Amityville: Dollhouse (1996)

Wow. Another in the long, long line of movies that have used the Amityville name to make some easy money, this is another surprising film due to the fact that it doesn't completely stink. It's not a great film but it's still far from the worst in the series and actually has some decent ideas and individual moments stifled by some weak acting and a sub-par screenplay by Joshua Michael Stern.

As if you didn't realise it, this film centres on a dollhouse that is a miniature of that infamous Amityville home (why the hell would anyone want to make such a thing? Ahaaaaaa, wait and see, wait and see). The dollhouse ends up in the care of a little girl (Rachel Duncan) who quickly starts to notice that something isn't quite right. Meanwhile, the family unit around her gets more and more strained as her father (Robin Thomas) tries to maintain domestic harmony with his wife (Starr Andreef), tries to get on with his stepson (Jarrett Lennon) and tries to keep his own son (Allen Cutler) in line.

Directed by Steve White, Amityville: Dollhouse is nonsense, as most of the later entries in this overlong series are, but it's entertaining nonsense. I mentioned the weak acting already so I won't put the boot in there, nobody is unwatchable but nobody is that good either, but that's overshadowed by a plot that throws in demons, killer insects, that sly and spooky dollhouse and even a zombie. Yes, a zombie.

Many people may think that I'm being too generous to the film by even giving it an average rating but it deserves it. The good stuff and the bad stuff keep popping up in equal measure. There are some half-decent special effects and everything is played pretty straight down the line, despite how preposterous all of the supposed horror elements are.

Of course, the other glaring flaw with these films is just how unconnected to The Amityville Horror they actually are and perhaps that's something to consider when watching each instalment of the franchise. If you don't actually view them as franchise instalments then they can be judged, for better or worse, as individual films that try to scare and entertain viewers. Most of the movies aren't even scary but at least a few of them are still entertaining.

5/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Amityville-Dollhouse-DVD-Robin-Thomas/dp/B00004WIAA/ref=sr_1_2?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1348169924&sr=1-2

Vampire Journals (1997)

An offshoot from the main Subspecies movies, this film focuses on vampire Ash (Jonathon Morris) and the man (Zachary, played by David Gunn) who seeks to stop him from biting any more women on the neck. The odds may be stacked against him but it's as good a time as any while Ash seems preoccupied with numerous other problems involving those he thought he could trust.

Once again written and directed by Ted Nicolaou (who, of course, helmed all four of the Subspecies movies and also wrote three of them), this film may run low on actual thrills or horror but it's a decent enough bit of gothic melodrama that should please fans of Anne Rice.

Characters spend an awful lot of time brooding over their past and contemplating their futures while not much happens. But it's all so degrading and horrible being a vampire, don't you know. Well, that would seem to be the case for anyone who doesn't just make the best of the situation and turn all ruthless with their fangs ever ready a la Ash.

A script that always teeters on becoming outright laughable is not helped by a pretty weak cast (the great work from Anders Hove is sorely missed in a film that stems from a franchise he towers over). Jonathon Morris does okay but, as I said in my review of Subspecies 4: Bloodstorm, he just seems so out of place because of how I grew up with his TV work here in the UK. David Gunn is a wet blanket, with the material mostly to blame for it but his performance isn't great either. Kirsten Cerre, Starr Andreef and Ilinka Goya have fleeting moments that allow them to make a better impression but the rest of the time they are consigned to the background and undeveloped. Mihai Dinvale is fun to watch (though not as much fun as he was in Subspecies 4) and that covers the important cast members.

Basically, what you get here is a cross between the Subspecies movies and a gothic video for a rocking power ballad. Think of it as Interview With The Meatloaf, if you like. Is that a bad thing? No, actually, if you know what to expect from it then it's perfectly acceptable. It's just a shame that it couldn't be a bit more creative and energetic to make up for the weak script and cast but some bloodshed occurs now and again and it all looks pretty enough so while it's nothing I can honestly call good I don't feel that it's something I can honestly call bad. Therefore, the rating is slap bang in the middle.

5/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Subspecies--Epic-Collection-Subspecies-Journals/dp/B000F6ZIJM/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1337544741&sr=1-1