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Last night, I picked up a copy of Splinter on Blu-Ray while on date night with my girlfriend at Barnes And Noble. Splinter is yet another film which made a splash on the festival circuit and never a nationwide theater release. I can't really nail down a reason one of the major studios didn't pick this film up, because it could have done pretty well at the box office with the right marketing, but they passed on another good one. Magnet, the genre/foreign film arm of Magnolia pictures have been putting together a solid, respectable catalog of releases. They've added another title to that fast growing list with Splinter.
There's one thing I have to say up front. This was shot digitally. Digital filming can often lead to real problems with quality of image. Though it's usually extremely clear, it can produce an image which audiences in no way relate to being cinematic or of film quality. There's too much depth of field, the lighting can be problematic, any number of things can cause issues with digital filming. Though I appreciate the kind of grand, cinematic style of films like There Will Be Blood or No Country For Old Men and absolutely love the beauty of the photographic quality of the worlds they create, I in no way think it's an absolute necessity in making a good film or telling a good story. A good story, well told, is a good story, well told, and sometimes lack of quality in the image can be useful, depending on the story itself. I'm not mentioning all of this because Splinter has the problems so often related to digital imagery, I'm actually mentioning it specifically because it doesn't, and in the Hi-Def Blu-Ray format, it's gorgeous. Director Toby Wilkins and cinematographer Nelson Cragg really did a great job with the look of this film. It has some great warmth and depth in the spots it needs to and a very hard, icy cold feeling where it's needed as well.
With that out of the way, a short synopsis. A couple on their way to a hotel from a botched attempt at a camping expedition run into something they weren't expecting in the form of another couple. The two couples, then run into something even less expected as they continue on down the road.
That doesn't tell you anything, does it? Well, that's the point. You're better off seeing this one with as little information as possible. I'll give you one more piece of information, because it might specifically be the kind of thing to make you decide whether or not you're going to see it. It's essentially, a really well made monster movie.
Monster movies have made something of a comeback in the last few years, with both Feast and Slither making good money on DVD, Cloverfield raking in the dough in theaters, The Host making a big splash in the overseas market and a load of other films doing relatively well. Splinter is without a doubt one of the better monster movies to come along in a good while. It lacks the tongue in cheek, wink, wink, nudge, nudge, quality of Feast or Slither, the grandiosity of Cloverfield or the melodrama aspects of The Host. Don't get me wrong, if you've read through my entry A Decade Of Horror: And It Was Good, you know I really liked at least three of those films. The fourth, Cloverfield, was a fun film in the theaters, but specifically because of it's grandiose scale lost some of it's luster on DVD. No one's living room is quite the same as a theater full of people, and I've never seen anyone's living room contain a screen large enough to convey the scale of the monster.
Splinter avoids all of that because three quarters of the film takes place in a convenience store/gas station. There are a total of six characters in the film, from beginning to end, and a creature which is ingenious. Of the many things which work well in this film, one of the strongest is the choice to not linger on and show the creature off. There's none of the camera falling in love with the monster, holding a long, drawn out shot, as if the director is saying, "Look how cool my big latex covered monster is!" It's always shot from the point of view of the other characters, which makes it even more creepy and unnerving. It's a great example of the theory that you don't have to show the entire monster, but just aspects of it, to create some real tension and give the sense that the characters are in real danger.
It manages to be solid storytelling, with good performances, an interesting, unusual and unnerving creature, well designed and executed effects, and very well shot. This isn't the best film of the year, but I'm willing to bet that the statement on the cover claiming it to be the best monster film of the year is true. Splinter is absolutely worth a look.
Posted By: iNSANEmoments at 3:19am, November 8, 2009
Oh, gosh. I don't know what appealed to me exactly from this movie but damn - I loved it. When it was nominated for an award at Scream 2009, I freaked out in delight. Anyway, watch this movie. It's amazing and not a waste of time.
Posted By: horrorking95 at 10:08am, November 7, 2009
This has one some the best effects I've ever seen for a low budget horror, I didn't even realise it was low budget until I read some the comments now! It is a fantastic, intense and original film. The creature looked so creepy and I loved the way it could pass on to anyone who got a splinter in them. The arm scene actually made me cringe! And I don't cringe that easily. The only fault I would give is that the camera was alittle too shaky whenever action sequeneces came on so it was hard to know what was going on! But apart from that this is a bloody intense and simple shocker that will have you on the edge of your seat
You simply have to love the plot of this film. A Ph.D. graduate student, his good looking girlfriend, and an escaped convict murderer and big rig thief get trapped together in an isolated gas station in Oklahoma. Their enemy is a bizarre heat-seeking virus that infects people and animals alike making them all murderous zombies of sorts. This is what I would call a situational horror film, and unlike many other films in the subgenre it actually works quite well.
