Must See Movie...

hyped garbage

Good concept, poorly executed.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

but with ambiguous creatures instead of a witch; and a side of pro-veganism. That pretty much sums up 2006' "Feeding Grounds," a micro-budget horror flick about eight bickering youths in Southern California who get stuck in the desert and encounter the unknown.To get anything good from "Feeding Grounds" you have to be able to acclimate to its low-budget style and limitations. I did and was able to find some rewarding elements, but it's mainly a tedious and one-dimensional barely-a-budget horror flick. Despite the lack of funds, there's some evidence that the filmmakers have talent. Parts of the movie have an eerie, arty ambiance in a good way. So the filmmaking is noticeably better than the do-it-yourself amateur (non)tone of the similar "Delirium," which came out just after "Feeding Grounds." There are a couple of things that make the movie worth investing in, like the voluptuous redhead in the opening act, Rachel (Rebecca Gannon). Unfortunately, it's just a glorified cameo and you have to endure an eye-rolling lesbian romance sequence to appreciate her. Secondly, and more importantly, there's a notable rock/metal song that plays during the end credits. While the credits list the five or six songs that appear on the soundtrack I was unable to pinpoint which is the one that plays during the final credits. It's obviously a no-name band, but it's outstanding; very creative.The eight youths that make up the cast are diverse and believable in their roles, not spoiled college kids, Just ordinary people, but they're only so-so interesting; and mostly not. If the script was tweaked they might be more compelling. Plus there are no real babes aside from the aforementioned Rachel from the brief prologue. Still, I appreciated the distinctions between the characters and their overall realistic portrayal.As for the attackers or creatures, it becomes clear that they have a way of initially infecting the victims via some kind of bite or sting (or whatever) which makes them sick, semi-drugged ripe prey. Now and then you'll hear a radio broadcast that provides info on what may be happening – unknown disappearances in the desert and the theorizing thereof, which is reminiscent of the occasional TV broadcasts in 1968's renowned "Night of the Living Dead." A few plot holes: Why do the creatures allow the police to come & go without attacking them? Why does one driver refer to the lack of "exits" on the highway when it's a two-lane road, not an interstate? Speaking of the road, why is it paved with people occasionally driving by and then mysteriously morphs into a dirt road and (I think) back again? The film runs 82 minutes and was shot in Southern California.GRADE: Borderline C- or D+ (3.5 out of 10)

1st watched 9/5/2011 – 7 out of 10(Dir-Junior Bonner): Effective scary movie that starts off looking pretty run-of-the-mill with a lesbian couple being the first victims in an initially sub-par looking killer movie. Next, there is a group of young folk heading off to a vacation destination and you know they are going to come upon the same fate. What sets this movie apart from others of the like is that it keeps you guessing to the very end and beyond as to what or who the killer is. The characters, although they are typical horror-movie types, don't do stupid things at stupid times – which is the norm for most movies of this genre. The movie, also, does scare you like it is supposed to. The attacker seems to have a way of infecting the victims first and making them sick and weak – which makes them ripe for the killing. In the background, occasionally you hear a radio broadcast where they are discussing unexplained disappearances – which gives you more data to help the viewer question what is really happening. Even when the movie is over, you really don't know what the victims have faced and to me that is good filmmaking. Otherwise, it's a pretty basic scary movie -- but it is pulled off well by the directors, writers and actors and it puts a nice twist on the genre that really works well once the movie gets rolling.

A group of young adults venture into the remote desert for a weekend vacation. The group get themselves seriously lost in the stalking grounds of a vicious predatory monster. Director Junior Bonner, working from a crafty and engrossing script by Alex Ballar and Jamie Gannon, not only ably evokes a strong feeling of dread and dismay, but also milks plenty of nerve-wracking suspense from the tense premise, makes excellent use of the isolated dry'n'desolate desert location, and creates a grim and despairing tone that becomes more increasingly dark, bleak, and hopeless as the gripping story unfolds towards a startling conclusion. While the characters aren't totally sympathetic, they are nonetheless all distinct, well drawn, and believable as hapless individual beings stuck in a dire situation; it's genuinely upsetting to see these folks succumb to panic and turn on each other. Moreover, there's a pleasing and intriguing ambiguity to the film which adds immensely to the overall eerie atmosphere (for example, we never get a clear look at the beast). The uniformly sound acting from the capable no-name cast rates as another significant asset, with especially stand-out work from Ballar as the nerdy Stephano, Gannon as the obnoxious Marcus, Kiralee Hayashi as sensitive, yet resilient Vegan Mary, and Kathryn Ely as the sarcastic Rhonda. Tarin Anderson's crisp and agile cinematography makes inspired dynamic use of a hand-held camera and offers plenty of cool artsy angles. The shuddery score by Robert Hawes and Eric Lindsay does the spine-tingling trick. Well worth checking out.

This is a small production with unknown actors that focused on making a desert stalking thriller movie.The plot is a well known Monster movie trope. Young friends on a road trip take a wrong turn, this time across a particular stretch of desert. . .and run into an unknown terror that picks them off. I call it a 'Monster Stalker' because the focus of the plot isn't the Monster, it's how the STALKING affects the Victims.First plus-- the group of friends are just that-- a group of friends. Not College Students. Not Spoiled Rich kids. Just ordinary people.Second plus-- some may look at the acting and think--"Oh this is gawd-awful". But look again: They are portraying their characters to the letter. A bunch of normal guys who are friends with the usual personal issues. A young ladies with aspirations for the future. None of it really overplayed. I especially give a star to the young lady playing the whiney pink girl: You are ANNOYED at her, not because you're saying 'Oh corny cliché', you're annoyed because she IS the 'Scared Whiney girl'. And the other women characters are varied-- but not the usual stupid teen slasher characters. You can empathize with them.Third Plus-- The Monster, or monsters (plural), is NEVER revealed. You glimpse hints, movements and gruesome gobbets. All nicely placed. Keep an eye out-- they are quick and simple-- but they arouse goosebumps all the same. And I have an itchy sense that the Monster is not just a single thing-- the attacks begins with a bite from something else, something small and insecty. Ewww! And there are the ominous abandoned cars on the roadside. This production doesn't bust the bucket with a guy in a rubber suit. Instead, you are left with your imagination, which is fueled by the growing realistic desperation of the people in the cars as they run out of gas. Then water. And no-one comes to help.Try this movie out on a Saturday night-- this one a is Mondo Horror treat.