The scares weren't there, the suspense was lacking and Rob Zombie's "31" seemed to be throwing everything together as it went along.
The two music videos that proceeded the movie as part of the Fathom Events screening were enjoyable and set a fantastic mood to start the movie.
As the movie starts with Doom-head, played by Richard Brake, talking in a menacing manner into the camera, almost as if to the audience, the creepiness starts.
Brake is pretty frightful, but goes in and out of being menacing. There's no quality in him which makes him relatable or even engaging, there's nothing that makes him jump off the screen and bring fear to the audience.
Seven carnival workers are introduced and five are captured on Oct. 31, 1976 by some twisted people to play a game they call 31.
31 is in reference to Oct. 31, or Halloween.
The group which has captured the carnival workers are lead by Father Murder, played by Malcolm McDowell.
McDowell has a magnificent voice for inspiring fear. His announcements over the intercom may be weird, but the tone of voice is chilling. His character isn't really likable, but he isn't really suppose to be.
The games begin and the five carnival workers have to survive 12 hours in a creepy warehouse while being hunted by some disturbing clown-makeup-wearing psychopaths. Two which strike a resemblance to a play on DC's Harley Quinn and Joker.
The sets were probably the best part of the entire movie. They were some well made sets that fit this disturbing story.
It was fascinating hearing the audience react to the movie, the mixed reactions from the audience served to prove that there's an audience for this movie.
The ending to this movie could have come early, but it seems that it keeps going to another good spot to end it. It goes on even further and gets to another spot to end it. The finally comes to a spot where it sticks to nothing really happening for much too long before it actually ends.
I give this horror movie 3 out of 5 Popcorns. It's an interesting concept, much like a private and less politically charged Purge story. The acting from the majority of the cast seemed to go in different directions scene to scene.the gore was pretty cool, but it seemed like it took a long time between the gore scenes. I'm sure this is a movie which can be enjoyed more with people than sitting at home alone watching.
As part of the Fathom Events screening an interview with Rob Zombie was played after the screening which cleared up things about the movie. It was enjoyable hearing from Zombie about the process the movie went through. The music videos which accompanied the movie were enjoyable and a nice touch to set the mood before the movie, although the movie didn't follow the same pace.
Rob Zombie's "31" will be in limited theatrical release Sept. 16.
Check out more fathom events at fathom events.com.