A low-budget monster movie with believable f/x and actual character development? Holy crap, this was a good movie. The gore wasn't gratuitous, but it was definitely effective. I was cursing up a storm during one of the more intense scenes so I'm glad I didn't see it in a movie theater (I refuse to be one of *those* people).
Damn awesome movie!!! Great creature that just kept getting creepier and creepier. Very good acting and the story was tight and made you care. The effects were to die for- I mean the part where the guys arm is getting cut off?? I had to look away it was so real! I am way impressed with this film and it is one of the best I have seen this year by far! Wonderfully intense!!
Posted By: trickytreats at 3:29pm, September 21, 2009
A good old fashioned horror movie where the characters hide inside a building and try to keep the evil out. What gave this one a nice twist was what they were fighting against. It was definitely unique in that respect.
Posted By: hellangel at 7:47pm, September 20, 2009
this is the right kind of movie we want from usa. I'm Italian and love horror movies. I'm very tired of a lot of american movies like the saw or hostel. Small projects like this one, with simple ideas, good actors, good cinematography and screenplay needs to be made more often than now.
Special Effects are fantastic and related to the right suspence and stress-up situations, nothing is really out of the right place!
please...do this movies in America! we need of them!
This was one vicious and intense creature feature that entertains as well as terrifies and grosses out. I thought the acting was surprisingly strong and the idea was simple but clever, the filming was also good creating a 1970's early 1980's feel. This movie kept me on the edge of my seat for 82 minutes with its jolts and monster action and its strong lead actors. The thing that kind of bothered me was that it didn't fully explain where the nasty creature came from other than it's attracted to heat and the film could of been a little bit longer. Overall this is one solid creature feature that I hope has a sequel on the way because I really enjoyed this. Recommended!
I very much enjoyed this movie and I am extremely impressed at how well it was made especially since it is an independent film.
The acting was great, the creature and gore effects were amazing and the soundtrack was bizzare!
definitely a great movie to watch!!
10/10
Awesome creature feature! Original, creepy as hell monster. Sub-par acting but still found myself rooting for the characters, definitely a good one. Highly recommended!
Splinter was a very creepy and such an original film. i loved it. it had me frightened as i was watching it. Th e splinters were absolutely well executed and they couldnt have done a better job at it. a cult classic, in my opinion. check it out.
After hearing some very respectable and positive comments on horror sites and just the internet in general, I decided to give it a try. Although, I was skeptical about seeing the film, hence the shaky-camera. After I saw the film, I thought that this was the best horror film this year. It certainly is the most original and I am very picky when it comes to horror films. I look for a strong script, decent performances, and some outrageous and grotesque kills. Splinter had all of these and even stood on it's own.
This was probably one of the few films that scared me along with The exorcist and Evil Dead. It certainly made me jump numerous times and I cringed at when are characters were being in trouble and struggling. The film also doesn't use gratuitous gore display to make up for scares. The creepy atmosphere, the great performances, and the suspense inducing moments do. Toby Wilkins is certainly at adept directing horror films and clearly knows a good horror film.
The film also offers some of the goriest deaths I've seen, which is a bonus. The monster in the film is definitely original and not cliche like let's say a dinosaur or some other recycled creature. The film was certainly ambitious and made me frightened and this is coming from a desensitized horror freak.
Overall, Splinter is the highlight of 2008. It certainly has the guts (no pun intended) to be an original film and a hardcore one at that. It can be suspenseful while also grotesque without taking away from the experience, it actually enhances it. A great film all around.
for a small budget film this was a entertaining monster film that I enjoyed very much I think I will watch it again right now. I love digital film it is a blessing from above.
Funny how you get people who hate this movie and say it's NOT "unique" or "original" but then gave movies like Final Destination 3 and Jason Takes Manhattan 9's. So, who do you trust? Everyone has their own opinions I guess, but sometimes those opinions are just plain stupid :P
Down to the nitty gritty. The movie really is quite a breath of fresh air. After the barrage of barrage of zombie and slasher movies as of late, it's nice to have something that focuses on something a little more terrifying.
The sheer sense of claustrophobia this movie creates is astonishing. It's such a simple and seemingly derivative idea, but the characters, the atmosphere and the overwhelming sense of terror really keeps you glued to the screen. Not to mention, this is a SMART horror film. Rather then your typical rag tag group of teen misfits that simply run and hide for their lives only to be hacked to bits by their own incompetence, you actually have thinkers in this movie (Paulo Costanzo's character in particular); people who are forced to figure out what this creature is that's hounding them, how to kill it and how to escape.
