A decent, somewhat creepy, modern haunted thriller
Anthony Pittore | Behind You | 11/16/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"On an all-night watch over a robbery hostage in an abandoned warehouse of a former film studio, a group of thugs are terrorized by unknown forces. At the start, numbers randomly appear printed on the walls. Then, when the hostage makes her escape, the kidnappers begin to turn on another looking for a suspected rat. Eventually, amidst the fighting and fear, the gang discovers the terrible and sinister secret the film studio once held. . . and who the other residents of the warehouse might be. . .
Enticing cover art and an interesting synopsis have too often led me astray into the land of bad cinema. Before checking a single review or finding anything else about '13 Hours in a Warehouse,' I decided to give it a shot. After all, if they took the care and time to make a cover this desirable, I'd assume they did the same for their film (ignoring, you know, The Asylum productions and everything Ulli Lommel). And, when it comes down to it, I can't say I was disappointed in the least. While the film is inconsistent, constantly altering tone and mood to the point of seeming a bit muddled, the highest and lowest of the swings are the best parts of the film. The horror elements actually are scary and the comedy elements actually are funny. The writing's not too bad, though the dialogue between the thugs tries too hard to be Tarantino-ish (including a seemingly endless rant about Robin Williams for some reason), but it's entertaining enough where it isn't a completely put-off. The story is interesting and works pretty well. Also, the direction is above average from what is usually seen at this budget level. The acting, for the most part, is acceptable, but the actors do slip up and lose their flow every once in a while. There are some nuisance problems like the annoying lapses in realism that occur throughout. For example, why would what looks like thousands of dollars in expensive film equipment be left to collect dust in an abandoned warehouse? Also, if a man commits suicide in a place, wouldn't the police perhaps investigate as to why? Maybe watch some of the tapes that are sitting around to see if there was anything shady going on? It's stuff like that that can really ruin the enjoyment of a film, but I was able to suspend my disbelief enough to look past it for the most part. . . actually, that's how the entire film turned out for me: Suspended disbelief = Enjoyment, and this was an entertaining enough film.
Final Verdict: 6/10
-AP3-"
Reservoir Dogs meets The Grudge
Jason | Backwater, Alabama | 12/28/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Professional thieves who resemble the ensemble cast from Jackass (minus the midget) hole up in an abandoned warehouse while awaiting a buyer for their stolen artwork. During the 13 hour wait, they discover and discuss the fact that the warehouse used to be a porn set; they debate the comedic talents of Robin Williams (he's not funny - never has been), one psycho discusses a technique that can debilitate a human into a rag-doll, and another proclaims to be the king of dead rat hockey.
While espousing their views to one another, an apparition - reminiscent of J-Horror ghosts - visits their only hostage. The ghost tells her that she is safe, and whispers the numbers "32369" - the same number spray painted on the wall. Soon enough the simple criminals must struggle to survive against static-covered ghosts that want no survivors. Much like Lost, the numbers may be a clue to survival, but will the criminals find out in time to save their own lives?
The ghosts, gore, and screams are above average; a few are even downright creepy. And while the majority of the movie feels like a Reservoir Dogs ripoff - a portion is also directly from the 8MM script - it's easy to overlook. Most of the characters are believable and fairly well acted. One guy reminded me of Brad Pitt's performance in 12 Monkeys, and another a poor man's Jason Statham. The strength of this movie, however, is the dialogue. Witty one-liners, pop culture references, f-bombs, and clever conversation rules the day. In fact, the interaction between the characters is good for a few laughs amidst the terror. The one major downside to the movie is the roller-coaster audio ride, at times an incoherent whisper and at others similar to the sound of a jackhammer waking someone up from a deep sleep.
The locale, plot, and horror are sure to keep a viewer's attention, and the remake of the night-vision scene from The Silence of the Lambs is superb. It's low-budget, but worth it for horror fans."
Dissapointing indie flick
Skidz | 12/14/2008
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Rarely do I stop watching a movie in the middle, but I had to with this one. Poor audio, poor acting, poor writing, and poor directing in general were the undoing of this film.
If the previews on the DVD don't tip you off, the opening titles should....the logo looks......cheap. And the first shot appears CG.
The idea of the film isn't all bad, but the execution is where it all falls apart. A skilled production team could have pulled it off but it just didn't happen with these guys. It gets 1 star for at least not looking like it was shot on DV tape."