creepy, Da da dada dada afro...
The Extras
the DVD features some cast interviews, along with a making of feature. There’s also some language options for English and French viewers. Nothing new or mind blowing.
The Verdict
SCARY OR DIE is worth a good look, of only for the main attraction and some of the supporting stories. If you check it out on a rental or a look on VOD, it’ll entertain, but keep a remote handy to skip the dull bits.
Rent SCARY OR DIE at Redbox
http://www.redbox.com/movies/scary-or-die
View SCARY OR DIE on Amazon Instant
http://www.amazon.com/Scary-or-Die/dp/B009GEOVGK