To top it off, the film has bad ass old school effects. Something that's always been near and dear to my heart, especially when it comes to the creature feature genre. The goddamn splinter monster is just so freaking awesome looking in theory and execution; some brains actually went into the creature's actions.
One more awesome tid bit: Paulo Costanzo, the main character, was totally the brilliant Jewish pot smoking kid from Road Trip. Nice to see him in this role; really shows his ability to diversify.
I am really amazed at the amount of praises this movie is receiving on a site where the creators and members are supposedly huge fans of the horror genre (this is not an attack, just something I wanted to point out)
This movie for me, in a word, was crap.
Dont get me wrong, its not the worst horror movie i've seen by any means.
I see people describing this movie as "fresh", "original", "unique", and even "amazing"....
I cant comprehend this, unless I saw a different movie called "Splinter" with the same exact poster art and actors because this was just a sub-par movie.
The only redeeming factor for me was that the acting isnt horrible.
I dont hate this movie or anything, I just cant seem to find anything that stands out except for the sequence *spoiler*>>>>>>
where the guys arm is amputated with a box cutter and cinderblock (I cringed)
<<<<<*spoiler over*
Also, I enjoyed Quarantine and Cloverfield and was able to withstand the camera. This movie isnt even supposed to be from that point of view and the camera work is even more nausciating. Why the hell cant we see the monster for more then .5 of a second?
Another over glorified piece of shit film. Ohh no its an organism that grows in its host in the form of a splinter, hence the creative and unique name. lol. Seriously this film is re-done crap that smelled of tremors and feast... Really not worth the time it takes to watch.
Interesting, unique, engaging, tense, fairly believable and to the point (no pun intended). Everything a "monster" flick needs to be. Best part- it's not totally predictable. Watch it.
Really like this movie! It was really diff. and creative. they did a great job making it giving it a creepy vibe. i didnt like the little jewish guy, he was a terrible actor. but the rest of the characters were pretty good. '
This was amazing. A new and original refreshing amercan horror.
It had tension, atmosphere, story and good effects. This is the kinda movies I wanna watch. Had me in wondering whats next as soon as the shit hit the roof. If you still have not seen it then your missing out big time!
This is a little know horror film that you are either going to love it or hate it. I personally usually hate films about organisms or bacteria that mutate but I liked this film.
It takes itself serious enough to pass as a harrowing experience. I enjoyed the simplicity of the story and the suspense it was able to build. Well directed, well acted and and suspense driven. Its not for gore hounds its more for those that would rather see something that will get your heart rate up. I think this would be a decent date movie if your both in the mood.
Easily one of the better american releases for the genre for 2008.
another movie that is once again way overrated...i didnt reallly care about the characters and the movie was just plain boring at parts....the only thing i liked about the movie was the creature and i got bored with that after the first 40 minutes and was just waiting for this movie to end
This is a great little horror flick with a unique and frightening creature, great acting, and enough gore gags to make even hard-core horror hounds grin. I highly recommend SPLINTER!
just bought this off Amazon (along with SHIVER), hope it is as much fun as FEAST was!!
NOTE: i'm rating this with a 5 just to i can post this. i'll REPOST my review once i've received it from Amazon and watched it
I was waiting to see this movie for a really long time, since of course movies like this are limited releases and never come out to theaters by me unless I want to drive an hour or fly a plane to New York or sometihng. I was not dissapointed with this movie, it was what I expected, in a good way, and more so much more. This movie was pretty gory and at times very awesome effects and it had some great moments to it. Check this movie out NOW. You will not regret it. 8/10! Also it helped that I saw this movie at a screening, :D, with the director sitting about 4 seats away from me and I got to see his reactions to the crowds laughing and messing around lol. Wilkins has a future, but Grudge 3 is sh** and may hurt him. 8/10!
Oh lord, this was like being on a roller coaster, EXACTLY like being on one. It's starts off abit slow, it starts to rise in action and anticipation. Then, you're at the..hill or whatever and you don't know what to expect but it's brutal. When you're going down..or upsidedown, there are twists and turns each filled with fun exhiliration. Plus it's also shaky like being on one, but no motion sickness. In the end, you'll be left feeling relieved..somewhat..but you'll want so much more. This movie ruled the rulebook of breaking rules, finally I can say there's a good American horror movie I've recently seen. Watch this, it's sick..like needles make crackn' bone mutation and gas wonders sick.
