By Melissa Antoinette Garza
As of late, most direct-to-DVD horror films are either torture porn, found footage, zombie flicks or a mixture of all three. Sadly, more often than not, the end result is awful. Zombies have notoriously been creepy horrific monsters, but nowadays they’ve lost their punch. Whether CGI or bad make-up, the zombies come across unrealistic and lame. The actresses are usually women with large fake boobs who can’t act but are made into bad-asses that lack any aspect of genuineness. The plot is typically non-existent and the characters are undistinguishable. Other than gratuitous sex scenes and constant gore, the movies offer nothing.
That said, there are times when a movie will rise above the rest. Though few and far between, there are a few films among the garbage that manage captivate, scare, and entertain. Surprisingly, 13 Eerie is one of those movies.
My husband Stephen, brother Geno, and I were in the DVD department at Walmart when I noticed the cover. Something made me pick it up. Honestly, as I’ve had such bad luck lately, I usually don’t give modern low-budget living dead films more than a glance. Still, there was something unique about this one.
I turned the cover over to see a picture of what the zombies actually look like. Immediately, I was taken in. They weren’t what one would typically expect. They didn’t look human. It wasn’t as though they were a more frightening version of their former selves. Instead, they were a very dark gray. They were bald, strong and sinister.
Beyond just the zombies, the plot too seemed to have promise. A group of forensic students led by Professor Tomkins (Michael Shanks) are brought to an island to complete their final exam. Cadavers are planted all around for the undergrads to discover and determine the cause of death. Separated into teams, and provided walkie-talkies to converse with Tomkins, the teams disperse.
Larry (Nick Moran), the cook, has an immediate distaste for the group and evidently anyone who pursues college. He isn’t a bad guy, but definitely someone who is taken ahold of by the green-eyed monster. He begins to suspect that something is very wrong. He after all knows the history behind the island. He tries to tell the professor who at first turns a blind eye.
Years ago, the Island was home to prisoners who were either on death-row or serving life sentences. The government used the grounds for biological testing which resulted in the zombies.
Soon, it’s clear that the planted cadavers aren’t the only bodies on the island. Worse than that, the other corpses are walking around and bloodthirsty.
Though 13 Eerie isn’t groundbreaking, it is most certainly a fast paced horror production which holds the attention of the viewer.
The characters are interesting and definitely well-cast. As I was watching, I realized that two of the actors had been in Freddy vs. Jason (2003). Brendan Fletcher portrays Josh, a claustrophobic kid who just knows something isn’t right. His partner Daniel (Brendan Fehr) believes he’s scared but Josh knows better. He sees something in the corner of his eye and though he doesn’t know it’s a zombie, it frightens him enough to return to the cabin and confront the professor.
Secondly, Katharine Isabelle plays badass, take-no-prisoner Megan. After watching Isabelle in this performance, it is clear that if she chooses she has the capability of being the next scream queen. Many times, when women are fighting the villains they lose their femininity and cross the line into something like Tomb Raider or Wonder Woman. It’s insulting as the tough attitude lacks any integrity and instead comes across both silly and infuriating. Rarely is a female protagonist written and portrayed in a manner where they are believably tough and smart. Isabelle surpasses all expectations and is able to not only delve into Megan’s intelligence and ability to think on her feet, but also the sheer will and drive that pushes Megan into survival mode.
Though the other characters are interesting and have their moments, Isabelle impressed me by far the most. She expertly conveyed fear and control, strength and weakness, confidence and insecurity -without saying a word. I look forward to following her career and am hopeful she stays with the horror genre as it is a perfect fit.
Overall, I highly suggest this film. The conclusion is a bit unsatisfactory but the rest of the movie more than makes up for it. Though, Geno purchased it for only $10.00 at Walmart, one can also rent it for $3.00 on Amazon. 13 Eerie proves that it doesn’t take a huge budget to make a quality film. They worked within their means to create something memorable and accomplished that and more!
Scared Stiff Rating: 7/10
