Review of Dread (2009) by Shawn H — 15 Jan 2010

AFTER DARK HORRORFEST IV REVIEW - DREAD.

Dread begins with 2 college students whom agree upon one another to host and document a fear study on Dread for a school project. They hope that by exploring the fears of others that they themselves may unravel the mysteries surrounding their own fears. The subjects sessions are taped while being interviewed about their pastand present personal fears. The study goes well until one of the students through his own personal struggles with fear becomes dissatisfied with the results of the groups work. He then decides to take the fear study to another level. This is another work from literary horror master Clive Barker (Hellraiser, Midnight Meat train, and most recently Book of Blood from the same director) and is surprisngly one of his better films. Dread is slow at first quietly building up. If you have any past experience into the works of Barker you know your going to be privy to all sorts of blood and gore and quite possibly a few dangling chains here and there. These are stapple trademarks of Barkers where the living flesh is put through the ringer in many of his films. Same goes here as we are adorned to madness and darkly obsession. Dread is well acted and directed but it is slow so as to build on the tension. With dread you remain invested in the genreal story and mix of characters, especially Tamsin who has been branded with a black birthmark covering half of her body and face. I have never seen nor heard of most of the actors in this film and that is what draws me to it the most. When you watch a film that is well acted, without ever having seen anyone in the film in anything else before it, you gain a greater sense of believability for the characters they portray. This film obviously did not cost much to make and I reduce the quality to an indie standard but Anthony DiBlasi (whom I have never heard of before Book of blood) does well in creating a work that reminisces past Barker films. DiBlasi was director/screenplay writer of Book of Blood which also borrows from barker and it shows here. Overall I was satisfied with Dread dark material and decent direction. The ending will defininently make you squeamish and you will never look at a raw piece of steak the same way again.