I have been reading the reviews and a lot of you are complaining about the handi-cam work. You have to remember this movie was shot on a limited budget so it was a must use on the creature due to the lack of funding for the effects. For me, the movie worked on a levels and I enjoyed it. That is saying a lot since horror has been mostly straight garbage lately. I am starting to think smaller budget works for horror so it keeps the writers and director from adding too much BS to the films. At just over an hour this movie gets to the point with no extra boring fottage. Buy this one, it is a great time.
I kinda thought Splinter was overrated. I kept hearing how this was the greatest horror film of the year--easily, along with Martys--and I could not wait to get my hands on it.
Well, once I did, I watched it...and thought it was okay. I won't lie, I thought Lake Dead was a better film (I know I might get de-Bloodied for this one, but it's truth). BUT, I will say that it's worth a watch. I mean, there are some good kills and tension is definitely there.
i loved this movie was original and different Paoulo was amazing, the tension established worked brilliantly and constantly kept me guessing throughout the entire movie, the gore was brilliant and really shocking loved the tension established in the confined space of the gas tension, to sum up incredibly good tense creepy fun packed must see
The really annoying thing about this movie is that there's a great little film under a lot of dross which ruins the whole experience. The criminal couple are a nice duo, even if the female overacts to absurdity at times. However the hero couple who we as the viewers should be rooting for, come off as annoying the male is such a completely useless pussy and his partner is so accepting of his ineptitude it's unbeleivably annoying. Why the hell didn't he take the gun from the woman when they were checking on the obviously dead "Ginger" ridiculous.
As for the creature itself, great idea terrible execution. Every time something happened onscreen the camera would jump around as if the operator was having a fit. However we get to enjoy lingering shots of a guy trying to hook a walkie talkie with a coat hanger 'awesome'. The creature could have been a black bag or a cuddly toy. There was just no opportunity to get a decent look at it. If it had been handled as a parasitic version of the infected from 28 Days Later, I think the whole film would have been much more effective. As for the hand chasing the survivors through the gas station, well it was just laughable. The fact that the same idea was executed so much better in John Carpenters 'The Thing' decades ago is shameful.
I'm just not getting it. Not at all. This flick was only mildly entertaining at best. Right off the bat, there's no way you actually believe that our protagonists are an actual couple. They are *horribly* mismatched in terms of chemistry, and their acting talents, marginal to start with, seem further strained as a result. The actors portraying the bad guy and his chick are much more believable, so that's a plus. Then there were all the little, but highly unrealistic things that bothered me: the bad guy constantly takes his eyes of the hostages, gun out of hand, leaving himself vulnerable to being taken over -- and these sort of things happened over and over again, in different ways too numerous to describe. Then, top of the 3rd act, there are some hilariously poor attempts at levity, romance, and character redemption -- poorly conceived, and rendered! So bad that the whole film becomes completely amateur. Then, after some *major* surgery (an amputation!), a character ends up carrying on as usual, minus and kind of anesthesia, etc. Horrible, horrible, horrible -- all the way around. And lastly, I am sooooooooo tired of flicks getting a free pass for blood, guts and gore! Fuck you gorehounds already! That shit is steadily *ruining* the genre. Hold a director's feet to the fire and demand that they actually begin crafting some genuine tension and thrills -- and a good story, too! Imagine that! This flick is so-so, at best.
The splinter creature was off the charts! This movie had the gore as well. It was a quick fast paced movie with tons of thrills and emotion, I sat there and was disappointed it was over in such a hurry, that's how much fun I had watching this. Magnet has been putting out some great movie's lately and this is a cut above the rest, check out splinter you will not be disappointed!
Posted By: DiegOmen16 at 10:25pm, January 28, 2009
Its realy annoying to see that this fun and blood packed piece of junk gets so overrated i mean its kinda good cause its really fun but it was really stupid and this had the worse creature and special effects i have ever seen on a movie like the scene of the hand i was laughing my ass off in that part.
I was very happy at how this movie turned out. I really liked the movie. The creature effects were sweet and the acting wasnt that bad. Very good movie.
Splinter is a welcome surprise to our favorite genre. Aside from the slight overuse of the handi cam, Splinter is rock solid. Splinter maintains it's indie look, while also having the ability to appeal to a mainstream audience as well. Theres plenty of goodies in the package for us gore hounds as well.
Do yourself a favor, and do whatever you can to catch a screening of Splinter. I have a feeling you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Its not a bad movie, but there again its not brilliant either. Acting pretty solid, good special effects but theres one or two holes in the plot. you never know how they became infected, were it came from so it does leave you a little bit puzzled, but its not bad and only 80 minutes long.
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