Splinter [DVD]

A small cast, a petrol station, and an invasive antagonist that is driven only by instinct. I picked this movie to watch on a whim, and am pleased I did. It is a film that showcases human foibles, how the normal person reacts to abnormal circumstances. It lacks the soaring, epic scenes from a director like Bay, for example, but that is not a bad thing.Mainstream movies can be overly dramatic, and the soul of the film can be lost. This is more intimate, and some have panned it. But that is because they wanted SAW type levels of gore, or to be spoon fed constant high octane excitement, massive car chases, and other such things to stop them from needing to actually think and feel whilst watching a film.I enjoyed this, the villain becomes the anti-hero, the pretty girl knows her own mind, needing no-one to "rescue" her, and the geek who loves trees reveals a hell of a lot of spine. There was quite a bit of practical special effects, which I loved, it's an art that too often gets merely completely replaced by CGI these days. It begins with a young couple looking for nothing more than some time together for their anniversary, and instead of going down the usual route of only one walking away at the end, both do.There's plenty of excitement and character development, with dark humour and bucket loads of blood. Instead of just blasting their way out of the situation, the characters have to make choices, and sometimes, some of those are wrong. It's a movie that delivers, in my opinion, take it as it is, and enjoy. If you need to have explosions every five seconds to keep you attentive, find another movie.With me, I tend to look for relatability, which this film has. No one is going to think of a perfect strategy whilst something is smashing its way through a glass door with ferocity. It is also an interesting take on how humans are actually a lot less powerful than they think themselves. That when you take away the things we depend upon in society, the police, or rescue services, we are completely unprepared to survive on our own.It also carries a message about crime, drug use, and how even though it can ruin your life, addicts are still people, but it is not in your face about it. This leaves no doubt that humans will act against each other in the dumbest ways to get what they want, and are completely happy to see someone else die if it means they themselves can live. Yet, it carries a hint of what three people can achieve, and actually find some nobility, when the situation calls for it.

This is a great little sci-fi creature feature with good characters and implications. I guess its not your per se "creature feature" but i definately think its worth a watch !!! Good cast and Story. Iv'e seen worse films given much higher praise ! Good for a scary couples night in !!!

Ok what I didn't like was the overlong scenes, and as one reviewer said shoddy camera work which was all over the place. The plot was old hat, and I don't know why these films so often play out in a petrol garage or small supermarket - maybe because of the hidden angles, but frankly it's boring. The worst thing, and that's not just limited to horror films, is the way the film flicks between credits which is frustrating, I prefer it when they just get on with it., grrrr.What I did like was the monster - absolutely one of the best monsters I've seen in a horror movie. The idea was very good and the people concerned deserved to be mentioned in the credits as a separate team. I liked the hand and thought that was cleverly done and 'realisic. Some, not all, of the acting was very good and I think every actor in it was capable of a lot more. Especially wasted was the garage attendant at the beginning who I thought could have brought a lot to the film if he had been in it longer.Overall it was a very poorly edited movie but one that was saved by the actors and as I have said the exceptional monster. Just about worth 3 stars but definitely no more than that.

It could be described as a low budget horror and maybe it is. I must admit I did watch it till the end, so it can't be all that bad. Some or the effects are quite good and make you cringe in pain, but some of the camera angles and shakey shots are done so you don't see how ridiculous the 'monsters' look. It did remind me of the Adams Family and the crazy hand that scampers around. So, it's a little predicable and you'll be shouting at the telly 'just shut the door' or 'turn the light on'. Still, as i say, I watched it till the end and thought 'well, that was alright I guess'.

The older I get, the tougher I am to please on the horror front. The oh-so-predictable quiet-quiet-bang approach long since stopped doing it for me. Yes, so there's a couple of cheap jump scares in here, but overall Splinter is a great fun ride with some great creature effects. The low budget is apparent with the need to only give us fleeting, jumpily cut images of the monster. But this need not, nor should it, be an automatic mark against it. After all, some of the best monster films of all time are so impactful because of this fact. Jaws and Alien needed to limit screen time of their beast, as any real exposure before the final showdown would show up the limitations of what they were working with. Splinter very much takes this approach, and for my money, is more effective for doing so.Echos of The Thing and Living Dead reverberate the claustrophobic confines of the small rural American filling station our protagonists find themselves trapped in.Overall, a good, solid ride for a low(er) budget monster movie.