ALL HALLOWS’ EVE *** USA 2013 Dir: Damien Leone. 83 mins
Set to a Carpenter-riffing pulsing electronic score, ALL HALLOW’S EVE is an indie entry into the increasingly crowded new-wave of horror anthology pictures generated by the popularity of TRICK R TREAT, VHS, etc – this time linked by a malevolent clown with a penchant for dismemberment. Set on Halloween (with, naturally) NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD on TV, it unfolds as three gruesome tales in the form of a video tape found in a kids’ trick or treat bag, and reluctantly played by their babysitter. The tales involve young women menaced in train stations, remote country homes and a gas station, and incorporate said nasty clown, an impressive metallic alien and foetus-ripping gore. Despite confusion about “videotaped” footage being all too obviously digital and featuring characters on their mobile phones, this makes a real effort to be scary, and does generate some nice, effective chills – particularly the mean-spirited end of the framing story.
Review by Steven West